Hill Country Artisan Homes Finds Success In Austin’s Booming Luxury Homes Market

Austin, TX – For Hill Country Artisan Homes, success in the red-hot Texas luxury housing market has been hard-earned. Since entering the market in 2016 with a brand-new upscale development called La Ventana, the custom and semi-custom home builder is finding success meeting the needs of a diverse range of homebuyers looking to build the home of their dreams in the picturesque Texas Hill Country.

Hill Country Artisan Homes caters to the area’s surging custom luxury home market. The segment is rapidly growing thanks to record demand and an influx of out-of-state homebuyers attracted to the laid-back lifestyle that the Austin area has to offer.

Located 30-minutes Southwest of downtown Austin, La Ventana features ranch-style 1.5-2.5-acre lots and custom luxury home sites ranging from $900,000 to $1.5 million-plus. Surrounded by wineries, rolling hills, and amenities like walking trails, streams, community centre, clubhouse, swimming pool, and driving range, the community offers something for every type of luxury homebuyer.

In 2017, Hill Country Artisan Homes’ first show home in La Ventana earned two prestigious MAX Awards from Homebuilders Association of Greater Austin for Product Design over $600,000 and Best Interior Merchandising over $1 million. The company repeated the feat in 2018 and 2019, winning MAX awards for Best Interior Merchandising over $1 million and Best Custom Home over $1 million. Additionally, its 2018 Austin Parade of Homes entry won Best in Show, along with prizes for Best Outdoor Living, Best Pool, Best Master Bath, Best Formal Dining, and Best Fireplace.

“The recognition we’ve gained from these awards has really helped kick-off the brand’s success,” said Dennis Ciani, Marketing Director, Hill Country Artisan Homes Texas. “The Parade of Homes awards were selected by an out-of-town panel of industry judges: architects, designers, builders, industry experts. We’re proud of this achievement, and it’s a testament to our team’s skill and determination in this market.”

To date, Hill Country Artisan Homes has only 10 lots remaining in the community, with 23 custom homes under contract, either in processing, permitting or under construction.In recent years, Hill Country Artisan Homes has expanded to several other highly sought-after luxury housing developments in the Austin area including, Northgate Ranch, Marbella, North Haven, and two completed community of Rio Ancho and Abrantes – where it sold-out all 21 homesites in just nine months. These prospering communities feature a diverse array of lot sizes ranging from 80 feet to over an acre.

Roy Edmiston, General Manager, Hill Country Artisan Homes, who joined the homebuilder in 2016 to help launch the brand, credits the experience and reliability of his team, relationship with trades, quality of designs, and the strong financial backing of Qualico for much of the company’s success.

“What we’ve been able to provide is the work of a custom builder, but on a different level. Unlike most custom homebuilders, we own the properties, we do all the construction loans, and we’re backed by the strong financial performance of Qualico. These factors give our homebuyers a lot of confidence. It’s the sense of being financially secure that most other custom home builders can’t offer,” says Edmiston.

Hill Country Artisan Homes works closely with its customers to determine the type of designs, features, and square footage that best matches their lifestyle and budget. It plays an active role in guiding both experienced and inexperienced custom homebuyers through every step of the design and construction process. Working with local architects and interior designers, Hill Country Artisan Homes prides itself on delivering high-calibre luxury homes tailored to the unique needs of its customers.

But competing in Austin’s upscale housing market isn’t for the faint of heart. Despite the strong demand for custom housing, pandemic-related labour market and supply chain disruptions have led Hill Country Artisan Homes to take a careful approach to ensure the construction of their customers’ homes stays on schedule.

“With these market conditions, we’ve had to pace ourselves while being very proactive,” said Roy. “We hold weekly calls with our home buyers to keep them informed on what’s going on week-to-week. Being transparent is very important to how we do business.”

Looking to the future, the Hill Country Artisan Homes team is excited about where the company is heading. “We’re focusing on obtaining more land for new luxury home communities, and finding the best locations for new development,” said Roy.

“Our goal is always to build a high-quality product that we are proud of, and that people will enjoy. We’re continuing to expand our program while finding ways to refine our processes to create more value for homebuyers in the Texas Hill Country."