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.

For more information about how we are doing our part to preserve the environment while building the best custom homes in Austin, visit www.SterlingCustomHomes.com or give us a call at (512) 263-2214.

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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.

On top of all this, Travis County has seen fair appreciation rates in comparison to national rates. In the last 20 years, we have seen 152 percent appreciation, 31 percent in the last 10, 10 percent in the last 5, and 1.6 percent last year. In the last quarter alone, Travis County has experienced an appreciation rate of .86 percent.

With the projected rise in the real estate industry, 2012 looks very promising. To take advantage of these good economic conditions of Austin, you may want to consider expediting the planning process for your Sterling Custom Home. If you have begun the building process for your home in the past 18 months you made an excellent economic decision. As demand for lots goes up, and lot inventory goes down, home prices will increase, as will the prices for material and labor. Time is of the essence to revisit your postponed planning process for your Austin custom homes and get the best price, too.

To continue your planning process today, call Gary Grambley at (512) 263-2214.

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.

Sterling Custom Homes builds some of the finest custom homes Austin TX has to offer. If you or someone you know is in the market for, or just want to know more about the custom home industry, we would love to talk to you about it. You can contact us at (512) 263-2214, email Gary Grambley at gary@sterlinghome.com, or leave a comment below.

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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.

In our opinion, this great city has so much to offer that you will need more than just a weekend vacation to get the full Austin experience. When you finally decide you want to be a part of the best city in Texas, we will be right here eagerly waiting for you to choose Sterling Custom Homes to be your luxury custom home builder. To find out more about Sterling, visit www.sterlingcustomhomes.com or call us at (512) 263-2214.

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.

As a leading Austin custom home builder, we do our best to combat the threat of fire beginning with our construction process. Before we begin to build, we ensure that a fire hydrant system is in place in the development we are building. During site preparation we clear the land of brush and other debris that could potentially aid in the expansion of fire.

While construction takes place, we keep lumber and other materials in designated areas and keep the site clean and organized. Once the home is enclosed with roof, stucco, and windows, the home’s protection from the threat of wildfires significantly increases.

Even after our customers move in, our construction methods help to prevent fire spread from the flooring system, to the walls between rooms, to the attic. The safety of your luxury custom home before, during, and after construction is definitely one of our top priorities.

For more information about Sterling Custom Homes or our Austin luxury real estate, visit our website.

An Austin tradition for more than 25 years, Children’s Day Art Park brings music and culture to the children on Austin and Central Texas. The summer program features musicians, dancers, storytellers, magicians, mimes and crafts people.

Children get a chance to learn about instruments at the “Instrument Petting Zoo,” meet symphony musicians and hear them play their instruments, try different art projects and more. You get all of this for only 50 cents per child.

July 27 is the last Children’s Day Art Park for the 2011 season, and features author, songwriter and “singing zoologist” Lucas Miler. Lucas combines his love for wildlife with his passion for music to teach children about everything from snakes to bees.

This is sure to be an event that will squelch the summertime blues. Well, at least until next year! For more information about Children’s Day Art Park, visit the website.

Just like Children’s Day Art Park has been bringing summer fun to Austin children for more than 25 years, Sterling Custom Homes has been bringing superb craftsmanship to the area for more than two decades.

Check out the Sterling difference to see what makes us one of the top home builders in Texas. For more information, visit the Sterling Custom Homes website.

Austin has already seen tremendous growth since 2000, and this new report projects that by 2020 we’ll see population increases of 33.1 percent. And, what will be driving this increase? Several factors make Austin “the” place to be including a great job market with employers such as Google and Facebook, a large tourist industry and tons of cool festivals like South by Southwest and Austin City Limits.

Buyers who are considering calling Austin home should contact Sterling Custom Homes. We’re one of the top home builders in Texas with more than 20 years of experience in helping buyers design and build the home of their dreams.

From the addition of media and game rooms to Guest Casitas and outdoor living spaces, we can help you pick out the custom home features that will work perfectly with your family’s lifestyle.

For more information about Sterling Custom Homes, visit our website.

Rough Hollow

Rough Hollow is a beautiful waterfront master-planned community of six individual neighborhoods. Amenities include a yacht club and marina, a fitness center and pool, the Grille at Rough Hollow restaurant, an event center and miles of hiking and biking trails. Homes range from the high-$200,000s to more than $4 million.

Spanish Oaks

Surrounded by several thousand acres of nature preserve and picturesque Texas Hill Country, Spanish Oaks is an intimate, golf course community. Located just 20 minutes from downtown Austin, residents enjoy the community’s convenient location plus wonderful neighborhood amenities that include and 18-hole golf course, clubhouse, pool, sports court, fishing area and hiking and biking trails. Homes range from the mid-$500,000s to $4 million.

The Reserve at Lake Travis

The Reserve at Lake Travis is a new community of custom built homes with home sites ranging from one to 11 acres. Here, residents enjoy resort-style living with amenities that include a marina, equestrian center, open-air pavilion and pool area with swim-up bar, waterfall, spa, water slide and lazy river. Lots are priced from $199,000 and villa homes start at $600,000.

If these communities sound like the perfect location for you, then call Sterling Custom Homes. For more than 20 years, we’ve been one of the leading Texas new home builders in the Austin area.

For more information about Sterling Custom Homes, visit our website.

According to new rankings by On Numbers, Austin is the No. 1 best place for young Americans. With its burgeoning opportunities, rich culture and history and Austin luxury real estate, it’s no wonder that the city fares well.

To help determine the best cities for young adults, On Numbers used a 10-part formula while taking into consideration strong growth rates, moderate costs of living and substantial populations of employed young adults with a college degree.

If you’re a young person looking for a place to call home or an established adult searching for the perfect new home for your family, then consider Sterling Custom Homes. We’re one of the area’s top Austin home builders with more than 20 years of experience in helping buyers design and build the custom home of their dreams.

For more information about Sterling Custom Homes or to start the home building process, visit our website.

Gary Grambley, sales and marketing director at Sterling Custom Homes, has committed to training for / and running in the upcoming San Antonio Rock & Roll Marathon in November. In conjunction with this, Gary is soliciting donations from friends and associates in an effort to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Central & South Texas.

Gary explains, “I wanted to challenge myself to train for the next six months, running about 900 miles with the Rogue Running Group, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to benefit my favorite charity in the process. When I discussed my plans with Duke McDowell, president of Sterling Custom Homes, he blew me away with his offer to match donations!”

Gary’s goal is to raise $5,000 for the charity – the amount associated with granting a child’s wish. “Training for a marathon is a long, difficult endeavor. Knowing that my efforts will benefit a child in need will provide me with an added incentive when I hit the road for the 16, 18 and 20+ mile training runs,” said Gary.

Please join Gary for this worthwhile undertaking. Visit Gary’s Make-A-Wish® Donation Page where you can quickly and easily participate. Your donation will be doubled by the great folks at Sterling Custom Homes!

For more information about Sterling Custom Homes or its Austin luxury real estate, please visit the website.