True story: I thought I was going nuts.
We moved into our home on Ricks Circle in 2000, after tearing down moving a 1950’s ranch off the lot, building our dream home and pool, for our children to enjoy as one was leaving for college, the other was entering high school.
I felt kind of guilty that our oldest did not have more of her teen years in this house, but as fate would have it, she would later re-bound here and enjoy it even longer than our son, who filled the house with his friends from nearby St. Marks, and later, Trinity University.
But back to the going nuts.
I’m out in the yard getting mail, which we all pick up at the box, at the street. In this ‘hood, smack in the middle of Dallas, we love that country feel of moseying down the road for the mail.
I hear horse hooves.
I am just experiencing menopause. Lord, I think, this really IS a crazy time. I am hearing horses in the middle of Dallas. Time for hormones!
Then I SEE horses, two of them, sweating and running at full speed around the curve on our street, West Ricks Circle, and headed to my house. And me out at the mailbox. And the dogs!
I had to make a split second decision: run to save the dogs and risk getting trampled by the horses, or scream at them to run inside while I hide behind the mailbox and pray: the horses were now two houses away.
I chose the latter. The dogs were terrified and headed into our garage. The horses ran across my front lawn, kicking up clods of dirt. I was still thinking maybe this is all a psycho hormonal trip until a neighbor drove up and said, Candy, those horses are running towards Northaven!
The house I am telling you about today is where those horses came from. We used to call it Ponderosa, because, with the horses, it was our beloved neighborhood ranch. It’s now on the market, many years later, a FSBO (for sale by owner) being sold by the current owners, who bought it from the previous, original owners, whose horses once ran across my lawn and headed for Northaven.
And the home (11585 East Ricks Circle) will be open this weekend: Sunday March 24, 2:00 – 4:00 pm, and then next Sunday March 31, 2:00-4:00 pm.
Sorry to disappoint, but there are no longer any horses in the backyard.
Not to brag, but we have a fabulous neighborhood. Yes, you can have horses here: one per acre. Hillcrest Estates is commonly referred to as the Preston Forest corridor and was developed in the 1950’s as a collection of sprawling, sophisticated ranch-style homes with giant yards perched on the outskirts of Dallas. Hillcrest Estates was billed as “a country estate with city conveniences”. The developer was named Rick, hence the name of the major horseshoe-shaped boulevard, Ricks Circle. There were no sidewalks on purpose. All the homes in the neighborhood are on a minimum of one acre or more of land, the measurement taken from the center of the street. The neighborhood includes East and West Ricks Circle, Belmead Road, Northhaven Road and Wander Lane, where the old Siss Carr property is currently being re-developed as one acre lot parcels for multi million dollar luxury homes starting at $1.5ish for dirt.
It is bordered by Hillcrest Road to the east, and Preston Road to the west.
An investment in Ricks Circle dirt is pure gold, what I call Blue Chip real estate. And the home I am telling you about is almost pure lot value.
I’ve lived in four previous homes in Dallas (Oak Lawn, Marsh/Forest, Midway/Royal, Park Lane at Hollow Way), and there is no comparison: this location is hands down the best. It is equidistant from Central Expressway and the North Dallas Tollway; LBJ is about 1.5 miles north. You can get anywhere lickety split.
It is also walkable to Preston Royal and Preston Forest, which both offer amazing restaurants, shopping and more from Eatzies to Ballard Designs, Central Market to Tom Thumb and Whole Foods.There are vets, pet and people grooming, even massage places. The Cooper Aerobic Center is also walkable, about 2 miles.
And as I alluded, Hillcrest Estates is conveniently located near most of the private schools in Dallas (my son walked to St. Marks occasionally) as well as Kramer Elementary and Dealey Montessori Academy. Our neighborhood also operates a private crime watch program, making it one of the safest pockets in Dallas.
And now you can get in to this well-kept bubble for under $2 million, because my neighbors who bought Ponderosa are selling their home of 18 years.
“11585 East Ricks Circle has been our amazing family home for the past 18 years,” say the owners, a physician/attorney duo. “From having soccer practice in the backyard, to gathering in the kitchen with friends, hosting family dinners and large Thanksgiving gatherings we have created some treasured memories here. This house feels like a home from the moment you step inside.”
True. The horses are gone, but the backyard is still a special and magical space for children and pets.
“It is large and open enough to host team soccer practice, baseball batting cages, hang out by the pool with friends and gather in the outdoor living space around the fireplace with friends and family,” says the owner. “The house is perfect for a family with two or three children, and there is lots of extra space to add on if needed. It is truly a family home and will be missed!”
But alas, these children grow up, go off to college, get jobs, get married, have families of their own.
And then it’s time to hand your dream castle onto the next family to enjoy.
What’s special about 11585 East Ricks is that the home, while not new, is perfectly pristine on the inside. It was built in 1952 but totally updated by the previous owners in 1995, and then again extensively by the current owners, as well as impeccably maintained. The home is 4563 square feet, perfectly sized for a family or for a couple who might want to live on the first floor, maintaining the upper floor (two bedrooms, en suite baths, a loft area in one bedroom, a play/study area between the bedrooms, AND a gameroom) for guests and family visits. It’s a large house, but not too much house: 3837 square feet downstairs and 1306 square feet upstairs. There are formals, two living areas with a huge, see-through fireplace, a large study with wood-burning fireplace with more exposed brick and full luscious views of the backyard.
About that exposed brick: it is used throughout the house, and amazingly attractive as exposed brick is very hot today among new home builders.
As for opening up the house for a more open-living feel, that could be accomplished by felling just one wall. The kitchen is large, remodeled with new cabinets and appliances, and pristine. The master suite with knocked-out bath and large walk-in closets is on the first floor and features a sweet private outdoor patio.. There is a large guest suite downstairs, complete with private bath that doubles as the powder room. The breakfast room is tucked into a corner by itself, making it more of a Morning Room where one could read and sip coffee quite peacefully, watching birds in the yard. And every room in the house features large thermopane windows that drink up the remarkable greenery, trees, and views.
Views you will get no where else in Dallas, with the possible exception of the honeypot of Preston Hollow, Strait Lane, or Bluffview… for at least $3.5 million or more.
The asking price is $1,975,000, and co-operating brokers will be paid a commission. The lot size is one plus acre. The home is on a pier and beam foundation, all bathrooms updated, and the sparkling pool off the back outdoor living area (complete with grill, sink, fridge, fireplace and a TV) has an attached hot tub and diving board.
Excuse me, but where else can you get all this for under $2 million?
There is a two- car garage with room to expand and add on a carport, a shed, and as for the yard, the sky is really the limit: plenty of room to expand the house, the pool, the spa, or pop in a sport court, or even a tennis court.
An ADT Alarm system has been installed for security, though the area is one of the safest, and quietest, in Dallas.
As for those horses, yes they ran onto Northaven, ran due west and crossed Preston Road. Amazingly neither were hit by cars. They finally stopped running near the Dallas North Tollway, off Northaven, where a woman having a cocktail looked up to see two very sweaty beasts in the backyard.
God I love this city!
