Have you noticed we have a bit of a building boom going on? I haven’t seen this amount of construction since the 1980s. It’s very exciting, and there may not be anything more exciting than watching what’s going on with Centre Living Homes. I live in East Dallas, so I’ve had my eye on their Caddo + Munger development for a few months now, and I’m excited to present this fabulous project as our Inwood Home of the Week feature.
But before I reveal all on the Centre Living Homes Caddo + Munger development, let me tell you a bit about Centre Living Homes. They have 16 projects that are under development or in construction right now. They are primarily in East Dallas, Bishop Arts, and the Cedars, all hip, happening areas. I spoke to Trevor Brickman, president and CEO of Centre Living Homes, and was more than impressed. Brickman grew up in the business. His dad is the CEO of Green Brick Partners. Their website puts it more succinctly than I can:
Green Brick Partners, Inc. is a publicly traded company listed on The NASDAQ Capital Market under the ticker symbol “GRBK.” Green Brick Partners, Inc. is a diversified homebuilding and land development company that acquires and develops land, provides land and construction financing to its controlled builders, and participates in the profits of its controlled builders. Green Brick provides expertise and capital to build neighborhoods with timeless, classic architecture interwoven with the latest technological advancements, and in turn provides a superior long-term return for its investors, residents, and cities it builds in.
In other words, the dinner table discussions growing up in Brickman’s home were more likely centered on cost-effective building than what was on TV that week! I have always maintained regardless of the preferred topic you learn a lot through osmosis at the family dinner table. Brickman proves my theory is correct, as his career path was clear. He went straight into construction management and real estate finance. He loves the business.
“I like that every day is different,” Brickman said. “You see progress each day, and you deal with the largest range of people. It’s the ultimate business because you are involved in everything, from architecture and engineering to marketing and sales.”
Centre Living Homes’ Caddo + Munger development is on the corner of its namesake streets. It’s a wonderful, walkable, urban community sandwiched between Belmont Park and Bryan Place on the east side of North Central Expressway, with access to all the food and shopping in Uptown, Deep Ellum, and East Village. You might think its appeal is to the young, 30-something professional, and you’d be half right.
“We see what is called the barbell buyer base,” Brickman said. That’s the obvious 30-something professional, but the other half of the buyers are the folks downsizing from the suburbs who are tired of maintaining the large house once the kids are grown and flown.
“Instead of paying a lot for air conditioning a large home and watering a big lawn, they want to use that extra money to eat out, drink good wine, travel, and have fun, “Brickman said. “They want the lock-and-leave lifestyle.”
Several things make Centre Living’s Caddo + Munger development special. The architecture was inspired by the historic Munger Baptist Church next door. It was built with the dark red brick you see on so many historic buildings in Dallas.
“We try to tailor our architecture to the immediate neighborhood,” Brickman said. “We don’t cut and paste the same template all over Dallas. We tailor our architecture to the site plan, not the other way around.”
Brickman is also able to deliver a quality product at great prices. Hold on to your hats because pricing at Centre Living’s Caddo + Munger development starts at $395,000. Remember, that’s for all-brick construction with panoramic views of Dallas from the rooftop decks! While the exterior of this Centre Living project is all old-school brick, the interior is decidedly new school with white oak floors and modern finish-out.
As I mentioned, there is a building boom in Dallas, but a lot of what is being built is high end. So how does Brickman come out with 100 percent brick townhomes that have gorgeous finish-out and are centrally located, starting at $395,000?
It goes back to growing up in the business.
“We have tight systems in place,” Brickman said. “We have quality control costs, because that piece is important to us, but we are able to secure savings on the purchasing side. Our relationship with Green Brick and our building partners allow us to pool our resources for a lot of the commodity goods, such as lumber, windows, and doors. Buying in bulk allows us purchasing power on the national side. We have the pros of the large national homebuilders, but we also have the advantages of a small, family-run company. We do everything in-house except architecture. And we are fortunate to work with extremely experienced people.”
“This development is one of the lowest-priced townhomes in Dallas, with an all-brick exterior and a roof deck,” Brickman said. “The classic, old school-looking brick sets it apart as something traditional, but with a fresh approach, and it’s appealing to a lot of buyers. We think it is a timeless look that will hold value.”
Trevor, we think you are absolutely right!
If you want to see one of the remaining townhomes give Kenley LeBlanc a call because at this price, and in this location, they may all be gone by the time we post!
Karen Eubank is the owner of Eubank Staging and Design. She has been an award-winning professional home stager and writer for over 25 years. Karen teaches the popular Staging to Sell class and is the creator of the online course, The Beginners Guide to Buying Wholesale. Her love of dogs, international travel, history, white paint, champagne, artificial turf, and Tudor and Midcentury Modern homes knows no bounds. Her father was a spy, so she keeps secrets very well! Find Karen at www.eubankstaging.com
