Category Archives: Ranches

Former President Lydon B. Johnson’s “Dear” Ranch Now Available in Johnson City, Texas Hill Country

Written by Candy Evans on March 18, 2012

This is a very special ranch, probably one of the most unique you’ve ever seen… dear in more ways than one. Even better: I can talk about it from total personal experience! This is the Benini Sculpture Ranch in Johnson City, Texas, 142 acres of beautiful Hill Country terrain enhanced with gorgeous, artistic sculptures. The prevailing story is that it was once owned by former President Lyndon Baines Johnson, a Texas legend of course and the 36th president of the U.S. Yes, the town is named after him and the LBJ ranch is only a few miles from this ranch.

Posted in Celebrity Homes, On the Market, Ranches, Real Estate, Second Shelters | Tagged Benini Sculpture Ranch, Johnson City, Johnson City Texas Acres, LBJ Ranch, Personal Experience, President Lyndon Baines Johnson, shared ownership ranches, The Preserve at Walnut Springs | 4 Comments

Great Second Home at The Harbor, Possum Kingdom REDUCED, Relaxing, Ranch Lake Resort Living: Texas Second Home News

Written by Candy Evans on January 22, 2012

So it’s January, the holiday decorations are FINALLY put up, and I am determined to spend next Christmas in our second home. Look at what I just found at Possum Kingdom Lake: the owners are relocating to Chicago— they need to sell this place to buy furs! I am liking this location, a perfect combination of the RLR –ranch~lake~resort living in the Hill Country, but two hours west of Dallas/Fort Worth.

The Hill Country begins in Palo Pinto County!

Posted in Ranches, Real Estate, Second Home deals, Second Shelters | Tagged Hill Country, Palo Pinto County Thenbsphome, Perfect Combination, Possum Kingdom Lake, second homes in Texas | Comments Off

Charles Dilbeck: An Historical Ranch In Dallas Was Moved, Restored, Painstakenly Preserved

Written by Candy Evans on December 9, 2011

This amazing home in Westlake, Texas started as a ranch when Westlake was nothing more than a farm town. I drove out to see this spread one crisp, fall day and am still in a trance – maybe why it’s taken me 1500 words to post it. Not only is it a ranch house originally designed by one of Dallas’ most famous architects, it was commissioned by a prominent Dallas family. Even more: the home was lovingly restored in 1977 after it was wrapped and moved in six pieces to its present land location – that’s right! This house was wrapped up like a delicate holiday ornament in Tyvek and moved on steel beams where it was put back together, melded, enhanced, and perfected in a beautiful, country like setting on 18 acres. You have no idea you are near civilization. As one writer described the setting: it’s an “ahhh experience”.

Posted in Ranches, Second Shelters | Tagged Charles Dilbeck, Texas, Texas ranches, Westlake | 2 Comments

Winter Spring Summer and Fall, All You Have To Do is Call — Carole King’s Idaho Ranch Now a Blue Light Special

Written by Candy Evans on August 30, 2011

The price has been slashed from $16 million to just $11.5 for this amazing ranch spread one hour and a half north of the sleepy Ketchum/Sun Valley ski community of Hemingway fame. Located in the tiny town of Stanley, Idaho, and how cute is that name? (Not to be Debbie Downer, but Hemingway did commit suicide in Ketchum, which is really the town’s only claim to fame.) Prices soft in the Sun Valley environs these days; I hear there are tons of deals to steal.

Posted in Celebrity Homes, Dallas real estate news, Idaho homes, On the Market, Ranches, Real Estate, Real estate market news, real estate taxes, Second Shelters | Tagged Debbie Downer, National Forest Lands, National Recreation Area, Professional Recording Studio, Sawtooth National Recreation Area, Town Of Stanley | 5 Comments

Why Everyone Leaves Dallas In August, and Where They Go: The Dallas Second Home Report

Written by Candy Evans on August 14, 2011

Do you find it impossible to get anything done in Dallas in August? Let’s face it: everyone in town has taken a hike. And do you blame them? I’d much rather be at the seashore in Maine, on the Gulf Coast at Alys Beach, even down at Cinnamon Shore (which opens a new coffee house next week) in Port Aransas, in Colorado, in Pebble, in Montana, God even in Santa Fe.

Posted in Beach Homes, Celebrity Homes, Dallas real estate news, House Candy, Maine, Mountain Homes, Ranches, Real estate market news, Santa Fe, Second Shelters | Tagged Alys Beach, Ellen Terry, Real Estate Sales, Residential Real Estate Sales, second home destinations of Dallas, Seven Year Itch, where wealthy Dallasites vacation, White Rock Lake | 2 Comments

Friday Ranch Porn: Too Hot To Live In Dallas, Get Thee To A Ranch STAT

Written by Candy Evans on August 5, 2011

I think we can honestly survive 100 degree plus temps better on a ranch. Less concrete, more trees and shade. I love the ranch life and in my perfect world I’d have a ranch a few hundred miles away from Dallas, our beach house in Maine, my beach condo in Florida on the Gulf coast, and then maybe something at a lake. That’s the only way to survive!

Posted in House Candy, Ranches, Real Estate, Second Shelters | Tagged Brazos River, Carter Ranch, Guest Quarters, Hilly Acres, ranches in Texas, Silverado On The Brazos, Weatherford Texas | 1 Comment

Oh To Be Back On The Ranch: Rustic Second Home House Candy

Written by Candy Evans on July 18, 2011

I found this ranch on Curbed and totally fell in love. In fact, while paying bills and blogging, I just kept going back again and again to gaze upon it. It’s hotter than hell in Texas, and I can just feel the cool air whispering over me up there in Augusta, Montana. This spread belongs to the former CEO of Citadel Broadcasting, that being Larry Wilson. So now Wilson’s literally selling the family farm: Sun River Ranch. On the market goes 3,000-acres of God and Grizzly country.

Posted in Mountain Homes, Ranches, Real Estate, Second Shelters | Tagged Augusta, Castle Reef, Citadel Broadcasting, Diameter Logs, Hell In Texas, Larry Wilson, Montana, Montana Ranches, Rocky Mountain Front, Scapegoat Mountain, Sq Ft Residence | Comments Off

Is Now A Good Time To Refinance Second Homes?

Written by Candy Evans on July 14, 2011

In this muckety-muck lending environment, does it make sense to re-finance your SECOND home? Can you even save money? I asked my good friend Marcus McCue, Vice President of sales for Guardian Mortgage Company:

Posted in Ask Candy, emerging real estate markets, Ranches, Real Estate, Second home trends, Second Shelters | Tagged Cash Outflow, Economic Pressures, Friend Marcus, Guardian Mortgage, Loan Product, Mortgage Company, Rule Of Thumb | 1 Comment

Former Dallas Mayor Steve Bartlett’s New Second Home in the Texas Hill Country

Written by Candy Evans on July 11, 2011

Steve Bartlett, remember him? He was on the Dallas City Council from 1977 to 1981, represented some of us in Congress, and is now President and CEO of The Financial Services Roundtable, a lobbying group for several prestigious financial services companies. OMG, politics to lobbying, who’d a thunk it? Membership consists of 100 financial companies including Wells Fargo, J. P. Morgan Chase, State Farm, Fidelity Investments, Prudential, and Raymond James. Here’s some of the legislation Mr. Bartlett has impacted: Gramm-Leach-Bliley, E-SIGN, the 2001-2003 Tax Cuts, the Fact Act (FCRA), Class Action Reform, consumer bankruptcy reform and TARP.

Posted in Celebrity Homes, Ranches, Second Shelters, Texas Hill Country | Tagged Bankruptcy Reform, Consumer Bankruptcy, Dallas City Council, Fidelity Investments, J P Morgan Chase, Steve Bartlett, Texas Hill Country | Comments Off

This Ranch Is A Location Scout’s Dream: Acreage, Amenities, and Even a Landing Strip, One Hour From Dallas

Written by Candy Evans on July 5, 2011

Life was sure sweet this weekend out at Tejas Ranch, in Anna. This amazing property has “Texas” written all over it, so much it was under consideration as a shooting locaton for the now defunct Fox TV series Lone Star (starring Jon Voight), when the series was shooting last summer. Voight played a modern-day JR Ewing type oil tycoon. I recall the scouts were looking long and hard for a ranch. Small wonder they picked Tejas. Perched on 90 + acres, Tejas Ranch has multiple luxurious living facilities, a 10 acre lake, stocked tanks and, even in these bone-dry times, year-round live water. Talk about ease of access, it’s an hour north of Dallas and you can even jet right in to the ranch on your own 2500 foot private runway.