Why Has This Lovely Oak Lawn Townhome Been on the Market 160 Days?

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Oak Lawn townhome

These days, it’s pretty common to spot a great listing and watch it go under contract faster than you can say, “Jeeves, fetch me a Realtor!”

So when I spot an Oak Lawn townhome like the one at 3316 Hawthorne Ave. #3316, which has been on the market for 160 days, I have to scratch my head. It looks magazine-worthy, has over 2,000 square feet, and is located in a highly desirable neighborhood. So what gives?

This unit, in the Park Place Townhomes, is 2,025 square feet, with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, three stories, a custom kitchen, plaster walls, private courtyard, hardwood floors, a private elevator, and oh, so much more. It is listed by Chris Pyle at Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate for $394,900, or $194 per square foot.

Oak Lawn townhome

Looking at the neighborhood comparables, it’s on the high end—others sold for $131, $138, $167, and $184 per square foot. But another unit in the same Park Place Townhomes sold for a dollar more per square foot in December, and it has only 1,149 square feet.

Could it be the school district? This townhome is located in DISD, and nearby comparable properties located in Highland Park ISD sold for $197 to $254 per square foot. But the unit that sold for a dollar more per square foot is also in DISD. So the jury is out on that factor.

Mandatory monthly HOA fees of $1,117 are on the hefty side, and do not appear to include utilities, so that is a potential issue that might be dissuading buyers. But it’s not an unheard-of amount for this area.

Let’s take a look inside and you tell us your opinion on today’s Thursday Three Hundred.

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The first floor features a den with custom built-in bookshelves, a wood-burning fireplace, and rich hardwood floors. It measures 17-by-12 and is flooded by natural light.

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The nearby kitchen has custom cabinets, stainless steel appliances, a built-in refrigerator/freezer, and convection oven. The marble floors extend throughout the kitchen and breakfast area, and there’s a breakfast bar, as well.

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The master suite looks like a dream to me, measuring 18-by-12, with those same hardwoods, custom built-ins, and thoughtfully planned spaces, like a reading nook by a window. The bathroom has a walk-in shower and spa-like feel with that wood vanity and fantastic mirror. They’ve even got a towel shelf above the toilet. Admittedly, hardwood floors are not my first choice for bathrooms because of the potential for water damage, but these are beautifully maintained.

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The second bedroom shares much in common with the master, in terms of style. It measures 13-by-12 and has easy access to a full bath with a mirror even more fabulous than that in the master.

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The private elevator gives quick access to all three levels of this townhome.

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A sitting area has custom built-in bookshelves, lots of natural light, and a cozy nook big enough for a love seat.

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The private courtyard is low-maintenance with its synthetic pet grass, and just the right size for relaxing or catching a few rays.

3316 Hawthorne 3316 Hawthorne Park Place Townhomes has a community swimming pool, and nearby Craddock Park is 6.9 acres with a playground, tennis court, picnic tables, and trails.

So there’s the full picture. I can’t figure out why this Oak Lawn townhome has been on the market so long. What do you think? Leave us a comment!

 

 

Leah Shafer is a content and social media specialist, as well as a Dallas native, who lives in Richardson with her family. In her sixth-grade yearbook, Leah listed "interior designer" as her future profession. Now she writes about them, as well as all things real estate, for CandysDirt.com.

8 Comments

  1. Anthony Armstrong on April 23, 2015 at 6:11 pm

    That is a head scratcher. I’m sure the agent has all of the correct data for comps. I wonder if it shows badly.

  2. Maggie Mustantig on April 23, 2015 at 9:50 pm

    The kitchen appliances are too far apart from one another. In fact, it seems as though the refrigerator isn’t even in the kitchen. Also, the room is too long & narrow-more like an apartment kitchen, rather than an apt kitchen. The overall floor plan seems a bit chopped up, not open, airy & flowing.
    Lastly, the yard area looks cheap with synthetic grass & siding. The HOA’s are pretty steep.
    All in all, it doesn’t have the luxurious feel that a town home in that price range should have. Imho.

  3. RealtorT on April 24, 2015 at 7:41 am

    If memory serves, the current owner bought this from the designer Allan Knight, who was the previous owner. I remember, it was BEAUTIFUL when Allan lived there. It still looks very nice and well decorated. The HOA dues DO include all utilities, which is nice, but that $ amount scares away a lot of buyers.

  4. ArgoSanct on April 24, 2015 at 10:36 am

    I think the location is pretty good (its a tad close to the DNT but at least its not right on it) and the unit looks great overall (kitchen layout is a little wonky and those finishes arent to my personal taste). That HOA is pretty high even w/ utilities considering all your really getting is a some maintenance and a community pool. ($13404 annually). If this was just a few more blocks north, it would sell in a heart beat i think. I think the market is saying that 394K is too high if it has been sitting for this long.

  5. Larry Pease on April 24, 2015 at 11:01 am

    Greetings, Candy; Unless it has changed within the past year or so the Park Place Townhomes HOA dues definitely includes all utilities, which is to say, electricity and water. (There is no gas.) It also includes a half time on-site property manager, insurance, landscaping, pool maintenance, tree service, reserves, pest control and more. The property manager even changes your air filters twice per year!

  6. Nancy Harvey on April 24, 2015 at 2:23 pm

    I am going to have to agree with Ms. Mustantig on the overall feel of the place. Perhaps with a lighter hand on the decor and staging it would feel more open. Regarding the HOA, utilities and other services included or not, that is extremely high. If you figure in the current tax bill, a well qualified buyer with 20% down is still looking at PITI(A) of $3188. I know there are much more appealing options in the area for that price or less.

  7. Rita Realtor on April 24, 2015 at 5:56 pm

    The only thing the seller has control over is 1. Price, 2. Condition. It appears to be in excellent condition, so that my friends, leaves price. They probably need to revisit the price. I think from photos it shows beautifully. Together the agent, and seller need a “get attention” price . No fire sale here, just ease off that price a bit. As to a smaller unit selling for about the same $ per sq. ft., a good agents knows, the smaller the sq. ft. the higher it sells $ per sq. ft. (all other things being equal.) , so that’s not a good argument. The trees& flowers are out, the buyers are out looking, the birds are chirping, it will sell!.

  8. Keti Abazi on April 28, 2015 at 10:55 am

    This townhome – although nicely decorated is too personal and it looks too cluttered. It looks like it is small and it does not have enough square footage. All we see in the pictures is “stuff”. And “stuff” is not what’s for sale.
    Buyers buy homes they emotionally connect with and that are devoid of the sellers taste and personality – subconsciously, they will just not go there.
    Also the pictures look a bit too exotic and stretched, most likely over compensating for the fact that it is way too overly furnished and decorated.
    So here are the two things I would do:
    1. Professionally Stage it. Remove stuff and let the beautiful floors and square footage be in primary display.
    2. Take more realistic pictures and don’t use and extra wide angle. It only distorts the view and disenchants the potential buyers once they see the home in person.

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