THE HOUSE ON A CLIFF

When Eric and Guin came to me, they had a very specific vision: roll the proceeds from one of their Austin rental sales into a river property within 90 miles of the city. The plan was simple—find a great investment home they could also enjoy and use part-time as a rental. The execution? Not as simple.

We started by selling one of their rentals in central Austin. Using a 1031 Exchange, we had a narrow clock to find the next property. Eric and Guin wanted something special: a home on or near a river, space to stretch out (at least two acres), with updates and the ability to short-term rent. Easy wish list, right? Wrong.

Inventory on Texas rivers is tight, and when we finally started zeroing in on Wimberley—the charming, small-town feel with year-round flow on the Blanco River—it seemed promising. But then the devastating Guadalupe River flood happened, changing everything. Understandably, Eric and Guin’s perspective shifted.

That’s when we found Bluffview. Perched high on a cliff in River Mountain Ranch, the home had panoramic views of the Hill Country and the Blanco River, but with a safe elevation well above the floodplain. Even better, the community has private river access just down the road, giving them the best of both worlds.

Here’s the win—we landed the property well under asking, and we negotiated for most of the furniture to be included. For clients planning to use it as a short-term rental, a furnished setup was a massive bonus. Add in a small concession for repairs plus a leaseback for the sellers, and the whole process was smooth all the way to closing.

For Eric and Guin, it checked every box: investment property, gorgeous views, safe from flooding, and ready to enjoy or rent immediately. For me, it was one of those transactions that started stressful but ended as a big win all around.