Posted: Sat, 17 Jul 2010 02:34 PM - 9,267 Readers

By: Nicole Villalpando

Ten years ago, real estate agent Tommy Cain bought and remodeled a 1985-built, 1,400-square-foot Cape Cod-style house at 705 River Road. At the time, he and his then wife had five kids living with them and needed a bigger space than the other home he owned on the same street.

It took a year to remodel, and Cain jokes that it would have been easier to build a home from scratch than to add to the existing home.

Today, this 5,800-square-foot rustic Texas contemporary oasis on Lake Austin offers five bedrooms and 41/2 bathrooms.

Now, with only one child left at home, Cain has decided to move on to something smaller. He has listed the home for $2.2 million and is the agent for the property.

"This home has been a love affair," he says. "But it's time to move on."

Cain is the owner of La Hacienda Properties, which recently joined Keller Williams Realty. He is also a musician who has played with Sammy Hagar. His band practices in the studio he's created out of part of the home's garage.

Cain calls the house "Maui on Lake Austin." With soaring palm trees lining the waterfront view, the almost-an-acre property does have the feel of Maui. Inside, though, the house is decidedly Texas, with reclaimed longleaf pine, mesquite and limestone throughout.

Through the front courtyard and entryway, the house opens up to a great room with longleaf pine floors and windows looking out onto Lake Austin and the backyard. A floor-to-ceiling rock wall frames the fireplace in the living room.

Nearby is the kitchen with granite counters and mesquite and longleaf pine cabinets. The large wraparound counters provide plenty of space for bar-stool seating. A wine refrigerator faces the living room. Built-in dish storage and wineglass storage smartly put these items on display and at the ready. Glass-fronted cabinets, a stainless steel vent hood and a stone backsplash work with the granite and wood.

The kitchen leads to two eating areas. The dining room looks out on two sides to the backyard. A breakfast nook is within an alcove of windows.

From the great room, the house splits into wings. From the breakfast nook, a family room spreads out with a bar, a fireplace with a mesquite mantel and room for a big-screen TV. An office is across the front foyer from this room, and a powder room is nearby.


From the living room area, the master bedroom unfolds with a slate-surround fireplace and access to the backyard patio. The master bathroom offers a large tub surrounded by slate with a glass-brick wall to let light into the room, but provide privacy. The large shower also features a glass-brick wall. The double vanity is surrounded by the same slate. The bathroom offers both a toilet and bidet. Double closets have built-in dressers and shelves. The bedroom also features a home theater system. The house is wired for sound.

Three bedrooms are upstairs above the master bedroom. One of the bedrooms has a bed built into the floor to maximize the floor plan of the room. A hidden doorway provides access to the game room. One of the other two bedrooms has a balcony that overlooks the backyard pool. This bedroom acts as a second master with its own bathroom featuring a jetted tub, double vanity and a walk-in closet. The other upstairs bathroom offers an aroma steam bath.


This home has been outfitted with a separate attached guest area, with its own entrance. Off the family room, the laundry room with granite counters acts as the shared space for the main house and the guest area. One of the garage bays has been converted into a bunk house. Up a staircase across from the laundry room is a studio apartment that includes a full kitchen with bar stool seating, full bathroom, living area and room for two queen beds.


Cain made the guest area as a place he can rent out for family and group retreats, but it also easily can be made into a mother-in-law suite. With so many bedrooms and sleeping arrangements, this house could be an ideal second home for large families.

As perfect for entertaining as the house is, the property's best features is its backyard. A large ripple rock patio flows to the pool and spa. Blue dolphin mosaics are sprinkled throughout the water features.

A large lawn winds past the vegetable garden, down through the palm trees to the two-story boat dock. Cain says the lake and the boat dock are his favorite features of the house.

"It's right there at your doorstep," he says.

*  Story Contributed by: Nicole Villalpando