I was on MLS tour today in Oak Cliff. Great homes. The thing that caught me off guard was that 3 of the 8 houses were over $700,000. And one was over a million dollars. That’s a new reality for our little neighborhood. In the photo, it’s easy to tell that they are all very different in style…new modern, updated traditional, and original. Beyond being within a mile of each other, they didn’t have much else in common. Oh, except that 2 of them had built-in espresso makers. I could really get into that new normal!

You know that I am a green home junkie. I got asked for my top tips for buyers and sellers by Jef Tingley writing for the Dallas Voice. What I see is that sellers want low-cost improvements that a buyer will appreciate. And buyers tend to be interested in upgrades that will reduce utilities or operating costs. Here’s a link to all my suggestions in the article. If you have any questions about green updates you want to make to your home, even if you’re not planning to buy or sell yet, I am happy to give my two cents.

Yesterday, I took a mini spring break. I figure just because I’m not in school and don’t have kids, is no reason to deprive myself of this annual tradition! So, I knocked off early at around 3:30 and headed straight for the Dallas Arboretum. It was a perfect day…blue skies and temperatures in the 70’s. Wow, was the garden in full bloom. Here is a pic of some of the tulips they have planted this year. And I won’t spoil it for you, but there is a very tall floral display in the main lawn that should delight you. I will warn you, that they close early on weekdays, so I was only there until 5pm. But the midweek crowd was totally manageable. Higher temps and even hard spring rains can damage the delicate tulip petals. So if you can steal away one day soon, I highly recommend it. Happy spring break to one and all.