Flip That House

Smart remodel breathes new life into Oak Lawn Tudor on hopping block

The journey to renovate a 1924 Tudor all began with a lot of trust between a Dallas real estate agent and her client, plus a little faith in the Oak Lawn neighborhood.

According to listing agent RoseMarie LaCoursiere of Ebby Halliday Realtors, the owner was in Kenya for work and was in search of a new project for when he returned to the United States. In December 2014, he noticed that 3411 Douglas Ave., near Lemmon, had been sitting on the market for a while.

He knew that with the right amount of love, the property could be restored to its former glory. He purchased the property sight unseen, letting LaCoursiere be his eyes until he could get home to finish the project.

After a serious facelift, this home is hitting MLS once again on Friday, with a list price of $399,000. It is a cozy 1,298 square feet, with two bedroom and two baths, but it has big potential.

The classic style has been preserved, including the original hardwood floors, but there are plenty of bells and whistles to admire. For example, both bathrooms — one of which was added during the renovation — boast in-demand marble and gorgeous tilework.

The kitchen is a showpiece, with stainless steel appliances, marble countertops and slate floors. When the room was gutted, the owner discovered original cabinets hidden behind the walls. He was so taken by their simplicity that he modeled the new ones after them.

From the kitchen, the cook can easily chat with kids doing homework or friends watching television in the living room. Although there is not a garage, there is a gate leading owners to a private parking area on the side of the house. Less sexy — but equally important — updates include a new roof and up-to-date electrical.

"It was a really tough decision for the owner not to live in the property himself," LaCoursiere says. "But with the completion of this project, it is time to move on to the next."

The renovated Tudor at 3411 Douglas Ave. hits the market on Friday for $399,000.

Photo by Lauren Brown

The renovated Tudor at 3411 Douglas Ave. hits the market on Friday for $399,000.

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Downtown News

Dallas City Council approves major subsidy for new West End Lofts

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805 Elm St. in the West End.

The Dallas City Council approved a $49 million incentive package for the development of the West End Lofts Project, a proposed mixed-use, mixed-income, and transit-oriented development project.

The project would take up three parcels within the historic West End: 805 Elm St., 711 Elm St., and 211 N. Austin St., directly south of the West End DART light rail station and directly north of El Centro (Dallas College).

Led by Sycamore Strategies, LLC, the estimated $103.2 million project will include 154 mixed-income apartments comprised of 56 efficiencies, 25 one-bedroom, 69 two-bedroom, and 4 three-bedroom units to be constructed within the historic 805 Elm Street building and in a new 6-story building to be constructed on the existing adjacent surface parking lot.

Of the 154 apartments, 63 (41 percent) will be income-restricted and leased solely to households earning at or below median income.

The project will include residential amenities, ground floor retail/commercial space, the creation of an approximately 25,751-square-foot plaza and promenade, and approximately 140 parking spaces in the historic 711 Elm Street parking garage.

The project’s funding includes $54,224,085 in non-City sources, including equity in the form of low income housing tax credits and historic rehabilitation tax credits.

The City’s incentive package includes an amount not to exceed $28,275,676 in City Center TIF District funding as well as up to $20,724,324 from other economic development funding sources administered by the City’s Office of Economic Development, including general obligation bond proceeds from the economic development/housing propositions in the City’s 2012 and 2024 bond programs.

In a statement, Interim City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert said that the project will provide affordable housing and ground floor activation within downtown’s West End Historic District.

Prior to the City Council's December 11 approval of a subsidy for the project, it got a thumbs up from the City Center TIF District Board of Directors, with the added condition that best efforts be made to provide a minimum of two square feet per residential unit for pet relief facilities.

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