Second Shelters

The Week Ahead on CandysDirt and SecondShelters: Calistoga, California Here I come

By Candy Evans / October 3, 2011 /

My second home this weekend! As I have told you, I launched CandysDirt.com on July 1, 2011, my very own version of the super duper popular DallasDirt blog I created for D Magazine and kept going, growing for almost four years. CandysDirt (no apostrophe) is ALSO growing by leaps and bounds — please check it out…

How To Finance a Second Home: Tricky, Little Complicated, But Not Imposible

By Candy Evans / October 3, 2011 /

Cinnamon Shore This may be a great time to BUY a second home, but are banks, who make it hard enough to finance your primary residence, cooperating? The answer is yes, if you have good credit and a hefty down payment. But I have heard so many conflicting stories on the nuances of getting a second home…

Guest Post: Austin Real Estate Is Kicking Major Butt: What Are They Doing Right? THEY’VE GOT JOBS!

By Candy Evans / October 3, 2011 /

Get this: Austin has an unemployment rate of only 6.7%. That could be why, except for South Padre Island, Austin now has the highest priced median homes in Texas: $194,600, according to the Real Estate center at Texas A&M University. Sales of existing single-family Texas homes in August were up 24 percent from a year ago, according to the…

Designer Denise McGaha: Monogrammed Towels, Linens & More — How To Make Your Second Home the Most Relaxing Design Haven Ever

By Candy Evans / October 2, 2011 /

When it comes to decking out a second home, interior designer Denise McGaha has seen it all. Denise is the Owner and Principal of Denise McGaha Interiors , an interior design firm in Dallas, Texas.  After 7 years with luxury retailer Neiman Marcus, Denise opened her design firm and set out to design luxury homes for her…

Al Hill III Buys a $9 Million Dollar Home in Atlanta

By Candy Evans / September 30, 2011 /

On CandysDirt,  I told you about Al and Erin Hill, that’s Al Three, who recently moved their family to Atlanta. They bought a $9 million dollar estate in swanky Buckhead (think Highland Park on Strait Lane in Dallas), closed on it in July. Last spring, the couple had some legal problems involving a $200,000 HELOC —…