This Argyle Luxury Retreat on More Than 17 Acres Has Everything You Want — Plus an Ag Exemption

It never fails to amaze me how much bang you get for your buck in under an hour’s drive from Dallas.

If you have $5 million to spend, sure, you can find a house in the Park Cities — on just over a quarter of an acre. Or, you can drive about 45 minutes from downtown Dallas and purchase this Argyle luxury retreat with over 17 acres AND an agricultural exemption. For our newcomers, an ag exemption translates to enormous tax savings.

What does an ag exemption do?

Although everyone calls it an ag exemption, it’s actually a special valuation. Taxes are calculated on productive agricultural value instead of the simple market value of the land. No, that does not mean you have to don overalls and live the Green Acres lifestyle.

An ag exemption simply means you can use the land to, for instance, keep bees and produce honey, or coastal hay, or even manage wildlife. Once you have an ag exemption, you want to make sure to keep it because they are not easy to get — and remember you can hire professionals to manage your hives or your wildlife.

This Argyle Luxury Retreat is ‘Delicious’

Generally, when you find this much land so close to Dallas, there is seldom a spectacular home as part of the deal. Of course, this Argyle luxury retreat was enhanced for sale by the team at George Bass Stage and Design. When I texted Bass to find out about it, he responded with, “It’s so delicious.”

That is high praise from a stager who works on all the best properties in North Texas.

And indeed, it is delicious. The ivy-covered stone facade looks like something you’d see in the English countryside. There are, in fact, a lot of European influences that lend a quiet character to this 6,967-square-foot, four-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bathroom Argyle luxury retreat. Limestone and hardwood floors and a beautifully vaulted family area and principal bedroom are all reminiscent of English country homes I’ve been inside. However, there’s just enough of a Texas accent to ensure you know you are deep in its heart.

This is one of those homes you never have to leave with a pool, patio, and endless backyard. The property also includes a professionally stocked bass pond, an 800-square-foot office and workshop, and, of course, there is a chicken coop.

If you have children, all the more reason to move here. Argyle Independent School District is a top-rated public school with a student-teacher ratio of 16 to 1. It ranks No. 6 in Denton County according to Niche.

Compass listing agent Jollete Ryon-Schoeve has this Argyle luxury retreat at 597 Sam Davis Road available for $5.2 million.