When I saw this Highland Park Mediterranean hacienda, it made me think about what buyers want today and, honestly, how little has really changed over the years.
Location is still everything, and this home is in one of the most coveted neighborhoods. It has every amenity, of course, but it has something we know buyers want and have a hard time finding now.
It has character.
A Highland Park Mediterranean Hacienda With Character
We are all so tired of white boxes that it’s a palpable relief to find a home with groin-vaulted, beamed, and coffered ceilings as well as detailed millwork and stone floors. These architectural features create a timeless character that never goes out of style and instantly instills a sense of home.
This Highland Park Mediterranean hacienda was built for a family with children, easy entertaining, and an active lifestyle with 5,956 square feet, four bedrooms, five bathrooms, an exercise room, a wine room, guest quarters, and a backyard to rival any resort.
From the moment you drive up, it’s clear that neighborhood life has been considered with a front yard fire pit. Why we don’t see more of these is a mystery to me. It’s perfect for spontaneous gatherings with neighbors who are strolling by.
A home designed with a two-story office and library long before working from home was even in our vocabulary means a great deal of thought went into how the house would be used for years to come. This is not simply a home office. It’s a sanctuary.
The open-plan family living area opens to the backyard patio through a wall of floor-to-ceiling arched doors. Beyond the patio, the pool, spa, and a professional putting green are bordered by the guest cottage and four-car garage, completing the Mediterranean hacienda effect.
Hotbed of Highland Park History
Scratching the historical surface of Highland Park, I found that this area was one of the first four installments of Highland Park.
John Armstrong, the father of Highland Park, founded The Flippen Prather Realty Company with his two sons-in-law, Hugh Prather and Edgar Flippen. The company’s map shows the location of the SMU campus as well as the Missouri, Kansas, and Texas railway (now the Katy Trail).
You can see streetcar routes and the Dallas Country Club, and if you look closely, you can see where this home now sits. It was these early cutting-edge planning and development decisions by men of vision that continue to set Highland Park apart today.
Abbott Avenue is, in my opinion, one of the best streets in Highland Park because it’s in one of our most walkable areas. Knox Street’s myriad of shops and restaurants and The Katy Trail are right outside the back door. You can walk or bike to get to anything you might need.
Halo Realty Group’s Britt Morris has this charming, character-filled Highland Park Mediterranean hacienda at 4912 Abbott Avenue listed for $5.6 million.
