Celebrity Pit Bulls

Here’s the report from WFAA-TV.

Another Pit Bull Attack

From a Reader…

“I saw a tiny little blurb on WFAA…there was a pit bull attack in Dallas somewhere last night…”

 It was another attack. So sad.

What Do Pit Bulls Have To Do With Celebrity Bakery?

I think I’ve figured out why and how Mr. Pit Bull, our neighbor who owns the ravenous Chill and insists on keeping her in his yard despite what he told more than 100 neighbors a few weeks ago, has such a nice home. Sources have told me he is related to the Harris family of Celebrity Cafe fame. Mr. Harris apparently ran the Preston Royal shop for the family until they sold the chain a few years back. Deep pockets. Developing.�

Arlington Homeowners Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere

Wait, I have a question: not only is there an Homestead exemption but don’t these folks qualify for the over-65 exemption?

Warning: Negative Real Estate News, GORY PARK?

Tom Hicks has put Glory Park on hold — if anything, our economic climate today is worse than post 9/11. At least back then everyone wanted to cocoon. Now we may want to cocoon but have no money or financing. Plus that name. I mean, what if the “L” falls off during a storm, like the old “Hiltop” (which used to be the “Hilton”) which is now the Palomar which is another story, and the the place would be G ORY PARK? �

Pit Bulls Back

Call Animal Control immediately if you see them loose…

Continue reading "Pit Bulls Back"

Attack of the Pit Bulls: Chill Returns Home

 This is unbelievable, because Mr. Harris told more than 100 of us down at the Dallas Animal Shelter a week ago Tuesday that he would not bring Chill back to his Preston Hollow home on Royalton. But I just receieved a phone call from Terry O’Conner (whose wife and dogs were attacked by Chill a month ago) that Janet Henderson called him from the Shelter, John Harris picked up his dogs and told her he was bringing them home. And legally he can do that. The City cannot do anything unless the dog attacks again. Then — they said — they would go to court and ask a judge to order the dog destroyed. The Harris home is on the market. Please, if you are over there looking, be careful and do not leave the gate open. Do not pet the doggies. Meantime, steer clear of our ‘hood for a few days: I fear everyone with a CHL will be packing heat to give Chill a big fat pill.

Preston Hollow Attack: The Bullet Grazed Her

NBC told Linda Patman they found this story on this blog then called her. I just got off the phone with her — Linda’s a flight attendant and says she knows how to move fast. Thank God. Folks ask why Dallas Real estate values don’t soar? Sometimes, I think, it’s because of our high crime. Recall the “Burglars With Balls” about this time last year? Suggestions?

Preston Hollow: Don’t Hate Us Because We Have More Dirt And We Are Attractive

How did I miss this? Um, about that pool pass…I’ll pass. In Preston Hollow we may have our share of guns and butter but each one of us has our own lake pool. Thanks.

RE: Avery Johnson’s Condo (Again)

Thank you, Dallas Blogs. Soon Kyle and I will be posting a video we took just last week, in fact, of an exquisitely decorated unit on the 12th floor of the Ritz for under $3,000,000. (It has Italian Stallion bedsheets!) But remember the listing agent is Jaime Adams with Prudential officing out of Arlington.

Tucker Hill: With A Name Like That, You Just Have To Live There (Or At Least Visit)

I love the name of this community so much I want to write a weekly TV series called “Tucker Hill”. Four women, all Dallas blondes. One’s a Realtor, one’s an Interior Designer, one’s a Sunday School Teacher, one’s a stay at home mom who home-schools and no one in the family ever swears. Until I complete that script, here’s what’s really happening at Tucker Hill: The 2008 Spring Parade of Homes™ presented by the Home Builders Association of Greater Dallas starts  May 17, this Saturday, through June 8 at that gloriously named community in McKinney. The annual event benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Texas® and HomeAid/Home Builders Care and tickets are $12 at the door A BARGAIN! If you are watching pennies after pumping gasoline into your car, discount tickets are available inline at www.paradeofhomes.com and fabulous Tom Thumb stores. 

RE: Avery Johnson’s Condo

Must read.

“Air Force One Dropped Me Off”: And There’s Still 200% Condo Appreciation In Miami

I think this guy must be a frustrated Realtor back from Miami.

Avery Johnson’s Home

This is the guest room. Kyle and I are going to do a video later this week. Here’s the full MLS report and I want you to note the home association dues, which are mandatory, of $3011 plus a month.

National Home Sales Down Bigtime, Not So In Dallas/Fort Worth

This according to CNN/Money who says all we are down overall is 2 %. Take that to the tax man!

Avery Johnson’s Condo Goes On The Market

Well now, that didn’t take long: a source tells me Avery Johnson’s condo just hit the market today: $4.475 Million. 
Listing Agent: Jamie Adams, Prudential Texas Properties. Jamie is the Realtor to rich and famous athletes — if you look on his website, he still has Daryl “The Moose” and Diane Johnston’s Northaven home up as he is their agent. Jamie’s a cool guy. Anyhow, chez Avery, my source tells me:

“Everything stays with an “acceptable offer.” Guess someone doesn’t want any 
reminders of the past…and all the stuff is only a couple of months 
old. Asking price translates to $1,051.21 per square foot for “one of 
the most prestigious condos at the Ritz.”

 Can’t wait to get some pics…

People Coming To Our Front Doors To Shoot Us: Sick and Tired, Not Going To Take It!

So Eric was lamenting the scavengers in his ‘hood, and while I totally sympathize, I’m sick and tired of the crooks in our ‘hood who come to the door and try and shoot women at home during the day. When I first heard this story I thought, oh, another scary urban legend, ’till I noted a friend’s name buried in the scroll and called her: yup, true story. Happened in Preston Hollow last Monday morning, 11:00 a.m. (Read entire event after jump.) My friend says the victim had all these wild thoughts  going through her mind but she remembered an Oprah episode telling women not to let a perpetrator get you in a second place. So frightened as she was, and too far away from her alarm keypad to hit the “panic” button, she ran away from him and ran outside, and hid behind one of her columns. (Love those columns!) This poor woman is understandably scared to death but doing OK; meantime her neighbor, my friend, is going to slip a gun into a drawer in her own foyer. I think I need one of those bumper stickers that says “Protected By Smith & Wesson” for my front door. But seriously, this is awful: I’ll bet these folks pay no less than $20K in property taxes and where is our police protection? Why are we not safe in our homes at 11:00 a.m. in the morning? Please be careful — get a peephole and if you do not recognize the person at the front door, DO NOT ANSWER!!!

Continue reading "People Coming To Our Front Doors To Shoot Us: Sick and Tired, Not Going To Take It!"

George Lewis, Home Builder to President and Mrs. Bush?

If you want a home builder with the best credentialled subs in the world, call George Lewis. He completed three or four projects for the Bush family when they lived in Dallas in their home on Northwood. He was recommended to Laura by her cousin, Robert Welch, a developer who has fabulous taste in women (I know who he’s dating!). Robert and George are ski buds. George reminded me that Laura’s father was a home builder,  so she is wonderful to work with, really one of his most delightful clients.

“She always knows in advance what decisions need to be made,” says George. “She thinks through everything.” 

Funny story, since we were talking about the wedding. When they bought Woodland Laura had George take out old Sheryle Wagner sinks because they were too fussy. “I don’t want my girls growing up with that,” she told him. Laura likes clean lines and simplicity. Another funny story: when his father was president, the Secret Service had to check out each and every sub who worked on the house. (And George’s all passed the muster!) One time the floor refinisher was coming while the Bush family was going to be out of town. The Secret Service had to be there to meet, watch and protect. So, the SS guy asked George, how reliable is this floor refinisher? Well, said George, he can be a bit flaky about time. (Hello, have you ever had a sub show up when he said he would?) So the SS guy asked the floor guy when he was planning on arriving: 9:00 a.m.

“If you arrive at 9:01 a.m. understand you are not getting in that house,” said the SS guy.

 The floor refinisher got there at 8:30 a.m. I want his name!

Ciao, Bice

This is painful to write, so I’ll just link. All I can say is that now I have to fly to Chicago or New York to get great Italian food. So Texans lova the steak house? That is so dumb. You can buy a great steak at Central Market, Whole Foods or Kuby’s for God’s sake, season and plop it on the $10,000 grill you have on the patio of your McMansion. Voila: steak. But to find a great sauce or pasta filled with delicacies, that takes hours of delicate prep.

RE: NAREE Wrap-Up

Last week Dallas played host to two major Real Estate conferences, the Urban Land Institute and NAREE. In a way, I was at both. My brother-in-law is in commercial Real Estate and he was in town for Urban. I’m wondering if we will see an uptick in sales after both these conferences. The Real Estate editors from across the country were very, very impressed with the urban development in downtown Dallas. Out west, Hillwood was kind enough to treat many of them to ‘copter rides and photo ops with Longhorn Thursday afternoon! Lucy Billingsley had a beautiful, tasteful reception at One Arts Plaza. Dallas power Realtors explained that we were are not suffering the way most areas of the nation are because we did not have huge run-ups in pricing and a lack of speculators. In fact, one of the best questions a reporter asked at the panel I moderated was this: why not? Why don’t Dallas home prices rise 20% to 30% like they did in Florida, California, Phoenix and Nevada? Ellen Terry said it’s because we have so much land and we can always spread out. A developer completes one home project in say, Flower Mound, sells it out and goes on to start another one because we have no natural barriers like mountans or an ocean. There’s nothing shutting us in!  Allie Beth Allman added that the speculators haven’t preyed on us all that much. However, the close-in areas such as Uptown, Park Cities, Preston Hollow, she says are seeing price appreciation because that dirt is limited. In a way, LBJ is the mountain range or ocean that gives us boundaries and keeps those values up. Bottom line: expect some good press about our Real Estate market in the national press within the next few weeks.  Frankly, we deserve it!

NAREE Wrap Up

Steve Brown says it better than anyone can: fasten your seat belts ’till 2010.

Inside The Jenna Bush Wedding

So my hairdresser, Jessica Tigert, just called to tell me she spent the last two days with the Bush family down in Salado and Crawford doing hair for the wedding — the First Lady, Jenna and Barbara. (Let me tell you, Jessica straightens my curly mop and she is a pro. She could keep your hair gorgeous in a tsunami!) She kept their locks smooth all through the wedding festivities and says everything was amazing: “They are awesome, great people, treated us all just like family.” She says that Jenna and Henry (who the First Family really, really like) are not going on a honeymoon just yet as Jenna is going to be in a friend’s wedding in the next couple weeks and Henry is finishing up school. Barbara’s very excited about the family moving back to Dallas. Someone from Washington, D.C. did the flowers… the house is awesome, long and sprawling and has the most beautiful swimming pool she’s ever seen. All Jenna’s House Party girls were attendants, each in various colors of pastel dresses that were designed differently for each girl and they all looked beautiful. The security was amazing — lots of “Men In Black” guys (all very hot, too, says Jessica who would try to smile at them but they were all working, not flirting) and dogs sniffing their cars! The press was in Crawford but way far from the ranch, and all guests were bussed in. Stay tuned for more!

Mortgage Insider

Wow, read this.

NAREE Report: Foreclosure Fallout, Teller of Subprime Tales

Yes, it was a grim morning today at the second NAREE session of the day, Foreclosure Fallout. Two very interesting speakers kept us perkier than a Starbucks double expresso: Steve Dexter, California Mortgage broker and author, and Richard Bitner, author of a great mortgage industry blog who was handing out pre-pub copies of his book “Confessions of a Subprime Lender: An Insider’s Tale of Greed, Fraud & Ignorance.” (I have 2 copies if someone wants to borrow). Your take-away: It ain’t over yet, there’s $250 billion out there in adjustable rate mortgages. One product, Washington Mutual’s loan pay option ARM, a stated income loan, mostly written in CA and FLA, is already seeing a 15% foreclosure rate after just 9 months. That means the ink isn’t even dry yet on the loan docs and folks are letting go. The blame lies with those who lent the mortgages and those who underwrote them, and perhaps Realtors who pushed a little too hard to “make the numbers work”. These guys think we won’t be out of this until 2010, and things will get worse before better. The governemnt should not bail out and start legislating controls lest more sources of capital dry up. That’s our problem now, liquidity — investors are gun shy. Already we are hearing of foreclosures in the higher-credit score classes, which is not good news. Some good news: the heavily discounted and REO properties are starting to move, and Jumbo (non-conforming) rates are getting closer to conventional numbers — as of today the rates were apart by 3/8ths of a point.  

D Home’s May/June Issue Is Alive With Spring

I think this may be my favorite D Home cover yet, and I’ve seen them all! That green plus yellow tulips and Jan Shower’s chair just wows you. Our new issue is jam-packed with great stories, columns, photos, and the Best of Everything. You will drool over the Real Estate listings this month, from Tokolon to Haynie (I heart Diane Duvall Roger’s listing) to Mayakoba, Mexico. Inside scoop: I found the magnetic doggie door (”Trend”) in a mammoth home that is under construction on Northwest Highway just west of Inwood Road — the one many people have asked me about. No, it is not a retreat or Four Seasons Hotel. It is a single family home, about 26,000 square feet, it has many over the top amenties including a “Traildust” slide from the second story to the family room, basketball hoops in the kid’s rooms, a whole separate and amazing athletic center, lagoon-water slide pool, trout-stocked pond, go-cart track, putting green, and electronic baseball batting cage. And that’s just some of it. We are awaiting completion to bring you more in an upcoming issue of D Home. But for now, enjoy this issue! 

Boomers or Geezers Retiring….To The Stoneleigh?

I loved this article in the DMN the other day because we really like the Hill Country. But then, at the National Association of Real Estate Editors conference in Dallas this week I attended a panel on Boomer retirement and learned the last thing we Boomers (I’m a very, very young Boomer… ahem) want is to be reminded that we are getting old. (Amen.) Sixty is the new 50, and 5o is the new 40, just like a billion is the new million. So the traditional senior communities like Del Webb just don’t know what to do with us. They have no idea how we will retire, if we will retire, if and where we will move, or so I learned yesterday. 64% of boomers think they want to remain in their current homes. The kiss of death for a retirement community is to call it that — call it a brothel, call it an insane asylum, but just don’t call it a senior citizen center. So I ask you — actually Realtors have asked me — what is with this new name for the Stoneleigh Residences, the Heritage? Sounds like a retirement center… and I’ve been there — it’s NOT.

House Lust

The NAREE  folks are still in town, so watch what you say. Yesterday a group headed over to cow town and even got some helicopter rides, snapped photos with a few Longhorn. My panel with Virginia Cook, Ellen Terry, Allie Beth Allman and Lucy Billingsley was like butter, stay tuned! I met Newsweek reporter Dan McGinn who has written a book I have been lusting after, HOUSE LUST, which I have just cracked open and highly, highly recommend!

Laura Beazley: You Are One Lucky Woman

Because Fernando Alva has left Keller Williams to join Laura Beazley Realtors, 6255 Mercedes Ave. Lookout, Lakewood! 

Help Her Protest Her Property Taxes

Just opened this email:

“Candy — Did you get your property tax statements? Our’s has gone up. I was going to protest it. Do have any good reasons up your sleeve or articles by chance?”

 Can you help her? And do tell, is there one piece of property in this town that has not seen an escalation in appraisals?

Oh Boy, Here Comes “Subprime Relief”

But the White House may veto, etc. etc.

Pit Bull Finale

I know this is getting to be like the time I had too many jello-shots at a party and started saying all these stupid things — it’s time to go home on this issue. And I will, but I promised Terry O’Conner, whose wife was bitten by Chill last month, a chance to vent. So here it is: Continue reading "Pit Bull Finale"

New Listing — Guess How Much?

This is a soon-to-be completed home, 6064 square feet on a 1/2 acre lot near Preston and Northaven. Soft Hill Country contemporary. Five bedrooms, 5 full baths, media room, mud room, four porches (just like the Hill Country) plus a guest room. Should be finished in June. I could tell you how much, but want you to guess. Hint: less than $2 million…

RE: Pit Bulls. Meet Chill

This is the dog causing all the commotion in our ‘hood. She seemed very calm at the Dallas Animal Shelter– I was tempted to pet her nose. Interestingly, they told me that when confined, many aggressive dogs “chill” and become quite controllable. Docile, almost. I think this is why my children turned out so well.  

It’s Not Miller Time, But NAREE Time (Read: Need Boxing Gloves)

Of course, when you get with journalists, any word that describes alcohol is almost — redundant! I am off to the NAREE conference in downtown Dallas this year, putting on my boxing gloves: I get to moderate a panel of Ellen Terry, Virginia Cook, Allie Beth Allman and Lucy Billingsly. Jump for the questions and email me if there’s anything else you think I need to ask them: Continue reading "It’s Not Miller Time, But NAREE Time (Read: Need Boxing Gloves)"

Pit Bull Attacks: Neighbors Pack Dallas Animal Shelter, But Be Careful Walking In Our ‘Hood

Like maybe we all need bullet proof vests. It was an unprecedented meeting yesterday down at 1818 North Westmoreland with more than 100 people jamming the dangerous dog hearing, and I did snap some pictures of “Chill” — that’s the 80 pound muscular pit bull who has attacked twice in our neighborhood now in 30 days. However, yesterday I learned that Chill has apparently been aggressive on one other occasion for a total of three attacks. The owner, John Harris, was at the meeting (without an attorney) and very cooperative, very contrite. He explained that he and his wife do not raise pit bulls — they adopted Chill and Callie and raised them in a loving environment since they were puppies. Chill was a stray; they are pampered dogs and Harris said he was confident about them being around his grandchildren. He is not planning on bringing them back to the neighborhood. Meantime, I learned from my neighbors that almost everyone around here is packing heat on dog walks, which kind of scares me.

Collin County Is Mad As Hell, Too

And asking the same questions I am.

Pit Bull Attack Meeting Today at Eleven A.M.

No, you are not menopausal, I did post stories about this weekend’s pit bull attacks in my neighborhood on our site and they have vanished but the tech gurus are working feverishly to resurrect. (Love those tech guys.) Meantime, the hearing is at 11:00 a.m. today at 1818 N. Westmoreland. I am holding a paper in my hands from Terry and Debbie O’Conner — Debbie was attacked March 30 by the pit bulls owned by John and Cathy Harris at 6322 Royalton. The dogs were quarantined for 10 days then returned to their home and last Saturday they got loose and attacked another man and dog. The owners tried to take the dogs away but were prevented by a couple of neighbors. At 11:00 a.m. this morning we are going to try and have the dogs declared “Dangerous”, a first step in trying to get them removed  or euthenized.  (Sorry, I’m a huge dog lover but I do not want these dogs in our ‘hood. Need my CHL just to walk the dogs!) There is also some confusion over a citizen’s right to shoot a dog who is attacking. My daughter, a 3L at SMU Law, says you may shoot a dog if it is attacking you or your property. However, the policman who came to the scene of the last dog attack apparently would not do that, or so I was told by my neighbors.

DCAD TAX APPRAISALS ARRIVING IN THE MAIL! Let Your Fingers Do The Walking…To Your Attorney’s Office

I am shouting, yes, because I am furious! Please tell me how in a down Real Estate market all of my properties can conveniently increase to suck more tax dollars out of our hides? We were socked with a 46.41% increase on our homestead, which got capped but still shot upward, while the condo went up 10.22%. I am not going to fret or get drunk; I am going to call Rick Duncan over at Brusniak Blackwell, P.C. (Maybe I’ll get a discount for having a kid at SMU Law or something?) Do not tell the husband lest he confiscate the Neimans card. DCAD folks, wake up and smell the darn Folgers ’cause we sure cannot afford Starbucks anymore. Gas is $120 a barrel today. It costs me $60 to fill her up and I have a Hybrid. Folks are hurting and home sales are sliding. Gosh sakes, don’t you read Steve Brown?

The World’s First Billion Dollar House

Million Dollar Homes are supposed to be pretty snazzy – but now an Indian millionaire billionaire has built a “Billion Dollar Home” with the help of a Dallas-based architect. Thanks to my son who reads Forbes and called me to say this just had to go on the blog… 27 stories tall, costing about $2 billion to build. To hec with an exercise room, this place has an entire floor devoted to health. And when it’s hot you don’t merely crank up the A/C, you go to the cool floor and get dusted with snow. Ah folks, all it takes is money. Lots and lots of it.

Centex Posts Loss

Will this slow down Tim Eller’s work on Lakeside Drive?

Eve Reid’s New Home Project

 
It’s this wonderful home on Airline Drive that I have been meaning to blog, and thankfully Rebecca posted it on the D Home blog so you can get all the scoop. Amazing place: the paints in the home are true mid-century modern colors and most amazingly, are the original paints from the 1950’s. (What did they put in there? I cannot get my paint to last six months!) This home is on the market for $1,350,000 but I predict it won’t last…

Welcome Wagon To Amanda Tackett

Over at D Home. Amanda is one of my favorite peeps and writers in the whole world. I died laughing when I read her essay on remodeling and bug infestation in D Magazine last year. Then she read my blog about our “Heads” infestation… you want to talk Trophy Husband, mine was mere inches away from becoming an actual trophy himself! (They are back, the trophies, not the bugs, but we have since made plans to buy a second home just for them. Marty Cortland thinks it’s so great he bought his Nanny a home? Well, we bought a home for our Heads.) Amanda and I have become email buds and I devour anything she writes. So very, very happy to have her blogging!

RE: Pit Bulls

My neighborhood is just frothing over with this issue, and everyone will be down on Westmoreland tomorrow en mass. Methinks that, because this is a pretty affluent hood — loaded with lawyers and professionals, something may actually get done this time. Stay tuned.

RE: Attack of the Pit Bulls

First of all, question: do you Realtors have problems showing homes with dogs as pets? I am an avid pet lover but know not everyone wants them underfoot, “reading the newspaper” or “sniffing your pheromones.” I would probably never buy a home from people who mis-treat their pets. But this whole pit bull thing made me stop and think: what do you do if you are showing a house with wild dogs in the back yard — or worse?

Attack Of The Pit Bulls — AGAIN!

So I pulled out of my drive this morning to see an NBC truck in front reporting on the latest pit bull attack in our ‘hood. I had just received an email alert that this trauma place Saturday night about 30 days after the last attack and thought naw, it can’t be. But it was the same dogs. The owners, John D. and Cathy Harris, live in this house, which is on the market. Seems like a great house — coffee bar, 4 fireplaces, flash-bake oven — and I feel for the Real estate agent, Rosalie Nagy. In fact, I’d love to know how she handles showings when the Pit Bulls are present — the Harris’ also have a little schnauzer who was barking at Channel 5’s Susy Solis. Anyhow, the Harris’ feel like everyone in the hood hates them, there’s a Dangerous Dog Hearing on Tuesday, May 6 at 11:00 AM at the Dallas Animal Shelter (1818 N. Westmoreland Road, Dallas, TX 75212), the house is on the market, put two and two together…�

Costa Rica: Totally Sold

Standing on the beach properties offered by Hillwood at Playa Prieta and looking at Monkey Head, a unique rock formation that resembles…. a monkey.

Costa Rica — Alternate Transportation

After Steve Brown’s depressing headlines, this is how we have to get back to Dallas.

Power Brokers In Costa Rica: Scouting The Deals

Waded through alligator-infested waters just to board this boat to scout the island for select clients. Liked what they saw…just kidding about the alligators. The water temp was 80 degrees today. Perfect. 

Costa Rica — How Power Brokers Live

When they are forced to turn off their cell phones.

Avery Johnson’s New Home At The Ritz

Will he put it on the market now? Has his Houston home sold? Who will get the listing for his swank Ritz pad? Stay tuned.