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This home features green products, like spray-foam insulation.
A few years ago, your friends might have called you crazy if you mentioned making your Austin custom homes more environmentally friendly. The trend of including green initiatives is on the rise and it’s no surprise since we like to “Keep Austin Weird” while we “Keep Austin Beautiful.” Recently Time Magazine produced an article about how Austin is the one of the “greenest” cities in America.
For the past decade or so Austin has become very well known for it’s growth in the Tech sector and industry while competing with Silicon Valley. This growth coupled with Austin’s devotion to preserving the environment has created a large increase in start-up companies that combine the Tech industry with green initiatives. The article in Time Magazine highlights a few of these tech start-ups. Between the Silicon Hills, the fresh young minds from The University of Texas, and the trendiness of the green lifestyle, Austin has become a leader in technological advances in the green industry.
Austin TX custom home builders are doing their part to build “greener” homes. Here at Sterling Custom Homes, it’s nearly become the standard to use spray-foam insulation that greatly decreases the amount of energy your A/C must use during the hotter months, including this month. Geez, who knew we’d be needing the A/C in January this year. I digress. We install energy efficient windows, doors, and more. The appliances we install are Energy-Star approved. There has even been talk around here about newer green technologies that we can start implementing with future homes we build.
It's a good market to build!
As reported in the Austin American Statesman at the end of 2011, housing and real estate industry experts and analysts are predicting 2012 to be a healthier year in comparison to the last three. If you are thinking about building custom homes in Austin, we have some information that you might find interesting.
On average, the real estate market does not look too strong nationally, especially if you refer to industry indices. Take the S&P/Case-Shiller Index for example. This index shows the monthly trend of home prices in the US. The index takes into account the trends in home price among 20 different cities from around the country. Sounds great, right? Well, actually Melinda Carroll of Independence Title disagrees. Recently she pointed out that you can’t just focus on national averages since all real estate prices are locally driven. National indices, like Case-Shiller, factor in poor growth markets like Detroit, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. They leave out many of the larger cities in the US, like Houston, Philadelphia and San Antonio, don’t even factor in a majority of home sales throughout the country, much less the Austin area.
Austin is experiencing economic growth with a decrease in unemployment and upswing in the tech industry. Despite economic downturn on a national level in 2011, Central Texas was one of the best-performing housing markets in the nation. Gary Newman, manager at Trio Investments says, “Austin has been a quality business environment during national recession, and the job formation in 2011 bodes well for continued upswing in the homebuilding market in 2012.” President of the Austin-based real estate consulting firm, Capitol Market Research, Charles Heimsath is projecting that home starts and sales will at least remain stable across the region, but they could rise by more than 5 percent “in the most desirable areas.” Veteran real estate analyst, Mark Sprague suggests that the local real estate market turned from the bottom about 18 months ago though the turn has been slow.
Let's Go, Cavs!
On behalf of all the Austin luxury home builders, we at Sterling Custom Homes would like to congratulate the Lake Travis High School Cavaliers football team for the hard work they have put in this season, ending with an unprecedented 5th straight State Championship. The 4A Division I State Championship took place on Friday, December 16th at 8:00pm at Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, TX. Lake Travis High School completed their “Drive for 5″ by defeating Waco Midway 22-7.
Building a championship caliber football team can in some ways be compared to building a custom home. They both begin with the coaching staff. Our head coach, Duke McDowell, has led the Sterling Team in the custom home building game since 1989, and has been honored as the Texas Custom Builder of the Year three times. Over the years he has observed how other teams play the game and has consistently kept his team a step ahead of the competition, much like Lake Travis’ head coach, Hank Carter, has.
Ladybird Lake by Downtown Austin
There are several reasons why our clients build their custom homes in Austin. Just to name a few, the beautiful Lake Travis, Lake Austin and Hill Country views, the great food scene, Austin’s appreciation of the arts, and Austin’s small town feel while being a big city. It’s these same factors that led Forbes to name Austin, Texas as one of the nation’s top 10 weekend vacation destinations.
Austin always has something for you to do. If you’re a foodie, we have plenty for you to try downtown, on South Congress, South Lamar, and hidden around the city. You can ask any Austinite and they will be happy to tell you their favorite place to eat. If you enjoy an outdoor lifestyle, Austin has numerous trails to run or bike on, around Ladybird Lake and the many green belts. Swim in Barton Springs as it’s open year-round with spring fed water that stays at a cool 68 degrees. Try kayaking or paddle boarding out of Zilker Park on Ladybird Lake. While you are thinking about going to Zilker Park, pack some sandwiches and have a picnic and catch some rays on the nicely manicured lawn. Stand on the South Congress Bridge at dusk to witness the largest urban bat colony in the world. Do you love music? Austin has more live music venues per capita than any other city in America. Austin is also home to two of the largest music festivals in the nation with Austin City Limits and South By Southwest.
Austin Custom Home Builder Urges Fire Safety
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Protect Your Austin Luxury Real Estate Against Wild Fires
At Sterling Custom Homes, we would like to express our condolences to those affected by the recent fires in the Austin area. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families who continue to struggle with the loss of their homes. We would also like to express our gratitude to the firefighters and volunteers who have worked so hard to contain the fires that have threatened our communities.
Extreme drought conditions increasingly put the Austin area and our Austin luxury real estate in danger of wildfires. According to Texas Forest Service, in the past 7 days, 156,517 acres of Texas were burned by wildfires, as more than 162 acres were razed in Steiner Ranch destroying 23 homes. More than 35,000 acres in Bastrop County were scorched taking with it over 1,400 homes. At Sterling Custom Homes, we would like to stress the importance of observing fire prevention measures, especially in the drought situation we are facing.
Now more than ever, it is imperative to make sure your home and, more importantly, your family are protected as best as possible against the threat of fires. The following are some tips you can use to protect your family, community, and home.
- Observe the burn bans in effect
- When driving, do not discard cigarette ends, lit or unlit, out the window
- When cooking or barbequing, never leave the stove or grill unattended
- Have a fire extinguisher handy and know how to use it before the moment you need to
- Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors monthly and change batteries annually
For more information about fire safety and prevention see the U.S. Fire Administration. Read More→