The Rooms Where It Happens: Where Do Dallas’ Nine Mayoral Candidates Live?

Some Dallas mayoral candidates like historic, some like new, two don’t even own homes but rent. And they live north, south, east and well, not west. And, remarkably, some of the most expensive homes belong to the female candidates in Dallas’ mayoral race — but with a caveat.

Regina Montoya has the biggest, most expensive real estate of the group with a home valued at roughly $4.3 million. Lynn McBee’s Highland Park home at 3912 Miramar is on the market for almost $3.5 million, and she’s living in an apartment in downtown Dallas.

Let’s start with Lynn McBee. We first visited McBee’s home last December when it popped on the market Dec. 11 for a whopping $4.250 million. It has since been reduced twice, from $3.9 million to $3,499,000. The Dallas Central Appraisal District lists the house as being in poor condition, at not quite $2.9 million.

However, she is currently renting at the Residences at Park District, located at 2120 Olive St., which fulfills her residency requirements to run for mayor of Dallas.

Next up, Miguel Solis, who rents a townhome not far from Solar Prep for Boys on Eriksson Lane in Uptown East, where he lives with his wife and baby. The three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath townhome was built in 2013 and is valued by DCAD at just north of $400,000. Of course, if Solis wins, he is no longer restricted to the boundaries of Dallas ISD District 8 — so maybe we’ll see him enter at a great time: The closest thing to a buyer’s market as you can get in Dallas as things stabilize.

We’d know, too — between the Thursday Three Hundred, the Friday Four Hundred and Five Hundred, and more, there is plenty of great family-friendly inventory to be had in Dallas.

Scott Griggs lives in historic Winnetka Heights in a beautiful, renovated Italianate American Prairie Foursquare home built in 1912, on a wide, leafy double lot with his wife and three children. DCAD values the home at about $950,000.

Highlighted by DHome as one of the 10 Most Beautiful Homes in Dallas, this was once the home of original Winnetka Height developer T.S. Miller and has been featured on numerous home tours. Awe-inspiring formals, tall beamed ceilings, grand balconies, beveled and leaded glass transoms, even a third floor art studio. There are detached quarters above the oversized garage and workshop. In the 2000s, Cindy and Paul Maute won a Preservation Dallas award for restoring it.

Griggs drives to North Dallas to work every day, which makes him a working resident of District 11, but has often said he loves living in the vibrant Oak Cliff community, where he currently serves as city councilman. This looks just like a Mayor’s home, no?

Albert Black and his wife, Gwyneith, live on toney Kessler Lake Drive, also in Oak Cliff. Sitting on what is considered to be one of the most beautiful streets in Dallas, the ivy-covered brick two-story, 5,131 square foot home was built in 1996. DCAD values the home at $954,000.

That would be a fine Mayor’s mansion, too.

Mike Ablon and his wife, Karen, live in Preston Hollow. Not the “Honeypot” as some do, nor is he even near Strait Lane, as some are. Mike lives in a pretty modest $2 million home (for a developer as successful as he is) in the almost totally re-developed and McMansion-ized swath west of Preston, east of the Dallas North Tollway, south of Northaven, north of Royal Lane. DCAD values the home at $1,968,000.

Regina Montoya lives with her husband, Paul Coggins,  in a stunning, 10,627 square foot home on 1.1 acres on Lobello Drive. This area is called Lobello Estates, as in Sam Lobello, the guy who basically founded Preston Center, and she is not far from Doug Deason, who is Laura Miller’s campaign treasurer. Lots of big names in Lobello Estates, and plenty of giant homes. I remember when they built their dream home 10 years ago. DCAD value at $4,319,690 and it has a swimming pool. I think it’s been on the list of D’s Most Expensive Homes in Dallas, but seriously, who’s counting?

Eric Johnson lives in beautiful Forest Hills. He lives on Santa Clara with his wife and their two children. According to neighbors, the family lived in the original 1,300 square foot house for several years before tearing it down to build their dream house.

Johnson, a state representative, has had a few threats, so the family takes security pretty seriously — you can’t find an image of the home on Google that isn’t blurred.

Eric also likes to invest in real estate — we found several homes under his name in DCAD, but we can’t find any of his properties (including this one) where he is taking a homestead exemption.

Jason Villalba lives on Bushire Drive, in a beautiful nook south of Royal called Les Jardins in North Dallas. We used to live on Melissa Lane just north of Royal off Bushire. I know this house, it’s fabulous — 2,848 square feet, built in 1965. Jason has said that his wife, Brooke, wants a new kitchen. After this election, we think she ought to get one!  DCAD values the home at $692,870.

Allyson Kennedy lives in an apartment in the Bahama Glen Apartments on Bahama Drive in Oak Cliff, near El Tivoli Place and Wedglea Place. There are 52 units in the complex, which was built in 1964. Wakhhii LTD in Lewisville has owned the property since 1996, and it looks like the company owns or manages several complexes throughout Dallas-Fort Worth.

Floorplans range from a 580 square foot efficiency to a 1,075 square foot two-bedroom, two bath unit.

Any surprises? What do you think? Make sure you follow us on Twitter and Facebook tonight as returns roll in, and check back tomorrow morning for a full recap of tonight’s results, plus reaction. Going to vote today? Snap a photo outside the polls and let us know what you see!

Bethany Erickson contributed to this report and designed the interactive map.