Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeremy and Jennifer Eng.
Hi Jeremy and Jennifer, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
We are Jeremy and Jennifer Eng. Texas has always held a special spot in our hearts. Jeremy is originally from San Antonio, and we have visited Texas often during our 22+ years of being together. We still have family in San Antonio, Dallas, and Austin, and close friends in the Houston metro. Our children have grown up thinking Texas is the best thing this side of Heaven! We happened to stay in Dripping Springs several years ago during a trip with 3 other couples. We fell in love with the town and the hill country instantly! That was when the seed was planted. We followed that with a family trip to Austin, staying in Anderson Mill in Cedar Park, and spending time at Lake Travis which only deepened our bond with the area. Once my sister moved to Lakeway, it was clear to us that we were meant to be here, as often as we can be, to grow and flourish as a family in this place we love so much. We spent nearly a year searching for a second home for our family of four near my sister’s family in Lakeway. Both our families have endured multiple tribulations in addition to the pandemic over the past several years and have come to realize how important it is to prioritize quality time together. We want our children to be able to create deep connections with their cousins, which is hard to come by when you live in separate states.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t been an easy journey. I mentioned that our families had been through some tribulations. For us, our youngest son was diagnosed in 2017 at the age of 4 with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. We endured more than 3 years of pain, blood transfusions, surgery, finger pokes, mediport needles, spinal taps, bone marrow aspirates, numerous chemotherapy drugs, steroids, nights spent in a hospital bed, hair loss, weight gain, weight loss, sleeplessness, fatigue, nausea, isolation, and quarantine. And that was all before a global pandemic. Then in the middle of 2020, and at the height of the pandemic, my sister’s husband suddenly passed away just after they’d relocated to Lakeway. When we felt the pull to find a home near them, the Austin real estate market took off, and we were priced out of so many neighborhoods. Since this was a second home for us, we didn’t have much to get our feet in the door and knew we would have to rent it out on a short-term basis to help us pay the mortgage each month. On top of the ballooning market, there are so many restrictions regarding short-term rentals in and surrounding Austin.
We’ve been impressed with Village Drive Vista vacation rental, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Dripping Springs is our home away from home and we want to share the charm of DSTX and Hill Country with as many people as possible! Travel is one of our favorite pastimes, and we have experienced the good, the bad, and the ugly of traveling as a couple, as a family, and in a group.
Village Drive Vista is a family affair for us. My sister did all of the interior design, furnishing, and staging to fit not only our family, but travelers that want a place to stay that feels like home. Jeremy and I are proud to manage the property personally, from social media to booking to communication to maintenance. We work in tandem to ensure that the home is ready for each new guest while being good stewards of our neighborhood and respectful to our neighbors.
We offer personalized welcome gifts, such as champagne and orange juice for the empty-nest couple celebrating their daughter’s wedding or a children’s constellation book and glow necklaces for the young family coming to see the stars with their 4-year-old twins. We are equipped for folks of all ages; a pack ‘n play and high chair for infants, board games and an Xbox for the tweens and teens, and a fire pit, fully-stocked coffee bar, and poker set for the adults.
You are bound to see our wildlife neighbors at some point during your visit, hence the neighborhood moniker Deer Creek Ranch. They often graze right in our front yard! They are a joy to sit and watch.
Dripping Springs was the first city in Texas to be designated as an International Dark Sky Community, and the 6th one in the world. How cool is that? We’re proud of our beautiful night sky; it’s one of the things that makes Dripping Springs the best little city in Texas! We have thoughtfully designed our outdoor lighting to be useful, targeted, and controlled with the lowest, warmest light levels that we can, while helping you feel safe and giving you the opportunity to enjoy the night sky.
We enjoy sharing what we’ve learned traveling the world with our guests through hosting our home in a place we truly love. We strive to make the vacation rental experience easy, comfortable, and memorable from check-in to check-out. This house is truly our home and we want our visitors to feel like honored and cherished guests.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
So much family that listened and encouraged us to follow our dreams. Parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, and cousins prayed for us and with us to know God’s will; the right timing, the right house, the right place.
Our realtor, Mason Bleasdell, had unbounded patience with us, and with the market, to help us find exactly what we were looking for. He was such an advocate for us, digging into HOA documents or town restrictions to find their buried short-term rental rules. He kept our minds open, searching in neighborhoods we wouldn’t have looked at and helping us see potential in unlikely homes. Mason is a man of many talents. He also took all of the professional photos that we use on booking platforms Airbnb and Vrbo.
My sister, Wendi Bennett, plays multiple roles. She’s our only other investor. Without her help, we wouldn’t have been able to afford to furnish the house. I mentioned that she did all the interior design and staging. It was such a labor of love for her and one of the most amazing gifts she could have ever given us. I spent months pinning ideas on Pinterest and creating checklists for every room. Wendi took that and developed mood boards and added items to my lists I’d never considered. She has a remarkable design eye – so much so, that we have pushed her to start her own business, Brushfire Designs. She also curates all of our welcome gifts. She’s one of those people that knows the perfect gift for every situation. Finally, she is our quality control expert. She walks the house before every guest checks in to make sure each detail is in place and ready for their stay.
My mother, Lynne Ryden, came from Mesa, Arizona for nearly a month to help us clean, paint, assemble and arrange furniture, wash linens, and feed us all.
Our neighbors have been so welcoming. Many neighbors would be worried about having a vacation rental next to them. They’ve been so kind and friendly, despite any reservations they might have.
Our housekeeper, Kendra Kay of Cleaning Fairies, works hard between guests to ensure the house is clean and sanitized, beds are made, toiletries are full, and the coffee bar is well stocked.
Contact Info:
- Website: linktr.ee/villagedrivevista
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/villagedrivevista
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/villagedrivevista
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@villagedrivevista
- Other: airbnb.com/h/villagedrivevista OR www.vrbo.com/3021791
Image Credits
Bleasdell Photography
