Sam Chapman

Mirador and Escala are very exclusive, gated communities in the subdivision of Barton Creek. Sitting in the hills west of downtown Austin, homes in Mirador and Escala are amazing. Most homes sit on two to eight acre lots and many have beautiful Hill Country views. Some have views of the downtown Austin skyline and some have back yards that overlook or plunge into canyons. Mirador is a French word that means observation tower, hence the name.

Access to Mirador Dr. is from Southwest Parkway or from Escala Dr. Cava Place is a short road off Mirador ending in a cul-de-sac and is part of this gated neighborhood. Escala is accessed from Mirador or from Lost Creek Blvd. Dadiva Ct. is also part of Escala. It is not uncommon to see very large homes in Mirador and Escala. It is not not uncommon to see homes with 10,000 square feet of living space or more. One Escala home is rumored to have almost 30,000 square feet of heated and cooled living space and over 8,000 feet of outdoor living areas, porches and balconies.

Many Escala and Mirador homes will contain very elaborate security systems. Many will be behind a gate in an already gated community. Many will also have elaborate pools, guest houses, sports courts and outdoor entertaining areas with kitchens. The county tax assessor has values of homes in Mirador and Escala valued from just under $2 million to almost $10 million. I have a feeling that many of these homes are undervalued by the county.

Mirador and Escala are not the only exclusive neighborhoods in the Austin area, but they are two of the newest and nicest. Learn more about Austin luxury homes.

When Lake Travis has enough water, Johnny Fins sits around half way down walkway. The floating bar and restaurant was moved yesterday because of the rapid decline of water in the lake. Between the lack of rain and evaporation due to the excessive heat, Lake Travis has dropped to its 4th all-time low since it was created. Johnny Fins will sit idle farther out the cove until the lake fills up enough to bring it back.

Hurst Harbor Marina should sit in this cove as well, but it was moved a month and a half ago. The marina will take people across the lake to where the marina was moved while there is still enough water in the cove, but after it drops to where boats can not operate, anyone with a boat at Hurst Harbor Marina may be out of luck.

Check out some Lake Travis photos when it was closer to full.

I am collecting between 8 and 10 gallons of water per day from my air conditioning condensate line. I simply put a 10 gallon tub under the drip line and while the AC runs, it drips. I use what I collect to water outdoor and indoor plants. I put mosquito dunks in the tub to control those pesky critters. Folks, this is a no-brainer. The first thing an air conditioner does is wring water out of the air. The water drips on the ground and evaporates. Why not put it to good use?

If you have a backyard garden or any plants at all and your AC condensate line is high enough, put a barrel under it and collect the water. If you want to estimate how much water you might collect, my guess is that you will get somewhere around a gallon per day from each 200 square feet of space you are cooling. How much you run the system and things like how much shade your house gets will come in to play, but that is about what I am getting out of my 1665 square foot Austin home.

As hot as it has been in Texas this summer, the air runs almost non-stop. Lake Travis is lower than half empty and water is becoming more precious all the time.

Got questions about Lake Travis homes? Give me a call at 512-293-2422.

La Nina is a weather phenomenon that occurs when the temperature of the tropical Pacific Ocean is below normal. El Nina typically suppress rainfall in Texas and we've sure seen that for a long time. El Nina also causes temperatures to be higher than normal and we have definitely seen that.

Well guess what - El Nina has ended and its counterpart, El Nino, is back. El Nino occurs when these same tropical Pacific waters rise above normal. When this happens, Texas and the southwest U.S. typically experience a cooler and wetter than normal winter.

All one needs to do to get a visual on the drought in Central Texas is look at Lake Travis. Below is an image of Lake Travis when it was just below full.

I just took the image below about an hour ago.

See the islands and all the exposed shorline at the marina?

What I have read recently tells me that we should start seeing more rain than we usually get beginning in September and this should continue through the winter months. Anyone with a Lake Travis waterfront home would love to see the lake fill up again. So would boaters.

Interested in Lake Travis homes? Give me a call at 512-293-2422.

OK, it isn't the best photo, but it sure makes my point. I took this with my Blackberry after setting the actual thermometer sensor on the front porch rail of my Apache Shores home yesterday afternoon. People working outside right now - I don't know how they do it. Landscapers, construction workers, delivery people... How about fire fighters wearing all of that protective gear?

Questions about Austin real estate listings? Call me at 512-293-2422.