It hasn’t exactly been a banner year for Arizona Cardinals running back Adrian Peterson.
His season on the football field hasn’t gone according to plan. After inking an off-season deal with the New Orleans Saints, the former Minnesota Vikings All-Pro struggled and was traded midseason to the Arizona Cardinals, with whom he’s put up middling numbers.
And off the field, his Woodlands, TX, mansion has taken a major hit in price. The seven-bedroom, 13-bathroom mansion was once listed for $8.5 million, but it has had three price reductions this year. It’s currently available for the discounted price of $5.3 million.
The property sits on 9 acres of wooded land that backs into a private reserve. Custom-built in 2004, the home is rich with features and amenities, according to listing agent Beth Cassidy.
The mansion has five fireplaces, a large chef’s kitchen, two outdoor kitchens and a pizza oven, a two-story library, walk-in wine cellar, guest quarters with separate entrance, and beautiful master suite with spacious show closets.
There’s also a full bar with a game room and media room attached. The upstairs balcony overlooks the grounds, which include a resort-style pool with swim-up bar and seating.
Despite his injuries and off-field issues, Peterson will go down as one of the most dominant running backs in the NFL. He won the league’s Most Valuable Player award in 2012 after becoming just the seventh player to amass 2,000 rushing yards in a season—his 2,097 yards were the second most in a season ever.
The Houston real estate market is twice as nice for a former Rockets center.
Luis Scola, one of the more durable big men in NBA history, is selling not one, but two Houston-area homes. Combined, the two homes add up to just under a million dollars.
First, the more quaint option—a four-bedroom, four-bathroom home in Pearland, TX, listed for $379,000. Records show the home was listed for $324,000 just a couple of weeks before Scola bought it in 2013.
The 3,900-square foot home is two stories and features two fireplaces, a game and media room with a wet bar option, and a second-floor balcony.
Additionally, the space has a generous master suite, an open-flow kitchen, and a large covered patio wired for speakers, leading into a supersized backyard.
Not too far away in the same city, Scola is selling another home priced at $580,000. It has four bedrooms and five bathrooms, and offers a level of taste comparable to that of the other home he’s selling.
The listing agent calls this one “paradise living,” with a backyard equipped with a pool, spa, fountain, and a gazebo with a lake-view backdrop.
The family room features a two-floor ceiling with giant windows that let in tons of natural light. And like the first home, the listing agent says the house’s floor plan is ideal for entertaining.
Despite spending the bulk of his NBA career in Houston, the Argentinean appears to have chosen Indiana (where he only spent two seasons) as his U.S. home base. Property records show Scola is still holding onto a mansion in Fishers, IN.
Scola was a three-time All-EuroLeague selection before landing in the NBA in 2007 and making an immediate impact. He was named to the All-Rookie team in his first season. He went on to play for the Pacers, Toronto Raptors, and Brooklyn Nets before signing a deal to play in China for the Brave Dragons of Shanxi. The big man is also the owner of two Olympic medals—one gold and one bronze—as a member of the Argentinean men’s basketball team.
They say everything is bigger in Texas. The cliché certainly holds true when it comes to the massive mansion recently purchased by NBA superstar Chris Paul in The Woodlands, TX, just outside of Houston. The 18,717-square-foot estate has every creature comfort CP3 could possibly require, including a mind-blowing 14 bathrooms.
There’s no word on exactly how much the perennial All-Star paid for the estate, but TMZ reports it was well below the home’s original list price of $8 million.
The recently completed home is sprawling, refined, and formal, with every detail carefully thought out—from the carved wood and mosaics on the soaring ceilings to the intricate ironwork on the staircase.
There’s also a huge pool area with loads of loggias and balconies set just off the 15th hole of a Jack Nicklaus signature golf course.
The mansion has nine bedrooms, a state-of-the-art kitchen, game room, media room, and guest quarters. The 1.67-acre lot it sits on is surrounded by mature trees.
The mansion’s library is one of the highlights of the incredible interior space with its warm, carved wood lining the walls.
The 32-year-old point guard was traded in the off-season by the Los Angeles Clippers to the Houston Rockets, which explains why he’s had his eye on buying a home in the area. His new estate is just 30 miles from the Toyota Center.
Despite missing a few games this season due to injury, CP3 is being lauded for playing some of the best basketball of his career, thanks in part to superstar teammate James Harden.
Paul, wife Jada, and their two children seem like they’re ready to settle into Houston for the long haul. And now they have a gorgeous slice of Texas to call their own.
The Los Angeles Rams‘ season ended with a thud in the NFL playoffs, and now Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has turned his attention to the sale of his luxurious Dallas mansion.
The longtime NFL coach put his five-bedroom home back on the market this week for $2.95 million. Phillips tried to sell the home in January 2014 for the same price. He never reached the end zone with a buyer, so he’s attempting to complete a pass four years later.
Allie Beth Allman was the listing agent in 2014 and remains steadfastly by Phillips’ side as he tries to unload the home in the city’s prestigious Preston Hollow neighborhood.
The three-level home sits on a half-acre lot and was built in 2006. For overnight guests, there’s a detached casita out back with a bathroom.
Inside the 8,700-square-foot home, you’ll find gleaming hardwood floors and vaulted ceilings with rustic wood beams. There are five fireplaces, a formal living room, and a spacious kitchen with a center island.
Besides the casita out back, there’s a pool and a covered patio complete with barbecue and fireplace.
Widely recognized as a defensive mastermind, Phillips has bounced around the NFL and created fearsome schemes wherever he’s landed. He’s credited with taking control of the Rams defense this year, which allowed 31-year-old head coach Sean McVay to focus on the team’s offense—a pairing that led the Rams to their first playoff berth in 13 years.
Once the beloved home of President Lyndon Johnson, this charming Central Texas ranch located in what’s now called Johnson City is now on the market for $2.8 million.
The 140-acre spread includes a 3,980-square-foot main house, an 1,100-square-foot guesthouse, and a 12,000-square-foot hangar that’s current being used as an art gallery.
Italian artist Benini has owned the ranch since 1999, using the property to display his work and operating the Sculpture Ranch.
“We responded to the beauty and high energy of the landscape, the feeling of living on top of the world—as well as the easy access to Austin and San Antonio international airports,” Lorraine Benini, the artist’s wife, told the Dallas Morning News. The couple currently live 25 miles north of the property, and the ranch sits vacant.
Johnson bought the property in 1963, just one week after he took the oath of office, and used the secluded place to escape the media and ease the stress of the White House. And although the four-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom main house was rebuilt in 1999 and the original parcel of land has since shrunk, Johnson’s bedroom and bathroom remain as they were when he lived there.
The Secret Service took up residence in the one-bedroom, one-bathroom guesthouse when Johnson stayed at the ranch.
After Johnson announced he wouldn’t seek another term, he retreated to this ranch. He owned the property until 1971, according to the Dallas Morning News.
There’s no doubt he spent much of his time there taking in the picture-perfect views.
“Aside from the incredible history behind the ranch, the property is in a prime location with beautiful surroundings,” listing agent Dave Murray told the Dallas Morning News. “It offers the perfect retreat, while still only 20 minutes to Fredericksburg, less than an hour from Austin, and in the heart of the vineyard region. This is a true Texas Hill Country treasure.”
This home in Spring, TX, is perfect for the average Joe with all the usual hobbies: owning planes, flying planes, building planes, and watching other people fly planes. You know, totally normal stuff. The 11,385-square-foot property includes three bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, and an airplane hangar.
“It’s like a boy’s fantasy house,” says listing agent Susanne Wheat. The hangar has direct access to Hooks Airport, so you can drive your plane from the hangar to the runway. It also includes a 1,600-square-foot shop, in which the current owner builds his own planes. Imagine having that kind of confidence in your work!
The home has a private kitchen, bedroom, bath, and pilot’s library on the lower level in addition to the fully remodeled kitchen and two bedrooms on the main level.
“For a businessperson who travels with a pilot, it could be a great setup,” says Wheat. The pilot has his or her own suite, complete with a selection of books about air travel to unwind with in the evenings.
“It’s also a great layout for a family,” says Wheat. Big doors in the living room open to a balcony across from the hangar. On balmy nights, one partner could be cooking dinner while the other tunes up the aircraft for a family trip the next day.
According to Wheat, the current owner loves hopping in a plane on Saturday mornings and zooming off to all sorts of destinations.
The home is right near Loop 99 in Houston, which makes commuting easy if you work somewhere that doesn’t have a built-in runway. But if you do want to commute to a far-flung job, this property is ideal.
The house also has two living spaces, a huge kitchen, and a formal dining room, which is ideal for when you want to entertain without worrying about the seatbacks and tray tables. It was built by the current owner because he loves planes and living an aviation lifestyle, according to Wheat.
Honestly, if you own your own planes, a $3.5 million hangar house is probably the least expensive part of your lifestyle.
Mike Vrabel is leaving his Bellaire, TX, home for new pastures in Nashville, TN. The former linebacker recently accepted the head coach job with the Tennessee Titans, so he’s leaving his job as assistant coach for the Houston Texans.
Vrabel’s four-bedroom abode in Bellaire, now on the market for $1.99 million, was purchased in 2014, when Vrabel joined the Texans. Property records don’t note the price it sold for, but the Mediterranean-style home was on the market in 2013 for $1.69 million.
Even with the mild price bump, the 5,840-square-foot home will have the next owner doing an end-zone dance. The first reason: The home did not flood in the historic Hurricane Harvey rains, according to the listing.
The “immaculate” home features a graceful two-story entry hall with grand staircase. The main level contains the library with “secret room,” a not-so-secret wine room, formal dining room, and chef’s kitchen that opens to a family room.
The second floor holds a game room, media room, master retreat with sitting area, plus three more beds and baths. There’s a loggia outside, along with a kitchen, heated pool, and lush landscaping.
The Ohio-born Vrabel played college ball at Ohio State University and spent a couple of seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers before joining the New England Patriots in 2001. He was an integral member of three Super Bowl–winning teams with the Pats, before finishing his NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Vrabel moved into coaching in 2010, first at his alma mater with the Buckeyes, and then with the NFL for the Texans in 2014. Last month, he accepted the head coach position with the Titans.
Pop singer and North Texas native Selena Gomez has put her 10,000-square-foot mansion in Fort Worth on the market again, for $3 million.
Gomez, 25, grew up 30 minutes east of Fort Worth, in Grand Prairie, and picked up the five-bedroom, 6.5-bath mansion in 2015 to have a place to stay when visiting family. But she changed her mind, and put the house on the market in early 2016 for $3.5 million. She pulled the listing a few months later after failing to find a buyer. Now it’s back for another go-round.
The home is undoubtedly one of the city’s most impressive luxury properties. It’s just outside the 10 most expensive homes in the city and is the sixth-largest home currently on the market there.
By comparison, Fort Worth’s largest and most expensive listing, a 24,000-square-foot mansion for $7 million, is located just a few doors down from Gomez’s home, in the upscale Montserrat community.
Built in 2005 on a 1.5-acre lot, Gomez’s stone-clad, contemporary English-style home comes packed with high-end amenities. Double front doors open to an open-concept foyer, dining room (with its own fireplace), and wet bar.
Around the corner, the chef’s kitchen has an L-shaped island with room for six, a family dining room, and a living room with a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace.
The master bedroom has a tray ceiling and sitting area. The master bath has double sinks, a makeup vanity, soaking tub, and separate shower.
While those are all fairly standard features, the home really shines in its entertainment spaces. There’s a large game room with a wet bar, including beer taps, and enough space for a pool table, shuffleboard table, arcade cabinet, jukebox, and poker table. There’s a movie room with projector and seating for eight, a crafts room, and a coffee bar.
Outside, there’s a lagoon-style saltwater pool with a waterfall, slide, diving board, and spa. Elsewhere, there’s a sport court, putting green, and two garages.
Gomez, who had a humble childhood, recalled helping her single mother scrounge up quarters for gas, and walking to the nearby dollar store for food. She got her first big break at the age of 10, appearing on two seasons of “Barney & Friends.”
As a teenager, she starred in the Disney Channel’s “Wizards of Waverly Place,” and launched a successful pop music career. She’s appeared in several small films, and served as the executive producer of “Thirteen Reasons Why,” which premiered on Netflix last year.
A rare piece of architectural history is back on the market in Dallas: a home commissioned in 1964 for the Beck family and designed by architect Philip Johnson, who also designed the famed Glass House.
Listed for $23 million, it’s the only Johnson home in Dallas, and is unusual in its repeated use of a flattened arch.
“To have that many arched modules in the design—it’s quite extraordinary,” says Hilary Lewis, chief curator and creative director of the Glass House.
The 11,387-square-foot, six-bedroom, seven-bathroom home features a facade dominated by two stories of repeated concrete arches, a look the New York Times called “almost campy” in a piece about the home’s restoration, completed in 2008.
According to Lewis, though, that design element was “somewhat in the air” during the early ’60s, and would have seemed contemporary at the time. She points to Oscar Niemeyer‘s Itamaraty Palace, which was being built around the same time. Of course, Johnson’s main inspiration for the Beck house is the lake pavilion in the Glass House.
“You normally wouldn’t do the same arched form in a facade,” says Lewis. “The intent would’ve been to create something extremely monumental, but having playful qualities.”
Johnson, throughout his career, was known for “merging utter elegance with a sense of wit and play,” she explains.
The Beck family lived in the house until it was sold to the current owners in 2002. The home and grounds were in need of repair, and slated to be demolished. The homeowners hired Dallas architecture firm Bodron+Fruit and landscape architects Reed-Hildebrand to do an extensive, period-sensitive restoration and renovation.
The house, set on 6.45 acres, was “conceived as a theatrical viewing platform for the surrounding landscape,” reads the project statement of Reed-Hildebrand.
Though Bodron+Fruit significantly changed the layout of the north end of the house—updating the kitchen and creating more usable, family-friendly space—the home’s character was kept intact. The property includes a new pool, media house, tennis court, and modernist cabana.
The home went on the market in 2014 for $27.5 million, but failed to find a buyer. Will the Beck house find the right buyer at its new reduced price?
Paging all modern preservationists—this is a one-of-a-kind opportunity.
National Rifle Association spokeswoman Dana Loesch ended last year with the purchase of a prime piece of property. Along with her husband, Chris Loesch, a music producer, she purchased a 7,500-square-foot home in Southlake, TX, at the tail end of 2017.
Loesch recently made headlines when she fielded questions at a CNN Town Hall on gun violence with survivors of a mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL.
Built in 2005, the “immaculate estate” the couple purchased is located on a gated property with 2.25 acres of land.
Described as “move-in ready” in the listing, the space includes six bedrooms, seven baths, and two half-baths. There’s also a chef’s kitchen with island, breakfast bar, and dining area. In addition to the master suite, the home has four additional bedroom suites. An extra room and bath could be used as a gym or guest suite, and includes a wet bar and game room.
Outdoors, there’s pristine landscaping, plus a water feature out front and a pool out back. There are covered patios for lounging and dining, as well as an outdoor fireplace and flat-screen TV.
Although the purchase price wasn’t publicly disclosed, the home was on the market in December 2017 for $1.9 million, according to property records. The couple obtained a $1.46 million mortgage to finance the home’s purchase, according to Tarrant County property records.
The Loesches have upgraded since their last home purchase in 2013, also in the city of Southlake. That four-bedroom, 3,400-square-foot residence—which they still own—has half the square footage and bedrooms of their new home.
Author of the books “Hands Off My Gun” and “Flyover Nation,” the 39-year-old Dana Loesch was promoted to the role of special assistant to the executive vice president for public communication for the NRA in 2017. She recently spoke at CPAC, and has appeared as a pundit for a variety of shows on Fox, CNN, CBS, and ABC.
File this under “shiplap stumper.” Chip and Joanna Gaines did their usual outstanding job in remodeling the “Plain Gray House” on Season 4 of “Fixer Upper,” yet it’s been on and off the market with a series of price cuts—and still hasn’t sold.
After the price was gradually dropped from $325,000 to $275,000, the home was taken off the market in January. It came back in late February, for an astoundingly reasonable $260,000.
And this place is seriously blessed with the magic Magnolia touch. Built in 1958, the three-bedroom, two-bath house was transformed into a chic, modern farmhouse once Chip and Joanna had their way with it.
It now features an open floor plan, and a white kitchen with an island and custom table with booth seating.
The Gaineses also added a fireplace, double french doors, gleaming wood floors, high-end lighting, and brass fixtures in the kitchen and all-new master bath. They also improved the deck out back.
Melissa and Matthew Yielding bought the 1,763-square-foot ranch house on a half-acre in Woodway, TX, a nice suburb of Waco, for a mere $134,000.
And even though they’re asking almost double what they paid for it, it still seems like a bargain for an authentic “Fixer Upper” home, especially when you consider the other properties Chip and Joanna worked on are way more expensive.
Consider the diminutive shotgun house: The one-bedroom, one-bath property was listed last summer and is still on the market for a whopping $950,000!
Then there’s the notorious “barndominium,” a former barn that the Gaineses turned into a five-bedroom, two-bath home in Lacy Lakeview, TX. It’s currently on the market for $1.2 million and is being rented out for up to $1,500 per night on VRBO. On the market since April, it kicked off a small wave of homes featured on “Fixer Upper” hitting the market.
By comparison, the Plain Gray House seems like a big-time bargain. It’s a masterpiece designed by Joanna freakin’ Gaines. What more could a “Fixer Upper” fan want? Make your way to Woodway pronto.
This two-story industrial urban loft has all the hip accoutrements a buyer should expect: metal siding, cheerful orange accents, a feature in Dwell magazine, and an AIA award.
What an aspiring loft-dweller might not expect, however, is that the dwelling is located in the decidedly nonurban setting of Burleson, TX, a tiny suburb of Fort Worth.
The one-bedroom, 1.5-bath, 1,173-square-foot loft is “something you don’t usually see in a small town like Burleson,” says listing agent Trey Freeze. And with an asking price of $159,999, it’s in extreme demand.
“People were falling all over themselves trying to get ahold of it,” says Freeze. “People were trying to write me offers without even seeing it.” The one-of-a-kind loft is currently pending sale.
The property, which features a main two-story loft and a second structure that could be used as an office or guesthouse, looks of-the-moment, but it was actually designed and built 18 years ago by architect Rick Wintersole.
“Whoever had the idea to build it was ahead of their time,” says Freeze. “It was before any of the tiny-house stuff or any of the current trends.”
Obviously, even for Texas, 1,173 square feet is not a tiny house, but there is definitely a vibe in common.
“It’s like a tiny house on steroids,” says Freeze. “It doesn’t feel like a tiny house, but it has that aesthetic.”
It’s such a cool property that, in addition to trying to buy it, people have been contacting him asking for the plans to replicate it.
The main house and the second structure are joined by multilevel decking, which also provides usable outdoor space. There’s also a heated above-ground pool and a covered patio, key for enjoying the warm Texas summers.
Inside, wood floors, stucco walls, and an open metal staircase give the loft an airy, minimalist feel.
The house was actually purchased by a friend of Freeze’s a few years ago in a sale by the owner, so neither the friend nor Freeze anticipated the overwhelming response this time around.
“It’s definitely a one-of-a kind property,” says Freeze, who received seven offers over asking price in the first two days of the home being listed. “I thought to myself, I need to get the plans and start building these.”
In the end, perhaps it’s the rural setting that makes 408 Pecan Dr. such a desirable property.
“You can’t find stuff that looks like this around here for anywhere near this price,” says Freeze. “I’m lucky to have a friend that has good taste.”
Cyclist Lance Armstrong is trimming his real estate portfolio in Austin, TX. He’s put his 8,100-square-foot mansion in the capital city on the market for $7.5 million.
In 2012, Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles—after admitting to taking performance-enhancing drugs. In the years since, he’s settled into life as a businessman in Austin, opening a bike shop called Mellow Johnny’s, among other ventures.
In early 2016, he briefly listed the six-bedroom, nine-bath house for $8.25 million, according to the Austin American–Statesman. He relisted the house this month, trimming the price in the process.
Built in 1924, the Mediterranean-style house was remodeled in 2007, and a pool, spa, and garage were added. Armstrong bought the house in 2013 and added high-end amenities with the help of RWM Designs and Michael Deane Homes.
The home’s entryway opens to a foyer with a wrought-iron, winding staircase. The listing photos show large art pieces in virtually every room—and an apparent lack of sports memorabilia.
Gracing a wall in the formal dining room is an ornate, gold-framed painting of Jesus’ crucifixion at Calvary.
Off the dining room, there’s a galley kitchen with granite countertops, Shaker-style cabinets, and stainless-steel appliances. On a kitchen shelf is a painting of an AK-47, and an abstract painting by graffiti artist-turned-modern cubist Doze Green hangs above the kitchen table.
The living room features floor-to-ceiling paintings, and on the coffee table is a signed copy of “GOAT,” a 650-page, limited-edition tribute to Muhammad Ali.
Outside, there’s a covered patio and pool with spa and waterfall. Mature oak trees tower over the backyard. Elsewhere, there’s one of the largest private wine cellars we’ve ever seen, with room for hundreds of bottles, and a dining table that seats 10.
Armstrong, 46, purchased the home from Ben Barnes, a longtime Democratic Party leader in Texas, who served as the state’s lieutenant governor from 1969 to 1973.
The energy industry bigwig and his wife, who oversaw the home’s overhaul, are downsizing and have recently put the historic home on the market for $7.95 million.
Built in the early 20th century for banker Earl Baldridge, the grand, three-story home is fashioned out of limestone and includes notable features such as huge columns, carved wood paneling throughout, and even a bank vault in the basement, a nod to its Wild West pedigree.
All of those distinct features remain after the estate’s remodel, including the original vault, which now houses a media room.
Over the decades, the mansion fell into disrepair. It was in foreclosure in 2007 when Paun Peters, president of Western Production Co., an oil and gas company, and his wife snapped it up for about $3 million.
“My wife, dare I say, lusted for that house,” Peters said in an interview with Bloomberg. “She always dreamed of having herself in there and walking around on one of those balconies.”
It’s understandable, because those balconies are of the most romantic variety. When the couple bought the home, it desperately needed work. The renovation took years and $4.5 million, including $500,000 just for the landscaping.
“We had an almost unlimited budget on what we needed to get done,” Peters said. “We even got in Italian cypress trees from California.”
The result is an 11,725-square-foot masterpiece with six bedrooms, six baths, and two half-baths. The acre-and-a-half property is surrounded by a privacy fence and hedge.
The home remains true to its roots, while featuring a few modern amenities. They include a two-level garage for 11 cars, a dive pool, and an outdoor pizza oven.
Not surprisingly the Peters family used the property for extensive entertaining, including weddings and fundraisers.
Peters told Bloomberg he felt like he and his family were “good stewards of the house.” Now he’s ready to hand off the home to a lucky new owner looking to own a piece of Texas history.
Former Yankees slugger Mark Teixeira is fed up with trying to sell his Westlake, TX,mansion. He gave it a good 10 years, but on May 12, the five-bedroom, 8,554-square-foot home will be handed over to the highest bidder.
And though the previous asking price was nearly $4 million, the upcoming auction will have no reserve. So, technically, the mansion could sell for as little as $1. Hey, a person can dream, right?
The waterfront property is in the gated golf community of Vaquero, just outside of Dallas. Teixeira bought the home in 2005, while he starred at first base for the Texas Rangers. After being traded to the Atlanta Braves in 2007, he put the home on the market. Then rented it out. Then put in on the market again, in 2012. Then rented it out again.
Now, two years after retiring from baseball and settling in Greenwich, CT, the five-time Gold Glove Award winner is ready to be done with it.
The home, which Teixeira once described as feeling “like I went on a small vacation,” has a rustic Texas vibe, filled with dark wood, tile, and stone.
Adjacent to a golf course, the home features a pool and pool house, gas fire pits, an indoor-outdoor theater, wine cellar, two-story office, garage space for four cars, and a gorgeous kitchen. The master suite has double walk-in closets, double baths, a fireplace, and private terrace with spa.
There’s another kitchen/game room with a wet bar above the garage, built by Teixeira for his kids. It’s perfect as a band rehearsal space, rumpus room, or billiard room. There’s also a one-bedroom casita on the property.
With an acre of land and views of the course, it’s an idyllic spot to raise a family (kids are eligible for sought-after Westlake Academy) or just live your best life.
Want to make a bid? Schedule your private showing, or just show up on May 12 with cash in hand.
A co-owner of this AIA Award–winning home in Austin, TX, is a pilot; his brother is a pilot; and their dad is a pilot. So it’s no surprise that he would be the one to build this airplane cabin media room. But wow—it is impressive.
On the market for $2.75 million, this modern gem offers the sensation of floating above the landscape.
“The house is an architectural masterpiece,” says listing agent Roland Galang. “The walls are from the body of a Boeing Qantas 767. And the overhead bins are from the same aircraft.”
The eight leather seats are actual first-class seats from a Delta L-1011, and the room has aviation-themed wallpaper.
The plane illusion doesn’t stop there. Each “window” has a monitor behind it, so you can do a “flyover” video of a city. The media part of the media room is impressive, too: A 90-inch screen and THX sound system make your viewing experience way better than any real airplane movie.
“He’s been a pilot since he was very young,” Galang says of the co-owner. “So his inspiration for the media room is his love of flying.”
The rest of the home is equally awesome. Located in an otherwise-unassuming Northwest Austin neighborhood, the house was built in 2010 as a collaboration between its two engineer owners and Kevin Alter of Alterstudio.
With four bedrooms and 4.5 baths, the 4,809-square-foot home is divided into two bar-shaped areas, the public living space and the private living space, which are connected by a glass passageway. Between the two bars sits a courtyard, designed as a private sanctuary, according to Galang.
The home sits on an escarpment, and the design makes the surrounding neighborhood seem invisible, enhancing the sensation of floating above the trees.
“Once inside, the neighborhood disappears, leaving the visitor with a serene interior and uninterrupted views to foliage and the escarpment in the distance,” writes the architect.
Inside, the home is sleek and modern, with a warm but spare color palette of blue and white. It features a wood kitchen, walls of windows, and brick in muted tones. A water cistern and energy-efficient construction make the home sustainable.
The house also includes a dock and slip on nearby Bull Creek, allowing easy access to Lake Austin boating without the hassles and lack of privacy that come with being on Lake Austin itself.
Oh, and one more little piece of the airport in the home: The garage door is made of the same material used on airplane hangar doors, and outfitted with a hydraulic hangar lift, creating a miniature hangar effect when you pull in your car.
It’s now boarding for buyers who want to take off in one of the most unusual homes we’ve seen.
Another “Fixer Upper” home is on the market! Known as the “Bicycle House,” it was featured in the Season 1 finale, titled “The Fifth Street Story.”
This three-bedroom, two-bath, 1,600-square-foot cottage has bounced on and off the market at $350,000 for almost 10 months now. And while the homeowners wait for a buyer, they have been renting it out on VRBO.
“This 1910 historic property is currently being used as an extremely successful VRBO with City of Waco permit in place,” says the listing. “Investors need to take a strong look at the numbers on this one as it stays booked for many months out.”
Known online as the Mailander house, it can be rented for $250 a night. The property appears to be booked through May, with limited vacancy until late June. There are some bookings every month into November. Obviously, it’s a killer investment opportunity.
One of the reasons the home is so popular with tourists is that it’s only minutes from downtown and the Gaineses’ shopping, dining, and entertainment center known as the Silos.
According to homeowner Dave Morrow: “It is perfect for groups up to four people, but no more. Working with Jo-Jo and Chip was super fun, and we really enjoy what they have done—we want to share this amazing experience with others. The home features beautiful floors made from cocobolo, a type of rosewood, and quarter-sawn oak. Eleven-foot ceilings and extensive windows provide a feeling of spaciousness, and the house is always filled with light.”
On the Magnolia blog, Joanna reminisced about their experience with the home.
“This house was built in the early 1900s and was quite the fixer upper. Our client wanted to bring this house back to life in order to surprise her husband. They both enjoy biking and running and wanted to be close to Cameron Park in Waco. [We] created a beautiful home out of this dilapidated, outdated house and the clients were both pleased and surprised!”
The home does have many of Joanna’s favorite design elements: shiplap, a farmhouse sink and small island in the kitchen, antique furniture, and repurposed doors.
The fireplaces, one in the master and another in the living room, have been restored, and there are sizable porches in both the front and the back. Joanna also freshened up the built-in cabinetry in the living room.
Now that the series has come to an end, the “Fixer Upper” homeowners have hope their properties will be even more valuable. We’ll see if this star of Season 1 manages to keep the Magnolia winning streak alive.
After spending some time on the market last year with a price tag of $2.5 million, an R. Gommel Roessner-designed Mid-Century Modern home in Austin is back up for grabs. Now, the home is only seeking $2.2 million from a vintage-minded buyer.
Roessner, a former University of Texas professor, is credited with bringing Mid-Century Modern architecture kicking and screaming to what was then a pretty strait-laced state capital.
“When it was first built, it was a little controversial: Most of the homes in that area in the ’60s were much more traditional architecture,” explains listing agent Jeannette Spinelli. “Mid-Century Modern was a movement on the East and West coasts, but not in little Austin.”
Nonetheless, the home was featured in Architectural Digest in 1968 and has become a neighborhood favorite. With four bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, and 6,003 square feet, Roessner created two living zones linked by a passage. Each living zone looks out onto a courtyard with huge walls of windows, tinted to reduce the heating effects of the South Texas sun.
“The lot was enveloped with beautiful trees and foliage,” says Spinelli. “Roessner wanted the architecture to blend with the natural setting.” Another way he sought to combine the organic and the man-made was by using long panels of rich California redwood cladding on the walls between windows. Spinelli points out that you can’t even buy panels of this size any longer—it’s now illegal to harvest redwoods that large.
“The craftsmanship is exquisite,” she says. Walls of precisely laid handmade brick form a dramatic arched fireplace, and copper accents throughout add warmth. The dramatic 18-foot ceilings, windows, and brilliant Austin sunlight make the home feel light and airy.
The home has a formal dining space, formal living space, built-ins galore, a big (for Mid-Century Modern) kitchen with an island, informal dining and living spaces, and three fireplaces. Saltillo tile floors bring a Texan vibe and keep things cool in the summer.
According to Spinelli, the home has only had two owners since it was built in 1964. Will $2.2 million finally be the price that finds it a third?
Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has found a new focus: real estate. The Texas native and his wife, Renda, have relisted their gated Apple Head Island vacation property in Horseshoe Bay, TX, with a price cut, to $3,574,000.
As we reported last year, the ex-CEO of ExxonMobil first placed the luxury retreat on the market in July for $3,975,000. But with no buyer willing to negotiate the terms of a final sale, the home disappeared from the market for a bit. This week, the listing reappeared with a lower price.
Built in 1999, the 5,857-square-foot custom home is located on the 80-acre resort, which provides privacy and security on the waterfront of Lake Lyndon B. Johnson. Also appealing? The area offers “a triumph in resort living … Texas style,” according to the resort’s website.
Tillerson purchased the place in 2004. And while recent changes to his employment status are likely to have afforded his family more time to enjoy the property, they are still choosing to move on.
How does a former Texas oil man like to relax? By gazing out onto views of the Texas hill country, for one.
At the home, you enter through a courtyard to the expansive, open design that features views of the lake and surroundings. Themain floor has two living areas, plus a formal dining room, 1,000-bottle wine room, wet bar, and a gourmet kitchen and see-through fireplace. There are two master suites and two guest suites, plus three half-baths.
The home also boasts a media room, bar, and private office. Outside, there are multiple decks and terraces, along with a summer kitchen, fireplace, and a lanai. The waterfront property also sports a covered double boat house with storage.
Along with this home in the Lone Star state, Tillerson, who lasted only a year in his Cabinet post, also purchased a Washington, D.C., mansion in the district’s swanky Kalorama neighborhood for $5.5 million. We assume he’d intended to stay in the nation’s capital longer than 12 months.
Since we first noted the Texas-born trend a few years back, barndominiums have evolved from no-frills metal sheds into often spectacular living spaces—with distinct attitude. And the trend keeps moving forward and evolving.
For one, the exteriors have morphed into a more stylish look that almost makes the barn go bye-bye. And the multipurpose buildings are also going luxe, adding amenities like infinity pools, outdoor kitchens, and high-end finishes inside.
About those deluxe finishes? “We’re seeing more and more people wanting them,” says agent Lindi Braddock.
Buyers also love the convenience of these structures, separated from normal tract life. “Out in the country, it’s where you can have everything in one place,” says Braddock.
She’s the listing agent of the Bellville, TX, barndominium we’ve highlighted below. The home is already in “pending sale” status. “It was very well done,” she says, noting that buyers appreciated the high ceilings, high-end kitchen, and abundant light.
In addition to the Bellville beauty, We’ve found four other barndominiums on the market, all of which have added finesse to the finished product. Open the barn door and have a look…
Price: $3,100,000 Barn-storming style: Further proof that barndominiums don’t have to be bare-bones! This luxe build includes an open-concept layout, stained concrete flooring, a huge kitchen with stone counters and stainless steel appliances, a formal dining room, a workshop, and a pool with outdoor kitchen, bar seating, and fireplace. The gated property is pricey because it comes with over 262 acres.
Price: $950,000 Barn-storming style: Car collectors, get your motor runnin’. The custom-built home contains a “perfect set-up for car restoration,” with an attached shop/barn that has room for 12 cars and a car lift. For those wanting to spend time outside the workshop, there’s also an infinity pool with spa, fountains, patio seating, and kiddie pool.The structure also contains covered space for dining and lounging. Inside is a large modern kitchen and family room, plus two beds and two baths spread over 2,800 square feet of living space. “You can drive right into it and have all the toys,” says agent Lindi Braddock.
Price: $325,000 Barn-storming style: The two-story farmhouse sits on 1.5 acres and comes with an attached shop that can fit four cars. The open-concept layout features three beds, three baths, and a loft on the second floor overlooking the living room. The loft could be an office or playroom, and there’s an additional office under the stairs. Other cool details include engineered hardwood floors, stained concrete, and a huge kitchen with pantry.
Price: $885,000 Barn-storming style: Here’s the perfect place for you—and your horses, of course. The 8,800-square-foot layout includes 3,600 square feet of living space. The living quarters contain three beds and three baths, including a large master suite. The large eat-in kitchen has an island that uses reclaimed wood from bowling lanes, along with two ovens and two refrigerators. The attached barn comes with four stalls, a tack room, and two enclosed storage areas or workshops.
Price: $462,600 Barn-storming style: We managed to find one barndominium outside the Lone Star state. This country home in central New Mexico comes with 145 acres of grassland property ideal for horse and cattle. Along with a two-bed, one-bath abode is an attached 40-foot-by-70-foot insulated shop or barn. Outdoors, you’ll find two covered patios with views of the nearby Manzano Mountains.