The Crosstown Blog

I had the unexpected pleasure of attending the Oak Cliff Fall Home Tour last weekend.  This annual event has occurred for decades, but this was my first visit.  I've been appraising in Kessler Park and Stevens Park since the beginning, so I am well aware and appreciative of the stately grand ol' dames of post-WW1 south Dallas.  But this year, tour organizers decided to display a wide variety of styles and designs of homes that comprises the nearly 30 neighborhoods represented by the Old Oak Cliff Conservation League.

Twelve homes were selected from almost 50 applicants, making it the largest tour ever.  The homes selected ranged in age from 1912 to 1957, as small as 1,200 sqft. to over 5,000.  Styles also ran the gamut from Tudor to Ranch to Modern Contemporary to Prairie Mansion.  Most homes had recently completed a significant and thorough renovation and/or rehabilitation, in historic accuracy and/or modern style, or a mix of both.  But a couple were just as they always have been - we call these "time warps".  Each house also showcased a vintage automobile as a bonus; the 1968 Lamborghini Espada was my favorite. 

I highly recommend the tour to everyone.  The homes are spectacular, and you will probably come home ready to redecorate.  Not to mention the entertainment provided by the voyeuristic comrades touring these home with you.  After seeing one fabulous gentlemen for the third time of the day, each time with a drink in his hand, I inquired where the bar was: "In the trunk, sweetie!"  But be forewarned for next year, food and drinks are really not allowed - inside, anyway.  

www.ooccll.com, www.whhometour.org, www.turnerhouse.org, www.oakcliff.com

One of my most popular questions is how can I increase the value of my house?  Thanks to HGTV and TLC, it's almost common sense that improving the kitchen or master bathroom is the most cost-effective remodeling effort.  However, patio decks and exterior siding are leading the cost vs. value trends in 2007 and 2008 (both attributed to newly available synthetic building materials). But what if you don't have thousands and thousands of dollars and the appraiser is coming tomorrow?

Here are some basic things any homeowner can do to maximize their appraisal potential:

1) Repair or replace anything that is broken or missing

2) Clean everything inside and out, top to bottom

3) Remove the junk and clutter

The overall idea is to give the appraiser (and buyer, if you are selling) the impression that the property has been taken care of, and don't give the appraiser a reason to withhold or down-grade your value.  The house is what it is.  This is about making the best out of what you have to work with.

PS:  You can put granite counters on your old cabinets, but appraisers and buyers will see it like a pig with lipstick.