Joanna England

Joanna England is the former long-time executive editor and a founding editor at CandysDirt.com.

When Does Mosquito Spraying Do More Harm Than Good? Just Ask The Dead Bees in Dallas

By Joanna England / August 12, 2013 /

Some residents near White Rock Lake woke up to a tragedy – massive numbers of dead bees all over neighborhoods that were subject to ground spraying by the City of Dallas last night. Sure, I hate mosquitoes just as much as anyone else, and with a toddler, I’m really scared of West Nile Virus, but…

Dallas Market Reports From CoreLogic, Case-Schiller, and Local Market Monitor Show Record Increases, Optimistic Forecasts

By Joanna England / August 2, 2013 /

It’s Friday, so we want to give you some good news that should hold you over through the weekend’s open houses, while you hover expectantly over the fax machine waiting for a seller to accept your client’s offer. First, the Dallas real estate market has fully recovered to pre-recession levels. Second, foreclosure inventory in Texas…

Friday Four Hundred: Looking For a Fixer Upper in Lake Highlands? We Have The Perfect Listing!

By Joanna England / August 2, 2013 /

We talked about photos this week, and how sometimes a listing photo works against a potential sale, but what about fixer-uppers? You already know you’re going to be looking for outdated and slightly funky properties, so I guess the more photos the better, right? Well, if you’re in search of a great investment in a…

History Has Its Place: ‘Lost Dallas’ Author Mark Doty Weighs in on 10 Nonesuch And The Case for Preservation

By Joanna England / August 1, 2013 /

Why is preservation important? That’s a question that can be answered differently depending on where you live, what you do, and your personal taste. To me, I think preserving historic architecture allows a city a shared sense of history, as well as a barrier from becoming homogenous.

For Mark Doty, a staff member with the city of Dallas Historic Preservation office and author of Lost Dallas, a city’s past is written in its streets and buildings, its neighborhoods and its public spaces. They stand as everyday monuments to the people who lived and worked within them every day.

Doty took some time out of his very busy schedule to share his thoughts on the significance of 10 Nonesuch Road, the famed estate of retail magnate Stanley Marcus, and how the Lovvorn family’s work can serve as an example of how preservation isn’t a fixed equation. Jump to read more …

Are No Pictures Better Than Bad Pictures? Sometimes Conditions Are Less-Than-Stellar, But Should You Leave it Up to The Seller?

By Joanna England / August 1, 2013 /

Our post earlier this week ignited quite the discussion on listing photography and what is appropriate for MLS. Of course, we love agents on CandysDirt.com, and our post was only a critique of the photos, not the listing agent. Still, a reader noted that: We do not know the circumstances (could be tenant occupied, could…