Articles about Tear Downs
Dallas Real Estate: Teardowns Bring Land Values Up, Structure Values Down?
Not sure I follow the logic in this Advocate piece from May, saying that tear-downs push land values up and home structure values down. Do you see what I am missing?
Disney Week: Great Pinocchio Listing— And We’re Not Lying!
Wonderful listing in the storied Disney Streets, where things are Goofy these days over a proposed Conservation District. Disney is the closest thing you can get to Leave It To Beaver living in Dallas. My favorite things about this home: it’s on a huge corner lot, and has just been reduced by $10,000 to $359,000. (Even so, I still think it’s a wee bit pricey.) Check it out: pool, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, try to forget the fact that the third bedroom is now a pool hall and the home’s updating lacks an overall sense of cohesiveness. Oh — almost forgot: the sellers are excluding the wine fridge, fireplace screens (???) and the sauna. Hope they’re calling Curtiss.
Dallas Real Estate: Living In A Tear-Down, Earmuffs
In our latest issue of D Home Magazine, which I know you will want to devour since it features this year’s collection of The Most Beautiful Homes In Dallas — Christine Allison writes a tender story about living in a home that “some” may call a tear down. “Some” are real estate experts, those nimble types who can calculate the cost of square footage in their heads times the return on every penny invested in a property. These are the bean counters of real estate. They know exactly how much per linear foot it will cost to add a granite countertop and from which zip code (buy it in Plano, it will be about $2.53 less per foot) and how much that new granite will net upon sale. They know which rooms you deck out, which ones you can let “slide”. But most of all, they know the scrapers. My editors at D Home always change that word when they see it in my copy — “don’t you mean “scrappers”?” No, I mean scrape, as in wipe that house clean off the lot. Scraper is the term real estate folks use for homes that have become functionally obsolescent — they are worn and have outlived their usefulness, like a terminally ill Medicare patient. Just pull the plug!
I, too, lived in a “scraper” for ten years that was also on the northwest corner of a lovely intersection. I knew my girl was riding into the sunset and we watched every penny we poured into her, kind of like those comparison-effectiveness studies health care reformers want to help whittle costs. (Just wait…) We stuck to functional repairs — only repair plumbing but forget new wallpaper. In other words, resuscitate, plastic surgery out of the question. I wanted a shot at building my dream house so we sold her — one of the hardest, most retching sales I ever had. I remain great friends with my realtor to this day for this reason: I called him at two in the morning 42 hours after closing, begged him to get me out of the contract. (Client from hell, that was me.) I was sobbing: I can’t leave this home, I cried, it has way too much history and… way too much stuff. I particularly enjoyed Christine’s story, because like many of us, I like to play “what if”? What if I had not gone to the college I did, met my husband, what if I had not bought our home on Park Lane and what if my dear agent had called me back, said yes darling, I’ll reverse that transfer of funds stat and find you a nice real estate attorney to cover you for the likely lawsuit you will be in for failure to perform to contract. Never had five garage sales, packed two moving vans, moved a family of four plus three dogs and a parrot into a rent house for 1.5 years, was almost evicted from said rent house, never got my security deposit back even though the builder tore the house down to — kindling. Took him to small claims court and won, but he had filed for bankruptcy and I just got in line. Am still in line, actually.
Do you see how this scraping business created an economic frenzy? On a bright note, only one thing broke: my sister’s antique glass cake plate, and she knows nada to this day.
Christine, I know what I am getting you for Christmas: earmuffs!
About That Lot At 4500 Lakeside Drive
That would be Tim Eller’s lot, but I am now told that lot is no longer available. But Tim’s son John Eller has joined the dynamic real estate sales team of Ben Jones at Allie Beth Allman, Ben being the agent who was marketing Tim Eller’s lot. I’m showing the lot still being in the Eller family name.
Of Unfriendly Home Building Job Sites And Fowl
Candy’s posts about unfriendly Preston Hollow job sites got me to cogitating about all the McMansions in PH that sport tall fences and walls for privacy.
The most notable example I can think of is a home with an “architecture feature” that ducks were flying into in the 8700 block of Jourdan Way. If you like you can read my story on the subject here. The photos on the left are from Patty Young, a bird watcher who took it upon herself to document the ducks’ inability to avoid colliding with the “architecture feature.”
The “feature” was a large glass window built into the wall 
surrounding the pond. The purpose of the windows were to allow for a view of the pond and the house despite the large wall surrounding aforementioned home and pond. Seems a little oxymoronic to me … But, I don’t get paid by the hour to replicate “architecture features” from the Nasher Sculpture Center in the back yard’s of Preston Hollow estates.
Needless to say this job site (construction was still taking place on the home) was none to friendly to our feathered friends.
Home Building Job Sites Say Keep Out
Is This House Worth Saving?
Update: Scrape or save — trying to decide? Send me your house photos (Candye@dmagazine.com), or invite me to your house — I’ll be happy to come take pictures for “Is This House Worth Saving?” XO
Is This House Worth Saving?
Dr. C’s dilemma should have been a no-brainer: should he sell his 18 year old, 2600-ish square foot ranch home near Arapaho, west of Hillcrest, where he and his wife raised their two daughters and enjoyed years of family bliss? He and his wife are the first to tell you the house is dated; not only does it primal scream “eighties”, the flow is stilted, and save for some beamed cathedrals, it has the curse – low ceilings.
Three years ago when credit was flowing like the Veuve Cliquot and Lear Jet tails at Teetersborough, Dr. C would have not minded selling his all but paid for home. He and his wife would have gone into debt for a bigger, shinier new product south of LBJ. They got bids. Then Wall Street melted, choking off the credit supply.
Now, Dr. C, like many of us, is re-thinking debt. Does he really want a mortgage the size of Montana until he’s 80?
5511 Park Lane: End Of An Era
Our home is being torn down. Well, it’s no longer our home – we sold it nine years ago. But it’s the home where we lived the longest together as a family, where my babies matured the most, and where we enjoyed what I have come to call our “blossom years” – the decade when “growing old” didn’t cross a brain cell probably because we were so busy. Mid thirties to forties. Our parents were still alive. We entertained endlessly: birthday parties, pool parties, school parties, dinner parties, and holidays. We didn’t change much in the house because we knew it was a “tear-down”, except for the new laundry room and bathroom (what happened to that precious tile?) and the sculpted carpet I had custom made for the stairway. Pure eighties, what was I thinking?
The New Look For DallasDirt And The Rest Of dmagazine.com
You may have noticed a new look to this blog, not to mention the entirety of DMagazine.com. You can find more info here, or just do some exploring on your own. Take a look at the place. We hope you like it.
Balanced New Home Market: 3 Or 6 Month Supply?
Across the nation, home construction is down drastically – good news for buyers, bad news for builders and anyone in the construction industry. Yesterday, Steve Brown reported that Dallas-Fort Worth has a 6.9 month supply of new (that is, builder new) homes. Which he thinks is too much:
“A “balanced” market is considered less than a three-month supply.”
Hmm. I thought a six month supply was balanced, or does that apply only to pre-owned homes? Your thoughts?
On Market, Not In MLS
That would be Tim Eller’s Lakeside lot, 4500 Lakeside Drive, that was once the home of the Bright family. Now listed by Ben Jones, the Ben Jones Group at Allie Beth Allman, who is quickly rising to the top of the creme de la creme of local luxury Real Estate brokers. (Ben even has listings in Beverly Hills. Very cool.) The market is reportedly down, but high end lots still rule — the corner of Park Lane and Hollow Way just sold lickety split, my old digs. Meantime, this Lakeside puppy has three swimming, three survey requests, not even in MLS. Can Ben pull off a sale and keep Lakeside out of MLS? Is the sky blue? Stay tuned.
Troy Aikman’s New Acquisition
Troy’s lust for his neighbor’s lot set him back more than $8 million, I am told. Supposedly he was to keep the Potashnik home as a “carriage house” but a reader informs me the tear down process has already commenced.
“Drove by this morning and the house next door to Troy’s is already getting torn down.”
He’ll certainly have his pick of contractors in this economy.
Another One Bites The Dust
This home about five doors down from me.
Bush Home: No Holiday Lights??
Workers hard at work at 10151 Daria Place shortly before Christmas.
4500 Lakeside Drive: Say It Ain’t So!
Remember this story about 4500 Lakeside Drive and what used to be there? And then this? Well, I hope you are sitting down and in fact, go pour yourself a dram before you read this. Guess who has decided NOT to build on this most prime choice of land? And guess who has it QUIETLY on the market for $14 million? Yeah, you got it.
Extreme Makeover Home: From Rickety Ranch To Mediterranean Palace In Seven Days
We were out there last week, then Real estate school and inclement weather kept me from updating. Zillow did such a great job, I’m just going to turn you over to Diane Tuman, who was kind enough to add in our video interview with the Augustin family!
Video’s Up For Local Family Getting Extreme Makeover
Talking major house plastic surgery here. Kyle and I drove out to Keller, Texas Monday afternoon to see the Augustin family off in the limo. Darn it, no Ty, no Paul, but we hear they are heading our way. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition has selected Amber and Peter’s family to be the recipients of a brand new home to replace their old one damaged by a flood last year. If you know the show, you know the routine — down comes the house in a matter of hours and working 24/7, the crew will build a new one in 106 hours… Texas-based Wall Builders know they have to finish the job on time, or else!
RE: Knob and Tube Wiring
Catherine, our San Antonio home has (had) this same type of wiring. Can you explain it and why do electricians all want to change it out? Thanks!
Shipping Container Houses
Catherine, what do you think of these?
The Sierra Tucson Of Green Rehab
So, here’s the challenge: take a 1926 bungalow, one of the earlier houses in its neighborhood, and do the greenest rehab you can. That’s what Chas Fitzgerald and Jack Hammack are setting out to do with this little house in the Kessler area. There’s no insulation, no central heat (no heat at all, in fact), and the previous owner, bless her heart, tacked up every material known to man to try to stop the wind from whistling through. We’re going to follow Chas and Jack over the next few months as they wrestle with decisions about style, architecture and sustainability.
House Porn a la Catherine Horsey
Was it Jimmy Carter who said he had lust in his heart? I lust for almost everything made out of brick, mortar, stucco, stone or (now) ICF. (Frame is OK too as long as no termite damage.) I have a wonderful compatriot who also has lust in her heart of a slightly different kind — preservation.
I welcome Catherine Horsey to Dallas Dirt. (Please wipe your feet.) Catherine will be joining us periodically to talk about old houses, new houses, sustainable houses and other topics. You might remember her from Preservation Dallas , Urban Reserve or one of the two soon-to-be-opening Audubon centers . She now spends a lot of time talking/lecturing/educating about how old houses, pre- air conditioning, were the original sustainable houses.
CE:God, Catherine, do you really like to sweat that much? Living in a home without A/C is like living in one giant hot flash!
CH: Candy, it’s like a spa facial, good for your pores.
Since I’m a House Princess — no marble around the tub means we are camping– I think Catherine is just what we need around here to bring in fresh, clean, un-airconditioned air through hand-cranked thermo windows to give us the down and dirty on green and preservation.
Welcome Catherine!
Homes That Can’t Be Built in Little Forest Hills
You may have heard the rumblings as far north as Preston and LBJ: the battle for a conservation district in Little Forest Hills. Come November, the City Plan Commission will scrutinize the plan, which goes to the City Council for a vote in December. Very hot issue. If the plan passes as proposed, here is a list of homes that can’t be built in Little Forest Hills including one we shot for our newest issue of D Home.
Don’t Have A Heart Attack But…
Steve Brown wrote a positive Real Estate story today!
Awards | Archives | Reprints | Custom Publishing | Jobs | Advertiser's Index