Archive for December, 2010
With winter in full swing, the fireplace becomes a special place inside our homes. The warmth of a fireplace makes it the heart of the home: From holiday parties to just spending time with family and friends, the fireplace is where you come to share time with loved ones and make memories.
There are several fireplace options to consider when designing Austin custom homes. The first decision is the placement of the fireplace. Will it be a grand focal point of a spectacular room? Is it more of a secondary element? How does it fit into the design of the home?
Once you decide on how the fireplace will complement your home design, you’ll have to choose which type of fireplace suits your lifestyle. The fireplace “box” itself comes in a variety of styles, all with varying price points. The standard product is a pre-made metal box. This type of fireplace comes in a variety of sizes and is a true wood-burning hearth. If you love the beauty of a fire, but not the hassle, choose a fully-concealed gas log fireplace that produces a fire at the flip of a switch. For fireplace purists, there is a Read More→
Austin Named 12th Best City for Shopping
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Who needs the holidays as an excuse to go shopping when Forbes recently ranked Austin, Texas as the 12th best city for shopping in the U.S.?
In fact, Austin beat out many of the obvious choices for best city to shop including Los Angeles and even New York. The reason? Austin has a low sales tax.
Although Austin only houses 5,347 retail locations and 31 shopping centers, the Lone Star State has a low 8.25 percent sales tax. In contrast, Los Angeles, ranked 16, contains 40,170 retail locations and boasts a 9.75 percent sales tax and New York, ranked 22, is composed of a whopping 75,000 retail locations with a sales tax totaling 8.88 percent.
In addition to Austin, Texas dominated the list of “America’s 25 Best Cities For Shopping” with Houston coming in first, Dallas in second and San Antonio in 8th place on the Forbes list. According to the report, of the nearly 257 million square feet of gross leasable retail space, almost a quarter of the space is in Texas, allowing that everything really is bigger in Texas.
If you’re looking to move to one of the U.S.’s shopping hubs, Texas custom home builder, Sterling Custom Homes will help you design a luxurious home Read More→
How Suite is This?
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When designing Austin custom homes, one of the most important elements we consider is the Master Suite. For over 21 years we have been helping our clients decide how this space can work best for them given all the possible considerations at hand.
More than just a bedroom, the Master Suite consists of the Master Bedroom, Master Bath and Master Closet – at a minimum. Additionally, some clients choose to include a Private Study, Sitting Room, Exercise Room, Coffee Bar, Private Meditation Area or even a Massage Room. The lot topography, sun orientation and potential view corridors play a role in the character of the Master Suite as well.
Creating your unique Master Suite requires the care and understanding of a Builder and Architect who, together, ask the important questions and are committed to creating your one-of-a-kind retreat while remaining mindful of your budget. Read More→
It’s hard to deny that the holidays have arrived. All around, we’re enveloped with the signs of the season: the twinkling lights, the nostalgic music and the delicious smells of baked goods say that it’s time to pull out the Christmas tree and transform our homes into a winter wonderland. If you’re home isn’t quite ready for the holidays, no problem. Texas custom home builder, Sterling Custom Homes, can help you construct the perfect holiday abode.
From lighting, specialty plug-ins and closets, we design Austin custom homes that make decorating for the holidays easy and fun. We have thought it all through in the design stage so that you don’t have to retrofit your home later!
To make it easy to light up the outside of your home, we often add soffit Read More→
Since Texas custom home builder Sterling Custom Homes is currently involved in two high profile homes in the Horseshoe Bay area, we wanted to get to know our colleagues at Horseshoe Bay Resort Realty. That’s why on Thursday, Dec. 9, Sterling Custom Homes conducted a presentation at their offices.
Horseshoe Bay Resort Realty, known for its quality real estate products and integrity, is a real estate company that clearly understands the value of professionalism – which is evident from the moment you walk into their impressive office.
We found that the agents were sharp, attentive and eager to learn more about our award winning business model. Horseshoe Bay Resort Realty was aware Read More→