Dallas Real Estate 2012, The Year & Star Agents in Review: Guess Who Will Be The Stars of 2013?

Share News:

Mary-Kay-House

Pretty in Pink

My official 2012 real estate wrap is up on CultureMap.com, whose Dallas debut is definitely one of the best things that happened to our city in 2012. Talk about changing the face of Dallas media! (We need it!) I spent New Year’s Eve and most of last week musing over the biggest and best Dallas real estate deals and agents of the year — and really, truly, I have to say it all started with the April auction sale of Champs D’Or, which made awesome broker agent Clay Stapp a mighty happy man as he brought the buyer. I expect more great things from Clay Stapp & Associates in the coming year.

Champs D'OrLet us not forget Joan Eleazer, Queen of 2012 Real Estate. I christen her the most patient agent in the history of the universe. How many times did Joan have that mansion listed and unlisted? Shortly before the auction she had her whole family up there — husband, daughter Layne Pitzer and precious grandchildren. Ironically, I think she was also the very first agent who tried to sell Champ.

The Hickory Creek estate had been on the market for about ten years, I think, I lost count. I think when it sold it somehow became a catalyst for other big sales, because from what I hear, agents put on their running shoes this spring and never stopped sprinting.

Troy Aikman Highland HouseTroy Aikman’s Highland Park estate came on the market and we all crooned — ohhh Troy! In May he sold off an acre of land he had incorporated into his homestead in 2008, then lowered the price of his home (minus the extra lot) to $14 million. Then, come September, he took the house off the market in September — zip. Smart man: Troy’s house became a cash machine. Was that the very savvy advice of his agent, Allie Beth Allman?

Headington-patio-sculpture-533x400You want to talk uber pricey condos? Tim Headington listed a $14 million dollar penthouse on the 21st floor at the Residences at the Ritz Carlton — Pogir, a star Realtor at Briggs-Freeman, has the star listing and frankly, I’m seeing Pogir’s name everywhere. The Ritz is selling like hotcakes, stay tuned to some celeb news over there real soon. I can hardly wait for Museum Tower to rev up marketing, which they have begun with a striking price guarantee and oh yes, now rumors that Jack Matthews may be shopping for a high rise luxury project. Someone told me Tim Headington may also be interested, but that I have not confirmed, so do not repeat it.

6323-Meadow-ext-575x323.jpgeriksonDownsize? My husband keeps talking about it. No way — if anything, homes of the Dallas rich and famous are getting bigger. Dallas Stars player Loui Eriksson’s Preston Hollow home is under 7,000 square feet, not only tastefully decorated with wallpaper on the ceiling and a “wow” backyard, it’s only $2.5M. Golfer Justin Leonard listed and sold his six bedroom Highland Park home for $6 million, and I’m guessing it must have been too small. He built a 14,000 square foot, $8 plus million dollar home on Euclid. Hunter Mahan and his bride Candy are building a 19,000 square foot home in Preston Hollow which includes a full basement in that square footage. Hunter’s home in Colleyville is still on the market for $1,499,000 with . Not that I do not love Colleyville and Westlake, but I am thrilled to see a major sports figure move closer in. Ex-Longhorn and NBA star LaMarcus Aldridge’s Southlake home was listed for a mere $1.75 million with a custom resort style pool with waterfalls, a spa, a flagstone-lined patio and fire pit that is one of the prettiest I’ve seen.

And I have seen them all. From the street, of course.

Mt Vernon extOther fab homes came on the market in 2012 that would fit nicely into a series called Lifestyles of the Dallas Rich and Famous: Mt. Vernon, originally listed at $29,500,000 and now reduced to $24,900,000 — amazing property — is listed with veteran agent Allie Beth Allman who of course sold President and Laura Bush their home on Daria Drive and continues to be a celebrity powerhouse agent for the rich and famous. So, too, is Rogers Healy, who is listing the M Mansion off Frankfurt Road in far North Dallas. What’s the M Mansion? It’s an 8500 square foot estate in the North Dallas Forty (between the Tollway and Preston Road) built as the dream home of Guy and Tony Mascolo of Toni and Guy hairdresser fame that has been used an an events center because it sits on three-ish beautifully wooded acres and has a private, enclosed soccer field. Full disclosure: my son got married there in September. Stay tuned.

Leppert home theaterOh yes, Tom Leppert finally listed his Preston Hollow home and that wild and crazy media room. You know Eleanor Mowery Sheets was once his agent, now it’s the amazing Mary Poss.

Hicks-W-condoLast year about this time, Rogers was inking the lease on Mack Hicks W condo with Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom. This year, Kim’s preggers.

Mary-Kay-HouseDynamo agent Karen Luter, also of Allie Beth Allman, is listing the palace of pink stucco on Douglas known as the Mary Kay house, price now reduced to $2.9 million, one of the most iconic homes in Dallas. I still think the company needs to buy this house.

1-Paigebrooke-Westlake-ext-575x328PaigeBrook — my favorite home west of I-35. You remember the story of the people who loved their historical Dilbeck rambling ranch that once belonged to Ted Dealey so much they spent millions to not just save it but wrap and move it in six giant pieces to another spot on their acreage, then made it even better? it’s how you dish it out that counts, and that, come boom or bust, they know what’s more important because YOU know.

The rambling, half-timbered structure was designed by Charles Dilbeck in 1938, and is chock full of artisian handiwork and delightful surprises in almost every room — VERY Dilbeck, who said each room in a home should have a surprise element. There are surprises, and Dallas history everywhere. The home was built originally for Ted Dealey, a publisher of the Dallas Morning News and member of a Dallas publishing family dynasty.

Dilbeck, of course, is the architect known for romantic Tudors and French country homes sprinkled in the Park Cities and a few in North Dallas — stay tuned — Harry Potter style before Harry was a Potter. His homes have a signature English farmhouse feel to them, and are built rambling, as if they have been added onto. Dilbeck, for example, always said that in authentic cottages you could always find the original log cabin that the home started from. (PaigeBrooke has one.) He also designed homes without hallways, so you have to go into one room to get to another, as if the house had been added on to randomly. It creates a very organic feel.

Truthfully, I wrote about this ranch in December of 2011, but the price was reduced from $7,900,000 in April 2012 to just under $5 million in 2012. That is what I call a SERIOUS price change!  And totally worthy of notoriety!

This is one I think Belo should buy — I mean, might be the best investment they’ve ever made!

Hottest agents of 2012:Mary PossPogir2

Allie Beth Allmanclay stappChamp-dOr-Eleazer

 

 

 

 

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

No Comments

  1. […] by Candy Evans on January 8, […]

  2. […] by Candy Evans on January 8, […]

Leave a Comment