There is something about clay plastered walls. Some folks say that negative ions cause a more calming environment while counteracting the electromagnetic effect our computers, appliances and plastics create. Clay walls do speak to us, drawing us back to some deep tap root in our past. That earthy feel comforts us. Our hands naturally reach out to touch, reminding us we are a part of our environment. Clay plasters offer opportunities for vivid natural colors and textures of depth that resonant with us.

A review of the literature from American Clay and our local supplier, Natural Clay Finishes, suggests clay plaster is a natural alternative to paint, wallpaper, cement, acrylic and gypsum plasters, offered in thousands of colors and unlimited textures with depth not found in other finishes. The hygroscopic properties of clay help regulate indoor humidity by absorbing and releasing moisture naturally. Warm to the touch in winter and cool in summer, clay plaster brings a healthy, non-toxic, VOC-free finish to interior spaces.

With 72% post industrial recycled and reclaimed content clay is easy to use and produces no waste. It also has the lowest carbon footprint of wall finishes making it a natural choice for those wanting to ‘green’ their home, yet clay plaster benefits any home. I know the homes we add clay to have a natural warmth that reminds me of sunshine and fresh breezes for simply comfortable living.

These folks became concerned during our recent drought at the amount of rainwater simply running off from even infrequent thunderstorms. Wondering how this surplus could be stored for later use to maintain their landscape and horses, they asked if we could help them design a collection system that makes the most of their existing drip irrigation system while saving the aquifer their well taps into for themselves and their neighbors.

This small rainwater harvesting system is designed in three economical phases:

Phase one, shown above and in the gallery below, brings online a 16,000 gallon Bluescope green steel Pioneer Galaxy tank, a DAB Divertron 1200 digitally controlled submersible pump to provide irrigation water to hose bibs, a drip system and koi pond. Since the rainwater pressure system will be connected with the well’s pressure system at the same pressure plane we designed the connections to keep each source separate from the other while still allowing either system to be used. Here are some photos of the work in progress-

Phase two, is currently planned to add additional collection off the carport roof and storage in the upper garden for hand watering. Because of limited space and the aesthetics we’ll create a ‘water wall’ tank. While this collection area could be plumbed to the larger tank, our homeowner has particular needs and desires that make separate storage the best answer for their situation.

Phase three, will complete the system by adding collection and storage to the horse barn and corral, supplying water to the horses. This gravity fed system will integrate with the barn supply and automatically refill drinking stations for the horses.

When completed the entire system will have a storage capacity of about 20,000 gallons providing rainwater through both pressurized and gravity fed outlets. All but one small roof area will be collected, stored and used, redirecting 1,000′s of gallons of runoff from each storm event to be saved. This system, specifically designed to meet their individual needs, will sustain their beautiful garden, ponds and horses during the long dry spells while reducing their withdrawals from the aquifer below for nonessential uses.

Here is a look back at hill country home sales in Kerr County. The graph above shows the average (green) and median (blue) single family home price, days on market (yellow) and total volume (red) of single family homes sold each year. Like most of the country we have seen a decline in sales, though the real effect has been on total volume or the number of homes sold. As depicted home prices, while not yet stabilized, have not fallen in comparison to 2005. From 1999 – 2005 hill country home prices appreciated by over 50% and most homeowners still hold that equity today.

Another look at the Texas hill country real estate market is shown in the three graphs at right. These represent the number of two, three and four or more bedroom homes sold separated by major price points. Most markets show a statistical preference for three bedroom, two bath homes. Our market is no different except that few four or more bedroom homes sell in any year. An interesting piece of these graphs is that it appears only two bedroom homes selling under $200,000 may have stabilized or started to sell in larger numbers. Three bedroom home sales even under $200,000 are still falling in numbers.

What I wrote in June of 2010 about Hill Country homes still holds, this is a great place for simply comfortable living-

Note: This data came from the Kerrville Board of Realtors® Multiple Listing Service (MLS) which suggests the homes sales reflected here are likely existing homes resold, rather than new home sales. A pdf version of this report is available for viewing or download here.

We love finding old materials we can re-purpose in our projects. Not only does recycling help the environment, we really get excited about the creative opportunities reusing materials offer our designs. According to the EPA an average new construction project yields 3.9 pounds of waste per square foot of building area. Even for a small 2,000 square foot home that’s nearly 4 tons of waste. A not too uncommon 6,000 square foot home produces 4 times that much or 12 tons.

One material we have enjoyed re-using is barn wood. The textures, colors and beauty of the old clean grain adds a depth freshly milled woods just can’t replicate. Even looking at these uncleaned boards, in the photos to the right, you can see the potential peeking out. These came to us through Bill Livezey of central Iowa’s 2 Rivers Trading Co. Bill helped us find shiplap for a living space, bath and bedroom floors; 12″ wide planks for stair treads, winders and risers; more shiplap for a main floor wall and old grooved and splined planks our client used to build an outdoor table.

Old barns often had walls of long shiplapped boards to keep the weather out. These old wall boards were re-purposed as flooring for this project. Instead of planing the boards smooth, the goal was to reuse the boards leaving the nail holes and small inconsistencies for character. Walking across the floor in your bare feet you can feel the connection with the past. After rough sanding, installing and sanding again in place, tung oil with citrus extract was used to bring the colors out and achieve a natural finish. Watch for a future post with photos of the finished floor.

We really enjoy adding rainwater harvesting to hill country homes. While it may seem counter intuitive to use rainwater harvesting during our drought our most recently completed collection system has already captured nearly 40,000 gallons during three months of below average rainfall. As desert dwellers through millennia have practiced, rainwater collection works using simple systems that require no power providing clean water on demand. Like renewable energy rainwater is free to harvest and simple to use. Unlike renewable energy it costs no more than a conventional system and properly sized reliably provides clean, soft water on demand.

Rainwater harvesting isn’t just about collecting rainwater in a tank or cistern for later use. Use of pervious pavers, grass lined berms and other hardscape or landscape features to encourage ground water aquifer recharge and native plant growth are just as important to good water stewardship and site management. These elements not only add little in cost to a project they enhance the outdoor spaces enlarging our built environment in a natural way. Bringing the outside in or as we prefer bringing the inside out offers opportunities for dining under the sky, enjoying a quiet evening around a fire. Designing outdoor rooms that create spaces that manage storm water runoff not only help conserve water use and reduce power consumption, they increase the living space for a fraction of the cost of conditioned space. A well designed outdoor space will often be more comfortable than inside conditioned space without all the technological intervention.

While thinking about going ‘off the water grid’ or supplementing your existing water system can seem daunting collecting and storing your own rainwater offers peace of mind and satisfaction. Folks we have helped with rainwater harvesting love the way the water tastes and feels. They note that their laundry and dishes need less soap and their plants seem to do better with less chlorine and minerals. Check out our rainwater harvesting section to see a couple of our projects-

Laying out the stringers is tricky and adding winders more so. Typically, the most experienced carpenter cuts the stair stringers. It’s just not a job the younger carpenters can accomplish well. Stairs have to fit horizontally and vertically. That sounds intuitive, though getting all the stair components to fit right is a bit more complicated. The International Residential Code (IRC) requires specific landing sizes: top, bottom and on long runs midway; be included in the layout. As well as prescriptions for maximum rises (step height) and runs (tread depth). Additionally, the steps and height between them needs to be consistent so as to not create a tripping hazard. The math isn’t calculus, simple addition and geometry really. Though adding up the rises, runs and landings while taking into account tread thickness, riser material and possibly different flooring thicknesses at each end make for a series of simple calculations that are critical to stairs that land, look and feel just right. Finally, stairs and winders should not squeak. With so many opportunities for something to go wrong we specify the best building materials in our stringers and sub treads. The bottom line: when looking for place to cut your budget, stairs isn’t the place.

For the treads, like our sub floors we specify Advantech, though on the stairs we use the 1-1/4″ thickness for ultra tight and stable treads. No matter the finished floor material these treads provide a great under surface for years of quiet use. Here is Huber’s Advantech Flat Out Best brochure, if you’d like to learn more.

We make our stringers from Trus Joist Laminated Strand Lumber (LSL). While LSL’s cost more than two by material, they are so much stronger and more stable we can create far better stringers and more usable space in the closets underneath. Cutting stringers out of LSL’s requires a different technique than when using two by material our lead carpenter understands and does well. For more information here is the Trus Joist LSL’s for stair stringers installation guide.

Laying out the stairs and winders may not seem like a big deal. In fact, you shouldn’t notice these things at all. When you do likely someone didn’t pay attention to the details that make for simply comfortable living-

need less

Need less is not about going without, or depriving our selves. When building a home ‘need less’ simply recognizes two important issues.

The first is logical: a successful home should be the right size. The spaces and systems should be designed to meet the needs of the family living in them. Even when using the best green and efficient practices building more than we need is wasteful.

The second issue is about connecting with our homes and in my mind is more important. What defines a home are the proportions and detailing. Homes that work take advantage of their space and use it well. People feel more comfortable in spaces that relate to them.

When we begin to think about a new home or remodeling our existing one often our first thoughts relate to more space. The easiest way for builders lower their cost per square foot is to offer homes with bigger rooms and less detailing. While bigger may be the answer, good architectural design and well thought out spaces always offers more from less square footage. It’s about finding the sweet spot where less room would not accomplish what you are setting out to do and more simply isn’t needed. Right sized homes lead to comfortable living.

use less

Sounds intuitive doesn’t it? But using less may be more difficult than we think. According to When Energy Efficiency Sullies the Environment, a New York Times article, creating ways to use less can lead us to use more as a society. Educating ourselves and our clients about good practices is the key to using less.

people have found so many new places to light that today we spend the same proportion of our income on light as our much poorer ancestors did in 1700

— John Tierney

produce your own

Even though all our new homes are ready to add energy from photo voltaic PV arrays or wind turbines I often find myself at odds with other designers, builders and homeowners about when to add renewable energy. My view is consistent with sources like the Green Building, the Florida Solar Energy Center and others that, as the pyramids below represent, renewables are the last items to add to a home. While PV arrays and wind turbines are the ‘sexy’ part of green building, designing and constructing a renewable energy system sized for a home that hasn’t first been optimized to need and use less leads to larger, more expensive and wasteful systems. Systems designed this way siphon funds away from important elements that make our homes more comfortable and functional.

It may not be as exciting to focus first on a well built home, but most folks find completing the first two goals often accomplishes what they set out to do without adding renewables. By needing less and using less they reduced the size of their energy footprint to a sustainable level while conserving resources and reducing regular maintenance. They find we have built a renewable ready home they enjoy each day, and that leads to simply comfortable living-

Our family is likely not so different from yours. We enjoy the outdoors and watching movies together. Dominoes is a common game played on the patio as we watch day’s end on warm summer evenings. The kids like all the things kids do, including watching a “screen” too often. It always strikes me how much fun they have away from one though.

Our oldest is away at college most of the time becoming a city girl; she always seems to find a horse when home. In the middle, our son enjoys sports more than anything else. The youngest is out to prove she can do anything her older siblings can. Watching them grow reminds me we should leave the world a better place for our children and grand children.

After a hard days’ play we like to retreat to the comfort our home offers. A kitchen as hub, our home’s design wraps about us. Perfect for the way our family interacts, rooms radiant out creating large public spaces, home offices and a small reading nook. Whether standing on the veranda watching a thunderstorm or escaping the summer heat a home should shelter what’s important. And when the kids are all home that’s when I most enjoy simply comfortable living.

Every home speaks of its owner, their personality, lifestyle and view of the world. You may not be comfortable in this red squirrel’s home, and her family wouldn’t fit well in your perfect home either. As a builder our goal is to help you express yourself in a sustainable way. Sustainable homes go far beyond today’s ‘green building’ hype though. For a home to be sustainable it needs to make sense on many levels. The space needs to fit your family. While maintenance is always a regular chore, it should be achievable with resources at hand. Green features must make sense and work to your benefit. The energy a home consumes to keeping your family comfortable should be used well. A sustainable home is affordable.

Whether recreating an old house or starting anew each home we build is a collaboration between us all. The journey begins with planning, education and design. Bruce is a natural guide for clients as they start out to build their dream home. With an ability to take what works from the past and integrate today’s best practice with your vision, Bruce’s design sense crafts spaces that feel familiar the moment you walk in. Mixing new, recycled and engineered materials he builds homes of character and substance fulfilling his clients’ needs. Homes that feel like home.

Like this oak tree our squirrel enjoys, our homes are built to age gracefully with you, each one a testament to longevity and simply comfortable living.

This article appeared in the 2010 June 5-6 Kerrville Daily Times Weekend Edition under “Hill Country Real Estate offers good home values for living and investment.” Below is the original unedited version as I wrote it.

Our biggest investment may leave more for the finer things in life

Real estate in the Texas hill country offers some of the best values in the country. The reasons are simple: affordability, choice, investment potential, lifestyle and location, location, location. The way it stacks up Texas real estate is the easy choice for anyone looking for a new home or investment property today.

Texas real estate hasn’t experienced the swings in value other parts of the country have recently, as a result ‘affordable value’ is the phrase of the day for hill country real estate. Instead of going through the boom and bust cycle, real estate in Texas took a more conservative path to value. Looking back to 2008 Texas already had some of the most affordable housing in the country. As home prices fell significantly elsewhere, real estate in the hill country held more of its value.

You won’t find the national homebuilders offering the same house you can buy in Phoenix or Florida here. The hill country has a great tradition of craftsmen building homes. Folks who put their heart and soul into the homes they built and still build here today. Existing homes with character and individuality that you can make your own are common. This combined with the fact that the number of properties ‘on the market’ is larger today, provides home buyers more choice and flexibility. A Texas Realtor® is a great resource for sorting out the chafe and locating the property that suits each buyer’s individual needs: live water, hill country views, in town or out in the country, a quiet cottage or town-homes on the golf course. Whether buyers are looking for creative financing, move-in ready, a fixer-upper or their own spread of land in the Texas hill country to enjoy, today’s market has something for everyone and Texas Realtors® are the professionals best suited to assist in finding the right property.

Real estate is often folk’s biggest investment and today’s market may offer the best opportunity in years for buyers. While prices in the hill country haven’t pulled back as much as in other parts of the country, don’t think that means there aren’t good buys available. Buyers here are finding investment opportunities they can comfortably live in. One of the advantages Texas homeowners have enjoyed through the recent market adjustment is relative safety in their investment because their property values declined less in comparison to other parts of the country. Most investment advisors suggest slow and steady appreciation over quick returns, and while it may seem contrarian, buying today could prove a good choice for tomorrow. Of course, prudence dictates you consult your investment advisor before investing.

A lifestyle second to none. Whether you enjoy the arts, golf, river sports, symphony, horseback riding, museums, cycling, shopping, folk music, theatre, dance or simply good weather and views, we have it here. According to Texas A&M University, Real Estate Center Chief Economist Mark Dotzour, Ph.D., in a recent study, “The fact that Texans pay less of their income for housing means they have more to spend on other things that add to the overall quality of life.” Living in the hill country gives many folks the ability to enjoy activities they may not be able to afford elsewhere. The hill country is home to first class medical and educational facilities, too. In fact, the only thing missing seems to be the traffic, smog and a need to hurry everywhere you go. Add that the hill country is in the heart of our nation with Austin and San Antonio’s international airports close enough to pickup the kids or grandkids when they visit and the old real estate mantra isn’t truer anywhere else: location, location, location.

Opportunities abound in today’s Texas hill country real estate market. Here we have the affordability, choice, investment potential, lifestyle and location fit for everyone’s tastes. And who hasn’t dreamed of becoming a cowboy or girl once in their life? If you have an interest in real estate the best way to learn more is by contacting a Texas Realtor® with the Kerrville Board of Realtors®.

Learn more about why, Texans pay less of our income on shelter www.texasrealestate.com.