Georgetown, Texas Real Estate Blog      Your Host: Edward Lui

Back after popular demand:  Another “Favorite HOMEboy Testimonial”

Okay, I confess, I’m not sure how popular these are and what the demand is, but many of my recent clients have been rather “video-shy” so I’m glad that Chuck and Fran decided to be such good sports.
They live on my street and are some cool neighbors and I wish them the best in their future as “beach bums.”  The home that was sold was on 133 Village Park Drive in Georgetown Village.

One of the things I always recommend to my clients is to do a pre-inspection.  This is another revolutionary method that my brokerage, Mars Hill Realty Group, integrates into our house marketing strategy.  Here are the top 3 reasons we do this:

1.  Eliminates potential deal-killers

2.  Reduces negotiation leverage of buyer during option period

3.  Attracts the highest offer from the buyer by positioning your home as fixed and well cared for.

Check out the testimonial below and call me to get the same great results on your home!

This home was built with country-living in mind.

Imagine a home that is hidden behind large oak trees and over 6 acres of lush park-like land.  You can have horses here, since the entire property is fenced, and you will have complete privacy from all directions.   Welcome to 50 Double File Trace located in the Durham Park neighborhood of Liberty Hill, TX.  When you drive up from the main road, the only way you will know that there is a house back here is from the house number that is hanging on the split rail fence up front.  Follow the winding driveway into the canopy of trees and you’ll find a lovely 5 bedroom home with almost 2400 SF of living space for just $229,000.

You can look in all directions:  Georgetown, Liberty Hill, Jarrell, etc. and be hard-pressed to find a home in move-in condition, with this much living space and acreage, priced under $250k.  The value for this property is unbeatable.  The current owners are pricing this home competitively because they want to downsize and move closer to Georgetown.

Here’s what all of this land and privacy means to you.  It means you can build a pool anywhere you want and not have to worry about the next-door neighbor checking you out in your bathing suit.  It means you don’t even NEED a bathing suit!  It also means that the lot won’t restrict where to place any future outbuildings like a garage or workshop or barn.  This is really a “blank canvas” just waiting to be developed and personalized by the next owner.  The best news of it all is that homes in this neighborhood have historically sold at TWICE THE PRICE and over $180/SF. At $96/SF, this home is priced at almost half of that, meaning there is tremendous upside to the home and you can renovate and add-on without having to worry about your future resale value.

The Floorplan

One more thing needs to be said about this home.  It’s not your typical modern-day floorplan with a large kitchen/living room combination also known as a great room.  This isn’t a “luxury” farm home that looks rustic from the front, but has a professional chefs-caliber kitchen and a “spa-like” bathroom.  This is about as authentic as it gets. It looks like a country home, and it IS a country home.  If that’s what you’re looking for and you’re tired of seeing the same home over and over again, I invite you to schedule a showing.  The floorplan is very flexible because there are 4 bedrooms upstairs with a full bath and a full bath downstairs with 2 additional bedrooms.  How you use those bedrooms will be determined by your lifestyle.  Check out the gallery of pictures below, you can click on each one to enlarge them:

248 Whitney Woods Circle - The Preserve at Lake Georgetown

There are lots of homes in the $500k - $1 Million price range on the west side of Georgetown, Texas.  However, every once in awhile, a home comes on the market that offers something truly unique. If you were to put together a wish list of features for a home of this caliber, it could look something like this:

• Lot location - Professionally landscaped; Guaranteed to be no neighbors behind you; A premium view that can’t be duplicated.

This Tuscan-styled estate home was personally designed by the builder, Steve Klein.  He hand-picked the best lot in the neighborhood to capture this coveted view of Lake Georgetown and the Texas Hill Country.  If you have a teenager, keep them away from the sunset views, the views are liable to make them fall in love.  If you’re married, it will be like therapy.  These views convey with the home.

• Neighborhood location - convenient to outdoor recreation, shopping, and the best schools; exclusive community


View Preserve at Lake Georgetown in a larger map

The blue marker with the black dot in the middle of it represents the location for this neighborhood (click the map icons to show what they represent). It’s hard to believe that you could be in such a beautiful neighborhood on acreage, yet within a 5 mile radius of almost everything you need to survive:  Exemplary Ford elementary school, HEB Grocery shopping, Scott and White Medical, and a host of other restaurants, retail and banks. What’s really unique is that the proximity to Lake Georgetown and Russell Park is only 2 miles away!  You can read more about this unique neighborhood in my recent article on the Preserve at Lake Georgetown.

• Home size - large enough to raise a family in without moving again, multiple living areas for various needs; luxurious in a subtle way, doesn’t make the guests feel uncomfortable.





Many homes in this price range have 4 bedrooms and 4 baths.  But in addition to that, this home also has a formal living area, dedicated formal dining room, upstairs Gameroom, private hobby room or playroom, separate air-conditioned storage space (Texas Basement), private home office and a workstation flex space between the kitchen and utility room that is perfect for doing homework or paying the bills.  All of the bedrooms are spacious and have private access to the bathrooms.  In fact, most of the rooms in this house share the same premium view of the Texas Hill Country out the back windows.  One of the guest bathrooms downstairs has access from the garage and also the outdoors to be used as a future pool bath.

If you’re still reading this, and are a serious buyer in this market, stop what you are doing and see this home.  There simply isn’t a home on the market with a premium view on almost 2 acres, proximity to Lake Georgetown, and over 4800 SF of luxurious living in this price range.  In fact, the last lot in Georgetown with a similar view was just purchased a month ago and construction has already began.  They will be your next door neighbors.  The home is competitively priced at $864,900.

See below for a gallery of the home and click the pictures to enlarge:


























































































Whitney Woods Inspection Report - All repairs completed

Whitney Woods Property and Septic Disclosure

Whitney Woods Survey

Looking for information on Georgetown Texas Homes For Sale? Visit my website or call me anytime!! Want the latest updates on Georgetown Texas Real Estate, news and latest developments? Sign up for the blog by clicking the link below:

Here’s your chance to snag up two lots in River Chase for $75,000 a piece in one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Georgetown, Texas.

What makes River Chase so popular is the convenience factor.  This is probably the closest custom home neighborhood to I35, the southern entrance to River Chase is about 1 mile away from the access road.  Yet, due to it’s hilly topography, you can barely hear any road noise from within the neighborhood.  Wait a second, aren’t hilly lots tough to build on?  Good question..

123 River Chase and 412 Mason Ranch are prime lots for this neighborhood because even though the neighborhood is hilly, these two are relatively flat and easy to build on.  That means the next buyer can spend less money on the concrete slab and pocket the savings.  Here are some approximations of the size for these lots below.  Everything in River Chase is at least 1 acre in size:

412 Mason Ranch: Notice how the owner purchased the lot that is almost entirely surrounded by trees!  It is conveniently located closest to the northern entrance of River Chase, meaning easier access and hardly any neighbors on all sides of you.

123 River Chase: This lot is a designer’s dream.  The unique shape allows it to take full advantage of the hill country views to the North and there are no shortage of mature oak trees.  In fact, this lot IS owned by a designer and a full set of plans custom-designed for this lot can be made available to the next buyer.

River Chase in Georgetown Texas is also located within 5-15 minutes to the following:

Major Medical Centers:   Seton Medical Center, Scott and White Healthcare and St. Davids Georgetown Hospital

Major Shopping:  Wolf Ranch, Walmart/Home Depot, Round Rock Premium Outlets and the Ikea shopping plaza

Higher Education:  Southwestern University, Texas State University

Recreation:  Lake Georgetown, San Gabriel Park, Georgetown Recreation Center and several golf courses

Here are more pictures of 412 Mason Ranch:

Here are more pictures of 123 River Chase:

Trying to find a home with an in-ground pool in the heat of Texas summer is like the holy grail for real estate shoppers. To get a recently built home, with mature landscaping, and over 2700 SF (according to tax records) at $275,000 is nearly impossible.

Until now. Let me tell you about 3644 Fossilwood Way located in Mayfield Ranch in Round Rock, Texas:

1.  There are many homes that try to “squeeze” into this price range by offering a pool, but skimping on the landscaping.  From the moment you drive up to this home, your eyes will be immediately drawn to the meticulously chosen native plants that line the front yard in a very natural setting.  This landscaping design not only minimizes the amount of yard that needs to be cut, but also the owner’s water usage.  Landscaping involves more than just well-chosen plants, but also good utility of stones, rocks and pathways that wind through the yard.  This home also has a beautiful walkway made of flagstone laid on top of crushed granite that connects the front and back yard.

2.  If you’re a shopper in this price range, something else you’ll notice different about this home is that it’s only built in 2004 and it’s a relatively new home that has been well taken care of.  What that means to you is that you don’t have to buy a home, and already start planning for your next renovation project.  The floorplan is very modern and all the spaces are well-proportioned and the flooring and paint upgrades have been well chosen.

3.  This isn’t an ordinary pool that was picked out from a catalog and just plopped in the yard!  In fact, the owners had it custom designed for the backyard and you will have a view of this pool from almost every room in the home:  Living, Kitchen, Breakfast, Gameroom and two bedrooms.

When you step out here, your first inclination may be to jump in the pool, so let me point out a few things that this pool may distract you from.  The deepest point is in the middle of the pool and it’s shallow on both ends…this is perfect for a game of water volleyball.  If you have young children or just want to wade in the pool and relax with a good book, there is also a sun ledge, an ultra-shallow wading area.  This pool can be for fun as well as exercise or therapy.  If you want to do laps, you can do that too by just turning on the swim jet and swimming against the current.  After spending hours in the pool, it’s nice to know that your largest organ, your skin, didn’t just absorb lots of unhealthy chlorine.  That’s right, this is a salt water pool, which results in minimal maintenance costs and leaves swimmers with skin and hair softer then when they came into the pool.  Say “good-bye” to smelly chlorine that lingers on your body after you swim.

This home is the entertainer’s dream: A high-end pool set in a natural surrounding with an outdoor kitchen to handle all your grilling needs.  This home isn’t too old, where renovations and updates are in order…on the other hand, the home has upgraded window treatments, flooring and paint to give it a very modern and cozy feel for the next homeowner.

Click here to download disclosure-survey-floorplan

For more pictures of this home, click on the photos in the gallery below:

Looking for information on Georgetown Texas Homes For Sale? Visit my website or call me anytime!! Want the latest updates on Georgetown Texas Real Estate, news and latest developments? Sign up for the blog by clicking the link below:

North East Round Rock has developed into quite the trendy place. It’s one of those places you can go back to several times during the week and never get bored.

The Lifestyle

For example, sometimes my wife and I will take the kids to the Round Rock Premium Outlets and do some light shopping and let the kids blow off some energy. If it’s really hot outside, we might visit any number of large indoor stores in the Ikea shopping plaza like JC Penny or try out one of the many restaurants that keep popping up there every couple of months. It’s also a great place to meet up with other families. A couple of times, we’ve chatted the night away with friends as our kids would chase each other in the gated playscape in front of Mighty Fine Burgers.

The beauty of living in the Eagle Ridge neighborhood is that you have extremely convenient access to this type of lifestyle. This neighborhood isn’t just 2 miles from the Round Rock Outlets and Ikea shopping plaza, but also two great medical developments by Seton and Scott & White, as well as Texas State University.

The Home

Recently, a large single-story home became available in Eagle Ridge on 3613 Eagles Nest. It’s the type of home that you can move right into, without having to worry about paint, landscaping and window treatments.  The home is just over 2100 SF and has 3 bedrooms with a study and formal dining room.  There are two things that you’ll really love about this home.  The first is the family-swallowing kitchen: When you first walk in, you’ll notice there is a large skylight that floods this room with plenty of natural light.  All great cooks know that adequate lighting is needed to prepare and cook meals optimally and there certainly won’t be any shortage of light in this kitchen! There are also stainless steel appliances from high-end manufacturers, like Kitchen Aid, that the owners have installed to update this kitchen.  The second is the well-landscaped, private backyard with covered patio: If you’ve ever bought a new home before, you know the anguish of planting skinny little trees and waiting for years before they are even large enough to provide shade for your 5 year old.  You probably have to live in the home for 5-7 years before your trees give you the privacy that you want to enjoy and then it’s time to move again.  Well, you won’t have that problem with this home.  Everything is mature and manicured, waiting for the next homeowner to enjoy.

The Finer Details
Here are more pictures of the home (you can click on to enlarge) and a video to guide you through this large 1-story home that is priced at just $175,000 in NE Round Rock.

We made a family trip out to Coopers Old Time Pit BBQ in Llano, TX a few weeks ago and our friends Brett and Lisa came with us.  We decided to go easy and not over-order like we normally do.  We picked a variety of their meats for comparison purposes and overall the meal was pretty good, sausage was better then Snow’s BBQ, but nothing was really “out of the ballpark” for me.  No disappointments, but no “wow” factor either…just good ‘ole dependable BBQ.  Afterwards, we hung out at the Llano River Bridge for some rock-throwing and picture-taking.

Coopers is just about 1 hour and a few minutes away from Georgetown and is an easy drive down Hwy 29.  Check it out and feel free to share your comments on how you feel this place compares with others!  The readers of this blog would love to hear your opinion!  Check out the pictures below:

Looking for information on Georgetown Texas Homes For Sale? Visit my website or call me anytime!! Want the latest updates on Georgetown Texas Real Estate, news and latest developments? Sign up for the blog by clicking the link below:

133 Village Park Drive in Georgetown Village

The neighborhood of Georgetown Village has a unique street that’s called Village Park Drive.  I know, because I live on it!  It’s the only street in Georgetown Village that is a one-way street.  It’s the only one that has a park that fronts it with a neighborhood park/playscape and a city-run heated swimming pool.  It’s also the closest park to the exemplary-rated Village Elementary school.

Well, now here’s something more unique then Village Park Drive:

133 Village Park Drive, the only home in Georgetown that has a view of this lovely park from the front and a nice view of the Texas Hill Country from the back:

But, here’s something else that this home has:  A perfect night-time panoramic view of the skies

This custom-built observatory has been crafted to very exacting standards so that the roof slides open and you have access to the skies above.  Imagine hanging out here with your children or grand-children on a cool summer evening looking at the constellations and gazing at the moon with a high-powered telescope.  This isn’t just an educational tool for astronomers, it’s a memory builder tool for families.  Not a fan of telescopes?  Simply turn this into a club house, or workshop complete with electricity.

The home is built by David-Weekly and has 3 bedrooms/2 baths all on one level.  The owners are meticulously clean and the trees and flowers on this property will make the next owner look like a landscaping champ.  This home has approx. 2000 SF and is priced at $210,000.

133-vp-inspection report

133-village-park-disclosure-and-survey

For more pictures, check out the gallery below:

At 9:30am I called Snow’s Barbeque to find out their hours and the guy on the phone says, “They’re going fast!”  The restaurant closes whenever they run out of BBQ, which is usually noon at the latest.  I tell him that I’m coming with 3 kids and ask him to save me some BBQ and so he takes  a quick order and tells me to see Sarah when I get there.   We pile in the minivan and head off to our weekend day trip:  Snow’s BBQ in Lexington, Texas for what Texas Monthly in 2008 calls the “Best BBQ in Texas.”

At 10:15am we got to Taylor and took a rinky dink “shortcut” called FM 112 towards Lexington.  The whole trip is about an hour from Georgetown, Texas so it makes for an easy day trip.

When we got there, the line was already formed but the wait really wasn’t too bad.  We stocked up on our order to make sure we could try everything they had on the menu.  We sat down outdoors and stuffed ourselves with pure, smokey goodness.  Fatty brisket, pork ribs, sausage….and some side dishes to reduce the “meat-guilt” of eating too much barbeque.  Autumn and I loved the way they cooked their pork.  As a 10 year resident of Germany, I’m very picky about the way pork is cooked and how it tastes.  This may not be your typical compliment, but the guys at Snow’s cook pork like Germans!  Das is Gut!

We had plenty of leftovers to take home, wrapped up beautifully in some large pieces of foil.  I also got to take a picture with Pitmaster Tootsie:)

Afterwards, we were told about a cattle auction right around the corner, so we had some fun listening to the auctioneer talk a mile a minute and then went out on the catwalk to see more cows then I’ve ever seen in my life.

We had a great time and the food was excellent.  If you want to know what makes Texas famous for BBQ, make sure you stop by Snow’s ya hear!?

Check out this Smoker!

It’s pretty neat that Georgetown, Texas has been recognized as one of the best places to retire.  I often send my blog article to people who are considering this town for retirement.  However, I think I found the real reason right here:

County Health Rankings

According to this website, Williamson County ranked #1 out of all the Texas Counties for Health Outcomes.  This ranking is measured by statistics for premature deaths, poor physical health days, poor mental health days, low birthweight, and more!

So, maybe all of these retirees are on to something.

#1 out of 221 counties…not bad.