I’ve Done This: Written A Letter That Says, “Sell To Me”!!!

But now is the time to write the opposite: Dear Homeowner, We are in love with your home and want to give it all the love and nurturing it deserves, exactly what you have given this palace the past few years. We can feel the love in her bones and know you and your family have enjoyed many wonderful days here.

About our offer: we wanted to explain that the amount is in no way a commentary on the home’s value or your great upbringing. Yes, we are offering one-third less than your asking price but we feel it is justified given the state of American Real Estate. Home prices have pretty much tanked (in case you haven’t noticed). We are pre-qualified, which was nothing less than a miracle (I say too much), probably because we pay our bills on time. Oh and no bankruptcies. If the inspections go swimmingly, we will buy this house and you will be free and clear of that mortgage before you can whistle Dixie. Or you can reject our offer, slap reality right in the face, and keep paying that ARM mortgage while the time bomb to re-set goes tick tick tick. It’s really worse than a biological clock.

To make you feel better, we are going to suggest strongly you accept our offer and high-tail it to Texas. Our properties never shot up like rocket junipers the last five years. Yes, it was kind of depressing when you got together with your California friends. We enjoyed a conservative 4 to 5% appreciation which, I’m told, has totally reversed (um, I am arguing this point with the Dallas County Appraisal District, please support me here). You guys bragged about those 25% values and now, well, those implants are leaking. The good news is you can take this offer, move to Texas, and still buy a decent home with closets the size of a General Motors plant….if, that is, you accept our offer!

For Sale, Lot Only

House Lust Lame

Because (1) Sex In The City opens (who’s going to be reading a blog?) and (2) RECON spewed out some mildly depressing sales numbers for us (12.4 percent decrease in sales, prices down 2.6 percent) , downright giddy if you live in San Antonio (16.8 percent decrease, but 5.2 increase in median prices), Victoria (2.4 percent sales decrease with whopping 20 percent median price increase), Beaumont (2.9 percent increase in sales, 7.6 percent increase median prices) or Amarillo (4.9 percent increase in sales, 5.5 percent increase in values). But of course, those places don’t have the fun we do. Or the blondes.

Our Peggy Is A Star

My beautiful D Home colleague and Market Editor as seen at the Caroline Herrera event with George Cameron Nash in the current issue of Paper City. Peggy says I have all the fun with my FBO jet-setting to check out properties. Well, I wasn’t invited to this party, but Peggy was!

Jessica Simpson Moving Our Way??

Just heard from a very reliable source (who heard from another reliable source) that Jessica Simpson is moving to Dallas from LA. Now I thought she had a condo up by the Galleria. But this time she’s looking for real dirt.

21 Million on Joyce Way — East of Preston Road?????

OMG, now this will change all our tax appraisals. (Thank you, wonderful Jeff Duffey!)

RE Harris: WFAA-TV Asks People For Sources

God, this is like sticking my hand back in a bag full of snakes, but I am so proud of our People reporters for cracking that story on John Harris and the scales of justice. Seems our downtown colleagues want them to share.

Bankers’ View Of The Market

I, for one, fear rising interest rates… but forget me, here’s the view from top bankers.

Tex In The City

I must congratulate Donna Harris over at Donna Harris Company LLC for her clever “Sex In The City-fied” press release depicting everything that’s happening in “Urbia” — downtown Dallas —this weekend :

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Twelve Miles Of Bad Road Stalled

An HBO series starring Lily Tomlin about the Real Estate biz in Preston Hollow (or Hallow as some readers like to call it) has apparently been shelved. If memory serves me, this is the show that had Lily consulting with Ebby Halliday and Ellen Terry for pointers. What I don’t understand is the title: what does 12 miles of bad road have to do with the Real Estate industry? Unless, of course, that is how long it takes us to get out of Preston Hollow and north of LBJ JUST KIDDING! Seriously, does anyone see this as a weird title or am I missing something?

Fisher Comments

So with gas prices going up could this mean a rise in interest rates down the pike? Oh, I feel like it’s 1982 all over again. Got shoulder pads?

This Place Is Like A Jail!

Well, maybe that’s because it IS a jail — posted on the ZILLOW blog, for sale in a tiny Maine town. Which got me thinking…. what are some of the more unique uses of Real Estate you’ve seen? I’ve been to a church that was a great Italian restaurant in Salt Lake City, a hospital turned condo somewhere. How weird would it be to live in a home that was once a public space? I’m fascinated by what Trammell Crow is doing over at the old circa 1913 Parkland Hospital and cannot wait to see the finished product.

This Just In

OMAR is my new boyfriend…NOT!

Santa Fe Might Really Be OK

In researching second homes (blogging is the best way to procrastinate actual writing) I had been told that Santa Fe, New Mexico is passe. Like it’s over, baby, because the city got way too commercial and passed laws limiting rentals. Go to San Miguel instead, sources told me.  Well, J.L. Forke over at David Griffin tells me he just got back from a weekend in Santa Fe (nice) and loved every nano-second. He also says he got to help actress Jennifer Connelly select clothes for her husband at a men’s store called Pure — the husband was in town shooting a film.  J.L. was on a 5 acre property on a hilltop on Barranca Road. So you know, sometimes sources can be wrong.

Big News About the Museum of Nature & Science and The W Victory Park

I can hardly wait…can I donate my husband’s heads?

– Officials from the Museum of Nature & Science will join Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert and a group of business, civic and community leaders for a major announcement related to the new Victory Park facility at a news conference Friday (May 30) at 10:30 a.m. at the W Hotel.  The historic announcement – which will chart a new direction for the Museum – will include remarks from Museum leaders, Mayor Leppert and the individuals responsible for the announcement (this includes a person of international stature). 

Finally, Those Mega Million Dollar Homes Are Getting Affordable!

I mean, they are shaving at least a couple million off the price tags, according to this article. Not sure if the same cost-cutting applies to Texas. (Two words: Barnett Shale.) And then someone emailed me a link to Champs D’Or…are my eyes playing tricks on me? Is the listing price now REALLY $72 million?

What’s Up Over At Abio?

Questions from an astute reader:

“1. Went to search Abio site this morning & it was morphed into realliving.com.

2. Noticed in Sunday DMN real estate announcements some top VK realtors have migrated to Allie Beth Allman.”

I will try to find out, meantime I’m smack in the midst of writing about Second Homes. So if anyone knows anything, ’bout Second Homes or Abio, please let us know!

Homeless Billionaire: New Trend For The Rich?

You’ve got to admire this man…

NAR and DOJ To Settle Lawsuit Over MLS

The NAR agrees not to with hold MLS data from multiple listing services from companies that operate VOW-based search sites. �

Dallas Home Prices Down 3%?

But of course, you take this to the Dallas County Appraisal District and they look at you like it’s 2005.

Home Sales Down, Values Up ???????

This is the story nationally. Not locally. I will tell you everything in the state of Florida seems to be for sale. However, I also found some buyers in the Panhandle hunting for bargains. Meantime, from now on we’re going to take a “staycation“.

Welcome To The Second Home Reality

So, I am sitting at the airport in Pensacola, Florida. We were supposed to leave this morning from Fort Walton Beach, but American Eagle oversold the flight. They offered to shuttle us to Pensacola to leave on a  1:00 p.m. flight. It’s storming in Dallas so everything is delayed royally. Of course AAL cannot help the weather (and despite the company’s recent blunders, I appreciate a safe arrival more than anything) but I am writing on second home ownership. All this has me thinking: one of the biggest sells for any second home property is the “lift”, the ease of getting to the property via airline. Recall the good old days before $4.00 per gallon gas prices when you could get on Expedia and find air fares cheaper than your grocery bill at Whole Foods? Now they are overselling flights, cancelling, restricting luggage, etc. In other words, the lift is getting clipped. What, I ask, is the effect going to be on the second home market? 

Ann and George Hartley Are Alive & Well On The Redneck Riviera

You may recall a darling store at Preston Center and on Lovers Lane called Ann Hartley a few years back in Dallas. Well, I am in the Redneck Riviera for the weekend, red as a lobster, body surfing (with care, sadly two people have died in the Gulf this weekend), and had the pleasure of meeting the fabulous peep behind that store, Ann and George, at a cocktail party Saturday night. Ann and George Hartley and three children left Dallas for the sunshine state a few years ago. Now he has a darling restaurant called The Seagrove MarketCafe (world famous Po-Boys and Grouper sandwiches) where we lived it up on hush puppies and fried oysters. George is opening a new restaurant down on county road 30A this June. The name: George’s. Ann shops Paris with willing tourists. Both have a new home at Alys Beach and send their love to everyone in Dallas. If you head this way, get over to the SeagroveMarketCafe and, in about 30 days, George’s.

Happy Memorial Day

And before we retire this perfect day, let us stop and think about the brave men and women who gave their lives and energy for our great nation so we could enjoy the best property rights in the world. The United States has one of the highest property ownership rates of any nation. We love our homes so much almost a third of all Real Estate sales last year were for second homes and investment properties. We’re flipping homes like burgers on the grill, and yes, the market is tight in some spots, some price points, but we are all so blessed, so bountiful, and we owe so much to our forces present and past.  

Another One Bites The Dust On Rheims

I know, People beat me to this although one of my Deep Throats had alerted me right when it was happening. I have pics I will post shortly. In fact, I got so close I thought the demo crane would gobble me. Just heard from Peggy yesterday that designer extraordinaire Susan Palma did the interiors on this home and she was horrified to see her work reduced to dust.