Do you know the secret to finding a truly great neighborhood? Follow the Real Estate agents! See where they live, rent, buy, and move.
One of those sleeper ‘hoods has long been Preston Park, an enclave of 100 homes homes squeezed in between Preston on the east and the Dallas North Tollway on the west. We are talking almost directly across from St. Marks. School of Texas.
Realtors love it so much they buy here whenever something pops on the market, one reason why listings usually doesn’t stay on the market here for long. In fact, of the area’s approximately 100 homes, SIX hold agents who are longtime residents. One moved from a toney Lorraine and Armstrong HP location where they had been planted for 30 years. This is Downsize-ville: perfect location for a home that is not gargantuan, but rather just what you need in Dallas. Because, most likely, you have a home or two outside of Dallas. You need about 3,000 square feet and no blather. In Preston Park, not only are you seconds from the four corners of Preston Royal Shopping and restaurants by car, you can walk to the stores or Post Office faster than you can find your keys.This pocket is LOADED with former longtime Park Cities and OIde Preston Hollow Dallasite who love the location being south of Royal and still so close to Preston Rd. shopping. The neighborhood even throws cul de sac parties three to four times a year, and the atmosphere is just like a fraternity / sorority mixer. Yes, there have even been kegs.
I’ve told you about this area before, remember the house with the indoor pool? Investors are snapping up and sinking money into these properties to bring them up to date and into the brave new world.
Now a very special unit has come to the marketplace just for you — or maybe me! It’s 5805 Trail Meadow Road.
Listed with Virginia Cook’s Bob Moran, 5805 Trail Meadow has many wonderful updates. Now it could use a few more, I mean, who cannot? I’m going in for some February 27. This is a one-story home with three bedrooms, two full and one-half bath. It was built in 1979, about the time the area was being developed.
5805 Trail Meadow sits on .18 of an acre, yet there is plenty of room for a bit of gardening or a pet yard. In most of these yards, you grill a hotdog and count your lucky stars you don’t singe your hair or burn the house, the grills are so close. But not this one! Years ago a swimming pool was removed, so there is plenty of back yard space for dogs (hot and real), grand kids, or maybe even your own kids? I’m thinking of the scene in “It’s Complicated” with Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin, where all the old trophy hubbies are in the infertility docs office, studying their iphones before going in for a sperm check. Or maybe you want to put the swimming pool back in? Go ahead, there are walls of nicely-sized windows — all low e insulated glass, covered with plantation shutters — and three living areas.
Do you know how rare that is to find in a home this size under $900,000?
Unlike most, actually ALL of the private gated neighborhoods, there are NO MANDATORY HOA fees, thus none of the politics and disagreements that are usually 100% of the time sometimes found in these types of communities. Several of the longtime home-owners actually moved to Preston Park from a certain NEARBY gated community that shall remain nameless. (Ha!) There they found way too much drama, control, and HOA costs ina heavy-handed homeowners regime.
So what do you get for the asking price of $750,000? Those three living areas, a 22 foot long kitchen remodeled to perfection with stainless counters and a deep sink, open to the den, hard surface floors, high ceilings, a living room with a flat screen and wet bar, a 31 foot master, and a sunroom with a remote controlled louvered porch canopy to block the sun. The master bathroom is honestly one of the biggest I have seen in a zero lot line home such as this. It needs to have Wanda the Good Witch of the North wave a wand and make it all go away, and replace it with pure white carrera! Oh my mouth is watering just thinking of it! Rip out that gold brass framed shower and do a walk-in with overhead waterfall faucet. Maybe some side sprays and oh la la, You have oodles of room here, even a vanity. Closets are huge walk-ins, and while I’m not crazy about that sun porch, here, too, I see possibilities. Pavestone has a lighter product you can use on wall surfaces — I’d resurface the walls to look like stone, and say adios to the black and white tiles, add stone. Really, we are talking about a week or two of work, that’s it.
This house also has a rather prestigious owner, Charles Caperton, a well-known Dallas criminal defense attorney, and his wife, Marilyn. He has defended countless celebrity entertainers, professional athletes, attorneys, police and more, from DWI’s and minor drug offenses to murder and criminal conspiracies. He defended Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Erik Williams. A few years ago, Charlie Caperton fought to keep Henderson County secular, at least on the courthouse lawn. This county is well-known for a life-size Nativity display the Freedom From Religion Foundation thought was mixing religion with government.
