If you’ve been dreaming about owning an outpost in the country, here’s your chance: This brand-new home finished in 2023 sits on over 11 acres in Austin County, and is only a 40-minute drive from Houston.

Technically, it’s in the community of Cat Spring, which has a population of 75 people, plus a store, a post office, and a 12-sided dance hall that’s also used for music and antique shows. Such country trappings complement this modern hideaway, which stays low and lean to hug the hillside and capture the surrounding views. Exterior aluminum siding and a shed roof strike a sharp silhouette against the bucolic setting, while a recessed exterior alcove clad in wood serves as a covered outdoor room.

What’s less obvious is the home’s energy-efficient construction strategies. These include an Energy Star–approved reflective roof, which reduces heat transfer into the interior, a well-insulated building envelope, efficient HVAC system and tankless water heater, and Energy Star appliances and lighting.

Inside, the material palette is simple, with polished concrete floors and crisp drywall throughout. The main means of decoration here come via the large picture windows conveying the views, which are found in nearly every room except the bathrooms, as they utilize high clerestory windows for privacy.

The main living areas are linked together in an L-plan. The dining room occupies the social center with sightlines into the kitchen, which has lots of storage, built-in wine display and refrigerator, and a walk-in pantry to hide the clutter. Around the corner from the dining room is the living room, made cozy with custom built-ins. These match the kitchen cabinets for consistency, wrap the fireplace and television niche, and proffer a sweet bench seat beside the glass doors leading outside.

The floorplan is kept to a single, accessible level, and includes two bedrooms, a bathroom, and primary bedroom with ensuite bathroom. And while the outbuildings are minimal for now—just a carport—the listing notes that all of that acreage can be used for a range of agricultural purposes, including a cattle ranch, horse farm, or leisure ranch, so there’s lots of room to grow.

Listing Fast Facts

Address: 8849 FM 949, Cat Spring, TX 78933
Size: 1,969 square feet/3 bedrooms/2 baths
List Date: 5/15/2023
List Price:  $949,000
Listing Agent: Loren Miner and Bobby Tyson, Eastwood Realty