Oak Cliff’s Elmwood Surges in Popularity Over Last Year with Affordable, Cute Homes

Over the past year, the Elmwood neighborhood of Oak Cliff has surged in popularity. Here, houses are around 1,500 to 1,600 square feet, usually three bedroom, and often under $300K. That affordability, coupled with the lovely topography and proximity to downtown Dallas, have buyers snatching up the Elmwood homes that hit the market (you can see three recent listings I’ve written about here, here, and here).

Our Tuesday Two Hundred is a great example of what’s available, located at 1715 Lansford Ave., near W. Claredon Drive and S. Edgefield Avenue. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and 1,459 square feet on one story, built in 1947. This same house further north in Oak Cliff would be in the mid-$400s, says listing agent Crystal Gonzalez with David Griffin & Company Realtors.

“It’s hard to find a 3-2 brick house in Oak Cliff that’s in good condition for under $300,000,” Gonzalez said. “Elmwood still has a lot of character, with Tudors and cottage-style homes, but it has affordability — you can buy these great houses for less, which you really can’t do from I-30 down to 12th street.”

With recent renovations and cute curb appeal, this home offers a lot to buyers.

“The cool thing about this house is it has two living areas, which is great because you can still keep a formal area and have a big open space to entertain in with the kitchen and den,” Gonzalez said. “It’s near walking trails and in the heart of Elmwood, which has nice topography and lots of trees.”

Elmwood began as a 640-acre Tennessee Dairy Farm, and one of the last remnants of the original farm is a piece of stonewall located on Edgefield Avenue. The area offers gently rolling, tree-shaded hills sit above the banks of Cedar Creek. This house is a short distance from Elmwood Parkway, a 16-acre park with trails, playground, picnic tables, and an outdoor basketball court.

Here’s how Preservation Dallas describes the area:

Elmwood is located…six miles south of downtown Dallas and is an example of a development that is made up of a series of additions spanning four decades. Elmwood boasts a diverse range of architectural styles. These houses are set among mature trees making it a neighborhood of contrast and also of scenic beauty that includes Elmwood Parkway. This parkway, which runs along Rugged Street, is a scenic picture for houses built on this green strip. It is bounded on the north by DART Red Line, on the south by Illinois Avenue, on the east by Polk Street and on the west by Hampton Road.

In the middle of Elmwood is the unique commercial development Edgefield Avenue, a business district that includes offices, churches, and a Masonic Hall. It also has two DART rail stations with access to the freeway. Elmwood Park, which runs north on Cedar Creek and south on Elmwood Creek, is a pleasant neighborhood with its pecan, oak, elm, and hackberry trees. Elmwood may seem to be a quiet neighborhood far from the city, but the northeast view reveals a close Dallas skyline.

Inside, you’ll find hardwood floors everywhere except the bathrooms, fresh paint, a decorative fireplace, and a large, open kitchen with lots of cabinets and a movable island. Some of the appliances are dated and could use an update, but the bones are there.

Two bedrooms measure 13-by-10, including the master, and the third is 10-by-14, good sized for a home of this era. The master has an ensuite bathroom, and the second bathroom is a Jack-and-Jill layout.

The backyard offers lots of grassy green space, a storage shed, privacy fence, small wood deck, and mature trees.

“This size of house is a nice option compared to spending a lot of money on a condo because you get a house that’s your own space with no HOA fees,” Gonzalez said. “Elmwood has been really hot over the past year.”

Gonzalez listed this property Feb. 10 for $299,000.