I’m a big fan of Google Sketchup.  It provides an immense amount of power that is accessible through a very intuitive user interface.  We have used it extensively in planning our remodel for everything from space planning to dimensioned cabinet drawings and material studies.

Google’s creation of the 3d Warehouse, which made models easily shareable and searchable, magnified the utility.  For example, when pondering appliance options, we were able to find Sketchup models and see how they would look in our kitchen in a matter of moments.

For Sketchup tutorials, see links here – Design your Dwelling Competition.

However, many people don’t realize that the functionality of Sketchup is extendable.  Like Firefox, users can install plugin’s to add completely new capabilities.  One fun example is Sketchy Physics, which adds a configurable physics engine:

IES Sketchup Plugin

Now for a more on-topic plugin – the IES Sketchup Plugin “Enables Environmental Performance Analysis directly from SketchUp Model”.

It allows empowering energy, carbon, daylight and solar analysis, and much more to be undertaken at the touch of a few buttons, right from the earliest stages of the design process, where the maximal difference to sustainable design can be achieved.

Share in the comments if you have an interesting use for Sketchup and/or you’ve tried out this plugin.

via Inhabitat

I’m happy to report that Google Streetview now includes Austin. Here’s a quick screenshot of an Austin landmark:

While some folks have privacy concerns, I think that Google Streetview is a useful tool for getting a feeling for the area surrounding a property. Here’s a Streetview of the 2nd street district. Navigate with arrow keys, drag the view with your mouse:

Here’s the Streetview at 1101 Canyon Edge, my featured Listing. It is a good way to show the privacy afforded by the trees surrounding the home:

What do you think about Streetview in Austin? Share in the comments.

It’s the little things, right? Today I added an email form to all of the single property display pages. It’s not pretty yet, but it gets the job done:

Now when you see a property that you want to share with friends, family or me, you can simply fill out the small form at the bottom of the page and it’s taken care of for you.

Do you use the InspiredAustin.com modern home searches? Do you have your own custom search? What other features would you like to see added? Email me or let me know in the comments.

There are many benefits of living in an area where you can walk to restaurants, shopping, parks, and other amenities. Walking not only improves your heath but also reduces your transportation expenses (all you need is a decent pair of shoes).

How can you measure the walkable amenities of an area? First hand experience will provide the most information – simply walk around the area. Second to that – talking to area residents can provide great insights. Third – Check out this new website: Walkscore.com.

Here’s an example Walk Score map of downtown Austin:

Other scores: (0-100)
• 7th & Congress (Downtown) = 95
• 43rd & Avenue F (Hyde Park) = 71
• 1200 Old Mill (Cedar Park) = 23

Walk Score works by looking at the distances from an address to the nearest restaurants, parks, grocery stores, schools, etc. Locations with many nearby amenities will have high walk scores (like downtown Austin). Locations that require cars to get to any amenities will have low walk scores (like some suburban neighborhoods).

It is important to note that today Walk Score only considers distances. Other Walkability factors include the presence of sidewalks, street lights, public transit options, and natural barriers like highways or rivers.

Even so, it’s a good tool which allows quick evaluation and comparison of different areas.

What’s your Walk Score? Find out here.

Check out Trulia Hindsite

Trulia has built a neat tool based on their database of historical property values. Trulia Hindsight uses property values from the database to animate real estate development over time. From their FAQ:

What is Trulia Hindsight?
Trulia Hindsight is an animated map of residential properties in the USA that allows you to see when neighborhoods and cities were built. Slider controls allow you to view a specific time range or drag through the timeline. You can also search for specific properties, areas or cities through the search box.

Watch Austin’s growth from downtown to the North, South and Western suburbs: Trulia Hindsight – Austin, TX

You can zoom in on specific suburbs or neighborhoods to see a more detailed view of the development progress. See how Austin’s first suburb – Hyde Park, grew up.

A Few More Cities to check out:

• Downtown Seattle, WA booms in the 1900’s
• Recent growth in Las Vegas, NV
• Cleveland, OH WW2 manufacturing expansion

Post your own interesting finds in the comments