Inspired by various cultures around the world, this perfectly crafted, custom-built home exudes luxury. Priced at $1.15 million and located in Plano, Texas, 5317 Catamaran Drive features four bedrooms, four full baths, an office and a remarkable outdoor space.

“A part of the classic style of this immaculate home is the ability to adapt the space to your desire. No detail was overlooked, from the luxury features to the graceful and seamless connection of the interior through the sublime exterior spaces,” says listing agent Mark Bradford with Coldwell Banker Realty in Dallas-Fort Worth.

On the first floor, the living room and Egyptian-inspired master bedroom connect to the outdoor area, which is perfect for entertaining guests. Take a dip in the diving pool or sit under the covered deck. The space also features a jetted tub and gazebo area. The property sits on half an acre and offers plenty of privacy with the lush and beautiful landscaping.

For more information, please contact Mark Bradford at mark.bradford@cbdfw or 214.395.2999.

Photos courtesy of Mark Bradford. 

Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, August 19, 2020 — Located in the sought-after rural city of Anna, Texas, Bodark Acres offers a wonderful relaxed quality of life, just north of neighboring McKinney and minutes from the bustling Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and downtown. This ideal escape from city life provides a little something for everyone with its abundant private acreage, security, and master craftsmanship architecture. Supreme Auctions will offer this custom luxury estate at a no-reserve auction on September 19, in cooperation with Lori Vaden of Compass.

“Poised for growth, Anna, Texas is just two miles west of Celina, and McKinney 20 minutes south, which makes Bodark Acres one of the best kept secrets in Collin County in terms of locale. Also neighboring Anna is Frisco, Texas… home to both the Dallas Cowboys and PGA headquarters, as well as numerous sporting arenas and teams, including soccer, baseball, NFL, and hockey.” stated Jennie Heal, President of Supreme Auctions. “Being within reach of the DFW metroplex, which is known as being the economic and cultural hub of the North Texas area, it is the ideal location for discerning homeowners who seek a more intimate place to call home.”

Providing a true personal haven, Bodark Acres spectacularly demonstrates a private and relaxing country-side lifestyle of affluence and refinement with its five-bedroom, four full bathroom main residence that comes complete with its own resort-style patio area with heated pool, spa, and covered cedar cabana terrace. The estate is comprised of two adjacent parcels and is completed with a secondary guest house residence, sheds, workshop, and of course, an abundance of acreage and open space to call your own.

“This home offers a spectacular setting and attention to detail at every turn,” stated Compass listing agent, Lori Vaden. “The seller clearly put extensive thought into every decision and design feature. Even upon the initial drive up to the property, you can feel your body decompress. It is tucked away, yet near a major highway, for the ideal commute conditions. The history of the property, the trees, the setting, and the privacy are the first features to grab your attention. You can tell this magnificent property is different the second you pass through its gated entrance. There is a massive Bois D’Arc tree that is said to be one of the oldest in the state. The home is impeccably maintained inside and out and a buyer can easily envision a life here.”

Bodark Acres will enthrall you with its majesty and draw you to a location that will fulfill your need for community savoir-faire. Culture, shopping, dining, business and legendary sporting teams are just a small taste of the lifestyle that the Dallas-Fort Worth area offers to its visitors and residents. A celebrated location, DFW is home to 23 Fortune 500 companies and continues to grow in popularity and positive reputation. Known for its diversity in business, including commerce, insurance, telecommunications, energy, healthcare, transportation and logistics, Dallas is truly an area of economic growth.

“This neighborhood is the most unique that I’ve ever lived in,” stated the current owner, Kristi Jones. “The neighbors to the east, west, and south have all grown up here in the area, including their families, some for 50 years… before the roads were even paved. This shows great loyalty, love and stability in the neighborhood. I will be sad to leave; however, it is time for me to move on to the next chapter of my life.”

Bodark Acres will be sold at a luxury no-reserve auction on September 19, to the highest bidder. To learn more, contact Supreme Auctions at (866) 929-2243 or visit SupremeAuctions.com

Christine Aldrete Banks

Re/Max Preferred

210.570.9530 / Cell: 830.279.8678 | christine@stoneoakliving.com www.stoneoakliving.com

Christine’s expertise spans more than 30 years, with accolades such as, CERTIFIED LUXURY HOME MARKETING SPECIALIST, plus Accredited Luxury Home Specialist, and Resort Second-Home Property Specialist, among others. She has exclusive reach through a network of luxury providers, to the high net-worth and international clientele. She delivers a boutique approach to executive listings, along with concierge buyer representation, in Stone Oak and North San Antonio. Additionally, Christine expertly represents Resort and Second-Home Property buyers and sellers, in the Texas Hill Country and the Texas Gulf Coast regions.  

Christine Presents: SPYGLASS ON THE ISLAND, Prestigious Town Homes in

Corpus Christi, Texas

Spyglass, where you deserve to come home to this summer, is pre-selling now at SpyglassOnTheIsland.com.

About the Property

Sophisticated Hamptons Styling! Well appointed homes on Padre Island with natural stone, barn doors, carriage house lanterns, walk-in showers, pedestal sinks, plantation shutters and illuminated balconies. Savvy floor plans with 1250 sq. ft, 2 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. Two-story townhomes located just steps from the neighborhood park and boat launch. Fee simple ownership, not condominium. A terrific opportunity to own new town homes in Corpus Christi on one of the last remaining lots in Ports O’Call!

• Stainless Steel Appliance Package
• Pedestal Sinks
• Plantation Shutters
• Private Balconies
• 10 Foot Ceilings

• Sailboat Regattas
• Live Music
• Sunset Dinner Cruises and Dolphin Watches
• Water Sport and Watercraft Rentals and Charters
• Historical Monuments

Christine Aldrete Banks originally appeared as an Elite agent in the Unique Homes Spring ’20: Elite edition. See her pages here.

A modern traditional masterpiece of privacy and perfection. An exquisite Mediterranean work of art and appeal. An elegant estate designed with soaring ceilings and refined finishes. Their common denominator? All located in the Lone Star state, and sold through Supreme Auctions, known for accelerating marketing for luxury real estate. See these exclusive sales below. 

Piney Woods Edge – Houston Texas

Piney Woods Edge is a modern traditional masterpiece of privacy and perfection showcasing pristine lines of modern architecture, and the impeccable mastery of Houston’s premier homebuilder, Randy Ratcliff. Each corner of this home is filled with exquisite detail and opulent features. Located in Piney Point Village within the prominent Houston suburbs of the highly desirable Memorial Villages communities, just minutes from the heart of Houston for both business and pleasure. 

Even though the property was located in a highly sought-after community called Piney Point Village in Houston, it lingered on the market for over two years with the listing agent doing all that was available to market the property to potential buyers with little to no activity. Supreme Auctions implemented our 45-day Accelerated Marketing Program which drove prospective buyers to take action.

Starwood Creek Manor – Frisco Texas

Privately nestled on over an acre, Starwood Creek Manor is an impeccable Traditional estate designed with soaring ceilings and refined finishes throughout. Located within the gated Starwood Community, this exquisite home is positioned overlooking the creek and walking paths with access to the Community amenities. Situated within 25-minutes away from DFW International Airport. 

The property was on the market for a little under a year, during which it received only seven viewings. The listing agent conducted three months of research as to which auction company to select, she contacted Supreme Auctions.

All photos courtesy Supreme Auctions.

Located in Spring Valley Village, this spacious estate sold due to the proprietary Accelerated Marketing Process of Supreme Auctions.

Supreme Auctions announced the recent closed sale of Westview Heights in West Houston, Texas. This luxury home is conveniently located within minutes of Memorial Park, as well as being a short 20-minute drive to Interstate 10, which will put you in the heart of downtown for business, the Galleria, City Center, and Memorial Shopping Center.

The results of Supreme Auctions’ accelerated marketing program for Westview Heights produced over 24,602 unique views to the website from 104 countries and 153 direct inquiries were made about the property. Supreme Auctions also received 11 registered bidders for the estate and the property sold on auction day.

“We are thrilled that the sale of Westview Heights represents our third successful transaction with John Daugherty Realtors in Houston this year,” stated Jennie Heal, President of Supreme Auctions.“With Supreme Auctions’ proprietary sales and marketing efforts, we garnered the attention of motivated buyers for this contemporary estate. In addition, our knowledge of the luxury market allowed for heightened interest and ultimate sale , which elated the seller as this home was on the market traditionally for over two years with little to no activity. The entire Supreme Auctions team is proud of having the highest success rate, at 96%, in the luxury real estate industry this year among all auction companies.” 

“We decided to use Supreme Auctions for our listing because we had heard so many good things about them and they had just finished two auctions within our company, which were very successful,” stated Judy Mousa of John Daugherty Realtors. “The experience with Supreme Auctions was superb, very professional and everything about it was over the top… the marketing, the details, the feedback, and just being able to understand how it all works was wonderful. As an agent, I would definitely recommend Supreme Auctions because we feel like through this experience, not only did we sell and please the seller, but we gained so much more knowledge. There are so many properties right now in our market; we are experiencing a soft market so the high-end luxury homes are sitting longer than we expected them to. With Supreme Auctions, we felt we could get the property sold quickly. If I could give sellers and agents some positive advice, it would be to use Supreme Auctions when you want your property listing sold.”

Photos courtesy of Supreme Auctions

Some of the most affordable beach towns to invest in for 2019 lie on the Gulf Coast, especially in Texas.

In four-season coastal communities such as Port Aransas, Texas on Mustang Island, the average 50-foot Gulf front lot costs under $1 million — well under the $4 million to $5 million-plus average found in coastal California and Florida. “In addition to the bottom-line profits, people fall in love with our island. We’re an authentic beach community with a laid-back lifestyle more in tune with life in the tropics,” notes Keith McMullin, broker/owner of Port Aransas Realty.

In 2019, Texas housing sales recovered after second-quarter declines, trending upward amid lower mortgage interest rates and a robust economy. Mortgage applications for home purchases and refinances continued to rise, nudged by further dips in interest rates. “The construction of high-end, luxury homes and condos in Cinnamon Shore, Palmilla Beach, and Sunflower Beach have played a significant role in our expansion to new markets. We remain somewhat of a secret outside of Texas, but that is changing as more people discover the affordability and allure of Mustang Island,” according to McMullin.

Texans capitalized on lower rates, pushing mortgage applications for home purchases up 15.6 percent year to date (YTD). Refinance mortgage applications (more sensitive to interest rate fluctuations), have nearly doubled over the past six months. “Large areas of Mustang Island were undeveloped until recent years. Of the 367 miles of Texas coastline, the bulk of the land available for development is located on Mustang Island.  We simply are not as widely known as other more mature beachfront communities,” says McMullin.

Investing in Texas real estate has been a no-brainer. Since 2010, the population has grown by 3.5 million, a million more than either Florida or California — converting into one and a half million new homes. Some 2 million of those people came from elsewhere attracted by new jobs, a fast-growing economy, more reasonable home prices, no state income tax, and a state ranked among the world’s ninth strongest economy.

“When compared to investing in other vacation/second-home markets, our story is very compelling. Lower property acquisition costs coupled with the vibrant Texas economy and steady population growth has created a healthy investment opportunity through appreciation and vacation rental income,” says McMullin.

For small coastal communities like Port Aransas, 2019 visitor arrivals from Texas and around the U.S. have so far exceeded last year’s numbers by 40 percent. Those arrivals are expected to rise, thanks to 3,300 out of 4,200 lodging units (up from 2,200 last year) that are now open for business (since Hurricane Harvey) with elevations of 10 to 11 feet above sea level.

Port A is definitely on the upswing, with new developments that include:

•   The destination’s first conference center, slated to open in 2021 for gatherings of 500 to 2,000 attendees.
•   225-room conference center hotel, slated to break ground in February 2020.
•   A new beachfront/bayfront marina and resort
•   Cinnamon Shore, an upscale 1,000-acre master-planned beachfront, family- and pedestrian-friendly community that will add Cinnamon Shore South, a $1.3 billion, a 300-acre expansion that will more than quadruple the existing community. It will include luxury homes, Town Center residences, community pools, a dining district with several restaurants, a retail destination, a health and wellness center, and a boutique hotel.
•   Palmilla Beach Resort & Golf Community opened a new golf course on June 1st with 9 holes of links-style play, plus THE LOOP – a 3-hole, par 3 course, plus a driving range. Palmilla Beach’s homes range from condos and townhomes to cottages and custom homes. Homesites begin in the $200s and completed homes from the $500s. 
•   Sunflower Beach Resort & Residences, nestled among 50 acres of protected dune preserves, features beach homes, several lots and 21 single-level poolside condos.  It has nearly completed the first phase of 25 new ultra-luxury one- and two-bedroom beach cabins priced from $382,000 to $499,000 at The Camp.

Photos courtesy of Cinnamon Shore

Sunflower Beach Resort & Residences is a beach development that has easy access to the Gulf of Mexico and makes an impression with luxury details and a friendly community.

Sunflower Beach Resort & Residences in Port Aransas, Texas greets you with sun, open spaces, a crisp ocean breeze, and comfort. The newly growing beach community offers a variety of luxury real estate options that will attract families and more. A permanent residence here appeals to those who crave the year-round nice weather, proximity to the beach, and the small-town feel. Equally appealing is the option to generate an income with a great rental program that is successful throughout Port Aransas.

The Beach Club

The main amenity at Sunflower — The Beach Club — is now open and the whole family will relish in the specialized perks. A luxury pool is included along with cabanas, an event pavilion, and a kid’s lounge. The separate adult pool and the Bar & Grill are what make The Beach Club ideal for everyone. Ryan Ritcher, from on-site sales at Sunflower Beach Resort & Residences, says, “The club is the perfect way for the whole community to enjoy themselves and get to know each other.”

Ashleigh Robertson from on-site sales also speaks to the sense of community at Sunflower Beach, “It’s a big family here. This is the kind of place where it’s safe enough to send your kid to school on their bike.”

Ritcher explains that at the sales center they make it a point “to really get to know each individual buyer and understand what they’re really looking for.”

Features

Community Features that you and your family will love include, a sweeping and well-kept lawn, parks and play areas, pleasant streets to stroll down, unforgettable ocean views and stunning dune preserves.

Sunflower’s location in Port Aransas is an added bonus for those settling in or just visiting. The delectable cuisine that is available, the friendly beaches, golf cart accessibility and local culture makes this a fun beach destination that is only continuing to grow.

Find more details at:

http://www.sunflowerbeach.com/

https://portaransas.org/

The Lone Star State’s forward-thinking, artsy capital has its own distinct personality, one that fuels imaginative residential architecture.

By Roger Grody

Photo courtesy of Patrick Wong/Atelierwong.com

Austin is unlike any other city in Texas, and its residents proudly embrace an eccentric, defiant attitude. A vibrant music scene, progressive politics, trendsetting cuisine, and a technology-driven economy make this metro area of two million one of America’s most dynamic. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that Austin has developed its own exciting architectural traditions.

Kevin Alter, founding partner of Alterstudio Architecture and the Sid W. Richardson Centennial Professor at the School of Architecture at the University of Texas (UT) in Austin, suggests the city is developing a strong tradition of modernism. He reports that 20 years ago there was little interest in the movement, but modern architecture’s ability to connect to the outdoors — it suits the region’s scenic Hill Country nearly year round — has endeared it to Austinites. He also cites attitudes of new residents from other regions of the country (Alter himself is a transplanted New Yorker), the draw of UT and a growing technology industry presence as fueling modern design.

“There are a lot of very good architects in the city, given its relatively small size,” says Alter, asserting there is more interesting residential architecture in Austin than in the giant metropolises of Houston and Dallas. “There’s also a youthful optimism in Austin, so people aren’t looking back in history for inspiration.” Contrasting Austin to more traditional, less architecturally tolerant cities, Alter suggests, “Because of that optimism, there’s not a ‘looking-over-your-shoulder’ mentality here for property owners interested in building modern residences.”   

Real estate broker Brian Linder is a licensed architect and founder of The Value of Architecture, a multi-city network of real estate professionals specializing in architecturally significant homes.

After establishing that niche in Los Angeles, Linder expanded his practice to Austin, appreciating both its family-friendly lifestyle and wealth of exceptional architecture. “Buyers here are willing to pay a significant premium for homes designed by signature architects,” says Linder.

The specialty broker reports one the most desirable neighborhoods in Austin is the trendy South Congress (SoCo) district, where the original housing stock is being replaced with exciting modern architecture. “The area is popular with urban expats from cities like New York, San Francisco and L.A., and buyers are taking their accrued appreciation from those places and investing in good design,” says Linder.

Representative of the top architectural firms in town are Bercy Chen Studio, Jay Hargrave Architecture, Chioco Design, and Minguell-McQuary Architecture.

Austin architects, according to Linder, soften the sometimes austere modernism found in L.A., noting their work emphasizes texture through incorporation of native materials. “Elements like site-gathered stone and reclaimed lumber or brick add a more human scale defined by those materials,” he says. While modernism is becoming the city’s preferred style, there is also ample demand for contemporary farmhouses, a theme promoted by local developers.

One of the priciest current listings in Austin is a striking modern home encompassing 5,400 square feet of living space, offered at $8.5 million. The design, from prominent local firm Dick Clark + Associates, features panoramic views of the city skyline through 60 feet of retractable floor-to-ceiling glass in a living area that opens onto an infinity-edge pool.

Offering a distinctly different lifestyle is a 558-square-foot penthouse-level condominium at the Seaholm Residences in downtown Austin, listed at $399,000. Built on the site of a former power plant, this project helped energize demand for high-rise living in Austin and The Independent, designed locally by Rhode: Partners, will be the tallest residential tower west of the Mississippi when completed. Professor Alter reports that as recently as 2005, investment in downtown condominiums was anemic, but young professionals now arriving in town relish the city center.

“We want to make sure we create spaces that fit our clients, beyond aesthetic or stylistic preferences, beyond basic function,” says Sean Guess, founding principal of the Austin firm Faye and Walker. While he does not view his work as reflecting a particular signature, Guess is among those talented young architects contributing to Austin’s evolution as a city increasingly identified with modern design.

Photo courtesy of Patrick Wong/Atelierwong.com

“I appreciate modern architecture that reflects tasteful, principled design,” says Linder, who is less inspired by facsimiles of Tuscan villas. He is kept increasingly busy in the Texas capital, as Austin’s exceptional architects work overtime to meet demand from buyers with a passion for innovative residential environments.

THIS STORY WAS FEATURED IN OUR SPRING 2018 ISSUE.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL DIGITAL VERSION.

The first ever real estate record holder to be recognized for home sales has sold 3,556 homes in a single year.

America’s number one ranked real estate agent, Ben Caballero of Addison, Texas, just became the number one real estate agent in the world, according to Guinness World Records (GWR). At the REAL Trends “Gathering of Eagles” conference in Denver, Caballero was named the first real estate agent ever to be recognized by GWR for home sales.
“Being named a Guinness World Record holder is truly the highlight of my professional career,” says Caballero, who continues year-after-year to exceed his own record-setting home sales performance.
REAL Trends ranks the top sales professionals in the United States by transaction sides and sales volume. In 2016, the most recent year all transaction data was available from REAL Trends, Caballero sold 3,556 homes, which was seven times more homes than his closest competitor who had reached up to 467 homes. His home sales that year totaled a new individual real estate agent sales record of $1.444 billion, breaking his  previous record of $1.022 billion.
In 2007, Caballero invented the HomesUSA.com platform, an innovative online technology for builders, that allowed him to achieve these remarkable numbers. His company specializes in new homes sales for 65 builders in Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio.
From 2010 to 2016, Caballero’s total home sales volume totaled $7.2 billion. To put his 2016 new home sales numbers in perspective, Caballero sold an average of more than 68 homes per week — nearly 10 homes per day, every day of the week or more than one-and-a-half sales every business hour.
“For years, our rankings have recognized the accomplishments of thousands of real estate professionals, but no one came close to achieving what Ben has,” says Steve Murray, president of REAL Trends. “Recognition of Ben’s achievements by Guinness World Records is truly amazing.”
Caballero has also appeared at the top of both REAL Trends “The Thousand” lists for both Individuals by Transaction Sides and Individuals by Sales Volume since 2013. This ranking is published midyear, annually in The Wall Street Journal and requires independent third-party verification.

Photo courtesy of HomesUSA.com

Photo courtesy of Brian Smith

Known for being havens of rustic, down-to-earth hideaways, ranches, farms and country estates are finding their way back into the forefront of buyer’s minds. Luckily for those interested, these properties can be found in nearly every corner of the U.S.

Located in the heart of Albany is Cane Mill Plantation, a $16 million estate in the heart of the quail plantation belt in Georgia. Properties in this area are contiguous with one another, according to agent Elliot Davenport Jr., of Hall and Hall, and cover a large breadth of land with a variety of outdoor recreation. Offering a main lodge, staff housing, dog kennel and more, this fifth-generation-owned property is an ideal hunting retreat at the tail-end of the Appalachian Mountains, at only an hour distance to Atlanta.

Southwest in Texas is a more wide-ranging assortment of ranch, farm and estate properties to choose from, depending on the needs of the buyers. “Buyers without horses often go a bit further outside of the Dallas/Fort Worth area,” says Keller Williams Realty Agent Kim Hunter, “as their country estates are used similarly to mountain or lake homes; it’s really about a weekend retreat for these buyers. Ranchers tend to look for much larger tracts (100-plus acres) where they keep a mixture of horses and cattle.”

Photo courtesy of Hall and Hall

Hunter just listed the Furst Ranch Estate, a 127-acre working ranch with world-class horse facilities and a high lodge-style home atop one of the highest points in northern Denton County. Apart from the renovated lodge home, the rolling landscape and abundance of trees on the exterior is what surely makes this ranch special. “It’s not pretentious, despite its size and amenities, so it could serve as a private home, family compound, corporate or executive retreat,” says Hunter.

Farther west into the Williams Fork River Valley of Colorado sits Motherwell Ranch, a 10,350±-acre mountain ranch that combines a diverse landscape, privacy, fishing from multiple water sources, and much more. Water is what secures Motherwell as a significant property, according to Hall and Hall Agent Brian Smith. “Good water is essential … and with 3.3 miles of the Williams Fork River, four lakes, over 90 ponds and smaller creeks, the ranch really stands out for its quality and quantity of water,” says Smith.

Local Californian rancher and Realtor Jim Martin is listing White Oak Ranch and Vineyard, a 255-acre property in Mendocino County with 130 acres of productive vineyards. “The White Oak Ranch & Vineyard is California’s premiere wine country estate where Mediterranean refinement blends with Western tradition,” says Martin, as the ranch’s architectural style is based on homes in Provence, France.

On the ranch is the Villa, which offers 10,000 square feet, five en suite bedrooms, seven baths, a professional kitchen, two internal courtyard gardens and an outdoor kitchen with an exterior fireplace. White Oak has first-class amenities of the highest order, coupled with a full-scale, commercial and income-producing vineyard. — Kristen Ordonez

Left and top right photos courtesy of Kim Hunter. Bottom right photo courtesy of California Outdoor Properties.

THIS STORY WAS FEATURED IN OUR SPRING 2018 ISSUE.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL DIGITAL VERSION.