R.I.P.

Dallas philanthropist and real estate tycoon Vance C. Miller dies at 79

As CultureMap contributor Candy Evans reports on her blog, Candy’s Dirt, real estate mogul, Republican donor and Dallas philanthropist Vance C. Miller died early Saturday morning after suffering a heart attack. He was 79.

Miller was chairman and chief executive officer of Henry S. Miller Companies, which was started by his grandfather, the company’s namesake, in 1914. After serving as a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force, Miller joined the company in 1959.

By 1981, he had grown the company to the largest real estate brokerage firm in Texas and the seventh largest in the nation. Among the notable Dallas properties owned by Henry S. Miller Companies are Prestonwood Country Club, Signature Athletic Club, Preston Royal, Preston Trails and, until 2009, Highland Park Village.

Miller was born in Dallas in 1933, son of the late Henry S. Miller Jr. and Juanita Miller. He graduated from Southern Methodist University with a bachelor’s in business administration in 1954. During his career, he served on the board of directors of many public companies and financial institutions.

He and his wife of more than 50 years, Geraldine “Tincy” Miller are known for being active in numerous civic and charitable organizations in Dallas. Just last week, at the Virginia Chandler Dykes Leadership Award luncheon, Tincy Miller was recognized for providing one of the four scholarships given to four outstanding graduate students.

Miller is survived by his wife; two sons, Vaughn Miller and Greg Miller, and daughter, Cynthia Vance-Abrams.

unspecified

REAL ESTATE NEWS

Dallas ranks No. 9 among U.S. cities for canceled home sales in 2025

Getty Images

undefined

Homebuyers across the United States are ghosting sellers at record rates, and Dallas has some of the worst offenders. Real estate marketplace Redfin tracked which metros saw the most buyers getting cold feet before closing real estate deals: Dallas came in at No. 9.

Redfin says 17.7 percent of Dallas home purchases were called off in September 2025, an increase from 16.4 percent in September 2024.

Fort Worth was even worse, landing at No. 4. In September, 18.7 percent of Fort Worth home purchases were called off, up from from 16.6 percent the previous year.

By comparison, San Antonio ranked No. 2 overall, with the highest pull-out rate in Texas, at 19 percent.

Tampa, Florida, topped the list with a cancellation rate of 20.1 percent. The national average is 15 percent.

Redfin says Goldilocks thinking is largely to blame for the rise in buyers "ghosting" sellers. A lack of compromise on concessions and repairs is driving the trend, with buyers refusing to accept imperfect homes.

Meanwhile, sellers want to avoid losing money on the deal. This is especially true of homeowners who bought during the COVID-19 boom, who are holding their asking price firm to avoid taking a loss. With plenty of homes on the market in "Sun Belt" cities — in some place, more than twice as many sellers than buyers — buyers are weighing all options.

“I’m seeing a lot of buyer’s remorse,” explained Redfin agent Jo Chavez, in a release. “Buyers make an offer, then they start worrying they could have found a better deal or a better home because there are more home sellers than buyers in the market. Some other buyers are backing out because they’re concerned about job security.”

The top 10 markets with the most sideways deals include:

No. 1 — Tampa, Florida
No. 2 – San Antonio, Texas
No. 3 — Atlanta, Georgia
No. 4 — Orlando, Florida
No. 5 — Fort Worth, Texas
No. 6 — Riverside, California
No. 7 — Fort Lauderdale, Florida
No. 8 —Jacksonville, Florida
No. 9 — Dallas, Texas
No. 10 — Las Vegas, Nevada

home sales market conditions economy residential real estate