When the Buckner House went on the market, we lauded this Casa Linda Mediterranean’s history. We also worried the new buyer might not keep the home intact. We took to our social media channels to report the iconic East Dallas home at 1425 N. Buckner Blvd. was torn down Friday, and now we want to know what went wrong.
When the bulldozers arrived, our intrepid Executive Editor Joanna England hopped in her car and raced to get photos and film footage to publish a story. We were all in shock because we knew a bit more than the public about who was interested in restoring the home and really thought it would be saved. Yes, it had some water damage, and yes, it was neglected. Was it a teardown? Absolutely not.
So, what went wrong?
Multiple things. First, the home was vacant for over 15 years, meaning only the most dedicated preservation-minded buyer would understand the historical value.
Second, it was wildly overpriced and I cannot imagine it would have ever appraised at the original list price of $3.45 million.
DCAD puts the land value at $450,000 and “improvements” at $712,830, which is amusing considering the Buckner House has been vacant for over a decade. So, the total value in DCAD’s eyes was $1.16 million. Alright. We know DCAD is often wrong and that market value is no reflection of their value, but seriously, I think even the selling price of $2.89 million was out of whack with reality.
Third, there were multiple offers over the years, but none were at a price the seller felt acceptable, or the potential buyer could not get the zoning changed. At one point, Generation Homes made an offer for the land with plans to build a large multi-family project. The home is zoned single-family, and the zoning code is R10. That means each lot has to be a minimum of 10,000 square feet, basically the same size as most of the homes in Casa Linda Estates. As it did not fit the character of the neighborhood, they withdrew their offer.
We Can Now Reveal
The most gut-wrenching part of this saga is what we knew and could not tell until now. A buyer was waiting in the wings to do the right thing for the Buckner House, and it was someone known for her expertise in renovating and restoring historic homes.
Tam Pham of Steel Toe Stiletto has made a name for herself as someone who goes above and beyond to keep the integrity of a historic home intact. She has won four historic preservation awards from Preservation Dallas for her heroic restorations.
Tam is a true custom builder. What makes her unique is that she goes into these dilapidated properties and makes them gorgeous.
Gia Marshello- Allie Beth Allman & Associates
Pham also does her due diligence. The first thing she and partner Shawn Thomas, also an award-winning preservation-minded developer in his home state of South Carolina, did was pull the title.
“Part of the issue was the owner wanted a price that was not reasonable,” Pham said. “Then there was a deed restriction written in 1983 that was not completely clear. We talked to six different attorneys and two title companies about it. No one could offer a definitive answer. We were about to call SMU’s Law School to see if someone there could give us advice when the next thing we knew, the bulldozers had arrived.”
The demolition permit was pulled on Dec. 18, and the home came down on Dec. 22. There was no salvage arranged. The beautiful clay tile roof, the one-of-a-kind carved faces, and the amazing tile inside were all lost to a rubble pile.
But Who Tore It Down?
And where does that leave the land? Here are some things to keep in mind before rumors start flying on social media. According to our knowledge, a buyer cannot pull a demolition permit until the transaction is complete. The property is still showing under contract and not closed. However, please remember that it’s a holiday, so updating databases is not a high priority.
So, that means the seller must have demolished the home. Why? It changes the game. You are selling land with zero that anyone else has to raze. That can appear much more appealing to a buyer who intends to build a new home.
For those of you worried about developers, remember developers cannot get funding without zoning in place. Developers don’t expose themselves any more than they have to. They get their zoning and permits done before they close. We have already visited that scenario. The odds of this ever being a multi-family area are minuscule if that.
So, what is the most likely scenario now that the Buckner House at 1425 N. Buckner is gone? Replatting to build multiple single-family homes is my bet. That would go to the City Plan Commission with a public hearing. It makes the most sense in a situation that makes little sense.
Side Note From the Builder’s Son
Last night, I was lucky enough to receive a call from Tom Loving, whom I reached out to when he popped up on social media recently to correct DCAD’s listed build date of 1925. “My father, Tom Loving Sr., built this house in 1939,” he said. Loving Sr. grew up in Garland and went into the wholesale oil and gas industry. When a well in the Spindletop field struck oil, it ushered the United States into the oil age and made Loving quite a bit of money. He built the house for $25,000. At that time, it had a swimming pool and a double tennis court. Loving sold it in 1942. The first time Tom Jr. ever entered the gates was a few months ago.
It breaks my heart to see these beautiful structures taken down. I have to trust the people involved did this as a last resort. It’s a single-family area and should be retained as such.
Paula Blackmon— District 9 City Council Member
