A Gentlemen’s Ranch, a Storm Shelter, and Asses (Donkeys) 12 Miles from Downtown Dallas

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339 Town East Blvd. ext

Here is a chance to live like you are getting away… without really getting away. You can do it on this amazing country estate in Sunnyvale that comes on 16 acres with a stocked pond, rolling terrain, and asses in the backyard.

Yes, asses, as in donkeys.

Oh and guess how much your total property taxes are? $8000 in U.S. dollars. That’s because 15 of the total 16 acres are ag exempt. Don’t you just love ranches?

This spread was built in 2002 and brings you a total ranch get-away feel about 20 minutes outside of Dallas. Located in Sunnyvale on Town East Blvd., you are far enough away to get away from traffic and airport noise, yet close enough that you won’t sit your butt in the car all day to get there. Technically, it’s 12 miles east of downtown Dallas. The spread is actually a donkey farm and mare hotel, home to one of the largest donkey breeding operations in North Texas. The acreage spreads across the pond to a barn with spacious living quarters above. The little donkeys — jacks and jennys — live in the far rear of the ranch. Horse/donkey facilities include a wash rack, six loafing sheds and pens, and a 3,000 square foot barn. Donkeys are pack animals used for draught work in transport or agriculture.  In developed countries like the U.S., sturdy donkeys are used to sire mules, to guard other animals on the ranch, and as pets. Donkeys can also pastured or stabled with horses and ponies, where they have a calming effect on nervous horses.

And they make terrific nannies: if a donkey is introduced to a mare and a foal, the foal may turn to the donkey for support after it has been weaned from its mother.

But all that nuzzling and nurturing is going on in the far back of this ranch. Back in the main house, you have an exquisite, high-end finish out in an energy-efficient stone structure. All windows are low-e, the standing seam metal roof will outlast the owners, and the home is wrapped with extra insulation which results in lower energy bills. The floors are hand-scraped rugged, the kitchen loaded with a farm sink, high-end appliances, walk-in wine closet, and Labradore Antico granite counters that I’m told are no longer available. I’m also coming over for Thanksgiving because the convection oven cooks a 17 pound turkey perfectly in 2.5 hours.

 

339 Town East Blvd. ext front
339 Town East Blvd. pond
339 Town East Blvd. LR
339 Town East Blvd. DR
339 Town East Blvd. kit
339 Town East Blvd. kit 2

The master is as jazzy as the kitchen, with a see-through fireplace, and a master tub inspired by the Four Season Las Colinas own jacuzzis: heated backrest, and heated air in the jets, and self-dry to eliminate icky tub jets. There is a television near the tub, and the huge glassed-in master shower is a steam unit. All that’s missing is the bar, which is actually a few steps away.

 

339 Town East Blvd. girlie room
339 Town East Blvd. master bath
339 Town East Blvd. master

Speaking of steps, the master is on the first floor. There are four bedrooms, three and a half baths. Three are down, one is up with full bath. Also upstairs over the three-car garage is a media room with surround sound that is like a private movie theater because it IS a private movie theater. Let it get as loud as you want — no one else in the house can hear that Star Wars battle.

How about grabbing your fishing pole and go catch you some black bass or croppy? Tell you what: this property is available for $1,275,000. Less than $1.3 million.

Bonus: a brand-new golf course will be practically next door. Last month, the Dallas city council approved construction of the 400-acre Trinity Forest Golf Course, a $20 million to $60 million new golf course on Loop 12 near Interstate 45 in southern Dallas. Dallas-based AT&T will become the new title sponsor of the Byron Nelson Championship in 2015, taking that role from Hewlett-Packard and bringing them to Trinity Forest to golf.

According to real estate experts, the new golf course development will drastically change the landscape in southern Dallas, and buyers are eyeing Sunnyvale more than ever.

 

339 Town East Blvd. overview
Candy Evans

Candy Evans