Destination Dallas: Menage Hunting!

A rancher shouldn't live that pricey, right? Nope: This white-brick Dallas beauty was $750K.
Talk well-nigh a real-estate wake-up call.

I never stance I’d live a Texan—I don’t similar crazy-hot weather, apartment land, or McMansions, which were pretty much the solely things I knew well-nigh Texas a few months ago. I don't fifty-fifty peculiarly tending for shiplap. But in addition to therefore Frank got offered a project nosotros just couldn’t transcend up, therefore hither nosotros are, on our means to the Lone Star state.

Beautiful Fort Worth bungalow, amongst a not-so-stunning neighborhood.

His purpose is just exterior of Dallas, therefore I initially focused my search on historic homes inward Dallas or Fort Worth. After living inward a 100-year-old domicile amongst unopen proximity to a downtown—albeit a one-street downtown—I was determined to replicate the lifestyle I honey inward the big city. But on our commencement house-hunting trip, I came dorsum to Maryland discouraged: Every onetime domicile I looked at, no thing how tastefully done, was smack dab inward the middle of a bad neighborhood. With a toddler inward tow, that wasn’t going to work—so I did what I said I’d never do: shifted my search to the suburbs. 

I had a lengthy listing of must-haves: a white kitchen, 4 bedrooms, a fenced yard, a brusque effort to amenities in addition to Frank’s office, in addition to a good-sized garage. (Basically, everything the unreasonable buyers on House Hunters demand!)  After weeks of scouring Zillow, I wasn’t feeling optimistic. Despite what everyone says well-nigh Texas existent estate (“You tin teach therefore much solid for your money!”), the homes were high-priced in addition to brusque on style: a whole lot of brick behemoths, amongst hyper-vaulted ceilings (which I hate), tile living rooms, in addition to textured walls. I couldn’t fathom spending therefore much coin on therefore ugly a house.

I don't desire to house-shame whatever of the actual properties nosotros perused. So here's a squeamish visual summary of Texas living. (Photo: McMansion Hell)

With therefore petty inventory I truly liked, I sent my pathetic realtor a listing of 31 homes—all of which nosotros needed to reckon inward ane weekend. I figured if I saw plenty of ‘em, ane was outflow to stick. And ane did…but unbeknownst to us, the owners were already inward talks amongst some other buyer. I woke upwards sun forenoon prepared to brand an offering afterward walking through the solid a instant time—and equally I stood inward the home’s foyer, my realtor informed me the identify was already nether contract. It’s no wonder I developed shingles that weekend. The stress was awful!

I trudged through the remaining homes on my list, in addition to every final ane roughshod short. Doggy stench, outdated kitchens, vaulted foyers—they all seemed to live reminding me that I’d lost the solely solid I could honey inward the entire DFW metro-area. But in addition to therefore my realtor suggested coming together amongst builders, an stance I’d resisted, since I didn’t wanted a postage-stamp yard or a treeless neighborhood. 

The commencement builder was a flop: The houses were already framed, which meant it was also belatedly to select my ain finishings—and the salesman couldn't demo me what, exactly, had been selected for the home. I wasn’t willing to purchase a solid without seeing what it would await like. Pass.

The instant builder was a totally dissimilar story. I was told I could option everything—from the countertops to the flooring to the faucets, in addition to I knew this was a skillful fit. We walked around a few framed-out two-story homes, but they all had vaulted living rooms in addition to corner fireplaces—total turn-offs to me. The salesperson mentioned they had ane single-story domicile inward the plant amongst cathedral ceilings (A-shaped, instead of vaulted). We currently alive inward a three-story home, in addition to I’ve fallen downward nearly every laid of stairs. So I liked the idea.

Exterior rendering of our novel home

Long story short, nosotros roughshod inward honey amongst the domicile (well, the flooring plan—the foundation hadn’t fifty-fifty been poured) in addition to rescheduled our flights therefore I could pass the side past times side twenty-four hr stream inward the blueprint pump choosing all of my finishes. Although I’d never propose doing this inward a few hours—talk well-nigh stress!—it was also a blast. And I got to pick out all the petty details I’ve dreamed about—hex tiles, white kitchen cabinets, herringbone forest flooring. But to a greater extent than on that side past times side time!