Owning A Second Home At The Reserve At St Charles Bay
February 19, 2026
February 19, 2026
Picture stepping onto your back deck, coffee in hand, as pelicans glide over calm bay water. You want a true escape you can enjoy without constant upkeep, with boating at your fingertips and resort comforts waiting when you arrive. If you’re considering a second home on the Texas coast, The Reserve at St. Charles Bay on Rockport’s Lamar Peninsula deserves a close look. In this guide, you’ll learn how the homes, amenities, and ownership details fit a lock-and-leave lifestyle, plus the key due diligence to complete before you buy. Let’s dive in.
The Reserve at St. Charles Bay is a private, master-planned waterfront community on the Lamar Peninsula near Rockport. According to the developer, every homesite is waterfront and includes private docks or boat slips that open directly to the St. Charles and Aransas Bay system. You can confirm overall community details on the developer’s site at The Reserve at St. Charles Bay.
Nature is part of the experience. The community borders Goose Island State Park and the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, with deeded wetlands and preserved shoreline described as part of the project’s conservation approach. Those elements are intended to protect views and wildlife habitat while shaping a quieter, coastal backdrop for your home.
You’re roughly 30 to 45 minutes by car from Corpus Christi, which provides major shopping, services, and the closest commercial airport. For quick planning, see estimated drive times between Rockport and Corpus Christi on Travelmath’s driving-time reference. San Antonio and Austin are multi-hour drives. Seasonal owners often plan around flight schedules and regular runs to Corpus Christi for groceries, hospital visits, and flights.
If your goal is minimal upkeep, the Villas stand out. The developer markets the Villas as “easy” coastal living, with landscaping, lawn care, and exterior building maintenance included. That setup aligns with true lock-and-leave ownership, where you maximize time on the water and at the pool rather than handling yard work. Explore the current Villas offering and maintenance scope on the Villas page.
Prefer a little more space or a custom design? The Reserve also offers a curated Luxury Collection of pre-designed single-family coastal plans and fully custom homesites. Developer floor plans span from approximately 1,600 square feet for cottage-style layouts to more than 2,700 square feet for estate models, with water-facing living areas and the ability to integrate outdoor entertaining. Review example plans and builder information on the coastal floor plans page.
In many single-family scenarios, you’ll have a private yard and dock to maintain. Maintenance responsibilities can differ by home type and by specific agreement, so plan to verify what your HOA fees cover and what falls to you before you close.
Typical finishes and layouts highlight indoor-outdoor living: open coastal kitchens, covered patios, metal roof options, and water-facing great rooms. Many built Villas are promoted as furnished or turnkey, often with appliances, to make arrivals simple after a long drive or flight. Several lots and plans show room for private pools, which can further enhance your getaway or your rental appeal if permitted.
The Reserve’s common areas read like a resort checklist, maintained by an on-site team so you can settle in and relax. Highlights from the official amenities list include a lit bayfront pier of roughly 500 feet, extensive illuminated boardwalks the developer describes as more than two miles, a bayfront infinity-style pool, a kayak and paddleboard launch and club, a hammock park with grills and an outdoor kitchen, an event lawn with a stage, boat slips, and a fish-cleaning station with night-fishing lighting. See the full scope on the community’s amenities page.
The emphasis is on low-effort fun. You arrive, drop your bags, and choose between a sunset walk on the boardwalk, a paddle right from the launch, or an afternoon by the bayfront pool.
Marketing and recent listing snapshots suggest early-phase offerings started in the high six figures. Built homes in the community commonly range from roughly $900,000 to more than $2.3 million, depending on size, frontage, and finishes. Market conditions change, so treat these as directional and request current pricing directly from the sales office or your agent.
HOA dues at The Reserve vary by product type and may be reported monthly, quarterly, or annually depending on the listing. Recent examples have shown quarterly amounts in the neighborhood of about $1,950 or about $2,070 for certain homes, while other figures appear for different lots or time frames. The key is to obtain the current HOA fee schedule and a written list of what the fees cover. For Villas, materials specifically note included landscaping and exterior maintenance. For single-family homes, verify responsibilities for yard care, exterior upkeep, and private dock maintenance.
Tax bills vary based on value, with higher-end homes showing annual taxes that can reach into the tens of thousands. Some owners reference special district or improvement-district taxes tied to the development. Before you commit, ask your title company and the Aransas County tax office to confirm the exact tax rates for the parcel and whether any improvement or special district assessments apply.
Coastal property ownership includes higher windstorm and hurricane exposure. Rockport and Aransas County experienced severe impacts during Hurricane Harvey in 2017, which is a useful reminder to budget carefully for coverage. You can review the regional effects through the National Weather Service’s Harvey summary.
Insurance in this region is often split into three parts: homeowners, separate windstorm or hail coverage, and flood insurance. Whether your lender requires flood coverage depends on the FEMA flood zone for your property. The authoritative place to verify this is the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. Always obtain written quotes for wind, flood, and homeowners insurance for the exact address, and ask your agent whether your dock, boatlifts, or seawall require additional coverage.
You’ll find multiple professional vacation rental listings for homes in The Reserve, which suggests an active guest market. The community website points interested owners to third-party rental managers, and example properties appear on platforms like Vacasa. To see a sample of how homes are marketed, review a Vacasa listing example. Rental income is never guaranteed, so your best step is to gather recent performance data on comparable homes.
Short-term rental permissibility is controlled by the HOA’s covenants, conditions, and restrictions, along with any applicable city or county rules and occupancy-tax requirements. Ask the HOA for the written rental policy, including any minimum-stay requirements, local contact rules, guest parking limits, and noise or occupancy caps. If rental revenue is part of your plan, request 12 months of actual occupancy and revenue statements for similar homes from the rental manager.
For serious medical care, most local homeowners rely on Corpus Christi’s regional hospitals, including CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi – Shoreline. For flights, Corpus Christi International (CRP) is the closest airport, with larger hubs in San Antonio and Houston as alternatives. Many seasonal owners fly in and out of CRP or use it for connections to larger hubs, then drive to Rockport.
Around the community, the on-site team maintains shared amenities and common areas, which supports a low-maintenance lifestyle when you arrive for shorter stays. Confirm with the HOA exactly which services are included and what falls under your responsibility for your specific home type.
Use this focused checklist to protect your purchase and your time:
If you want a second home where boating and bayfront living are the default, The Reserve’s location and amenities are a strong match. The Villas are ideal if you prefer a turnkey, low-upkeep option. If you enjoy customizing and want more space, the Luxury Collection or a custom homesite can deliver a personalized, water-focused retreat.
Every second-home purchase works best with clear expectations on costs, insurance, and any rental goals. A little preparation goes a long way toward a smooth closing and a relaxing first season on the water.
Ready to explore floor plans, HOA details, and address-specific insurance and tax items for The Reserve at St. Charles Bay? Connect with Kathy Tullis to compare options, schedule tours, and move forward with confidence.
With decades of top-tier experience and a passion for personalized service, Kathy Tullis is more than an agent—she's your dedicated guide in achieving your real estate dreams. Her proven expertise and client-first approach ensure every detail is handled with care and excellence.
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