Tag: Oak Cliff

Dallas Developers

Are Golf Courses America’s Next Bowling Alleys?

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Recent developments surrounding the Golf Club of Dallas, formerly the Oak Cliff Golf Club, bring to mind a panel discussion at June’s National Association of Real Estate Editors confab.  Seems golf clubs are not as popular with the young as they are with their parents’ and grandparents’ generations.  There are several reasons for this, including shifting socialization patterns, negative perceptions of the game’s culture, and cost.

It seems that as society has picked the pockets of young people for everything from student debt to over-priced apartments, there’s simply less in the kitty for expensive pastimes like golf.  And golf is an expensive activity.  Aside from the stereotypically garish ensembles, it’s not difficult to drop a grand on a set of clubs, a couple of hundred on shoes, and upwards of $50 for every dozen balls. And that’s before you hit the links.

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Dallas Developers

Huffines Communities Presentation Riles Golf Club of Dallas’ Neighbors

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Last night’s community meeting with Huffines Communities at the Golf Club of Dallas on Redbird Lane felt like a bad setup. The room was at capacity with literally hundreds more still standing in line, out to the middle of the parking lot, when the presentation began.

“I hope all these people are against the project” said one woman in front of me. Everyone seemed to be talking about how the proposed small lots and low price point were a bad fit for the neighborhood. It was a very diverse crowd – a cross-section of the diversity that people love about Oak Cliff, from very young to very old and all types and kinds of ethnicities of people. Even Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price was there.

When Donald Huffines — who is also a Texas state senator — got to the mic. he began by showing images of developments he’s built in his 30 years of experience. Water parks, waterfalls into lakes, Cape Cod-inspired town homes, and ‘no brick facades’ – so homeowners are able to paint their exteriors … Demonstrating in pictures what their website says about another project they planned, “This community will offer residents the signature Huffines Communities lifestyle along with traditional resort-style amenities, several highly regarded builders, and year-round resident activities.”

The neighbors didn’t want slick pictures of other places — they wanted to hear what was planned for their neighborhood. The presentation was cut short and the crowd got rowdy. Dallas City Council Member Casey Thomas did his best to calm the crowd. Eventually we heard, “There is no plan yet. We’re here tonight to hear what the neighborhood wants.” With over 500 people in a jam-packed audience that was a tall order. (more…)
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Caliber Home Loans House of the Week - Sponsored

A Split Level in Kessler Park With a Split Personality

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When some people hear the words “family home” when describing a house, they automatically expect a beige yawn-fest with builder-grade carpet and a bonus room that will eventually be lousy with toys and a minefield of mismatched Legos. And truth be told, not every family wants to live in a house that feels boring, tired, and just another place for kids to scatter shoes and backpacks.
 
Lucky for you, Sam Saladino with David Griffin & Company has a listing in Kessler Park that combines family living and plenty of style. It’s a house for parents who like to host parties and for kids who beg off the occasional sleepover. It’s a split level with a split personality, and this Oak Cliff cutie is a shoo-in as High Caliber Home of the Week sponsored by Lisa Peters of Caliber Home Loans. If you are in the market for a family home that doesn’t look like a “family home,” look no further!

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Inwood House of Week -Sponsored

Oak Cliff Midcentury Modern Reinvented and Ready for Some Cool Cats!

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If you’re dreaming of Frank Sinatra singing, “Fly Me To The Moon,” cocktails that are shaken — not stirred, and Palm Springs poolside lounging, we have your next home! Our Inwood National Bank House of the Week at 910 W. Colorado Blvd. is a flawless Oak Cliff midcentury modern that could easily be a location for any Rat Pack movie.

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Affordable Housing

Southern Dallas Buyer’s Guide: Looking For a Reasonably Priced Home? Let the Redline Map Be Your Guide

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If it’s Red, full steam ahead; if it’s Yellow, say “hello;” if it’s Blue, you might’ve missed your queue.

Last week, Seth Fowler wrote about a client of his looking for a home in the sub-$200,000 market close to his job in Bedford.  “Ted” had been on a roller coaster of 43 showings and 11 contract offers … still without a home eight months on and counting. In today’s Dallas, it’s a story that’s been accelerating since the housing market began recovering in 2013. While slacking in the upper end of the market, the entry level remains full steam ahead.

Also last week, Alex Macon posted on D Magazine’s Frontburner about the legacy of redlining and a new set of charts overlaying 1930s redline maps against the current racial makeup of Dallas (U.S. Census data).  It’s clear that the 30-year pox of redlining, from the 1930s until 1968, still infects the Dallas landscape (as it does nationwide in many previously redlined areas).

But what’s the reality? I’m going to find out.

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Caliber Home Loans House of the Week - Sponsored

Pill Hill’s Dr. Harper Would Approve of Updates to This Midcentury on Monssen

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Wynnewood North, an Oak Cliff neighborhood originally developed by Angus Wynne Jr., was once a magnet for doctors. That’s how it became known as “Pill Hill” in the 1950s and 1960s. In fact, many of the doctors that called Wynnewood home actually worked with Wynne — the developer who would build Wynnewood Village and Six Flags Over Texas — to design their homes. And you can still see the personal touches of Dr. Jack Harper, a longtime friend of Wynne who served in the Pacific during World War II, in 534 Monssen Drive, this week’s High Caliber Home of the Week sponsored by Lisa Peters of Caliber Home Loans.

While the history of this home and neighborhood is rich and interesting, we love how much attention it’s getting from people who know good homes when they see them. “I find it interesting that a number of Realtors live in Wynnewood North,” says Diane Sherman of David Griffin & Co. “Makes good sense since Realtors understand good value.”

Diane is co-listing this particularly lovely ranch on a corner lot with her son, Vinnie Sherman. “It’s definitely a family affair,” she joked.

And Wynnewood, with its streets named for World War II destroyers, has been home to families for years, and those bonds remain strong. This home on Monssen has a fully updated kitchen, but still retains the original charm in both of its bathrooms and throughout the bright and airy living spaces. There are plenty of windows — some of them are the original steel casement — from which you can see the beautiful mature trees that Dr. Harper himself planted.

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Saturday Six Hundred

Kessler Park Tudor With a Backyard Paradise

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Kessler Park Tudor

If you’re in the market for a Kessler Park Tudor with a backyard that has no less than five areas for entertaining, stop reading and call Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s listing agent Jenni Stolarski immediately. This is one hot property, and mark my words — it will be pending by next week.

It’s always a challenge to bring you move-in ready properties, especially under a million dollars. And when we find them, they go fast.

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Tuesday Two Hundred

Fun and Colorful Brentwood-Trinity Heights Home Marries Modern with Vintage

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Brentwood

Our Tuesday Two Hundred is a fun, funky, and colorful home with personality to spare and lots of updated spaces. 

Located at 1038 Hendricks Ave. near East Claredon Drive and South Ewing Avenue, this house is located in the Brentwood-Trinity Heights neighborhood of Oak Cliff. The house offers tons of originality and and Craftsman touches, as well as some modern touches to hit buyers’ wish lists. Think original refinished hardwood floors, updated bathrooms, new central air and heat, and a walk-out balcony overlooking the neighborhood.

This property has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and 2,059 square feet on two stories, built in 1930. Let’s take a look. 

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