A unique eco-friendly home that almost certainly would cost thousands dollars more in Austin just went on the market in the quaint Caldwell County town of Lockhart.

The 2,048-square-foot, ranch-style home, called Lockhart Modern Love, features three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It’s listed at $699,000. The same home in Austin likely would go for at least $730,000, based on current median prices in the city.

The home, less than a mile from Lockhart’s historic downtown and about a 30-minute drive from Austin, is what’s known as a “House Port.” This “whole design” concept incorporates “simple and sustainable living solutions.”

House Port homes promote affordability, thanks to prefabricated wall and roof systems, which reduce labor costs; sustainability, due to recyclable, eco-friendly building materials; and flexibility, thanks to a two-cube configuration that enables freedom in setting up interior space.

The design of Lockhart Modern Love allows for high air-tight insulation levels, as well as relatively low-powered, split-level AC units that replace a traditional, bulky HVAC system.

“A galvanized metal roof also covers the main building, providing insulation and relief from the weather and creating an open outdoor patio that surrounds the home,” according to Kuper Sotheby’s International Realty agent Kay Gourly who has the listing.

The home’s first cube contains the living and dining areas, a bedroom and bathroom, the kitchen (with a butcher-block island), and a separate utility area with an on-demand water heater and stackable washer-and-dryer combo. The second cube comprises two bedrooms, each with its own living space. When you open the double doors in the second cube, you can enjoy views of a private pond and waterfall.

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