You are probably wondering where the president is moving…
…so am I. This puts me in an akward position because as a real estate broker specializing in Highland Park, Preston Hollow and Dallas estate properties, I am often asked by friends and clients if I know where the President will be moving. Sometimes when I say no, I will be told by these same people where he is moving. Other times I get a strange look, questioning why I wouldn’t know, when everyone else seems to know where President Bush will be moving. Let me explain. When rumors first began, I spoke to the person who I considered closest to the President’s family and who I trusted most. I didn’t ask if the rumors of where he bought a home were true, but only if it was true that President and Mrs. Bush had already bought a property in Dallas.
Rumours proven to be untrue
I was told with certainty that they had not bought a property and had not yet begun to look. I decided then that eventually a rumor of a presidential purchase would be true, but I would rather be wrong once than wrong a dozen times jumping on every attractive rumor. That said, I think the President, at this time, may have already bought a property or is seriously considering his options. So I am going to do two things. First, share with you the least publicized rumor, one I heard 20 months ago, and my favorite, because it would have been a pretty good location for the President. This is a property on Meadowood, around the corner from Rockbrook. Here, there is a lot of land and a couple of structures that would work well for security. It is in Preston Hollow, his old neighborhood and where he lived when he launched his business and political success.
Dallas home most suited for George and Laura Bush
The second thing I will share is the property in Dallas that I think is best suited for George and Laura Bush.
In other words, if they were to call me and say, “We would like to buy a property in Dallas, what would you recommend?” After I assured them that it will be manageable for them to buy a property without word leaking, I would normally ask relevant questions about their lives, tastes, background, desires, previous homes, schools, interests, and family so I would have an intellectual and intuitive idea about what they would enjoy. Since this is the President and First Lady and we all know much about them, and since they are presumably busy, I would make the following recommendation right out of the chute.
Preston Hollow Estate Area
The house I would recommend is located in the Preston Hollow estate area on a hidden, little traveled street within a few blocks of major transportation arteries with quick access to airports, medical facilities or to Crawford.
Texas Modern
The home is architect designed which would be particularly attractive to Laura Bush as she is very interested in art and architecture.
The Texas Modern style, unassuming but aesthetically relevant, has over 10,000 square feet so it can handle fundraisers for the Bush Library, and is a gracious space for foreign dignitaries, or reunions for the extended Bush family.
Scott Lyons Architect
It has an architect designed 3,800 square foot guest house that would work perfectly for security detail or secretarial staff. It is built on bedrock with piers drilled deeply in the rock, in contrast to so many houses in Dallas sitting precariously on expansive Dallas soil.
Architect Scott Lyons, a protégé of David Williams and O’Neil Ford, designed the home, appealing to the indigenous qualities of early Texas homes. Scott Lyons is an architect responsible for some of the most important architect designed residences in Dallas, including the Highland Park home and the country home for the city’s leading philanthropists and civic leaders, Margaret McDermott and her late husband Eugene McDermott.
2.63 acres of trees, creek and lake
The potential Bush home sits on over 2.5 acres of land along a creek and next to a small lake. This beautiful site is also benefited by the neighboring 15-acre and 25-acre estate properties owned by supporters of the President. My thought is the neighboring estate owners would allow the President to develop an off-road biking trail through the woods of their property.
Ideal Space for Art Collection
The interior space is perfect for President and Mrs. Bush’s art collection. The ceilings are tall, walls of windows allow voluminous rooms to be filled with light, continuous interior and exterior walls of soft Mexican brick reflect the region, cross-cut white oak panels add warmth to the rooms and white gallery walls are ideal for the vibrant and colorful art collection by artist Pamela Nelson. This elaborately engineered and incredibly built home has been meticulously cared for by the original builder, who inspects the house twice a week to check on and maintain its condition. President and Mrs. Bush would enjoy this home, and their friends and family would enjoy them living here. It is a home that is pure Texas, modest but substantial, well-built and aesthetically refined, designed in an indigenous Texas architectural style, on plenty of land, and looking over ravines, creeks, lakes, and a distant view of residential private park land.
Can you think of a better home for George and Laura Bush?
There are many people who know the Bush’s better than I, but I remain confident that these people will agree that this would be the best home in Dallas for President and Mrs. Bush. However, so as not to close the discussion, I would love to hear from anyone who has an idea of a house that would be more suitable than the one that I have just discussed.
