Maple Springs Duo Crank The 6 Month Mark: What’s Up With These Oak Lawn Listings?

Looking around the secret pocket of northern Oak Lawn called Maple Springs that’s bordered by Maple, Cedar Springs, Inwood, and Maple Springs Blvd., and I see two homes listed for just over/under the 6-month mark. In our hot market?  What up with that?

Both are freshly renovated and so move-in ready. Both are the coveted three-bedroom, two-bathroom configuration sailing in around 1,700 square feet.  Both are between $400-450,000.  Both are listed with the same agent (a coincidence I didn’t notice until I was half done writing this).

Let’s look …

The home at 5218 Denton Drive is the slightly smaller and cheaper of the two at 1,672 square feet, listed at $399,000 with Tony Petriccione of Dave Perry-Miller. It was initially listed for $429,000 in July. The home is a quasi-Tudor with new landscaping and fresh paint (albeit a slightly odd, powder blue/grey color). The front door is also Craftsman, not Tudor.

Inside, the home sings.  New floors throughout the living areas and a nicely redone living room with good natural and recessed lighting.  A bit more substantial media center and you’re good to go.  I like the museum-finish walls and recessed ceiling.

From a different angle you can see that walls have been opened to connect all the main living areas, which makes the whole home feel better and makes family gatherings (‘tis the holidays) a snap.  All an owner would have to do is zip over to Chandeliers ‘R’ Us for a better dining room fixture.  It’s a super easy thing to do and it’ll make the home feel more personal to the new owner.

I have to admit I see the kitchen as an opportunity missed.  While this home is $50,000 less than the other listing, I feel a few more bucks could have been spent on matching cabinetry on the right wall.  I suspect the owner did this to accommodate an eat-in space.  However, with the dining room feet away and no wall, I’d prefer more counter space (but I eat in front of the TV most nights, so go figure).  Also, as you’ll see when we look out back, that kitchen door should have been replaced with a slider or French doors.  It’s the only access to the backyard and misses the visual “wow” of a large view out back.  I like what was done, I’d just want a pinch more.

The master bedroom is pretty darn large … especially for a home built in 1922.  I suspect more floor plan finagling that was put to good use.  Lots of light and high ceilings … no popcorn or hideous wall texture in sight. Yay!

It’s a flip-quality bathroom with too much travertine for me.  The double, under-mount sinks are wonderful, but it looks like it’s missing a center cabinet.  If that’s a make-up space, shouldn’t the granite be shorter? A bit of staging would’ve been well spent.

A walk-in closet in a 1922 home?  How did that happen?  It’s great, great, great to see. The matching sides clearly foreshadow an equally clothed couple moving in. Lots of hanging space and show cubbies front and back.  Very nice indeed.

Here’s what I meant in the kitchen: That lone door just isn’t enough backyard access … and it’s a really nice, big yard.  A deck wouldn’t go amiss either (something most Dallasites aren’t thinking about after our teeth-chattering weekend). However, there’s a fresh roof.

My quibbles are minor and perhaps not your quibbles.  But chuck a center cabinet in the master bath and pop in a French door into the kitchen and I think you’re good to go.  Heck, the current owner may be able to put you in contact with the builder he used.

5220 Parkland

A few streets over is 5220 Parkland with 1,790 square feet that’s likewise being marketed by Tony Petriccione of Dave Perry-Miller for $449,000.  When first listed last June, it was $470,000.

Obviously, this is a completely different style home, which isn’t shocking as it was built 23 years after 5218 Denton Drive in 1945. The front has been well landscaped with a seating area off to the right and a nice new walkway. The beige/brown color palate hints at the in vogue Santa Barbara style.

Nice hardwoods in this home look to be the original oak that’s been refinished … always nice when flooring can be salvaged in a renovation.  Another well-lit room.  The front door is just in front of that table lamp on the right.  It gives the living room a bit of privacy from the front door.  You can see to the left is the third bedroom that’s being used as an office.

Speaking of the front door, I had to giggle at the staging here.  Clearly the stager is a parent with wayward teenagers who need to get busted for breaking curfew.  I can think of no other reason for having a sofa facing the front door.  Less entry, more sentry.  🙂

Just like the Denton home, this has also been opened up with a completely open living, dining and kitchen areas.  It certainly makes the home feel larger.  Well-placed windows bring in the light (when it’s not dark at 4:30pm).

The kitchen is a double-sided galley with lots of counter space and lighter color palate.  I tend to wonder about placing the cold box (refrigerator) next to the hot box (range), but that’s just me and it does make it easy to reach for ingredients. Instead of going one-wall and long, this kitchen took both sides and left space in the back for an eat-in area.  Similar missed opportunity to access/see the backyard with a set of French doors, though. (Maybe I’m missing something?)

Another king-sizeable master bedroom with plenty of light. However I wonder why the French doors are here instead of the kitchen.  Surely when entertaining, they’d be more use off the kitchen.  But I do like them here, so perhaps the answer is a second set?

I like this master bathroom.  It’s also travertine, but it’s not as obvious as the other.  I can’t explain it.  Perhaps the glassed shower is taking my focus?  I do like a good shower. I do like the one large mirror.  They seem to have gone out of fashion, but they are useful and practical.  And let me say again … thank god for under-mount sinks.  Vessel sinks are so impractical.

The back patio is a nice and necessary addition to this home … especially a covered patio.  Now if it could just rain ice water throughout the summer… and dump the State Fair hot tub.

All in all, these two properties are quite similar.  The neighborhood is great, it’s convenient to everything. To my picky-ass standards they’re solid 85-plus-percent scorers.  My quibbles are minor.  The Parkland home is slightly larger with a slightly larger lot, but it’s also slightly more expensive.  The interior finishes are similar … one uses darker kitchen cabinets than the other … the floor plans are even similar.

What do you think?  Why haven’t two renovated homes so close to each other in the supposed sweet spot of pricing not been sold?

Remember:  High-rises, HOAs and renovation are my beat. But I also appreciate modern and historical architecture balanced against the YIMBY movement.  If you’re interested in hosting a Candysdirt.com Staff Meeting event, I’m your guy. In 2016, my writing was recognized with Bronze and Silver awards from the National Association of Real Estate Editors.  Have a story to tell or a marriage proposal to make?  Shoot me an email [email protected].