Hot Bachelor Coming to Town, Continued: Belk GM Likes the Southern Hospitality of Dallas Real Estate

I snagged a Q and A with Salem Boohaker, General Manager of Belk, the new department store moving into the old Saks-Marshall Fields space at the Dallas Galleria. Found out he is moving to Dallas from his home in Jackson, Mississippi, the first week of January.

“I am so excited about Dallas,” Salem told me. “I visited a couple years ago and stayed at the Westin and enjoyed it thoroughly!”

Salem is a southern gent. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, he attended the University of Alabama, graduating with a degree in general management. He worked in a sales position with Parisian Stores, transitioned to management and Belk in 2001. Of course he had to tell me how wonderful the Belk experience is going to be, and how much we are going to love the store. By the way, a new Belk just opened in New Braunfels this October. Belk is bustin’ out all over.

“We know Neimans is a killer with customer service,” says Salem, “but we are, too plus we have strong family and core values, a modern southern style with great service and great merchandise.”

He insists that the first time I walk into Belk, I will be made to feel welcome and at home and I will walk out with a Belk bag of purchases.

(I hope I don’t walk out with a sensor tag: Had lunch with Kim Clow, Cindy Beatty and Kim’s daughter Kathryn Roan at Al Biernet’s Tuesday — the sensor tag was on my new Burberry jacket from Nordstroms! Yes, I paid for it! Talk about customer service, the sweet sales gal is coming to my house to remove it!”)

But the real estate: Salem currently lives in downtown Jackson, Mississippi, photos above, in a two bedroom, 1150 square foot flat in an historical building. He’s looking for a similar flat/loft historical home with nice finishes and maybe a tad more square footage. He has two Dachshunds. He wants to lease before he buys anything, his price range is $2100 a month. When he does buy, that range will be $300 to $400K. He has seen and loves the Wilson and Continental Buildings in Dallas CBD and really likes the Interurban Building because of the grocery store/cafe on the first floor.

As long as I had a millennial in my hot hands, I asked Salem about aesthetic amenities: he prefers lofts or flats, wood floors, polished concrete or travertine, stainless appliances and tons of windows.

“A Viking stove would be nice, but maybe not in a rental,” he joked. Oh my, he’s a son of the South!

Salem does not mind walking up stairs at all, and Concierge services are not necessary but tempting, he said.

Yes, very: wait until your first Dallas Ice Storm!