The Travel Channel films Lake Travis!

Lake Travis Vacation Homes get National Exposure

Austin and Lake Travis will be in the national spotlight when The Travel Channel airs an episode of Vacation Home Search, featuring waterfront homes on Lake Travis. The Travel Channel chose Austin for its growing national reputation for a healthy economy, vibrant social scene and picturesque scenery, and cited Lake Travis as one of the most popular outdoor recreation areas in Texas.

The 30-minute episode features Dr. Derek Tieken, a cosmetic dentist from Houston, and his family on their search for a vacation home on Lake Travis. The episode was filmed in late February, and airs on November 6, 2006.

Although prices are quickly rising and Lake Travis boasts many million-dollar-plus homes, the Travel Channel chose to focus on homes in the $500,000 to $600,000 range, which was a challenge for the Tieken’s Realtor, Mick Hooper. Three individual homes in Jonestown, Point Venture and Spicewood were filmed, along with a couple of popular waterfront restaurants.

The Travel Channel chose real estate broker Mick Hooper to host the film crew from Authentic Entertainment because of his expertise in Lake Travis real estate. Hooper, broker/owner of Crosswind Realty, routinely tours waterfront properties with clients in “The Office”, his 37 foot cabin cruiser. Hooper’s unique insider’s tour of the lake often includes cruising through Devil’s Cove and wraps up with dinner or cocktails at a boat-up restaurant. This unique aspect of Hooper’s real estate practice caught the attention of the Travel Channel.

The Lake Travis episode of Vacation Home Search will air on Monday, November 6 at 1:00 PM CST (and simulcast at 2:00 PM EST/PST). Locally, the Travel Channel is on Time Warner Cable, channel 33. You can also e-mail Mick for a copy of the show on DVD!