A home in Austin’s Tarrytown neighborhood recently fetched a record-setting $810 per square foot, with the real estate agent who listed the property citing the craftsmanship, construction, and location as aspects that helped command a sky-high price.
The 3,034-square-foot home sold for $2.45 million, says Darin Walker, a Realtor with Kuper Sotheby’s International Realty, the firm handling the off-the-market listing. At $810 per square foot, that’s a record for a newly constructed home in Tarrytown, he says. Nine other homes built in 2014 or later in Tarrytown recently went for an average of $563 per square foot, according to data compiled by Walker.
By comparison, the average price per square foot for a single-family home in the Austin area was $169 in November, according to Realty Austin. Meanwhile,the average price per square foot for a condo in downtown Austin was $541 in December, according to Towers.net.
The two-story Tarrytown home, which sits on 0.17 acres at 2108 Matthews Dr., features three bedrooms, three bathrooms, one half-bathroom, an office, and a two-vehicle carport. By themselves, those attributes don’t make the home stand out.
Walker says that among other things, one factor that does make the home stand out is two noted Austin professionals who were involved in the project: residential builder Alan Muskin and residential architect Jay Corder. Having two high-profile designers behind such a property “always gives buyers peace of mind that the home has been built of the highest standards, which translates into premium prices upon resale,” Walker says.
Along those lines, high-end materials and fixtures were used to build the custom home, he says. Those include European white-oak floors, walnut cabinets, a tailor-made walnut front door, a floating staircase, and $100,000 worth of exterior elements.
Furthermore, the location of the home is highly coveted, given its perch on a bluff overlooking Lake Austin and its views of the hills in the Westlake area, as well as its central placement in Austin.
The Tarrytown Alliance Neighborhood Association says the neighborhood — bordered by Lake Austin, MoPac Expressway, Lake Austin Boulevard, and 35th Street — features everything from handsome older homes to charming bungalows. It’s one of the city’s most classic, established neighborhoods.
“Much of its character comes from its many old, large trees, and well-tended residential lawns and gardens,” the association says.
The open concept kitchen and dining area in the two-story, record-breaking home.
The estate is a private and peaceful oasis.Photo courtesy of Peyton Skinner
The spacious executive lodge also comes with a kitchenette, making it suitable for hosting guests or using as an office.Photo courtesy of Peyton Skinner