Dallas real estate news
I spoke to MetroTex Association of Realtors MLS Director Cathy Faulkner yesterday about “Z sales” coming to an end. In the luxury market, “Z sales” gave lofty sales prices a sense of anonymity.
I won’t bore you with the technical details of what a “Z sale” is exactly. Check out this site for a primer on the practice. The gist is this: sellers who were gun shy about disclosing what they paid for a home listed on MLS put a “Z” instead of a big number followed by a lot of zeroes.
Dallas Realtor Jeff Duffey says the death of the practice “will never affect approximately 99% of the real estate market areas throughout North Texas.” However, he estimates roughly 20 percent of the sales in high-end neighborhoods such as the Park Cities, Preston Hollow, and Turtle Creek are “Z sales.”
I doubt a piece of cardboard and a stake is going to turn off a prospective buyer, but would you want to risk it?
Apparently yes, at least for some people. I’ve passed several homes on my rounds through Dallas’ many upscale neighborhoods with not only a “For Sale” sign in the front yards, but large signs extolling their picks for public office.
Our hot summer days are waning, so the collective gasps uttered by North Texas homeowners opening their utility bills are quieting, too. But don’t forget — heat costs money, too, and having an efficient home will keep your bills predictable year round. Of course, going green isn’t always about saving green, but that’s definitely part…
Just north of Forest and west of Hillcrest is Preston Brook Estates. It’s a quiet little area, carved seemingly from a forest with its mature trees on typical suburban lots. The location is outstanding — you’re close to shopping all along Preston Road, you’re close to North Central Expressway, and you’re about 25 minutes from downtown.
I have a small child, so, invariably it seems, he will turn into a shrill, soul-sucking monster just as soon as my mother-in-law leaves from babysitting him. Thank goodness he’s super cute, right?
