Austin Modern Home Tour 2012

If you are interested in the architecture of custom homes in Austin, there’s an event happening this weekend that you might want to check out! The Austin Modern Home Tour will feature 16 homes in and around Austin. This event will provide you the opportunity to view current Modern trends in architecture and their implementation in urban homes. The tour will take place on Saturday, February 4th from 11:00am to 6:00pm. You can either purchase your wristbands in advance for $20 at www.modernhometouraustin.com, or purchase them on site at one of these five tour locations:

104 Thistle Court
3103 Highland Terrace W.
1127 Lott Ave.
2210 East Side Dr.
1114 E. Cesar Chavez

Following the Tour, stop by for the after party at TreeHouse located at 4477 S. Lamar, in the Westgate Shopping Center. Local Austin drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served at the after party while you get the change to meet some great people with great taste in Modern Architecture until 8:30pm. For more information, check out www.modernhometouraustin.com.

The Austin Modern Home Tour will expose you to ideas and inspirations you can include in the plans for your custom homes in Austin TX. We would love to hear about the Modern inspirations you got from the Austin Modern Home Tour, so contact us at (512) 263-2214 or email Gary!

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Make sure your draw schedule and constructio schedule are in sync.

At Sterling Custom Homes we have certain processes in motion to help us to continue building the best custom homes in Austin TX. When a client begins to build with us, we develop a draw schedule based on when certain projects during the construction of the home, i.e. pouring the slab, framing, roofing, etc., are going to be started and completed. When clients finance their home through a bank, an account is set up that we can draw out of to fund the different projects during the construction of the home. Once a draw is made, the financial institution sends out an inspector to the construction site to make sure the project that the draw was for has begun to be worked on.

That’s all well and good, but what happens when clients elect to fund their Austin custom homes with cash? It’s actually a similar process. Your custom home builder in Austin will instead transfer money directly from the client’s personal account. Since the bank’s money is not being drawn upon, no inspector is sent to the construction site to ensure that the project the money was drawn for is being worked on or has been completed. This is why it is very important to be careful to know your builder very well before you begin to build with them.

We currently have some clients who are funding their home with cash. They decided to hire a 3^rd party inspector to ensure that our construction schedule and draw schedule are in sync. Two weeks ago, when an inspector began to check out our build site he was very pleasantly surprised! The inspector told Cody, our Construction Manager, that it’s rare for some builders to have the two schedules in sync, especially when clients are funding their home with cash. Needless to say, the inspector was very impressed with the way we conduct our business.

It’s little things like this that you won’t be exposed to until you have already chosen your builder. That’s why it is extremely important to know your builder very well before choose from the selection of custom home builders in Austin TX.

For more information, visit us at www.sterlingcustomhomes.com, or call us at (512) 263-2214.

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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.

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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"Broadway's biggest blockbuster" comes to Austin

We love being Austin TX custom home builders because when our office and construction sites close for the day, there’s such a wide variety of things to do. One event that we are getting excited about that’s coming to Bass Concert Hall is one of Broadway’s biggest blockbusters, Wicked. This musical about how The Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch became the witches they were when Dorothy arrived will be playing from January 25^th through February 10^th. When the show was on Broadway, it received 15 awards including a Grammy® and 3 Tony® Awards.

A few tickets are still available through Wicked’s official website, but there are plenty of tickets available through third party vendors. I would jump at this opportunity while you can because who knows when Wicked will be on tour again, much less come through Austin. I couldn’t let the opportunity pass me by, especially with my theatrical background and appreciation for the arts.

If you have an appreciation for the arts, you’ll absolutely love this musical and if you haven’t been to Bass Concert Hall, you are in store for a real treat. It is one of the best venues in all of Austin. You might even pick up some design inspiration that you could include in you Austin custom homes. We would be more than happy to talk to you about your design ideas. Visit us at www.sterlingcustomhomes.com or give us a call at (512) 263-2214.

"Let's go to the show!"

Although the construction of your custom homes in Austin might be complete, the decorating is always an ongoing process. Whether you are changing the landscaping and plants in your flowerbeds or adding a new piece to your mantle or end table, there is always room for improvements. What better way is there to get new ideas for your home décor than attending the Austin Home and Garden Show?

The Austin Home and Garden Show is back for its 14^th year and it’s happening right now at the Austin Convention Center! This Friday, Saturday, and Sunday go out and find new and exciting ways to spice up different parts of your home. If you are in the planning stages of your custom home, this show will provide you with a variety of products, designs, and landscaping ideas for the home of your dreams.

The details of the event are as follows:

Friday, Jan. 13th: 2:00 – 7:00

Saturday, Jan. 14th: 10:00 – 7:00

Sunday, Jan. 15th: 11:00 – 5:00

Admission for Adults 17+ is $8, Seniors (65+) is $6 and Kids 16 and under are FREE. If you buy your tickets online you can save $1 per ticket (excludes Seniors).

Any of the ideas you get from the show, we can include in the home you want to build. Once you are at the show, take pictures and take notes so you have references when the time comes to make selections for your custom home. We can’t wait to talk to you about the ideas you have for your new home.  To start that conversation, call us at (512) 263-2214.

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.

Delicious!

Last night the premier custom home builder in Austin, Sterling Custom Homes, celebrated the end of its 22nd year in the custom home building business with its annual Christmas party. The Sterling Team gathered with family and friends at Gumbo’s Steak and Seafood at The Galleria in Bee Cave, TX. If you have not had the chance to go there, we highly recommend it. The food was absolutely amazing! Better than the food, though, was the opportunity for the company to spend some quality time together outside the office. We keep so busy throughout the year that it becomes difficult for us to get together and bond as a staff. The Christmas party always provides us with the opportunity to do just that.

In between ordering and receiving dinner Sterling Custom Homes’ President, Duke McDowell, stood up and addressed the staff. He congratulated them on a job well done in 2011 and expressed his gratitude for everything they do for the company. He went on to express the things he is most thankful for in his life and encouraged other members of the team to do the same. This speaks volumes for how much Duke cares about his co-workers and from the responses I heard last night, everyone holds Duke in high regards as well.

Last night made very evident the principles and values that Sterling Custom Homes is built on. We often refer to the staff as the Sterling Team, but in reality it’s much more than that; it’s the Sterling Family. We are a closely-knit group and if you have built a house with us, you are part of our family, too. If you are planning to build a custom home, we would love to make you a member of our Sterling Family. Contact us today for more information about our family at (512) 263-2214 or visit us at SterlingCustomHomes.com.

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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The Johnson Residence

Sterling Custom Homes is proud of our ongoing association with one of the finest waterfront communities on Lake Travis – The Reserve at Lake Travis. We remain busy with projects in this fine community, recently completing a beautiful custom home on Poco Bueno Court built to the exact specifications of our clients, the Johnson’s. This has been a fun home to build for some really neat people. The home is an engineering feat, with the pool suspended 15 feet out of the ground and a 10 car garage tucked below the house and pool! Over the years we have come to be known not only for our quality and integrity, but also for the high level of technical expertise we bring to each and every project. We’re a builder with an engineering background, not a marketing company that builds homes, which causes us to stand out among other custom home builders in Austin.

The Mahood Residence

Another project underway in The Reserve at Lake Travis is the Mahood residence on Ruffian Heights Court. A tight-knit family, each of the children had input as we developed this plan and worked through the specifications. The home sits high on the ridge above Lake Travis and will take advantage of the incredible Lake and Hill Country views from that perch. We always look forward to their visits from out of town! This is another fun project that will result in a quality home for a great family.

The Reserve sales staff is the best in the business. If you’re interested in waterfront property on Lake Travis or if you’d like to build on an interior lot, they can walk you through the process and help you find the homesite that’s right for you. Call our friend Nick Spiropoulos at 512-264-2456 for more information about the unparalleled Reserve lifestyle.

Pretty leaves cause ugly messes.

It might just be me, but it sure seems like fall lasted all of about two weeks. It’s that time of year again to start thinking about performing some winter maintenance on your homes to ensure that they maintain their quality of the best custom homes Austin Texas has ever seen. The following are some tips you can use when preparing you Sterling Custom Home for the winter.

Safety Tips – Check the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Change or replace your heating system’s filter grids.  You might want to clean the vents, too.

Outdoor Tips – Clean leaves, twigs, and other debris out of your gutters. Trim branches and shrubs away from the house. Stay on top of raking and instead of bagging all the leaves, consider starting a compost pile. You can add perennials and summer plants to it as well. Check to make sure your irrigation system is drained and shut off to prevent pipe bursts due to freezes. Remove and drain garden hoses and store them in a garage or shed. Be sure to cover outdoor spigots to prevent against freezing. Retrieve outdoor furniture cushions and umbrellas and store them in a garage or shed. Cover grills with waterproof covers.

Roof and Window Tips – Replace any missing or damaged shingles or tiles. To minimize risk of injury, consider using a pair of binoculars to examine the roof before getting the ladder out and walking the roof. It might not even be necessary. To help your home keep the cold weather out, examine your window and door frames and caulk any gaps you might find.

These tips will get you started on your yearly winter maintenance. For more tips, visit the Home Maintenance area of our website.