We’re Courtney and Zach McNelis, and we’ve called Northwest Hills home since 2016. We have five kids—Jackson (18), who’s headed to the University of Texas at Austin this fall; Palmer (15), a rising sophomore at Anderson High School; Gray (13), a rising 8th grader at Murchison; and twin girls, Calder and Sutton (10), who will be 5th graders at Doss Elementary. We also have a very sweet Aussie Doodle named Virginia.

Zach and I are both originally from Virginia and made the big move to Austin after our twins were born. At the time, Zach had been traveling constantly for work, and we were craving a better work-life balance. Looking back, I still laugh that we may have been in some kind of postpartum fog when we agreed to move across the country—away from family and friends—with 1-year-old twins in tow. But it was one of those gut-decision moments, and it’s truly paid off in spades.

When we came to Austin to house-hunt, our realtor had strong opinions about where we should look. But after driving through Northwest Hills, we loved the feel of the neighborhood. One night, while sitting at the bar at North in the Domain, we were talking through our options when a couple overheard us and said—without hesitation—that we had to move to Northwest Hills. They told us about the legendary Halloween celebrations and how it was the best place in Austin to raise a family. Nearly a decade later, we couldn’t agree more.

Halloween in the neighborhood really is the best. But more than that, raising our kids here over the past nine years has been an incredible gift. We’ve built lifelong friendships, celebrated holidays together, gone on spring break trips, and spent countless evenings gathered around front yard fire pits.

One of the most meaningful moments for us came at Christmas in 2020. We were driving home to Virginia when we found out—seven hours from our destination—that we had COVID. We turned around and headed straight back to Texas. When we arrived home, our friends and neighbors had completely filled our house with food, cookies, and holiday decorations. It was such a powerful reminder of what makes this community so special.

Personally, one of the best things to come out of our time here was meeting my dear friend—and now business partner—Mandy Niles. Mandy was working her interior design magic in our home through her firm Cloud 9 Design when we discovered a shared love of art. That led to the launch of The Pieces Collection in 2019. We keep an inventory of art at our local office and also assist clients in sourcing, framing, and hanging artwork in their homes.

Zach has spent over 25 years in the tech industry, including 14 years at Microsoft, where he worked closely with the Department of Defense—an experience that took him all over the world. In 2015, a role at Dropbox brought our family to Austin. Since then, he’s worked with several tech startups, and in 2024, he launched his own business: PIRTEK Lockhart, a mobile hydraulic hose service franchise under the PIRTEK USA brand. While still active in the tech world, Zach is currently semi-involved in PIRTEK’s daily operations, with plans to grow the business into a full-time role over the next few years. Outside of work, Zach enjoys the outdoors, live music, playing baseball for a local sandlot team—the Yardbirds—and spending time with family and friends around a firepit.

Our kids have truly loved growing up here. I think we’ve tried just about every sport offered (our gear-stuffed garage is proof!), and the kids in our Sungate crew have become like honorary siblings—complete with all the fun, chaos, and occasional bickering that comes with it. We’ve also taken full advantage of our central location—you’ll often spot a McNelis kid walking to their favorite neighborhood haunts: Tacos Ivan at C-Mart for breakfast tacos, Tee’s for donuts, Epoch for horchata, or Sisters SnoShack and Wally’s for Wallybangers on hot summer days.

We're so grateful to have landed in this little corner of Austin that truly feels like home. Northwest Hills has given us not just a place to raise our kids, but a community that feels like family. Whether we’re cheering from the sidelines, walking to our favorite local spots, or just enjoying a quiet evening by the firepit, we’re reminded every day how lucky we are to live here. You might see us around the neighborhood in our big Sprinter van—it’s the only way to travel with a family of seven! If you do, be sure to wave and say hello.