The small Hill Country town of Liberty Hill is at the heart of the next wave of Austin-area growth. Situated northwest of the Capital, it provides small-town amenities along with the proximity to a large city. Among the dozens of builders who have flocked to this town is one company that didn''t have to be sold on the area''s potential-they''ve known about it for years.

 

Jon Branigan of Drennan Day Custom Homes Inc. grew up in Liberty Hill. Born in Georgetown, he was raised in the now booming town. After leaving his hometown for several years to attend college, Branigan moved back to Liberty Hill and teamed up with partner and long-time friend Cord Clark. Also with the company is realtorR Shane White, who has a local connection-his wife attended school with Branigan since kindergarten. In addition, White''s father-in-law has been a real estate broker in Liberty Hill for 25 years. So when Drennan Day Custom Homes says they know Liberty Hill, they know Liberty Hill.

 

Drennan Day prides itself in its quality of homes-something you would expect from a company building homes in its home town. "We put more quality in the houses than any of the tract builders, and we offer the houses for the same price," Branigan said. "One advantage in Liberty Hill is that you can get it on a larger piece of land than you can buy in the Austin area. So, we offer a nicer house on a larger piece of property."

 

Branigan expects strong growth, particularly in Liberty Hill, where the city is already being eyed by many developers. "Liberty Hill on the north end of Austin, which is a major growth area," Branigan said. "A lot of people want to migrate up this direction. It''s a great place to live, homes and land are still reasonably priced and it is about 35 minutes from Austin."

 

Drennan Day was founded in 1999. Named after Branigan and Clark''s children''s middle names, the company only built one house that first year. This year, it''s on pace for 60 homes and shows no sign of slowing down.

 

Drennan Day''s homes start around $200,000 and all homes are on at least one acre of land. The company develops 75 % of the lots it builds on. The other 25% is comprised of "Build on your Lot" projects. The company builds higher priced custom homes as well up to $1,000,000. The company operates primarily in Liberty Hill, Burnet and Georgetown.

 

Drake''s Crossing was the company''s first subdivision which was started in 2002. Named after Branigan''s son, the area sold out in 2005. Their last subdivision, Cierra Springs, is named after his daughter. They are now pre-selling lots for Cierra Vista, the companies newest subdivision, which will have 80 homes when completed in the $200,000-$400,000 price range.

 

Branigan and Clark started as subcontractors, enabling them to understand construction from the trade''s point of view. "We spent years in the construction field before we started building homes" Branigan said. "Working in the field has given us a lot of knowledge in subcontractor relations". The key to good subcontractor relationships is little turnover. Most of their subcontractors have been working with Drennan Day since 1999. They give us their best and treat us very well. As a result, our homes are constructed very quickly with little mistakes.

 

Drennan Day has on staff buyer''s specialists to help you select a plan and special lot. They can also help you design the home of your dreams.