Fun Houses

4 Dallas homes built for outdoor fun and games

This time of year, you probably expected to be cozied up inside, focused on a wicked game of checkers or a tournament at the foosball table. But North Texas weather is a funny thing, and the cold temperatures that usually chase summer away seem to be taking their sweet time getting here.

So now that you have a few more weeks to enjoy the picnic-friendly temperatures, Dave Perry-Miller & Associates present four homes made for outdoor fun and games.

4612 Isabella Ln. is a six-bedroom estate situated on 1.026 acres. The outdoor area features a full-sized sport court, a batting cage, a zipline, a covered patio with fireplace, a heated saltwater pool and a spa with fountains. You may never want to go back inside!

Located in Old Preston Hollow, 9520 Hathaway St. is a seven-bedroom, 10-bath estate situated on 1.44 acres of heavily treed and beautifully landscaped grounds. The backyard is practically a resort: There’s a pool, a cabana with a full kitchen and bath, an outdoor kitchen with a fireplace, and a full-sized sport court made for skateboarding and basketball.

Golf, anyone? If so, check out the home at 10433 Strait Ln., which sits on a 1-acre lot. Here you’ll find lush private grounds with a pool, private quarters and a beautiful putting green set up in the middle of an expansive grassy area.

9246 Sunnybrook Ln. is a Preston Hollow estate on 2.68 acres, which is plenty of space for a full-sized lighted tennis court … and a pool … and towering trees … and a child’s playhouse. The home boasts a 12,000-square-foot main house, as well as a guest house.

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Dave Perry Miller & Associates, an Ebby Halliday Company, is a premier residential real estate firm with five locations that specialize in marketing the key areas of the Park Cities, Preston Hollow, Uptown, Lakewood, East Dallas and Kessler Park. Dave Perry-Miller & Associates is a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World and Luxury Portfolio International. For more information on luxury living, please contact an associate today at 214-369-6000. Also visit daveperrymiller.com/blog for the latest news in Dallas real estate.

Golf, anyone? Check out the putting green at 10433 Strait Ln [http: /10433strait.daveperrymiller.com/].

Photo courtesy of Dave Perry-Miller & Associates

Golf, anyone? Check out the putting green at 10433 Strait Ln [https: /10433strait.daveperrymiller.com/].

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homebuying news

Texas ranks among the top 20 markets for homebuyers under 35

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

In 2025, Texas had more mortgage applicants under 35 years old than any other state in the country, the report found.

The Lone Star State is emerging as a top destination for young adult homebuyers, a new report has confirmed, with nearly 23 percent of all mortgage applications submitted by individuals under 35 years old.

Texas ranked No. 18 in SmartAsset's new study, "Where Young Adults are House Hunting," making it one of the most sought-after U.S. states "where the next generation of homeowners may be gaining the strongest foothold."

To determine where younger Americans are most actively pursuing homeownership, SmartAsset's analysts examined mortgage application data in all 50 states in 2025, and calculated the share of applications filed by buyers younger than 35 relative to all applicants.

A total 259,737 Texas homebuyers under 35 submitted mortgage applications in the last year alone — making Texas the state with the highest number of young adult applications in the country.

California and Florida, respectively, had the second- and third-highest numerical rate of young adult homebuyers with 170,434 and 159,429 applications in each state. But they still ranked at the bottom of the national list with the lowest percentage of young adult applications relative to all applicants in 2025 — at 14.7 and 14.8 percent.

North Dakota leads the nation as the top state for young homeowners with over 28 percent of all mortgage applications in 2025 submitted by homebuyers under 35, making up 6,551 applications.

SmartAsset also revealed something many homeowners might already know: younger Americans are more likely to pursue homeownership in states with lower housing costs.

"In each of the four states with the highest share of mortgage applications from adults younger than 35, the typical home value is less than $300,000: North Dakota (No. 1), West Virginia (No. 2), Nebraska (No. 3) and Iowa (No. 4)," the report's author wrote.

In Texas, the typical home is worth $302,187, which is the 18th highest in the U.S. Meanwhile, West Virginia and Mississippi are the only two states with home values under $200,000, the lowest nationwide.

Young potential homebuyers looking for a home in Dallas need to make about $83,000 to afford a starter home. Many surrounding suburbs also have high appeal for first-time homebuyers, such as McKinney and Plano, which offer a high quality of life for homeowners that want to start a family.

High home prices aren't the only challenges keeping young Americans from becoming homeowners, the report said. Other challenges like high interest rates and limited supply are also plaguing would-be homebuyers.

"According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, nearly 9 in 10 younger Americans say it is harder for them to buy a home than it was for their parents," the report said. "Nonetheless, younger buyers continue to aspire to homeownership, navigating an uneven landscape of affordability and opportunity."

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