Prestonwood Development Sells Two Lots First Day on Market

Prestonwood Polo and Country Club has Dallas abuzz over its new “field-of-dreams” development project in Oak Point after selling two residential lots its first day on market. The 22-estate master-planned community will be the first of its kind for North Texas, offering sizable 2.5 acre lots from $300,000 to $399,000. Backing to lush polo fields bordered by 200 Live Oak trees, each lot features prime views for watching the “sport of kings.”

“It truly represents the next echelon of country club living,” says Angela Downes of Virginia Cook Realtors, exclusive listing agent with a goal of building out the community over a three-to-five-year period.

“We’ve recreated the magic of Norman Brinker’s Willow Bend Polo Club, except this time we’re keeping the polo fields,” says Vaughn Miller, president of VCM Development Group and Prestonwood Polo Club. “Homeowners’ views will be protected for life.”

Purchasing a Prestonwood lot means you own a piece of the fields with 1-acre to build on, and the option to bring in your own architect and builder. The remaining acreage will serve as open space easement maintained by the club.

“There are no other polo clubs in the U.S. that offer build-to-suit land with these lot sizes, and surrounding this many fields,” adds Downes.

 

Virginia Cook Realtors, and the Miller family have a deep, shared history in Dallas. Founders Virginia Cook and Sheila Rice helped to establish Henry S. Miller Realtors, an off-shoot of the Henry S. Miller companies, which has grown to 30 offices across Texas. Vaughn Miller, the owner of Prestonwood Polo & Country Club, is Henry S. Miller’s grandson.

Downes recently marketed and sold Miller’s residence in Highland Park and previously sold one of his investment properties. “We work very well together and his family very much understands and appreciates my creative approach to selling listings,” she says.

On May 4, Downes hosted a private luncheon for over 50 agents and builders at Prestonwood, and was met with overwhelming interest. (You may have seen the fleet of limos with Virginia Cook logos on the highway that day. Downes chartered private car service to get top agents out of the office and into the polo fields.)

Downes predicts buyers from Dallas-Fort Worth will want to build second homes here, or make permanent moves out of the city for added space. It’s a good fit for buyers coming from Florida and California who want a comparable luxury lifestyle with Texas-style benefits, as well as buyers from the Northeast looking to build getaway homes for the colder months. There is also talk of Prestonwood’s international appeal.

“Polo is a significant sport in Europe and other countries, including Argentina. Given the club’s close proximity to the airport, and downtown Dallas, I can absolutely see international buyers purchasing land and building a home here,” says Downes.

Founded in 2008, Prestonwood’s polo season is year-round, played on outdoor fields in the spring, summer and fall, and in the arena for winter. Currently it has three world-class polo fields, two polo arenas, a half-mile track, bridal paths, and stabling for over 100 horses. Memberships range from $500 to $2,000 annually.

Home lots are within walking distance to the horse stables, and come with a slew of resident amenities including full-care stables, year-round riding lessons, horse leases, and of course, “see and be seen” social events.

The club hosts family-friendly polo matches every Saturday, and operates one of the most successful USPA certified youth polo programs in North Texas.

Ranked among the 20 best suburbs in Dallas-Fort Worth in 2012, Oak Point is the place to be, located just 20 minutes north of Dallas situated on a peninsula off of Lake Lewisville. Distinguished for its small-town atmosphere and pastoral privacy, Miller describes it as an oasis of trees, open space and horses — a respite from the city.

“It’s one of the quietest and most peaceful places I’ve ever seen at night,” Miller says. He plans to ring Christmas lights around the perimeter of the development for the holidays, and will offer carriage rides like his grandfather, Henry S. Miller, did at Highland Park Village.

School-aged children attend Little Elm ISD, or for a nominal fee can transfer to the highly-rated Aubrey Independent School District. A number of private schools are also nearby.

Miller says the only comparable development in the country is located in Colorado, where expansive polo fields are surrounded by million-dollar homes with zero lot lines. He envisions the Prestonwood community to be the benchmark for equestrian residential development in the U.S.