Best Super Bowl XLV Party in Dallas:Phil and Lillie Romano’s $12.5 mm House on Strait Lane

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Actress Hilary Swank hosted the best ticket in town Saturday night, a Super Bowl XLV dinner party at 10660 Strait Lane, the home of Lillie and Phil Romano. The entire event, and let me tell you it was 700 people strong,  benefited The Giving Back Fund.

Why am I writing about this social event? Ah, so glad you asked. It happened to take place at one of Dallas’ most talked about homes on the market, the Phil and Lillie Romano estate that has been on the market now for, oh, four years. This is the home that caused a huge fight between me and Mama, ’till we kissed and made up. P.S. Mama told me Phil was none too happy with her little write up.

Now Phil Romano is totally my kind of man because he, too , believes in having many homes. Almost a year ago, he bought 4838 Shadywood, a lovely hilltop Bluffview home on one acre that was restored by Downing Thomas and George Lewis in 1993. The 4769 square foot home has three bedrooms — two masters, actually — three full baths and two half baths. There is an infinity edge pool, landscaping by Robert (not Ralph) Bellamy and a 1080 square foot guest house. Full disclosure: my daughter spent many a fun time playing in that house as a child. The former owner was none other than dynamic Briggs Freeman Realtor LeeLee Gioia.

The home was last listed at $2,595,000 and DCAD has it valued at $1.8, so my guess is it sold somewhere in the middle. Most beautiful property on a street that reminds one more of Greenwich, Ct. than Dallas. Kay Bailey Hutchison is just around the corner. Anyhow, not sure exactly why Phil and Lillie bought Shadywood while they already have Strait, except that I totally get it. What is my mantra? Repeat after me: One can never have too many homes! Phil did buy and redo 4645 Meadowood in 2007 — Erin Mathews and David Nichols got that moved lickety-split. The Romanos dig real estate. Strait is on the market for $12,500,00.¬† First listed with Doris Jacobs in 2007 for $17,500,000 — hey, it was that kind of market then, can we even remember those days? Now listed with Claire Dewar of Briggs Freeman/ Sothebys for $12,500,000, Strait is a 4.697 acre estate with gorgeous views of the grounds, private lake with fountains, waterfalls and a creek side setting. Really much more like a resort, Strait is 14,680 square feet with eight bedrooms, 8.4 baths (guess that means four half-baths, I cannot recall from when I was in the home, but it is a lot of Charmin) and get this: 9 living areas. Also wine room, media room, tennis court, and I would not be surprised if Phil had a putting green or three. Media tonight was banished to the garage — don’t get me wrong, gorgeous garage and they had a heater and Mojitos — so I am relying on “memory” here. But this is a house born to party, party built right into her DNA, so she was in her full prime. And how smart is Claire Dewar to bring in the glitterati of Hollywood while in town for XLV? You know one of those celebs might just snap up chez Romano Strait, pack it up and take that house back to LA on someone’s G 5. I know what they were saying: in LA, baby, this house would be well over $30 million.

Over on FrontBurner, My Sweet Charity‘s Jeanne Prejean has a great photo of Phil, Hilary and Lillie. Why is Hilary wearing a tee shirt and jeans? Jeanne reports the airlines must have lost Hilary’s luggage and party frock. Did what any gal does in such a situation — happened to me at The Greenbrier this summer, in fact — go shopping. But despite her need to do laundry, don’t think Hilary flopped in any one of those 8 bedrooms. No sir, she’s staying down at the Crescent Rosewood Hotel along with Jesse Metcalfe — remember that¬† hot young gardener on Desperate Housewives who got it on with Gabby, aka Eva Longoria? I’m told Jesse Williams (he plays Dr. Avery on Greys Anatomy)
Michael Clark Duncan, Brian Baumgartner, Tony Romo and Miles Austin are also staying at the Cresent. By the way, Rosewood just opened Rosewood San Miguel De Allende. And guess what’s next? Give up? Second homes by Rosewood in San Miguel De Allende.

Don’t touch that dial!

Candy Evans, founder and publisher of CandysDirt.com, is one of the nation’s leading real estate reporters.

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  1. Macattack on February 6, 2011 at 12:58 pm

    Actually Robert Bellamy did the infinity pool and landscaping. Ralph Bellamy was Randolph Duke in the movie Trading Places 🙂

  2. Macattack on February 6, 2011 at 12:58 pm

    Actually Robert Bellamy did the infinity pool and landscaping. Ralph Bellamy was Randolph Duke in the movie Trading Places 🙂

  3. Karen Eubank/Eubank Staging & Redesign on February 6, 2011 at 6:56 pm

    Well Mamma and I agree on many things including this estate. The issue is not just the very intense decorating style.
    There is a way to make this home more palatable to the particular income bracket that might actually consider a purchase. Wouldn't you like to know what it is?

  4. Karen Eubank/Eubank Staging & Redesign on February 6, 2011 at 6:56 pm

    Well Mamma and I agree on many things including this estate. The issue is not just the very intense decorating style.
    There is a way to make this home more palatable to the particular income bracket that might actually consider a purchase. Wouldn't you like to know what it is?

  5. Candy Evans on February 6, 2011 at 7:30 pm

    @Macattack: Thank you! I've been watching way too many old movies!

  6. Candy Evans on February 6, 2011 at 7:30 pm

    @Macattack: Thank you! I've been watching way too many old movies!

  7. Cassie on February 7, 2011 at 12:37 pm

    4838 Shadywood is a fabulous property

  8. Cassie on February 7, 2011 at 12:37 pm

    4838 Shadywood is a fabulous property

  9. Candy Evans on February 7, 2011 at 3:37 pm

    Tell us some of your fave memories in that house!

  10. Candy Evans on February 7, 2011 at 3:37 pm

    Tell us some of your fave memories in that house!

  11. […] You see, Dave was not just selling that home, he was selling a lifestyle. And today’s savvy Realtors have picked up on this and carried the ball even farther. From book signings to chef demos, celebrity pop-ins, financial planner talks to fashion shows, selling a home today means targeting the audience you want to bring into that home and then showing them how great life would be in it. Why did Phil Romano want the most chic Super Bowl XLV party at his $12.5 million dollar home? […]

  12. […] You see, Dave was not just selling that home, he was selling a lifestyle. And today’s savvy Realtors have picked up on this and carried the ball even farther. From book signings to chef demos, celebrity pop-ins, financial planner talks to fashion shows, selling a home today means targeting the audience you want to bring into that home and then showing them how great life would be in it. Why did Phil Romano want the most chic Super Bowl XLV party at his $12.5 million dollar home? […]

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