The Mary Kay Mansion on Douglas is Under an Option Contract! Yeah! (But Who is the Buyer?)

Update: Spoke to Karen, who tells me this listing has had interest from all sorts of peeps ranging from a high of Mehrdad Moayedi, who could certainly afford it ON TOP of the Phil Romano home on Strait Lane, to a reverend from California who wanted to buy it and turn it into a pink church because he felt the house was a portal into the (pink?) fifth dimension. Chant with me now, HMMMMMMMM. A church on Douglas? Correct that: a church north of the church on Douglas? Boy, talk about how big the cow neighbors would be having. Which reminds me. The buyer does not, to Karen’s knowledge, own a major sports team. And he plans to keep the house after a renovation, maybe turn around and sell it again? And Karen has the neighbor’s backs: she told the good reverend she did not think the neighbors would appreciate the parking mess from a pink church. Guess he’s off seeking another portal. I still think 8915 Douglas is a Dallas icon.

What this means is that someone has put a contract on the home with an option to buy it. That option is until March 1, 2015. This is incredible news for the home, the owner, and the agent, darling Karen Luter, who has worked her fingers to the bones on this listing and gosh dang she has had it listed since February of 2012. And we have written about it since the beginning of time! Mary Kay Ash, who founded the amazing multi-level marketing cosmetics empire, bought the home from the builder while it was under construction.  She had moved out of the mansion to her other Dallas home off Boedecker prior to her death in 1981 2001.

The current owner is an OB/GYN physician, Dr. Karen Gillum, who lived in the home for more than 15 years. The poor mansion is now vacant and ready for some love, just in time for Valentines Day!

The home was originally listed with Karen at $3,300,000. Prior to that, back in the day, it was listed at $5,700,000 with darling Myla Patton of Patton International Real Estate. Whoa! Ebby’s had it listed, too, and every TV station in town has done some filming there.

The estate is 12,000 square feet. Built in 1984 by a spec builder, it was remodeled in 2000. Geothermal was added during this remodel to help save on the significant utility bills that come with a 12,000 mansion. Located in the heart of  Old Preston Hollow, on over one acre of manicured lawns with fountains, pools, koi ponds, arboretum like gardens, there is Brazilian teakwood flooring, grand sweeping staircases (two or three), statues, arcades of Corinthian columns, wine cellar, walls of beveled glass windows, hand painted murals, original pink quartz-marble hardware, indescribable mill work and even a pink quartz toilet. Er, commode. I think that lime green carpet on the stairs is the original that hosted many a top producer party. The kitchen has the original white Corian counters and I believe that may even be Mary Kay’s own breakfast table right there under the massive chandelier. The current owner’s furniture tastes are a bit more “antique” — when I first saw the home years ago, right after Mary Kay had moved out, it held no oriental rugs. Formerly listed with Myla Patton of Patton International Real Estate for $5.7 in 2007, then listed with Linda Jordan Hobbs over at Ebby for $4,995,000.

You know, A-Rod drives up Douglas every time he visits Dallas just to take a gander at the home he once owned, which is right next door. Someone SHOULD buy this home because it is a vital part of Dallas history. Looks like that just may happen. And it’s right next door to Baxter Brinkmann, from whom you could borrow a cup of sugar whenever. But God bless Karen Luter! Our fingers are crossed! All these fabulous photos are by Shoot to Sell Photography, save for the pic of Karen and I taken at Anteks!