Two Sisters Turned a Pandemic-Era Project Into the Cutest Casa View Ranch on the Market

When Katherine Olvera moved back to Dallas a few years ago, this Casa View ranch was not on her horizon. It simply made sense to move in with her parents, save money, and take time to look for her own place. Her sister Caroline was finishing grad school, working, and living in their childhood home because that also made sense. Why rent when all she did was come home to sleep? It was one big happy family with varying schedules and they were lucky if they caught a fleeting glimpse of one another.

Then the pandemic hit.

Everyone began working from home, and after about 6 months of extreme togetherness, Katherine said, “There were too many people at my parents’ house.”

The sisters began to think about renting a place together, but rents were high. They started looking at houses as a pandemic pastime.

“It was safe to be in the car, so we drove around every weekend and started to think about buying,” Caroline said.

They ran some numbers, and it turned out that purchasing made financial sense, so they went ahead and got approved for a mortgage. There was low inventory, but they were not in a rush and were happy to wait for the right place. They also wanted to make sure the price point would allow one of them to continue to own the house if the other moved out.

“I think we were realistic,” Caroline said.

The main non-negotiable was two bathrooms for Caroline and three bedrooms because Katherine would be working from home full-time. They also didn’t want to deal with refinishing floors and wanted a garage. And, of course, the budget was important.

“We’re young, and we like to travel,” Caroline said. “We know people can buy an amazing house, but then they have no money to do anything else. That was not us.”

Luck was on their side and this darling 1954 Casa View ranch was only the third home they saw.

“It was flipped, but done well,” Caroline said.

The windows, roof, kitchen, and bathrooms were all new and the floor was refinished. By August 2020, the 1,730-square-foot Ranch-style house was theirs.

Then the fun started. These ladies are from a family where design skill runs deep and they know how to handle tools. They’ll both tell you the best high school graduation gift they’ve ever received was a toolbox and tools from their aunt. They also had learned never to be afraid of making mistakes.

“Everything can be fixed,” Caroline said. “If we made a hole in the wall, we thought, ‘Okay, we’re learning to patch walls now.’ It’s also ok if you make a design mistake. We never got analysis paralysis. We just sent things back that didn’t work.”

“We also did things the way we wanted to,” Katherine said. “We didn’t buy a house as an investment; we bought it as our home.” So many people get caught up in resale value they forget to put their personality into the house,” Caroline said.

Collaboration is key whether you live with a sibling, a friend, or a spouse. “It was challenging because our design aesthetic is different,” Caroline said. “So we had to blend our styles, and then we got into the groove.” 
 
With the pandemic in full swing, there was a project happening every weekend, always bearing in mind cost-effectiveness. For instance, they waited for the Elfa sale at the Container Store, ripped out closets, and in a weekend installed new ones.

“That was one of the most impactful things we did,” Caroline said. “I’ve never had a closet where I could see my shoes. I’m a shoeaholic, and every shoe has a story. It makes me happy to see them!” 

While the house is absolutely perfect for the Olvera sisters, life brings change. The sisters are saying a fond farewell to their first foray into real estate and on to new adventures. Katherine has moved to Barcelona and is house hunting there. Caroline is toolbelt-deep in a full-on remodel of her new house. You can follow that unfolding at d.i.yall on Instagram. (I’ll report back when Katherine finds her Barcelona dream home.)

If you are in the market for an absolutely adorable Casa View ranch, Paragon Realtor John Angel has just listed 2731 San Medina Ave. for $424,900. I doubt it will last until this weekend’s open house, so give him a call now!

Open House: Sunday, May 25, 1-3 PM