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Kyle couple wins a $2.85 million home and cash bundle as part of HGTV's Dream Home sweepstakes. (Realtor.com)
Jeff Yanes of Kyle, TX was one-in-136 million when he was chosen as the winner of HGTV's Dream Home. The catch? The house is in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.
Yanes won the fully-furnished home, a $250,000 cash prize and a 2021 motorhome from Camping World after entering in the sweepstakes multiple times over the course of five years. HGTV's ambush crew underwent a virtual interview with Jeff and his girlfriend, Jody, who thought they would be on a show about HGTV fans. The two were shocked to learn they had actually won.
"I didn't think it was true. I thought someone was messing with me," Yanes told HGTV.
Jeff Yanes and girlfriend Jody couldn't believe that they had won the HGTV Sweepstakes. (HGTV.com)
As it turns out, Yanes isn't ready to leave to leave the Hill Country behind. He instead decided to take the $750,000 cash prize given to winners who do not want possession of the winning home.
That leaves the Cape-Cod style home now on the market for a cool $2.39 million. The home's price includes all of its appliances, nautical decor and red-white-and-blue furnishings, pushing its value up to 2.8 million. The home's nautical design reflects its location on the bank of the Sakonnet River.
Yanes, an independent contractor who owns a bread delivery route to Austin-area grocery stores and restaurants, helped deliver food as an essential worker during the pandemic. He and Jody may not be packing their bags for the Northeast, but they do admire the nearly 3,500-square foot home, especially its rooftop deck.
"It's everything you could want in a house, (so) it's hard to pinpoint one room," Yanes said. " (But) the rooftop deck overlooking the river (is a great place to) have a cold beverage or cup of coffee."
Take a look at the aptly-named dream home here:
HGTV's 2021 Dream Home
The rooftop deck was Jeff's favorite part of the home, complete with a wet bar and river views. (Realtor.com)
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Popular
(Laura Figi/Austonia)
The original Z’Tejas location on West 6th Street is closing its doors after more than 30 years on the lot to make way for new development.
Z'Tejas owner Randy Cohen told Austonia the restaurant will be open at least through the end of 2022, possibly through March 2023.
Cohen said the owners—Larry McGuire of McGuire Moorman Lambert Hospitality—of the land have something new planned, though he’s not exactly sure what. Additionally, Cohen said maintenance costs for the old building were becoming prohibitively expensive.
“I think the people who own the dirt will tear it all down and build condos or some other development,” Cohen said. “I mean, it's a 60-year-old building, Z'Tejas has been here for 33 years and before that, it was something else. So it's just progress, that's all."
The restaurant isn’t going away though—Cohen said Z’Tejas is already looking for a new spot in the downtown area to move into. Z’Tejas also has a location in Avery Ranch, another in the works for Kyle and two in Arizona.
“We have all our ducks in a row right now and the management team is all rowing in the right direction,” Cohen said. “We're just excited, we're excited to build this iconic brand back.”
(Laura Figi/Austonia)
Once he finds a new place, Cohen plans to bring along its mural, “The Last Zupper,” which features Willie Nelson, Matthew McConaughey and Barbara Jordan. Cohen also plans for the adjoining ghost kitchen, Woo Woo Burgers, to follow to the new downtown location.
“We're still booking events through the end of December,” Cohen said. “Come ‘Z' me at Z’Tejas, we'd love to see you before we’re gone.”
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(Google Street View)
Two towers could be coming just south of the Austin American-Statesman’s former headquarters in the South Central Waterfront district.
According to city filings, the proposed planned unit development agreement is set for 200 East Riverside Drive, an area Project Connect’s Blue Line is slated to pass by someday.
Carrying this out involves removing the existing building, which is a state office complex and surface parking.
The new towers in place would reach just over 400 feet at their maximum and include office space and space for retail on the ground level. The mix of office and retail is a trend that’s been cropping up in downtown sites like the Perennial and the Meta tower.
The proposal on a plot of about four acres aims to incorporate green infrastructure and create a lively environment for pedestrians. It’d also be adjacent to the 118-acres of the South Central Waterfront Initiative, which is aimed at enhancing connections to and along the waterfront over the next couple of decades.
The filing lists architects STG Design, a group involved with work on the sailboat-like Google tower.
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