This All-American Beauty in University Park is The Ultimate Movie Location

When I was a location scout many moons ago, my number one request was to find a house with an All-American look. That meant one where you could visualize a family playing touch football on the front lawn while mom served up a pitcher of the client’s lemonade we were advertising. Or as the lights were turned off inside, the soothing voice-over would tell you how safe you were with the advertiser’s home security system.  

I cannot tell you how often I had to find that perfect family home. I would not be surprised if this All-American University Park beauty may have been used in advertisements and commercials because it looks purpose-built for stardom. I mean, seriously, just take in that Cape-Cod influence, the Austin stone facade, and the red, white, and blue theme.

It’s not surprising when you know a bit about the history of this home. The much-beloved architect Hal Yoakum used to live in a house on this site that he built in 1934. Fast forward sixty-plus years, and it was time for something different. However, builder Rusty Goff and architect Paul Turney paid homage to Yoakum by reclaiming the Austin stone exterior for their new 5,077-square-foot All-American University Park beauty. Clearly, their mission was to build a home filled with character and charm. I’d bet they succeeded beyond their client’s expectations because what we have here is a one-of-a-kind home destined to become a landmark property.

When you enter that welcoming red front door, you’d swear you’d been transported to the East Coast with a family room wrapped in warm wood and a stone fireplace right out of Country Living Magazine. There is a reason for wood paneling, and we’ve not fully appreciated that for a while. It’s time we fully embraced it again because it’s a trifecta of goodness, offering texture, warmth, and character. It’s also what gives a home that feeling of being deep in the woods on vacation, and who doesn’t love that?

Turney designed the home with three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and two half-baths. The game room will be a hit with the kids, and everyone will want to hang out in the morning room and open-plan kitchen. A cozy wood-paneled study with another stone fireplace will also have film companies knocking at your door because it’s an ideal spot for Christmas ads (which are always filmed in the summer BTW!).

Another great feature of this All-American beauty is that it sits on a corner lot, which offers an extra layer of privacy and allows sunlight to wash through the home. Caruth Park is steps away, and we all know it’s hard to beat Park Cities living!