On the Market

Dramatic touches spring up all over this elegant Fairview home

Looking to add a little drama to your dinner parties? At 231 Latham Dr., you can slide open the rustic barn doors for a big reveal of the dining room, with its wall of windows and timelessly elegant light fixture.

There are several glamorous touches to be found through the American Legend home, which has only had one owner since its 2012 construction. It is located in the Fairview Downs neighborhood, right above The Village at Allen, Fairview Town Center, and Allen Premium Outlets, so superior shopping, dining, and entertainment are all just a stone's throw away. A greenbelt and hike and bike trails are also nearby.

But you may not feel the need to go out often, thanks to a media room that comes with built-in speakers and an oversized game room with a Juliet balcony and a wall of windows that allows copious amounts of natural light.

Downstairs, the open gourmet kitchen is outfitted with such entertaining must-haves as a built-in wine rack and large island with extra seating. Granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, a five-burner gas range, walk-in pantry, and plenty of cabinet and drawer storage complete the setup, along with a large window overlooking the expansive yard with its stained concrete patio and TV area with CFA lights, lush landscaping, lots of trees, and a sprinkler system.

The main living room is crowned by a corner stone fireplace that extends up to the two-story ceiling, which nicely complements the hand-scraped hardwood floors and yet more windows. A first-floor study with plantation shutters is a great front-of-home bonus space.

There are four bedrooms, three full bathrooms, and one partial bath in the 3,533-square-foot home. The master suite has more of those sophisticated plantation shutters, as well as a roomy walk-in closet, granite countertops, dual vanities, and a sparkly chandelier over the soaking tub.

Don't overlook the home's eco-conscious aspects, either: a 13-15 SEER air conditioning unit; low-e, double-pane windows; two gas water heaters; and a programmable thermostat all help to keep costs low and the ecological imprint small.

The O'Gorman Group with Ebby Halliday Realtors has the listing, which is priced at $470,000.

The home at 231 Latham Dr. in Fairview is listed for $470,000.

Photo courtesy of Ebby Halliday Realtors

The home at 231 Latham Dr. in Fairview is listed for $470,000.

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living single

Dallas lands among 10 most affordable U.S. metros for living alone

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In DFW, renters can afford to live solo.

Not everyone is cut out for living with roommates, but finding an affordable place to live alone can be tricky. Luckily, Dallas-Fort Worth sits among the top 10 most affordable U.S. metros for living by yourself, according to a new report.

Analysts at Apartments.com discovered North Texas renters spend the seventh lowest share of their monthly income on single-bedroom rent out of the 50 biggest metros in the U.S.

The study used a 30 percent "common budgeting guideline" to calculate the share of median renter household income spent on one-bedroom asking rents across the 50 largest U.S. metros, and determined renters can only afford to live alone in 24 of the 50 metros without crossing the 30 percent threshold.

The median annual income of a DFW renter household is $63,172, and the findings show the typical asking rent for a one-bedroom apartment comes out to $1,348 per month. The study determined single renters spend 25.6 percent of their monthly income on rent based on the budgeting suggestion.

Texas' favorable rental market also extends outside of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex: Austin surprised as the No. 1 most affordable metro for living alone, and San Antonio appeared among the top 10.

Austin renters spend the smallest share of their income on single-bedroom apartment rent, at 23.1 percent. That's based on a median renter household income of $70,008 and a $1,348 monthly one-bedroom asking rent price.

Dwindling rent prices and the prevalence of major tech employers are also attracting new renters, and the city has an 11.6 percent apartment vacancy rate.

"The average rent in Austin has decreased year over year, and construction of new housing increased by 30 percent over the past decade," the report's author wrote. "Tax incentives in Texas draw large tech corporations, like Google and Apple, to the Austin area, which has increased average wages, added more jobs to the local economy, and attracted renters in the process."

San Antonio ranked right above DFW in sixth place nationwide with solo renters spending 25.4 percent of their monthly income on single-bedroom rent, coincidentally the same share as single renters living in Raleigh, North Carolina and Salt Lake City, Utah.

This is the income and one-bedroom rent data in San Antonio:

$51,029 – median renter household income
$1,082 – one-bedroom monthly asking rent

A separate Apartments.com survey found 39 percent of U.S. adults would never feel comfortable living with a roommate, and 16 percent of renters would rather pay more in rent to live alone than consider living with a roommate.

"Factors contributing to lower rents may include recent high levels of construction, rising vacancy rates as renter demand catches up to supply, and fewer regulations, such as flexible zoning and lower development costs compared to other parts of the country," the report said. "Living alone has become a non-negotiable for many renters, and some renters are willing to make tradeoffs to afford this lifestyle."

The top 10 most affordable U.S. metros for living alone are:

No. 1 – Austin
No. 2 – Oklahoma City
No. 3 – Phoenix
No. 4 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 5 – Salt Lake City, Utah
No. 6 – San Antonio
No. 7 – Dallas-Fort Worth
No. 8 – Denver
No. 9 – Portland, Oregon
No. 10 – Columbus, Ohio

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