Real Estate Photographer in Llano, TX

Four Texas couples who have been best friends for decades wanted to live simply, save energy, and — most importantly — be closer to each other as they grow old.

So, in 2016, they pooled their money and built a small 'town' of tiny homes for their retirement along the Llano River near Austin, TX.

They hired local architect Matt Garcia to design the group of homes — four tiny ones plus a larger shared house — and dubbed the project the 'Llano Exit Strategy.' Each cost $40,000 and they moved in the same year.

'They talked about doing this thing together and I always thought they were kind of joking, but then they said: 'We bought a property, we're doing it,'' Garcia told the Daily Mail.

'And they wanted to be really budget efficient and things hadn't gotten so crazy yet with pricing that we were able to do something very affordable.'

Each 400-square-foot cabin has a slanted roof that collects rainwater, a reflective steel exterior to beat the Texas heat, and durable plywood interiors. Inside, there's room for a queen-sized bed, a couch, a bathroom, and a bit of space to relax.

But in a twist, they no longer live there — though not because they fell out.

In 2024, after the homes attracted waves of interest from potential buyers, the couples’ retirement dream took a turn — they accepted a $3 million offer from a buyer who plans to turn the compound into a cluster of Airbnbs.

Four couples pooled their money and built a small 'town' just for themselves on the Llano River

The property also has a main house, a converted barn and bunkhouse and an outdoor area with a firepit and a pool.

The 1,500-square-foot main house features a state-of-the-art kitchen where the friends would cook and dine together.

It's filled with high-end appliances, a commercial-style range, an oversize refrigerator, sleek cabinetry, and a spacious island.

The pool and adjacent deck are surrounded by manicured landscaping and views of the surrounding nature.

The barn can be used to watch movies or paint.

Each tiny home has its own private bathroom with working plumbing.

The 'town,' which Texas resident Jodie Zipp and her husband Fred Zipp led the search for, is situated on the Llano River, where kayaking and fishing are both popular. The grounds around the homes are excellent for hiking in the Texas Hill Country.

Garcia says while the four tiny homes have the same blueprint, each was personalized with the color of tiles and different furniture.

'They were all very sophisticated and understood that we couldn't do four custom things, we need to do one thing and then kind of give each one it's own character,' he says.

Reflective walls keep out the Texas heat in summer and slanted roofs help collect rainwater

Each tiny home has its own private bathroom and there is a shared main house

Garcia was surprised when the couples actually hired him to build the homes, saying no one he'd ever been approached by for this type of project had ever followed through.

'Thousands of people have reached out about doing these, but no one's ever actually pulled the trigger,' he says.

He doesn't know what the couples plan to do next, but says they couldn't turn down a $3 million payday from a local company that has multiple places like this around Texas that they've turned into Airbnbs.

Tiny homes have taken off across the US in recent years, with Amazon even releasing a luxury tiny home for sale.

The retail giant is selling the one-bedroom Expandable Container Villa for $49,899.

The prefab house comes with a fully equipped bathroom, plumbing, a water heater, electricity and a kitchen as well as a free bed.

Experts have suggested that soaring mortgage rates and rising property prices are causing some Americans to turn to housing alternatives like tiny homes, granny flats, in-law suites, casitas and guesthouses.

It is a cheaper alternative for some Americans priced out of the housing market.

LLANO COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — For decades people living in and around the city of Llano have relied on their local hospital.

It’s the place to go in case of an emergency, but also for lab tests, physical therapy and much more.

“The hospital is important in a lot of ways,” said Llano County Judge Ron Cunningham. “The first way is just the critical care it can provide and it can not only provide it to us, but to the surrounding counties.”

Llano is about 30 minutes from the nearest large hospital and about an hour and half from Austin, so the hospital plays a crucial role for people living in the Hill Country.

“It is a necessary service that we have to have,” said Pat McDowell, who lives in Llano.

Currently, Mid Coast Central, formerly Llano Memorial Hospital, is run by Mid Coast Health System, but the County of Llano wants to take over.

“Right now we are in the process of separating from Mid Coast and what we are going to do is take it back and run it as an independent hospital taken on by the County of Llano Hospital Authority Board,” said Cunningham.

The hospital has had struggles bringing in enough revenue to operate over the years, but Cunningham says they believe once the County takes over they can change that.

“There is a lot of that money that goes from the hospital into their corporate overhead and that is one of the things we wanted to try to do was to take that money and keep it local,” said Cunningham.

Hatch Smith, the former Hospital administrator, says the county will keep the hospital running and that there was never any fear that it would close, but it does need support.

“It really takes the community to support it and by that I mean they need to use it, just like a grocery store or restaurant,” said “You need to use the hospital so that it is there.”

Smith says more people need to be paying attention to rural healthcare and that lawmakers should take a closer look at some of the hospitals that have closed and the impacts to the surrounding communities.

“I think our state lawmakers, if they don’t wake up and pay attention to healthcare, specifically rural healthcare, it is going to be a bigger disaster than they are aware of,” said Smith.

KXAN also reached out to Mid Coast for comment, but has not heard back at this time.