Your Expert Guide

Preston Hollow: Where to find some of Dallas' best architectural gems

There are so many great places to live in Dallas that it helps to have an expert on your side. The Neighborhood Guide presented by Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty gives you insider access from the agents who live and work there, providing in-the-know info about your possible new community.

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Drive around Preston Hollow and you’ll see homes by renowned architects like Edward Durell Stone and Frank Lloyd Wright, as well as two of the most architecturally significant homes in Dallas: the Richard Meier-designed Rachofsky House on Preston Road and the Philip Johnson estate on Strait Lane.

"I've been working in Preston Hollow for my entire career," says real estate agent Faisal Halum. "I love representing the diverse architecture styles of homes in the Preston Hollow area. I'm drawn to modern architecture, but I love that every architecture style is found in this neighborhood — there is something for everyone."

Halum, who leads the No. 1 small team in Texas as ranked by RealTrends, can easily put together a dream outing in Preston Hollow.

"NorthPark Center has a world-class art collection that always changes — and surprises!" he says. "Combine this with Eataly and a movie, and you have the perfect date night. Plus, the convenience of having an Equinox gym at Hillcrest Road and Northwest Highway is the ultimate neighborhood perk."

Halum offered up a few more of his personal favorites about life in Preston Hollow. Here's his guide to the area:

Where to eat & drink
"I love Il Bracco in Preston Center," he says. "You can grab a seat at the bar and enjoy a fresh pasta dish and a cocktail. I also love R&D Kitchen for a casual spot to pop in and meet a friend for a drink."

Where to play
"Families love Preston Hollow Park," Halum says. "It's a beautiful spot in the middle of the neighborhood that's perfect for enjoying some fresh air and relaxing with your kids or pets."

Where to live
"Preston Hollow offers architecture styles and estate sizes for everyone, which means I can help families find the perfect home to suit their needs," says Halum. "That may be a French-inspired estate that sits on acreage or a midcentury modern ranch-style home with an expansive backyard. Or there may be a modern lover who is looking for the perfect backdrop for their art collection. The beauty is that all of these homes coexist together on tree-lined streets in the middle of the bustling city, just minutes from major shopping and dining destinations."

10210 Strait Ln., a former listing of Halum's, is the rarest of them all. This Philip Johnson masterpiece has seen galas and gowns, a president and first lady, a rock concert, fashion shows down the double staircase, and a ballet performance on the lawn — and has been celebrated in books, Vogue, and The New York Times.

Built in 1964 and exquisitely updated in 2008, the light-filled house boasts elegant living spaces, a unique dining room with an arched canopy, six bedrooms, seven full baths, and four half baths. The property’s nearly seven acres comprise a media house, modernist cabana, pool, and tennis court.

Halum's other significant sales include 5243 Park Ln., 10240 Gaywood Rd., 4686 Meadowood Rd., 6315 Northwood Rd., and 4307 Beechwood Ln.

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Faisal Halum works and plays in Preston Hollow. For more information on buying and selling a home in the area, click here, email fhalum@briggsfreeman.com, or call 214-240-2575.

Agent Faisal Halum

Photo courtesy of Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty

Agent Faisal Halum.

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the renter generation

Dallas declared a top-20 hotspot for Gen Z renters in new report

Photo courtesy of Dallas Apartment Locators

The overwhelming majority of Dallas Gen Zers are renters.

A new report has confirmed what most Dallas-based Gen Zers already know: Homeownership rates aren’t looking good for the Zoomer generation. In fact, over 88 percent of all Gen Zers in Dallas-Fort Worth are renters, not homeowners, according to a new Rentcafe study.

The housing report analyzed the U.S. hotspots where Gen Zers (individuals born between 1997 and 2012) are renting versus buying their homes. Using homeownership and renting data across 97 U.S. metros, RentCafe’s analysts determined which cities have had the biggest gains in Gen Z renters and homeowners from 2018-2023.

Dallas-Fort Worth ranked No. 16 in the national comparison of metros where nearly all Gen Z individuals rent. The study’s findings show there were 189,461 Gen Z households who were renters in 2023.

The prevalence of Gen Z renters in DFW has skyrocketed over the last five years; there were only 26,251 DFW-based Gen Z renter households in 2018.

During the same five-year period, the rate of Gen Z homeowners in DFW grew from 2,048 to 25,002 households. But that only represents 11.66 percent of the entire Gen Z population in the Metroplex, RentCafe found.

Unsurprisingly, affordability is one of the biggest hurdles that the younger generation faces when it comes to homeownership. It can be hard to feel optimistic about buying a starter home when even Post Malone's modest childhood home in Grapevine hit the market for more than half a million dollars.

RentCafe adds that metros with good job opportunities (and good pay), recreational activities, and good schools are top-of-mind for Gen Zers that want to settle down in one place.

“And it’s not just the big coastal cities that offer these things,” the report’s author wrote. “While major hubs like New York City and Boston still attract Gen Z renters, the real growth is happening in the South.”

A separate housing affordability report hinted Dallas home prices are starting to cool off after a two-year price surge, which could bring relief to homebuyers of all ages. According to the latest market insight from the MetroTex Association of Realtors, housing prices in Dallas County have dipped 2.8 percent since last February, to $359,695.

Gen Z renter and homeownership rates in other Texas cities
The meteoric rise in Gen Z renters is not just happening in Dallas — every major city in Texas is seeing similar shifts in their renter populations.

Austin has the second-highest share of Gen Z renters in Texas, and it ranked No. 6 among U.S. metros where nearly all Gen Zers are renters. A surprising 91.56 percent of all Gen Z individuals living in the Austin area rent, and only 8.44 percent are homeowners. Out of the total 102,323 Gen Z households living in the metro, 93,687 are renters, while the remaining 8,636 own their homes.

In Houston, 162,305 Gen Z households are renters and 27,093 are homeowners. That means about 86 percent of all Gen Z households rent, and 14 percent own homes.

San Antonio, on the other hand, is home to one of the highest rates of Gen Z homeowners in the state. About 20 percent of Gen Z San Antonians are already homeowners, while the remaining 79.57 percent are renters. That adds up to about 13,862 Gen Z homeowners, and 53,998 renters.

gen z homeowners rentcafe study rent report