The Institute of Classical Architecture and Art (ICAA) invited me to moderate a panel of top Dallas contractors on February 13 to discuss building traditional homes in contrast to building modern homes. I’m very excited about this upcoming event and wanted to share some of my thoughts as I prepare for what promises to be…
Highland Park Teardown or Architecturally Significant Survival?
A Highland Park teardown is just another old, out-of-date house or it is an architectural accomplishment designed by one of the best architects in Dallas or the country, and the former home of prominent residents. An insignificant Highland Park teardown makes room for a new architect-inspired home. An architecturally significant home that becomes another Highland…
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Home Value Hierarchy – Hal Thomson
For a perfect illustration of home value and the many factors that elevate a home’s value, consider the Hal Thomson-designed home at 3925 Potomac Avenue. As I’ve shared before, home value is determined by a home’s location, its neighborhood, its site and its historic and architectural significance. All these characteristics combine to make this architecturally…
Preservation Minded Owners are Key to Saving Historic Homes
Preservation celebrates another preservation victory. I just sold one of the most important architecturally significant homes in Dallas with deed restrictions included in the sale that prevent the home from being torn down, and helped the property sell for a higher price than the appraised value. David Williams-Designed Home Sold for Over Appraised Value and…
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How Architect Designed Homes Can Outperform the Market
Most houses sell at generic prices and there is a reason why. The real estate industry is geared for homeowners to sell their homes for the same prices as their neighbors’ homes. The whole industry—realtors, lenders, appraisers, homeowners and homebuyers — accept the current concept of comparables. Legislators and regulatory agencies even dictate the restrictions…
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Architecturally Significant Homes in Dallas are Best Collection in Country
Dallas has the best collection of 20th and 21st century architecture in the country because of the cross-pollination of ideas from the extraordinary lineage of talented Dallas architects with the regional and national architects that design homes in Dallas. The interaction of architects with each other and the patrons of architecture at this architecturally significant…
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Dallas Architecture Forum Celebrates 8 Architects and 250 Years of Architecture
The Dallas Architecture Forum, on their 25th anniversary, highlighted eight architects in an informative and insightful way. The program at the Dallas Museum of Art was presented in two panels. One was led by Kate Aoki, AIA, who now designs the DMA exhibits, and Kelly Mitchell, AIA, who is a talented architect and who many…
Highland Park Preservation Success
Historically and Architecturally Significant Home is Celebrated and Saved in Highland Park Preservation Success is achieved in Highland Park! Many consider this Highland Park home designed by Mark Lemmon to be the most historically significant home in Highland Park and maybe even in Dallas and North Texas. Highland Park, University Park, the State of Texas,…
Swiss Avenue Architectural Exclamation Mark
Swiss Avenue boulevard was created as the grandest street in Munger Place, the first deed restricted neighborhood in Dallas, where every home was required to be designed by an architect. In the early 1900s, Munger Place was considered the finest residence park in the Southland. Prominent Architects Designed Architecturally Significant Homes on Swiss Avenue That…
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The Characteristics of Homes People Love
For the people who really love their home, 10 characteristics that make them happy come up over and over again…
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Inspired Architecture Benefits Shelter in Place
Shelter in place has us focused on the characteristics of a home that makes us happy. What makes us happy in a home has not changed, but since we are spending more time in a home than ever, we are focused on what makes us happy in a home. Neighborhoods become more important during shelter…
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How Wealth and Luxury Impact Homes and the Real Estate Market
The pandemic has us thinking about wealth and luxury in a more profound way—more than superficial opulence and privilege, but as a guiding force in determining homes that make us happy living, working and playing. Wealth and luxury impact homes and the real estate market more significantly than builder or industry design trends. Those with…
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Home Sweet Home? How Shelter in Place Changes the Way We Think About a Home
The recent challenges from the coronavirus force us to shelter at home and think of our home in whole new ways. Traditionally, when a buyer looks for a house to purchase, they are usually thinking about practical and financial criteria, like the square footage cost of the investment, how much house can they afford, are…
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Tax On Aesthetics – Architect-Designed Homes
Who would think low-taxed Texas would have tax on aesthetics, curtailing the construction of architect-designed homes? There are many unintended consequences of high taxes such as impeding economic growth or high tax rates reducing tax revenue collected (i.e., New Jersey and Connecticut). Only now do I realize that Texas’ high property taxes impede the building…
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Max Architectural and Preservation Achievement of Architecturally Significant Home, Max Levy Architect
Max Levy, FAIA, helped save an architecturally significant home, the Stretto house designed by New York architect Steven Holl, from being torn down. This architecturally significant home built in 1991 was offered for sale for less than its 1.5 acre Preston Hollow land was valued. The house was headed for destruction. Its demise kept inching…