A mansion in the center of posh Old Preston Hollow appraised at nearly $5.5 million is on the auction block, with an opening bid of $350,000.
The home is at 9410 Alva Ct. at the corner of Deloache Ave., in one of Dallas' most celebrity-studded neighborhoods (Ross Perot, Mark Cuban, Dirk Nowitzski, George W, etc). Once owned by restaurant mogul Norm Brinker, it was purchased by colorful oncologist Dennis Birenbaum in 2002, who deserves props for recommending that people avoid eating junk food.
In February, the property went into foreclosure, and is now owned by Bank of America.
The house is also listed with a Realtor, with an asking price of $3.6 million — a veritable steal in a neighborhood where properties start at $4 million and up.
Built in 1988, it has 11,800 square feet, with 6 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms — 7 full and 1 half, one with two chandeliers. There are 5 fireplaces, a safe room, and elevator, and like most of its neighbors, the house sits within gated grounds on a lot that's more than an acre in size.
There's a wood-paneled library, formals, and a downstairs master bedroom with his-and-her bathrooms and closets.
The grounds include a lap pool, hot tub, putting green, and an ivy-covered garage with 5 parking spaces. The property has tons of trees — there's a little bit of an unkempt Grey Gardens thing going on, reflecting the fact that the house has been unoccupied for most of 2018. Maybe the buyer will keep it as is and cultivate that "old money" vibe? Yeah, that won't happen.
Guest quarters feature two bedrooms and a kitchen, plus living area, and a separate entrance from the main house.
The house features some nice inlaid hardwood floors and a kitchen with two dining areas, two granite-topped islands, stainless appliances, and a wine cooler. But agent Kelly Boulton says that they're positioning the house as a fixer-upper.
"We're looking for a buyer who wants to bring it back to its former glory," she says.
The auction period begins on September 22.
Grand room with fireplace, arched windows, and coffered ceiling.
