YouTube: Agave In East Austin

There are a lot of homes that have been gutted out and renovated using a lot of “green” materials. But there is a whole neighborhood that has been built from the ground up with an emphasis on being green and energy efficient. The Agave looks like a really slick little subdivision… we just wish we could afford it. Check out the youtube video we found while watching looking for funny cat videos.

Discussions: Kathy From Eastside Inn

If you guys haven’t noticed, East Austin is coming up. We are home to a ton of great restaurants, shops, bars, art studios and great people. You can find some of the country’s best bands in our neighborhood during SXSW. We now have one of the best looking bed and breakfasts in Austin right down the street on Cesar Chavez. Kathy, the owner of Eastside Inn, was nice enough to talk to us about her awesome diggs. We could only dream of having a home like that. Okay… I am off to buy a lottery ticket!

EA: Your house looks amazing. What conditions was it in when you first got your hands on it?

KS: Thanks! We purchased the house in August and are temporarily renting it as a vacation rental through the end of March.

The bigger news is, we are working to convert the property into a 5-room independent inn. I don’t care for the term B&B because the term conjures images of doilies and tea sets, but most folks are familiar with that business model… perhaps you could call us an urban B&B; a modern, comfortable “inn.” 5 rooms with their own baths. Private entrances to all the rooms, so it won’t be like staying inside another family’s home. Clean design. Upscale without being uppity.

The business will be called Eastside Inn.

EA: When will you be open?

KS: We are hoping to be open by fall 2009.

The house will be available for rent in its current state as a 2-bedroom/ 2 bath home through at least the end of March. We are already booked for SXSW, so that’s exciting. We’d love to find renters for January and February — we can certainly offer a neighborhood discount if someone mentions finding out about us here.

EA: Why did you choose this property?

KS: We purchased the house because of its location and its condition. We were specifically looking for property on the Eastside. The previous owner deserves all the credit for the remodel. She did a great job keeping with the original design vernacular while making key updates.

For example, the house’s original flooring is long-leaf pine. For the kitchen remodel and a small addition to the back, she used reclaimed wood that keeps with the nature of the original material and is eco-friendly.

Most of the Craftsman details have been preserved — high ceilings, wood detailing, bead board wainscoting. There’s also a claw-foot tub which attracts a lot of attention. We will be looking to bring this same warm, high-quality detail to the guest rooms.

We are also happy with some of the home’s less sexy details like the on-demand hot water system We plan to be as green as possible with our construction and how we run our business.

We also want to promote Austin artists and plan to use our space to showcase their work, ideally with an emphasis on our Eastside neighbors.

EA: Why the Eastside in particular?

KS: We have lived on the Eastside, south of the river, for almost a decade. I love that East Austin is earning a reputation as a great place for creative folks to live and work. I love the energy of Cesar Chavez and the number of locally-owned businesses that surround us. I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing that we don’t have a Starbucks on our side of the highway. That creates a great opportunity for more interesting businesses like Cafe Mundi, Progress… I’m dying to see the former Azul rented to another fantastic coffee shop and cafe.

We are intentionally promoting the Eastside in our businesses name. We are proud of East Austin and glad to be part of the community!

EA: Did you always plan on renting it out, or did you ever plan on living in it yourself?

KS: We will eventually live on site once the construction is complete. (We being me, my husband George, our border collie Hatch and our grumpy cat Knuckles.) Our home will be the house that’s there today. The guest rooms will be added on as a second story. We are so eager to move in. We’re especially looking forward to living in such a walkable neighborhood!

EA: What sort of feedback do you get from the people who have stayed in your place regarding the neighborhood and the city?

KS: Past guests have liked the location because of its proximity to downtown of course, plus the ability to walk to galleries and businesses on our side of the highway. OK Mountain, Domy Books, Big Red Sun, Mr. Natural, Progress Coffee … these are the big hits within easy walking distance of our place. We and our guests also really love that East Side Pies delivers to us! (Thanks ESP!)

My favorite guest comment so far included this, “If you needed a piñata or moonwalk there are 3 stores on this street that carry em’” — In my opinion, it’s hard not to love a street with an ample supply of piñatas!

I receive about 3 rental requests per day, probably around 100 folks have contacted me since September. There have only been 3 occasions so far when someone has specifically said that they are not comfortable with the eastside or specifically with the location on Cesar Chavez. I am upfront about the location, I call it “East Downtown Austin” in my ads, which I think is accurate and appeals to out-of-towners plus attracts folks who are looking for an Eastside location.

EA: Thanks for talking with us Kathy. I have to say, that last part really gets to some of us. I must be honest and tell you about a co-worker of mine. We had a Holiday party and we were talking about where we lived. I mentioned that I lived in East Austin and she said, “Eaastt Austtinn Uuggghhh”. Needless to say, she is on my shit list. But she just moved here from Houston so I will cut her a little slack.

-JF

Housing: 2507 East 10th Street

We bought a place when we moved to Austin. In fact, that’s one of the main reasons we moved here. There comes a point when someone feels like they need to have something of their own. Then the economy went to shit and it all turned into a cluster-fuck. So that’s why this house is so attractive. You can either flat out buy it, or rent it for a lower monthly cost. It would have been nice to have a place like this… even if it was for a short period of time. The owner contacted us earlier in the week asking if we could help them find someone to adopt their house. We wish it could be us! But maybe one of you guys might be interested in this awesome place.

A lot of the remodeled homes in East Austin are getting this sort of “Green” aesthetic and we love it. We love the bungalow style homes of yesteryear. They keep their timeless charm and get updated with the the best of what modern home building has to offer. The home is located on 2507 East 10th Street and the asking price is $387,500. That’s a little too rich for our blood, but it’s nice to know that you can have it for the rental price of  $1,750. If you want more info, contact the seller here. What do you guys think? Is this your style? Is this something that you think will fit in with your idea of East Austin?

I originally purchased the home ~18 months ago and just finished restoring it to it’s original 1940’s charm with a modern flair. I am a big fan of East Austin and originally purchased the home to be my residence, but during that time we had our first child and didn’t want to move mom and baby during such a transitional period.  Based on the stories from the neighbors, this house was at one point in time one of the largest, most beautiful homes on the block and had slowly fallen into decay.  We were able to preserve the structure and restore all the original wood including the long leaf pine floors and the amazing shiplap wall that runs the length of the entire house. In addition, we added a secondary bathroom and utilized the height of the house to add a secondary loft/storage space on the second floor perfect of an office or play area. Restoring this house was a labor of love and nothing but the most high-end finish-out was used to restore the home. We feel the remodel does a great job of preserving the look and feel of East Austin while adding a modern flare. I wanted to pass this along to anyone who has interest in either owning or renting  in East Austin.

For the record, we are not getting any kind of money to post this. We just love looking at things we can’t afford. It’s even better since it’s actually in East Austin.

Housing: 2BR / 1 BA on East 16th

click on image for more pictures and information

This Beautiful 1950’s home was completely remodeled in 2004 with new appliances (W/D included), wiring, and central air, Wood/tile floors. It has approximately 1500 sq ft. 3 beds 2 baths with a family room and bonus room. There is also a 1 car garage. This is a quiet and friendly neighborhood with personality. It is very close to both UT and Downtown. Yard maintenance is included.

3	Bedrooms	1,500	Square Feet	1	Garage/Parking
2	Bathrooms	N/A	Lot Size	N/A	HOA/Fees
1950	Year Built	N/A	Min. Down	1	Floors

Housing: 1608 Haskell Unit A

We love housing porn. The best part of this housing porn is that fact that it’s in the 78702 zip code. Listed at $329k, this place isn’t exactly in our price range. Two bedrooms and two and a half baths makes it perfect for a young couple with some extra money under their mattress. The square footage is at 1,541 and that is twice as big as our current place!  We can dream can’t we? Check out the gallery for more snap shots.

Property Description

This gorgeous free standing condo home in the Holly Street neighborhood just east of downtown is one block from Town Lake, Festival Beach and the 12 miles of Hike and Bike trails surrounding Town Lake. It features a large 2 car garage, spacious upper level deck under the tall trees, a very private back yard, spiral staircase, wood floors and black granite counter tops in the kitchen. There are Crema Marfil tops on the vanities in the 2 gorgeous full baths and a glass basin pedistal sink in the downstairs powder room.

Features List

Large 2 car garage Contemporary style One block to lake Huge 2nd level deck Private back yard Walk to pool Spiral staircase Stainless Appliances 1 mile to downtown 2 bedroom Woor Floors Down Natural light 2 1/2 Baths Large French doors Privacy Black Granite Vaulted Ceilings Security Crema Marfil 2nd Floor Laundry Solid Construction

 

Housing: 2202 Garden Unit B Austin, TX 78702

Every so often, meaning whenever we can’t find anything else interesting, we will be showcasing a home that is for sale or rent in East Austin. We can’t afford a house like this (can we borrow $300K?) but some of you might. We aren’t ashamed to tell people that we like new, modern and shiny homes, but we will have a mix of styles on display here.

Up first will be 2202 Garden Unit B. It’s sleek, stylish and oh so sexy. It has a huge deck that makes it very desirable for us. See below for more information, straight from Habitat Modern. Hit up the link for a slide show. My girlfriend would kill each and every one of you for this kitchen.

Offered at: $299,900

Ultra Modern New Construction * 4 Star Green Condo in Prime Holly Street Neighborhood 2 Blocks to Hike & Bike Trail – Blocks to Town Lake – Minutes to Downtown

1042 Square Foot 2 Story Modern Detached Home with High Ceilings, Stained Concrete and Bamboo Floors, and a Gourmet Chef’s Kitchen with Stainless Steel Appliances. Home offers gorgeous tree coverage, expansive decks, modern amenities and winter city lights views!

The Details:

• 1042 Square Feet – 2 bedroom/1.5 bathrooms plus HUGE 650 Sq ft second floor deck with amazing winter city lights views
• Great Open Floor plan – Spacious Living Room opens to Huge Gourmet Chef’s Kitchen with Stainless Steel Appliances including Dishwasher, Gas Range, Microwave, Refrigerator and Built-In Wine Cooler
• Stainless Steel Island Range Hood
• Eco-Friendly Diamond Surface Countertops
• Dining Area with French doors to Wood Deck
• Energy efficient Double Paned Windows Throughout Strategically Placed to Invite Natural Light but Offer Privacy
• Variable Speed Central Heat & Air
• Second floor Master Bedroom  has French Doors leading to Huge Slate Tiled Deck with Built-In Wet bar and Mini-fridge
• Upstairs Bath has Jacuzzi tub with Danze fixtures, square vessel sink, dark wood cabinetry and Italian Porcelain Tile Throughout
• Recessed Lighting
• Wired for Surround Sound and Flat Screen TV
• Front Loading Washer and Dryer in Laundry Closet
• Bamboo Hardwood Floors Upstairs – Stained Hi-Gloss Concrete Floors Downstairs
• Habitat Modern Custom Wood Fence
• 2 Secured Garage Covered Parking Spaces plus 1 uncovered space all with with Alley Access

The Neighborhood:

• 2 Blocks to Town Lake and The Hike and Bike Trail
• East Austin – Holly St. neighborhood
• Less than 1 mile from Downtown
• Walk to Mr. Natural, Waterstreet Lofts, Juan In A Million, Progress, 2124 Condos,
  Perdanales Lofts, The Peacock, and more.
• Tons of new construction and remodeled homes in the area
• Other Homes selling for $570,000 just down the street.

To schedule a showing , please call Matt 512.482.9189