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| Photography by Steven Brooke |
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Seaside, Florida 2030 E. County Rd., 30A. $5,450,000.
Worries melt away in the laid back community of Seaside, Fla. The well-known community is just a 45-minute drive to the nearest airport, which is only a two-hour flight away from Big D. A town dedicated to New Urbanism, Seaside has everything within walking distance. But you might rather stay at home in this four-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath, 2,263-square-foot gulf-front cottage with sunset views that you can take in from the deck and screened porch”great for relaxing and entertaining. The house has been featured in Seaside Style and HGTV’s Homes Across America and is for sale completely furnished (boat drinks are your responsibility). Jacky Barker. Seaside Community Realty Inc. Licensed Real Estate Broker. 866-891-4600.
“HANNAH SEDDELMEYER
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| Photo by Getty |
A Cellar’s Market
The first thing most transplants ask when house hunting in Dallas is, why are there no basements? The excuses: shifting, clay soil, too much water, too many critters, etc. It’s all old hat.
You can have great basements in Dallas, says Loy Lowary of Ventura Custom Homes. But you have to work a little harder.
In fact, high-end builders report hearing more requests for basements from area buyers. Before they commit, builders order a soils report to evaluate the clay and control the water. There are
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two kinds of basements: A full basement has full height concrete walls surrounded by earth and is totally subterranean. A daylight basement is created on a sloping lot (uncommon in Dallas) so that you can actually walk outside on the same level on one end. Full basements in Dallas, Lowary says, should have a contingency plan for water percolation, including a sump pump and a back-up generator in case of power loss.
REALTOR NEWS
What Slowdown?
Jane Peterson with Adleta Fine Properties has two homes listed in Old Preston Hollow and a third about to come up in North Dallas. Peterson reports that the asking price for a little more than a half acre of land in Old Preston Hollow is about $1 million now”$1.75 million for .71 acre backing up to the Dallas North Tollway. Lynda Adleta of Adleta Fine Properties is the exclusive listing broker of 14 luxury residences called Regents Park. The townhomes will go for $1.95 million to $2.2 million. Eleanor Mowery Sheets has created a Ranch Division, including Cross Pines Ranch outside of Mineola-2,100 acres about two hours east of Dallas featuring eight lakes, a clubhouse, a horseback riding center, and an off-site gun club.
If there is a slowdown, (and she’s not saying there is) Ellen Terry says it’s part of the usual summer exodus.
Green Reserves
Debbie Sutton at David Griffin & Company Realtors is marketing Diane Cheatham’s Urban Reserve home development east of Central Expressway. The dwellings feature green construction, and designs by a select group of recognized architects, among them Dan Shipley, Russell Buchanan, Max Levy, and Patricia Magadini.
Puttin on the Ritz Again
Now that only (at press time) six out of the 70 units at The Residences at the Ritz-Carlton are available, the first Dallas Ritz is so yesterday. What’s hot is Phase II: The Tower Residences (construction slated to begin next winter). What we can expect is not etched in stone, but sources say there are 23 stories, 96 units, penthouses, town homes, private auto courts, climate-controlled auto storage, private party dining area, wine cellar, etc., all with connection to the Residences and even more decadence and luxury in the finish out. Price tags range from $700,000 to $8 million with a fall 2008 scheduled completion.
