Steph's house is in a quiet residential part of Austin, but still located centrally. I enjoyed the morning walks to the diner down the street, the neighborhood feel, and the gas station a few blocks away with the biggest craft beer selection I've seen in my life. The people were a mix of college students on bicycles and early-to-mid career professionals with strollers. If you are looking for nightlife, it is close enough to take a cheap ride share downtown.
I brought my dog with me, and she recommended probably the best dog park I've ever been to (only 10-15 min away). Her dog is really mild-mannered and got along well with my over-hyper dog (which is saying a lot). She was also very casual about my dog in general (running around the house, lying on the bed), so it was great not having to feel like we were walking around on eggshells the entire visit.
Steph herself is as good a host as it gets. Everything was prepared as you would expect and easy to get settled in... towels in the bathroom, name-brand soap and shampoo in the shower.
Steph also goes out of her way to make your stay comfortable and enjoyable. She had a cookout while we were there and my wife and I ended up hanging out with her and her friends the whole afternoon. It honestly felt more like I was visiting an old college friend than staying as a paid guest in her house. I mean, you don't JUST HAVE beer-fueled chin-up contests with strangers, right? Oh...and ask her about the "Quarters" game. (Really, ask her.)
10/10 would stay again. Vote for Steph.