One-of-a-Kind Custom Green Home on Lake Lewisville is Now on The Market

The current thermometer reading can only be interpreted one way: It’s time to get a home on the lake — preferably one with a heating and cooling system that doesn’t break the bank. 

And we’ll do you one better. We found a diamond-in-the-woods property at 1800 Oak Shores Court that is not only on the northern shore of Lake Lewisville, it’s a custom eco-friendly four-bedroom with a ton of updates. 

Lake Life

The current owners, Debbie and Chris McKenna, built this custom 4,634-square-foot green home over a 20-year period and there’s nothing like it. 

The foundation alone is a story in itself — 35-foot bell piers supporting a steel beam and truss system with a 5-inch concrete slab on top — and the electrical cost in July and August is around $75 per month.

A recent report from Lake Homes Realty pointed out that more lake listings are on the market this quarter, but the prices are skyrocketing. 

The Oak Shores home is listed at $1.187 million and became active on the market in early June. 

“It’s a custom, one-of-a-kind, site-specific home designed to minimize energy use to both heat and cool, It’s built to be sustainable and integrated into an amazing 1.1-acre woodlands setting,” said Debbie. “We were very fortunate to find a lot with large trees in the beautiful lake community of Oak Shores.  With a gorgeous southern view of a pond flourishing with wildlife, the site was perfect to integrate passive solar and cooling into the design.  The large deciduous trees and 3-foot continuous overhangs provide much-needed summer shade to minimize direct heat gain during the hot Texas months.”

The home has a three-car garage, gourmet-style eat-in kitchen, comfortable oak floors, plywood-framed cabinets, Kitchen Aid appliances, and a spacious pantry. The pier-and-beam foundation allows access to plumbing or use as a storm shelter.

Debbie describes both herself and her husband as analytical, hands-on, and strong-minded — and there’s no doubt their 20-year construction process was a labor of love.

“What came to be in this house is the best of both of us,” she said. “As a woman overseeing complex construction in a dominant man’s domain … it turned out my gender worked in my favor, as I was able to get very talented subcontractors, who, like me, thrive on challenge and wanted to be part of something very special. Once dried-in, which took two years, we alone, just the two of us, began the long and arduous task of finishing.  It took seven years to complete the downstairs — tiling, trim, flooring, sanding, staining, painting, and lighting. We decided to take a break and left the upstairs unfinished as we just used it as storage for all the finish materials.  Over the past three years, with COVID spreading, we went back into our weekend warrior mode and just completed the last bathroom in April of this year.”  

The eco-craftsman home offers shade, privacy, and immediate access to the water. 

The 29,000-acre Lake Lewisville is one of the largest lakes in North Texas, with 233 miles of shoreline. Party Cove, Sapphire Bay Marina, hike and bike trails, and golf courses surround the beautiful neighborhood.  

“With a very stressful job, coming home to a sanctuary in the wonderful lake community of Oak Shores has been invaluable,” Debbie said. “We thoroughly enjoy watching the amazing wildlife here in north Texas.  In addition to tree frogs, toads, road runners, deer, red fox, bobcat, and coyotes, Lake Lewisville is part of a migratory bird and monarch butterfly path.  Not a day goes by without signs of the beautiful creatures we get to share.” 

Going Green

The Oak Shores home is compliant with U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star programs. 

The eco-friendly home on Oak Shores Court is a “primary that feels like a getaway home,” Debbie said.

“It’s two homes for one, really,” she added. “When COVID was first announced and with restrictions, we were fortunate to be in a staycation environment.”

1800 Oak Shores Court, Crossroads, is listed for $1.187 million.