Is This Midcentury Home Impressing Buyers to the Point They’re Afraid to Buy It?

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Disney Streets Midcentury Modern | CandysDirt.com

Earlier this month, we wrote about a spectacular midcentury modern home in Dallas’ Disney Streets. It got unbelievable interest from all of you and was shared thousands of times on social media.

We aren’t the only ones taking notice. After our publication of Disney Streets Midcentury Will Have You Singing Sinatra, Polishing Martini Glasses, the story of this incredible house was picked up by blogs, magazines, newspapers, and TV shows around the world.

“I never expected this: [these publications] are from all over the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Japan,” said homeowner Carlos Cardoza, who put this midcentury masterpiece on the market in early September with Ed Murchison of Virginia Cook Realtors for $665,000.

“There’s one of them requested the picture of the dining room for their magazine cover,” he said. “On Thursday, Modern Dallas is coming to do a TV segment.”

Located at 11016 Pinocchio Dr. in Northwest Dallas, this house is like no other, designed by architect Gordon Nichols and known as the Smith House. Cardoza worked tirelessly to create the almost museum-like look, transforming the exterior and interior into a midcentury modern masterpiece.

But it turns out, its perfection may be causing problems with it comes to finding a buyer.

“We’re finding out that people are very intimidated by the house, almost to the point that they don’t know what to do,” he said. “They have a hard time visualizing themselves here because they seem to think it’s like a museum and not meant to be touched.”

Disney Streets Midcentury Modern | CandysDirt.com

Disney Streets Midcentury Modern | CandysDirt.com

“This is not a museum, it’s a house, you can buy it and make it your own,” Cardoza continued. “When I found this house, it was in a condition that most people would just pass it — but I remember when I found it, I saw it the way it looks right now. I could see because I’m a designer and graphic artist and I can visualize things.”

Realizing not everyone can visualize a house as they would want it for themselves, Cardoza decided to take steps to make it easier.

“People tell me, ‘Your house is a masterpiece,’ and I take the compliment and appreciate it, but that’s the problem — people are looking at the masterpiece and they need to look at an empty canvas,” he said. “I neutralized everything by painting the walls a light gray, so there’s no more orange in the dining room, no more blue in the living room.”

Disney Streets Midcentury Modern | CandysDirt.com

Disney Streets Midcentury Modern | CandysDirt.com

Cardoza also said people have asked if it’s a model home of some sort. In part, this is due to his extremely neat and tidy habits. So he’s changing that a bit, too.

“Now when I have  showing, I kind of throw my jacket on the bed or leave a glass on the table, to make it a little more like somebody lives here,” he said. “As far as finding a buyer, it’s been kind of weird. It’s almost like they don’t want to mess with it and maybe they don’t see how their furniture could fit in here.”

Cardoza is waiting on a move to Palm Springs until he sells this Disney Streets midcentury modern and we wish him the best of luck. You can check out some of the publications that have written about this home at the Facebook page The Smith House 1954.

 

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.

5 Comments

  1. Sean M. on September 28, 2016 at 11:26 am

    I could see that being a problem, but $297/sq ft. is also really high, even for Dallas. It’s a lot of money for somebody with a very particular niche within MCM of wanting everything to be very original/vintage vs. a combination of new and vintage that I would guess is more common. Although it is not nearly as perfect of an MCM example, the still very cool home at 11023 Pinocchio Dr took a $36K price cut and is still on the market after 102 days, but it is “only” $182/sq ft.

  2. Kathy on September 28, 2016 at 12:16 pm

    Because you asked, I will give my opinion. 1. Price is too high. 2. Do I remember bathrooms that were not updated? While some like that old style tile look, it’s not for me and not at that high price. I want totally remodeled in a modest way (not over the top). 3. The bright paint colors and old style furniture turn me off. I want a modern look and neutral. Many buyers are thinking what the cost of repainting would be. Even in an older home! I have lived in houses from the fifties to the two thousands so I like older style architecture. This house just gives off a crazy museum vibe.

  3. Natalie on September 28, 2016 at 12:55 pm

    People Can’t visualize bc they are boring people who probably prefer furniture from Pottery Barn. I only wished I had the dollars to buy this house with the bright walls. It needs someone who has character and doesn’t go for the boring “neutral” look. Might as well call Chip and Joanna to fix a MCM into a boring house. They are tradegies – don’t get me started.

  4. Monica on September 28, 2016 at 2:31 pm

    Love this house. I agree with Natalie. Someone fabulous needs to live there. Someone who really appreciates the MCM look. This house isn’t for the everyday person or for people who refer to MCM as “old” style. The price isn’t bad – if I lived in Dallas, I would hop on it. Great entertaining home – again for someone who has pizazz not for someone who wants “vanilla.”

  5. Scott on September 29, 2016 at 6:52 am

    No one wants to talk about the market slowing down…There is 12 Months of inventory in that part of Dallas.

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