This Forest Hills Midcentury Modern Head-Turner Is the Smartest Purchase Ever

This 1960 Forest Hills Midcentury Modern started out pretty darned great. Then, it was updated and expanded by one of the best teams in the business, making it one of the best buys on the market.

I’ve always maintained that the smartest real estate purchase anyone can make is to buy a home an architect or builder created for their family. If you have a realtor in that mix, even better, because those three professionals know quality and livability better than anyone. Today we have a home run for y’all.

When this home was built, Midcentury Modern architecture had reached its peak, and it was hotter than hot. It’s not at all surprising that an architect would choose the style for their own home, and that’s just what Fred Vance, a partner in Roper and Vance Architecture, did.

Fourteen years ago, Compass realtor Michelle Hopson and her husband Robert Hopson, founder of Robert Hopson Construction Group, spotted this Forest Hills Midcentury Modern, and there was just something about it that struck a chord.

“It was not for sale,” Michelle Hopson said. “We just knocked on the door.”

Not long after that doorknock, it was the Hopsons’ new home.

“While a lot of people would have torn it down, we decided to remodel it, paint it white, and move in,” she said.

The Hopsons are only the third owners of this Midcentury Modern, which speaks to that livability I mentioned.

They were uniquely equipped to see the home’s future and plan the best timeline to accomplish all they had in mind. As their plans unfolded, the house became 5,698 square feet with five bedrooms and five-and-a-half bathrooms.

The show kitchen, which was just remodeled again this year, features Pacific Walnut cabinetry from Southeast Asia with solid-surface countertops because if you cook, you know you want durability.

Because Robert is quite the chef, the remodel included dual kitchens.

“The red high-gloss kitchen is a prep kitchen,” Michelle said. “When Robert cooks gumbo, it’s a two-day process, so this is where it happens.”

There is also walk-in cold storage, and if you don’t have a chef in the family, your caterers will love the space.

The house has also been the center of quite a lot of fun.

“We have had a million parties here,” Michelle said.

The media room, which doubles as the party room, has a 110-inch projector screen and surround sound.

“We even have a disco ball,” Michelle said. (I’d write that into the contract!)

When you’ve lived in a home for over a decade and work in real estate and construction, you don’t settle for one remodel. In the last six months, the Hopsons, with the help of architect Laura Juarez Baggett, redid not only the kitchen but also the bathrooms. The primary bathroom is going to be pinned a million times on Pinterest.

Michelle Hopson said people can’t believe it when they see the shower because of the floor-to-ceiling glass window wall.

“When we built it, the bamboo was taller than the house,” she said. “Most of the year, the window is covered with bamboo, and once the steam fills the shower, your neighbors can’t see in. It’s such a beautiful view when the bamboo is green.”

The house is set on almost an acre, with a creek at the back and a greenbelt to the side, so there is only one neighbor. Add in all of the live oak trees and bamboo and there’s a great deal of privacy on this property.

The backyard features an original in-ground pool, which means it’s deep enough to dive into. The Hopsons added an outdoor kitchen and living area with heaters built into the ceiling. There is also a fire pit, gas grill, and mosquito misting system so that the party can continue outdoors. And that uber-cool backyard fence, it’s made of metal and colored plastic panels.

Robert made sure the house has all of the latest innovations, including smart lighting, locks, and irrigation, as well as a state-of-the-art video intercom and cameras. It’s all here!

Of course, after 14 years, this sophisticated Forest Hills Midcentury Modern is hard to leave, but it’s time for the Hopsons to downsize.

Michelle turned to George Bass Stage and Design to put the finishing touches on the house before it hit the market last Friday, and even Bass was impressed.

“You just don’t find this much house on one floor in Dallas,” he said.

That’s a huge bonus because so many buyers are looking for single-story luxury living, so don’t be surprised if this beauty is under contract by the time we hit the publish button!

Hopson has her beautiful Forest Hills Midcentury Modern at 8441 San Benito Way available for $3.695 million.