If you read my post from the other day, you will know that I talked about building in the floodplain of Lake Travis.  I talked about elevating the first floor of the house and also about mechanical systems like the air conditioner compressor.  I just found the house below today.  Note the small platform just under the left side of the first floor of the house.  The AC compressor is there.  These folks did it right.

a home in the Lake Travis Floodplain

Below is another photo of the same house from a different angle.  Note the parking space below and a deck between the parking space and the house.  The deck is a bit hard to see, but it is there.  I like this design because it keeps the deck is in the shade of the house and elevated enough to survive most Lake Travis floods.

another look at the house in the Lake Travis floodplain

By the way, the level of Lake Travis when I took these photos was around 658 feet above sea level.  The first floor of the house must be at 723 feet.  So how far up is the house compared to the lake right now?  You do the math.