RE: Latest Rumor On Where George Bush Is Going To Live

I am a terrible tease. (Love it!) OK, the winner is Amanda on the latest “where are the Bushes going to live/” rumor… RUMOR ONLY: Far north Dallas, North Dallas Forty. Five minutes for an escape via 190.

$6 Million In 30 Days

That’s what Mark Cain over at DPM-Ebby has sold in the last thirty. He is most definitely not complaining about any “downturn” in the Real Estate market. In fact, he and Trey Bounds are going door-to-door in Preston Hollow, knocking on doors, seeking an acre lot tear down. Better be careful, boys — folks may think you are Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormons on a mission…

Overdue House Porn

The Inside Story: this house is residential but mere walking distance to Oak Lawn and Uptown. Besides, I kind of like the owners....

East Dallas (Real Estate) Is Hot

Jeff Duffey, Coldwell Banker, tells me properties are going going gone with an average of 15 days on the market to go under contract:

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Laura Bush* Helps Out With Local Sales

This may be better than the economic stimulus check! “Laura Bush” helping boost home sales at local open houses…but oh, read the fine print.

Back At The Ranch, Foreclosure Woes Of The Rich & (Sort Of) Famous

From Zillow.

AT& T Release

The Dallas Real Estate community is on fire with this one… (more…)

Get Your Listings Ready To Go

700 potential sales coming our way:

Houston Is Hot. Hotter Than Dallas Even

So says Newsweek.

Are Properties Moving?

One of my sources tells me no, not really. He has had four offers on a prime Preston Hollow Preston Hollow lot fall through. He thinks people are holding onto their cash, maybe looking for the bottom. What do you think?

U.S. Buys In Mexico, Mexico Buys In U.S.

Great story here on how Mexicans are buying U.S. Real Estate in south Texas. Values in McAllen are some of the strongest in the state. Reminds me of our recent trip to Mexico last March — we met a charming young couple from Monterrey who impressed us with their hearts and work ethic. Luis is in telecommunications and holds two jobs; his wife also works and both are holding off on starting a family until they have built a solid nest egg. While Luis was born and raised in Mexico, his wife lived in the U.S. and was educated here for high school and college. I believe she told me her father was in the U.S. “illegally”. Which of course got me thinking how silly our immigration laws are that we would not provide a way for honest, hard-working people like this to become citizens or in some way contribute to our economy.

Stoneleigh Opens, Elevator Issues

The Stoneleigh rolled out ten red carpets Wednesday night for guests in a most impressive four hour party (this party I, act two being Thursday night same time, same station) that was just uber over the top. The hotel looks fab and the penthouse is breathtaking — I’ll take you there via video Thursday afternoon with the one and only Carleton Varney. Jeff Trigger personally met guests at the door, martinis in the sales center, wine and champaigne flowed at the bar. Food par excellente. We loaded up an elevator car to see the 11th floor and — it stopped. (I have a bit of claustrophobia and feared the elevator was jammed, perhaps testing the weight limit.) I tried Lamaze breathing and then whipped out my cell phone to dial 9-1-1 , was hyperventilating too much to think of snapping a pic of us. Too bad because cute Christopher Wynn, home & dining editor of F!D Luxe, was in the cramped little car with us. (Christopher, totally apologize for losing it!)  Someone said “we are between floors.” Someone else was on a cell phone. All I know is that  despite my way-high heels and Armani, I was going to open that door and get us the beejesus out and — voila — the door opened onto the 5th floor. Disaster averted! (Did the fire department come? Ooops.) That naughty elevator wanted us to snoop inside some regular rooms, not the ones on display upstairs like the $5000 per night bridal suite. (Is it really $5000 a night? Does that include the dress that was on display?) What I saw was lovely — a near-flawless re-do which is probably why everything has taken so long. The bathrooms are spacious and the bedrooms have walk-in closets. Baronessa Cali bath products. Jud Pankey tells me they will have another opening in September and Prescott is looking forward to completion of the Heritage at the Stoneleigh, the high-rise next door connected by underground tunnel. 

D Magazine Best Realtor Party

Was a total success tonight at the venerable Mansion on Turtle Creek. Several lovely gifts were given away, two went to Ebby Halliday-esque agents — free whitening for Dave Perry-Miller who will now have brighter, whiter teeth in all his photos and Kay Cheek out of the Frisco office who won  — love the irony — a Botox package. Cheek –face — get it?

Before You Move, Always Take A Test Drive

Was talking to a dear friend of mine at the Stoneleigh party tonight — she  sold her house (North Dallas, north of LBJ even imagine that!) and is looking for one to buy. And she really wants to move south of downtown to Kessler Park/Oak Cliff. So, she found a cute house and decided to go down to visit it at night to see how safe she felt coming home late, when it’s dark and spooky, sort of take a “coming home test drive.”

Bad news: the police were at the neighbor’s house dusting fingerprints after a burglary. Sam Dealey Drive. She has decided not to move there.

Go To Garland: $239,000, On Greenbelt

Great house porn just east of Dallas, reduced.

Behind Closed Doors

Match the front door with the resident: Candy Evans (your’s truly), Glenn Hunter, Adam McGill, Tim Rogers, Merritt Patterson, Allison Smith. Courtesy of precious Jeanne Prejean.

John Harris Has A New Realtor

Remember John Harris?

FSBO House On Northaven

Wonder how long?

I’m Talking At The Oak Lawn MLS Meeting

Tomorrow morning…hope you can attend!

Ridgewood Park In The News

As in Dallas Morning News. Each issue of D Home I write up a nice little neighborhood in our great town. Is the Morning News copying me? Anyhow, I welcome suggestions for ‘hoods to write up. Send ‘em over, baby.

FSBO Website

Now here’s an interesting way to market your own home.

Living High In Coeur D’Alene, Idaho

Here we are — me and Courtney Jubinsky, a Realtor with Dave Perry-Miller, an Ebby Halliday Company. We are surveying Marshall Chesrown’s BlackRock development. Guess which one of us is a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader??? (ha ha ha.)

One Arts Plaza East View

Looks like plywood to me. Who wants to climb up there?

High End (And I Do Mean High) House Porn

Right here. But I have heard that Trump’s Palm Beach spread was snapped up by a wealthy Russian…

Dallas Is Nation’s Only Ray of Sunshine For Home Prices

Yeah, while everyone else is tanking 15% — Geeze Louise one-five — we rose 1.1% (as we all read) in April.  Where are May stats? Good news if you are selling here and buying out of state. But if you lose 15% selling your home out of state, will that give you less buying power here ultimately? In other words, will their troubles drag us down, too?