Posted: Mon, 22 Mar 2010 10:28 AM - 10,829 Readers
By: Michele Chan Santos
This luxurious home in the Lake Pointe neighborhood in the Lake Travis school district belongs to former Seattle Seahawks player Marcus Tubbs and his wife, Britanny Tubbs.
Marcus Tubbs played for the University of Texas Longhorns football team from 2000 to 2003, and then was chosen in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft by the Seattle Seahawks.
Tubbs played for the Seahawks from 2004 to 2007. He was placed on injured reserve in 2007 because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament. He was released by the Seahawks in August 2008.
Tubbs bought this house in 2006 as a place to spend time in the off-season, says Britanny Tubbs. After they married and moved to Austin, it became home for the couple and their now 11-month-old daughter, Savannah.
Marcus Tubbs currently works for the University of Texas football program as a special assistant in player relations. Britanny Tubbs is a stay-at-home mother and a part-time bookkeeper for Garrido's restaurant in downtown Austin.
When he first saw the house, "I liked how you can see the courtyard, pool and patio from all the rooms in the house," Marcus Tubbs says. "And how it looks over the Hill Country. I've entertained a lot of people here — we had a wedding shower here and a baby shower, and when I lived in Seattle, I'd bring a lot of teammates (from the Seahawks) here for the weekend. It's a fun place."
The large central courtyard has a heated pool with a fountain and lights, a hot tub, a covered dining area and a grill. Many rooms in the house open up to the courtyard, and guests can easily circulate in and out.
The couple chose to put the house on the market because they want to live closer to the UT campus, Britanny Tubbs says.
The massive and elegant home features many stone and wood details. The floors are hardwood, the huge living room fireplace is made of stone, and the courtyard and the columns and archways around it are made of brick. Large wooden beams give the living room a rustic charm. The dining room ceiling is an arched barrel ceiling made of brick.
The four-bedroom, 31/2-bathroom house has 4,018 square feet. The neighborhood zones to Lake Pointe Elementary, Lake Travis Middle School and Lake Travis High School.
Where: 12013 Preserve Vista Terrace, Austin, 78738
Amenities:The open kitchen offers a large center island, granite counters, decorative tile backsplash, stainless-steel appliances, a spacious pantry, an office nook and a nearby wine room. The wine room features rack space for hundreds of bottles as well as a wine refrigerator. The house has a sprinkler system and a security system. There is a three-car attached garage.
Agent: Cindy Goldrick, Wilson Goldrick Realtors
Asking price: $849,000
FYI: This home is in the gated Vista Pointe section of the Lake Pointe neighborhood, which is located off RM 2244 (Bee Cave Road) near the One World Theatre. Lake Pointe has its own elementary school, neighborhood pool and tennis courts.
Preserve Vista Terrace is a quiet street with good views of the surrounding hills. You reach the front door of this home by going up two flights of steps, past a wrought-iron gate. The house forms a "U" shape around the central courtyard. The front door is on the west side of the courtyard.
A large living room with a two-story ceiling opens to a luxurious dining room. The living room, dining room and kitchen are in one open area. To the right of the dining room are French doors leading to the courtyard and pool.
The master bedroom suite is on the first floor, past the wine room and family room. The master bedroom has a private deck on one side and opens on the other side to the courtyard. The master bathroom has a large sunken, jetted tub surrounded by four columns. There are two sinks, a separate shower and a huge walk-in closet with built-in shelves in the master bathroom area.
You reach the second floor by going up a curving staircase with a wrought-iron banister. The second floor has a game room with a Juliet balcony, two bedrooms and a Jack-and-Jill bathroom between the bedrooms.