Meet the Stebbins!

When Rich and Pat Stebbins started thinking about downsizing, their daughter was actually the one who suggested Kissing Tree. The longtime Austin residents wanted a single-story home that wasn’t too far from their kids in Austin and Round Rock, but they weren’t sure about an active adult community.

At their first visit, they were blown away. “We were very impressed when we got there and walked around,” Rich says. “It’s like a 5-star hotel, if you look at the amenities. We loved both the pools, indoor and outdoor, and the fitness center. When we walked through the model homes, we knew we weren’t interested in Traditional homes — they were too big. And the Villas all had second stories, so the Cottages were the best bet for us.”

A Just-Right Home

At 1,500 square feet, The Spieth model home wasn’t the biggest or the smallest of the Cottages, but it seemed like the best fit. With two bedrooms and a den, the home had a nice layout, and the Stebbins thought the included lawn maintenance was a good feature. “I come from a long line of gardeners, and we have a big garden and yard in our current home, but we’re done,” Rich says. “I’m planning that once we move in, we can put a spice garden on our back deck, and maybe at some point once we’re established we can lobby the HOA for a community garden. It would be a nice thing to have.”

Home Site, Sweet Home Site

Once they had settled on a model, Rich and Pat waited a bit before finding the right home site. When a new section of Cottage lots came available in The Strand, they found one they loved and put their name in for the lottery. They were thrilled when they won. “They release lots periodically, and you submit your name for the one you want and they draw names out of a hat. We were glad to get it!”

No Wrong Choices

When it came time to visit the Design Center, Rich and Pat brought their daughter Jennifer to help. They walked through several model homes to see their picks in real life before making final decisions. “You can get overwhelmed with too many choice,” Rich says. “It was helpful that the styling is made up ahead of time. You get 3-4 choices, and they’re all good. They lay it out, so if you want this color palette, here are your choices. It’s all chosen by a designer, so you can’t go wrong.”

Going for the Hill Country

Rich and Pat were impressed with the architecture, and they liked that Brookfield compares buyers’ exterior color and style to the houses on either side so there aren’t two identical homes next to each other. “We chose the Texas Hill Country exterior, and we got our second choice for the color scheme, which we still liked. I’m glad they have these exterior color palettes so you know you won’t have a neighbor with a purple house. There’s not going to be an eyesore in the neighborhood.”

The Fun Starts Now

Now that their contract is signed, Pat and Rich are getting to know the community. They’re excited to use all of Kissing Tree’s amenities during the construction process, and they’ve already been back to show their son the neighborhood and have gate tags installed on their cars. They’re also downloading the community apps and getting set up on the HOA website.

“It is cool that we have access to the amenities,” Rich says. “Once the weather warms up we will probably take advantage of the pools. It’s early in the process, but we’re very pleased with what we see so far. I have been a golfer, and it’s nice having the green space. The putting green is nice, too.” Rich and Pat are already planning to buy a golf cart and downsize to one car when they get settled in their new home.

April 2023 Update: Rich and Pat are in their house and loving life here at Kissing Tree. Read more…

Say Hi in Real Life!

We plan to check back in with Rich and Pat throughout their homebuilding journey, but in the meantime, if you see them at Independence hall having an IPA, be sure to introduce yourself! “We haven’t met many residents yet, but we’re looking forward to it,” Rich says.

Want to be their neighbor? Come visit or talk to your New Home Counselor for more information on what’s available!