Oak Cliff? Why not!

So we are about to move into our first home in Dallas in the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Kessler Park. Being from Houston, we didn't really know much about the Oak Cliff area, as we have been living in the Lower Greenville area. As a realtor, I have currently been specializing in the Lower Greenville, M streets, and Lakewood neighborhoods. Aside from the occasional brunch outing at either Smoke or Oddfellows, I wasn't one hundred percent in the loop about Oak Cliff as a whole neighborhood. After doing my due dilligence with research, I discovered something very special in this Southwest part of Dallas. Oak Cliff is made up of 31 little nook neighborhoods, all with interesting histories, neighbors, and reputations. As did I before learning more about Oak Cliff, most people in Dallas think of the Bishop Arts area when they think "Oak Cliff". This is bustling commercial area composed of a few blocks of shops, restaurants, and galleries around Bishop Street. While this is an awesome area that dates back to the 1920's (my favorite era), there are plenty of other neighborhoods in Oak Cliff that are equally as cool and historic. Kessler Park, for example, along with Stevens Park, were the original park cities of Dallas. They are only appreciating in value, and are filled with a mix of newly renovated 1920's homes, new mansions, and a few fixer-uppers that are being fixer-upped more and more especially these days.

Another cool neighborhood is Winnetka Heights. Developed in the 1890's, this little neighborhood has some gorgeous 100 year old historic homes that have seen their ups and downs in the years. From 1980 on, the city has worked on beautification and restoration projects and today it is one of the famous historic protected neighborhoods of Dallas. You can check out this neighborhood durning annual events like home tours and Christmas light tours that are another perk of living in this neighborhood. All in all, Oak Cliff is full of history and charm. It has seen it's down times in the past, but as a whole, the area is growing and appreciating in value. With the rise in interest in small businesses and keeping things local, we see a new rise in interest in the Oak Cliff area as well. 

I will conclude with some pics of our new house in Kessler Park! Enjoy! 

5 restaurants to try in Dallas

Here is a list of my 5 favorite restaurants to try in Dallas, with a little info on each of the neighborhoods they are located at as well:

1. The Grape (Lower Greenville)- AMAZING French bistro in the heart of Lower Greenville. This is one of the many attractions and positives to living in the Lower Greenville/M streets neighborhood. Some must try's: The Steak frites, the Grape burger, and the mushroom soup. With quaint, cottage style homes nestled on either side of Greenville Ave, where the Grape is located, it is easy to see why so many young families and young professionals love the area.

2. Tei Tei Robata (Knox-Henderson)- My favorite sushi restaurant in Dallas. The sushi and cuisine is traditional, and extremely fresh and succulent. This restaurant is in the Knox-Henderson area, which is just between uptown and lower Greenville. The neighborhood is known for it's great bar and restaurant scene, as well as it's proximity to many attractions in the Dallas area.

3. Smoke (Oak Cliff)- Great brunch, and awesome upscale bar-b-cue. The meat is cooked in an old fashioned smoker, lending it a delicious, authentic cedar smoked flavor. This restaurant is located in the Oak Cliff neighborhood. Oak Cliff is definitely an up-and-coming neighborhood, just southwest of downtown. A lot of new developments are popping up, as well as houses being purchased and renovated by those who believe the area is on the rise. This neighborhood would be a great area to find a property that will make you money in the long run.

4.Oddfellow's (Bishop Arts)- Oddfellow's is known for it's superb coffee and farm to market fresh food. The atmosphere is very quaint and enchanting, and the food is on point. One thing to try would be the buffalo mac and cheese! The Bishop Arts neighborhood where Oddfellow's is located is a vibrant, pocket neighborhood in Oak Cliff. It is known for it's very unique furniture shops, vintage stores, and artsy, fun restaurants. This is a very colorful, fun part of town with an eclectic mix of neighbors.

5. Cane Rosso (Deep Ellum)- Cane Rosso has hands down the best pizza in town. The restaurant was actually featured on Guy Fieri's Diner's Drive In's and Dive's! The pizza dough is thin and true Neapolitan style, and the toppings are always delicious and creative. It's home, Deep Ellum, is known as the entertainment area of Dallas, where a lot of art and music related events happen. 

5 great tips on staging your home to sell

If you are planning to sell your house, aside from proper pricing, advertising, and open houses, there is another key element that you can do to help your house sell. That element is... staging! If your house is properly staged, you help potential buyers not only connect with your home, but also see your home at its fullest potential. Here are five quick and easy tips that you can do to enhance your home's potential before putting it on the market:

1. Get rid of any clutter!! Cut the clutter and you have a clean-looking home. People will be less distracted by your stuff and will be able to focus on more important things, like your house! So, clear any paperwork, bills, nick knacks, and other miscellaneous items that may distract a potential buyer.

2. A can of paint can go a long way.... If you are a fan of loud, in- your- face wall color and decor, then great! But it MAY be a good idea to tone it down before listing. The more neutral and calming a color palette you choose, the more people your home will appeal to, maximizing your potential buyers. That is not to say that if your home is very eclectic architecturally that you should follow the same rules, but pick colors that suit your home's style. Popular paint colors include Sherwin Williams' Crisp Linen, Sherwin Williams' Window Pane, or, for something a little higher end, Farrow and Ball's New White or Elephant's Breath.

3. Have your house professionally cleaned. No one wants a dirty house. Do yourself a favor and hire a pro to clean before showing. Keep house clean and tidy after, and if your house is (hopefully not) on the market after two months, have it cleaned again. This makes a world of difference to a potential buyer. The last thing anyone wants to think of when buying a house is having to live in other people's messes!

4. Make sure your furniture is placed in a way that creates easy pathways to get around in each room, and that makes sense with the shape of the room. A general rule of thumb is to never block an entrance to a room with a piece of furniture, as this can make a room feel uninviting. Another tip is to refrain from pushing all of your furniture up against the walls, for example,  arrange furniture in the living room in an inviting square or rectangle, choosing a beautiful window or fireplace as a focal point. If you need help, you can always hire a professional stager to come in for a couple of hours and rearrange what you have already.

5. Light a candle, bake some cookies, do your laundry!

One of the top things that my clients comment on when entering a home is how it smells. If there is something yummy baking in the oven, that always gets positive responses from my clients, and evokes a comforting feeling. On the other hand, if it smells like BO, or dirty litter pans, then that also results in a strong reaction, but in a completely different way! A clean or yummy smelling house is just as important as a clean and pretty house!

Hopefully these tips will help you guys sell your homes faster! Good luck and don't hesitate to call me for any other tips or advice! 

Despina

Dallas City Center Realtors

713-202-6444

M streets vs. Lakewood... Dallas neighborhoods revealed

Wondering what the difference is between the "M streets" neighborhood of Dallas and the Lakewood neighborhood right next door? 

Well, there are a few key aspects in each neighborhood that set them apart from each other.
Number one: architectural differences
While the M streets is famous for it's large percentage of one story cottage- style Craftsman, Tudor, and Colonial revival homes, Lakewood homes start to trend towards a more mid century modern or 50's ranch style home. Depending on what style of home speaks to you, this could be a deciding factor on which neighborhood you like better. Here is an example of a Craftsman home versus a ranch style home:

Craftsman home:                                                                     

 Ranch Style home:

These two styles may seem similar at first, but the architectural elements are completely different, and which style you like depends on your taste.

The Second difference:

The school zones are different for elementary schools. M streets is zoned to Stonewall Jackson Elementary and Lakewood is zoned to Lakewood elementary. Both are great schools, but Lakewood may be more desirable simply because there are more families per capita residing in that neighborhood with elementary age kids. 

That brings me to the third difference, which is the residents. While Lakewood attracts more families with young kids, the M streets is more popular among young professionals. You WILL find families with kids of all ages in the M streets, but the young professionals prefer M streets over Lakewood, due to it's closer proximity to the  bars and restaurants on Greenville Ave.

Another difference: Lot sizes are bigger generally in the Lakewood area than in M streets.

Overall, both are great neighborhoods with a laid back, almost Austin vibe, but hopefully my pointing out these subtle differences can point you in the right direction as far as where to live.