Candy Evans is one of the nation’s leading real estate reporters, bloggers and consultants. She reports on Dallas real estate for WFAA-TV’s Daybreak with Ron Corning, and is frequently called as a real estate expert by other Dallas media. She is also a real-estate editor for CultureMap Dallas. She even has her own web-based Real estate show called, The Party Line.
Candy has written for AOL Real Estate, and is a guest blogger for Joel Kotkin’s The New Geography, Inman Real Estate News plus a host of national sites. Candy was a longtime contributing editor to Dallas’ D Magazine and sister pubs, and in 2007 founded the wildly successful Dallas real estate blog, DallasDirt. That’s where she broke the news on where former president George W. Bush bought his Dallas home in 2008.
She is the founder and publisher of an exciting platform of Dallas-based real estate sites including SecondShelters.com, devoted to the vacation home market, and her signature CandysDirt.com, everything you need to know about real estate in North Texas. And yes, we are still psyched about the GOLD! In 2013, CandysDirt.com was named Best Blog by the venerable National Association of Real Estate Editors, one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious journalism associations, and the only association for journalists covering real estate, home and urban design.
Experience Susurros del Corazon Tuesday, May 7, 5:00 to 7:00 pm, at Alice + Olivia, 7B Highland Park Village, Highland Park
Whispers of the heart: that’s the meaning of Susurros del Corazon, a new luxury boutique resort coming up on 33 lush, rolling acres overlooking the Bay of Banderas on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, a favorite vacation and beach spot for Texans.
And of course there will be vacation homes: the resort will feature 59 hotel guest suites and 30 contemporary beachfront residences, both surrounded by tropical jungle and pristine white sand beaches.
But there is more: the entire resort will carry one of the leading luxury brand names in the world: Auberge Resorts.
When you get to a certain stage in life, there is really only one thing left to gift your family: a place where the entire clan can enjoy layers of generations under one roof, basking in the tranquility of nature.
In other words, a home on the range where memories can be created between generations, and then passed down to future generations.
For many North Texans, that dream is a ranch, one perhaps offering equestrian experiences and certainly, if in neighboring Colorado, relief from the Texas summer heat as well as a full ski season.
However, let’s face it: real life on a ranch is never anything but hard work. As you hike or ride, you notice the fence that needs repairing, the barn that was bashed during the October storms, and oh yes, the horses that need constant tending. Add that to the rest of the inevitable days’ worth of sun-up to sun-down chores, and despite the romantic allure, you begin to wonder, ‘is Ranch ownership a realistic option for our family?’
Pondering this very question inspired our recent visit west to Alpine Mountain Ranch & Club, located in picturesque, Steamboat Springs, Colorado, which we knew for awesome skiing.
But ranch life?
We’d heard that this property was different, that it was the perfect solution to mountain ranch ownership: a beautiful mountain property in the northwest corner of the state, acres of breathtaking forest and soaring mountain views that lower your blood pressure every time you open your eyes. There is horseback riding, fly-fishing, golf, ski-in/ski-out mountain access to fresh powder, fresh water swims, critters and cattle, and the best gift of all: a luxurious home on the range without the maintenance.
In other words, you own this ranch: it doesn’t own you.
School just started, but it’s already time to start thinking about what we are going to do this winter. We love to offer you many options here on SecondShelters.com.
One of those surely has to be Snowmass Village, Colorado. The renowned but homey winter playground and vibrant mountain community is just 8 miles from downtown Aspen. Proving more of a family-oriented vacation, Snowmass Ski Area consistently ranks as one of the best ski and snowboard hills in the world. In addition to unmatched natural beauty and more than 300 sunny days a year, Snowmass Ski Area offers guests 3,332 acres of multi-level terrain and boasts the second largest vertical drop in the United States. A full 95% of the lodging is ski-in/ski-out, with 37 wonderful restaurants, numerous shops and boutiques, a bounty of activities, and a friendly, small town feel. The area is bursting with activity year ’round.
And now, lots of new stuff coming up: the new Limelight Hotel and Residences, a new Plaza, Ice Rink, and several new eateries are set to open. The transformation that has occurred over the past year in Snowmass Base Village is pretty dramatic. From an unfinished concrete foundation to a completed Base Village at the foot of Snowmass Ski Area, the development has taken shape since construction was re-started in June 2017.
This project, a partnership of Colorado-based East West Partners, Aspen Skiing Company (ASC) and KSL Capital, is a $600 million, 10-year venture that represents the largest ski resort development project currently underway in North America. To celebrate, Snowmass Base Village will host a community-wide grand opening on Sat., Dec. 15, 2018.
“Every iconic destination needs a central place that connects people with fun activities and amenities to foster memorable moments,” says Harry Frampton, East West Partners founder and chairman. “Base Village is destined to be that place for Snowmass.
We see a lot of fabulous homes, but few grab our attention like a Pottsboro property that just hit the market, located about an hour north of Dallas. This is a perfect weekend house if we ever saw one!
The barndominium at 192 McClain Ln. is a sight to behold, an enchanting and unusual house made to look like a rustic wood barn with lots of high-end features for the discerning buyer. It has five bedrooms, four full bathrooms, two half baths, and 5,293 square feet on two stories, sitting on 10 acres close to the Texas-Oklahoma border.
Located two miles from the shores of Lake Texoma, this residence was built as a vacation home by DFW residents looking to create a gathering spot for four adult children, grandchildren, and family friends alike.
I’ve found an exceptional equestrian property sitting on almost 10 acres on the shores of Lake Ray Roberts, about an hour north of Dallas.
The expansive home at 7621 Sierra Lane in Pilot Point is a true luxury horse estate with a gorgeous custom home. Its Southern-style exterior leads to a high-end transitional interior with 20,437 square feet. You’ve got to see this in person to truly appreciate how unusual it is for our North Texas market.
“This is a remarkable plantation-style home set on a picturesque 9.72 acres with a luxury swimming pool, outdoor areas, and multi-stall barn,” said listing agent Jason Haugen with eXp Realty. “It’s right next to the equestrian trails on the shores of Lake Ray Roberts — everything about this property makes it a dream for the serious horse lover.”
This estate has six bedrooms (including two masters), five full bathrooms, four half baths, four living areas, two dining areas, on three stories with an elevator and a gated entrance and guest quarters, built in 2015. Can I give you a tour?
Interesting that Texas is becoming a popular destination for people in colder climates seeking warm weather, while we are escaping to cooler climes including McCall, Idaho. One of the top ten most popular vaca home spots is Hallettsville, Texas, a rural stretch in Lavaca County between San Antonio and Houston. (more…)
This summer marks the 125th anniversary of Yellowstone National Park, the great national treasure and home to half the world’s geysers, grizzly bears, wolves, bison and elk. The lure of Yellowstone draws millions of visitors every year, and this year may be a bonanza.
Now you can own your own small (or large) piece of Wyoming at one of the finest residential and lifestyle club communities in the northwest: the Snake River Sporting Club at Jackson Hole.
Located just south of the confluence of the Snake and Hoback rivers, about 12 miles from the town of Jackson, the Snake River Sporting Club offers 800-acres of unbelievable lifestyle experience. Live and play here when it’s 110 degrees in Dallas, and just be kind enough to put all the fun on Facebook. Owner/investor Christopher Swann says it is the perfect marriage of rugged nature and authentic western lifestyle. I have already mapped the mileage to Dallas: 1309 miles. A 20 hour drive or a direct 3 hour flight on America. Or there is always private.
