Drive out Toutant Beauregard Road west of Boerne Stage and you will pass through two gates that look almost interchangeable from the road. Stone columns, a name carved in the entry wall, live oaks framing the drive. One community is Pecan Springs. The other, sharing a fence line and, as it happens, the same original developer, is Anaqua Springs Ranch. Buyers comparing the two often assume they are pricing the same product with a different sign out front. They are not. The line between these communities is a boundary on a plat map, but it is also a line between two entirely different cost structures, and understanding which side of that line you are buying on matters more than the acreage listing ever will.
Same Developer, Same Fence, Different Rules
Pecan Springs and Anaqua Springs Ranch were built by the same development group and sit directly next to each other, sharing a common boundary. That history explains why the two get lumped together in casual conversation about Hill Country acreage communities near Boerne. It does not explain why the fine print diverges so sharply once you get past the gate.
Anaqua Springs Ranch spans roughly 920 acres and runs on 1 to 5 acre lots, with a 24 hour guard stationed at the entrance and video surveillance covering the property. The community requires homes built in a "Euro-Texan" architectural style, which narrows the builder list to those who work in that vocabulary. The homeowners association is professionally managed by FirstService Residential, and annual dues run close to $2,695. Selling here adds a resale disclosure package fee of $375 and a buyer transfer fee of $275 at closing, on top of the usual costs.
Pecan Springs, next door, lists two separate gated entrances rather than one controlled guard point, and its own marketing makes no mention of round-the-clock security staffing the way Anaqua Springs does. Lots range from under an acre to nearly 4 acres. There is no mandated architectural style. Any custom builder can build here once the community's Architectural Committee signs off on the plans. The HOA structure is tiered rather than flat: $300 a year for an unimproved lot, rising to $1,200 a year once a home is built, with a two year grace period after purchase before that higher rate kicks in. Utilities run through SAWS for water, CPS for electricity and gas, and GVTC for high speed internet, the same providers Anaqua Springs uses, and residents pay no city taxes since the community sits outside Boerne's municipal limits.
Put plainly, one side of that fence line charges you for staffing and design conformity. The other charges you less for a lighter touch and more freedom in who builds your house.
What the Guard Gate Is Actually Buying You
It is tempting to read "guard gated" as simply a premium checkbox, the kind of amenity that adds value without changing the calculation much. The numbers say otherwise. The roughly $2,695 annual HOA figure at Anaqua Springs runs more than double what a built home in Pecan Springs pays under its $1,200 tier, once that lot has passed its two year window. Over a decade of ownership, that gap alone runs into the tens of thousands of dollars, well before you factor in the resale disclosure and transfer fees that Anaqua Springs charges on the way out.
What that premium buys is real. A 24 hour guard and camera coverage are meaningfully different from a gate with no listed security staffing, and the "Euro-Texan" architectural mandate creates a visual consistency across the neighborhood that some buyers specifically want, the kind of cohesive streetscape that a committee-approval model like Pecan Springs cannot guarantee in the same way. New construction in Anaqua Springs currently starts near $793,000, and veterans using VA jumbo financing can buy above the conforming loan limit of $832,750 with no down payment in most cases, which matters for military buyers relocating to the area on a tight closing timeline.
That is the trade. Guard gate, architectural consistency, and a defined price floor on one side. Lower carrying costs, open builder choice, and a wider spread of lot sizes and price points on the other.
Why the "Cheaper" Gate Might Not Stay Cheap
Here is the detail that changes the comparison. Pecan Springs has been named the future showcase community for the 2027 Parade of Homes, the kind of designation that tends to pull custom builders and buyer attention toward a neighborhood well before the event itself happens. Inside Pecan Springs right now, McNair Custom Homes has already built out a product line starting from $3,000,000 for homes of 4,896 square feet and up. That community is sold out.
So the community with the lower HOA, the gate with no listed guard staffing, and the lighter architectural rules is also the one currently attracting a $3 million builder line and a marquee 2027 event. Anaqua Springs, with its higher carrying costs and guarded entry, has a lower construction floor at roughly $793,000. If you walked into this comparison assuming the guarded, professionally managed community was the more expensive, more prestigious option across the board, the builder activity on the ground says otherwise. Pecan Springs is not the discount version of its neighbor. It is a community whose ceiling is actively rising while its entry costs stay lower than the guarded community next door.
That inversion is the piece worth sitting with before you write an offer. A buyer chasing the guarded gate for resale certainty may be paying a structural premium for security and architectural rules, while a buyer willing to pass their own build through an architectural committee instead of a guard house may be positioning themselves inside the community currently building the highest price ceiling in the corridor.
What This Actually Means for a Buyer Comparing the Two
A few things worth checking before you commit to either side of that fence:
- Ask what tier of HOA dues applies to the specific lot you are considering in Pecan Springs. The $300 unimproved rate only lasts until you build or until the two year window closes, whichever comes first.
- If architectural consistency matters to you, confirm what "Euro-Texan" actually restricts before assuming Anaqua Springs guarantees the look you want. Ask to see the design guidelines directly rather than relying on listing photos of homes already built there.
- Factor the resale disclosure and buyer transfer fees into your total cost of ownership in Anaqua Springs, not just the sticker price of the home or lot.
- If you are financing with VA benefits, ask specifically about jumbo eligibility above the conforming limit before assuming a $793,000 starting price puts a property out of reach with zero down.
- Confirm which utility providers serve your specific lot in either community. Both draw from SAWS, CPS, and GVTC, but hookup timing and cost can vary by phase within each development.
None of this shows up cleanly on a portal listing. It shows up when you read the HOA documents, call the utility providers, and ask a builder what their actual price floor is inside each gate.
A Few Questions Worth Asking Before You Tour
Can I use any builder I want in Pecan Springs, or is there a preferred list? You can bring your own custom builder, but every set of plans has to clear the community's Architectural Committee before construction starts. That is a review process, not an open door, so budget time for approval before you assume a fast build timeline.
Is it true Pecan Springs has no city taxes? Yes, the community sits outside Boerne's city limits, so residents pay no municipal property tax, though county and school district taxes still apply as they would anywhere in the area.
Does the guarded gate at Anaqua Springs actually affect resale value? It is one factor among several, alongside lot size, architectural finish, and community reputation, but the higher carrying cost tied to that guard staffing is a real number a future buyer will also have to absorb, so it is worth discussing with a lender or agent who can model both scenarios against your specific timeline.
Comparing two neighboring gated communities on price per acre alone will miss almost everything that actually separates them. The fence line between Pecan Springs and Anaqua Springs Ranch marks two different sets of rules, two different cost structures, and right now, two different trajectories for where the ceiling on custom home value is heading. If you are trying to figure out which side of that line fits your build, your budget, and your timeline, Lira Realty Group can walk through the HOA documents, builder requirements, and financing options with you. Schedule a consultation and we will get you the specifics before you write an offer on either side of the gate.
