Diving into downtown Dallas area living? Then be sure to catch these three open houses. Two are open this weekend. Another is open in July. But it’s a stylish steal that’s sure to go quick, so we are giving you a heads up! Each of these open houses offers great floor plans and bright interiors at a variety of price points. Enjoy! The neighborhoods of downtown Dallas never looked so good.
It’s not often that a home takes your breath away, but this Preston Hollow residence in the coveted Lobello Estates community effortlessly wins that reaction. As you drive up to the French country-style manor, the stately stone façade and grand porte-cochere exude Old World glamour. Imagine guests stepping out of their cars dressed to the nines and walking through the arched front door, where servers holding silver trays of champagne cocktails await inside. This 1920s-esque, Gatsby dream located at 5431 Ursula Lane could be your reality if you’re the lucky person to call this property home next.
If you’re tired of paying East Village rent, maybe it’s time to consider an East Village mortgage with ridiculously low HOA dues and all the benefits of homeownership. This fab two-story, three-bedroom townhome at 2206 Apollonia Lane has 1,910 square feet with a two car garage, HOA-covered lawn maintenance, and tons of room to entertain. It’s listed for $395,000 by Melissa O’Brien of Dave Perry Miller Real Estate. (more…)
So, you’re on the fence about downsizing. You’ve gotten used to living with the space around you as it was when the kids were still at home (although it’s a little more organized and a lot less sticky now). But maybe you’re not ready to live in a high-rise, or maybe the idea of a patio home in the suburbs isn’t your thing.
For those who want to pare down a bit without losing easy access to their favorite Dallas-area amenities, this townhome near Knox-Henderson — our Inwood National Bank Home of the Week — is the perfect solution.
“This property gives an owner the ability to enjoy urban living in the heart of Dallas without sacrificing on square footage or garage space, with two private yards and three patios at an attractive price,” notes Rustin Smith, listing agent for 2627 N. Garrett Ave. “Dallas is at your fingertips, whether you want to walk to the restaurants and shops of Knox-Henderson, take a short drive downtown, or bike the Katy Trail. Being a few blocks from North Central Expressway makes accessing all the city has to offer easy and quick.”
CandysDirt.com founder and publisher, Candy Evans, with Zach and Aaron Ipour, brothers and founders of Megatel Homes.
Megatel Homes, one of North Texas’ most prolific homebuilders, is suing even more prolific Centurion American Development Group and Grapevine-based United Development Group, charging that the firms “conspired to take advantage of Megatel,” mostly by selling development properties to competing homebuilders. Megatel is seeking $100 million in damages.
If the names of these companies sound vaguely familiar, let me refresh: Megatel Homes builds houses, townhomes, and apartments, in 100 subdivisions or more all over North Texas. It is the same firm that entertained a tentful of agents with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Kevin O’Leary last May at an amazing and expensive promotional bash at Mercer Crossing, up near Cypress Waters and LBJ/635. And Mehrdad Moayedi was there, sitting with Megatel’s two co-founders and the celebrity guests.
2500 real estate professionals, with full bar service and seated dinner. There was a huge white tent with a/c. Even the bathrooms were tip-top, those nice white trailers just like the ones at the Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance. There was a smattering of tip top producers, too, from Dave Perry-Miller’s Ryan Streif and Charles Gregory, who has already sold two homes in Mercer Crossing, ReMax Premiere’s Von Truong, Bryan Poche, Dallas City Center’s Lisa Marie Dyess-Richardson, the ubiquitous Jeff Lindigrin, and more. Donations were also raised for Guns and Hoses Foundation of North Texas.
Steve Brown wrote a nice two-brothers-from-Cypress profile on the firms’ brother-founders, Zach and Aaron Ipour. He pointed out that competitors criticize Megatel, saying it pays too much for some of its land, and question the firm’s long-term funding strength. The company, Steve reported, also builds more speculative homes than many of its competitors. (more…)
U.S. Department of Energy HQ Sun Wall (32,000 square feet of solar panels and water heating – Unbuilt)
In my quest to diversify Dallas’ architectural landscape, I’ve run across a firm that could be a great candidate for Dallas developers looking to make their mark. But first, a history lesson.
Back in 1931, Lou, Irving, and Sylvia Solomon opened shop in Chicago. At the time, it was more than an architecture firm, with Lou the designer, brother Irving the builder, and sister Sylvia the project manager. The trio bought up parcels along storied Lake Shore Drive and began building apartment buildings. In 1956, Englishman John Cordwell came aboard after resigning as Chicago’s Director of Planning.
In 1957, the pair won the commission to build an urban renewal project just west of the city’s tony Gold Coast area. The project, named Carl Sandburg Village, encompassed nearly four city blocks containing six high-rises and a mix of mid- and low-rise apartments encompassing 2,600 units. The apartments were converted to condos in 1979 and probably 10 years later, I explored purchasing my first high-rise home there.
North Oak Cliff’s Winnetka Heights is one of Dallas’ most popular front-porch communities, with street after street filled with Craftsman-style and Prairie-style homes that offer a friendly, shaded spot facing the tree-lined avenues. These porches are the perfect place to while away a warm afternoon with neighbors over conversation and cold beverages.
Though some structures in the Winnetka Heights Historic District still require some significant help, this new listing from Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate’s Cynthia Paine-Drennan is a gorgeous, move-in ready Prairie-style home with a fabulous front porch, gracious interiors, and a backyard for everyone. It’s beyond worthy of the High Caliber Home of the Week title presented by Lisa Peters of Caliber Home Loans.
The spacious front porch of 326 S. Edgefield Ave. is just begging for a cold glass of whatever whets your whistle and a conversation with neighbors. I’m sure the sellers got their mileage out of it when the power went out in Dallas recently, as it’s the perfect spot for catching up with neighbors and catching a cool breeze between dragging limbs from neighbors yards to the curbs. And it’s also a great bit of foreshadowing, as the attention to detail continues inside this Winnetka Heights home.
Photo courtesy Google Earth
Now, first, let me say that it is almost universally known that any story with a headline that starts with, “Florida man …” is going to be a doozy. There was even a social media game a month ago where you looked up the month and day of your birth along with the phrase “Florida man” on Google, just to see what headline you’d get.
For the record, I got, “FLORIDA MAN THROWS TOILET THROUGH SCHOOL BOARD BUILDING WINDOW IN ILLINOIS, IS ARRESTED SITTING ON ANOTHER.”
You should try this, by the way, and tell us in the comments what Google gave you.
At any rate, this week’s Wednesday WTF does indeed bear a headline that includes that key phrase, and yes, it is a real estate-related doozy. (more…)
