Our Fave Bulb Hunter Chris Wiesinger

Well, first I see this in today’s DMN about Wiesinger’s hearty Texas Tulip (yes, that’s right, a HEARTY TULIP.) Then I get this e-mail from The Arboretum: “On Sept. 8, the Dallas Arboretum will host the second annual Bulbmania! class to show North Texas Gardeners how to create breathtaking bulb displays.” And guess who’s teaching it alongside Jimmy Turner? Weisinger! This guy is 26-years-old and unbelievable!

Bulbmania! is Sept. 8, 9a.m. to 12p.m.; $30 for non-members, $27 for members. Call 214-515-6540 for a reservation and visit this site to pre-order bulbs.

How To Search For Real Estate: www.dmagazine.com

Go to our D Magazine homepage, look to the left and find the link that says “Search for Real Estate”. There’s a cute little house icon right next to it. Click on that and voila, the wonderful world of Dallas Real Estate on the MLS opens up right before your eyes! The Multiple Listing Service lists every home that is for sale with a Texas broker. So now finding a home is only a click away from us. We love technology: those of you with PDA’s and I Phones can find sales info right there on the street… or even in the house. I say, go for it!

Labor Day Art Sale at IBB Design

Are your empty walls begging for some interest? Head to IBB Design this weekend for a huge art show and sale. Browse hundreds of original oils in various sizes. And how easy is this? They have an assortment of frames to choose from there, and they’ll stretched and framed your prized canvas while you wait. Sat., Sept. 1, 10-6 p.m. and Mon., Sept. 3, 10-5 p.m.

Big Grape News

Greenville Avenue institution The Grape will be purchased by popular Dallas chef Brian Luscher who gained acclaim as executive chef of the eatery 2001-2004.  The transaction will be finalized in October, which also marks the 35th anniversary of The Grape.  Expect to see Brian Luscher back in the kitchen as early as the end of September and wife Courtney (former General Manager of Dakota’s) working the dining room as general manager.

Man Gets Jailed For Building Fence on His Own Prop

This is why I hate too many rules and Homeowners Associations…

Green With Glamour

Ooh! Love this shopping site, Green With Glamour. Find furniture, home accessories, and gifts all gorgeous and all eco-sound. Very cool!

Prep School

I wish I could show you the mock DHome cover that crazy friends of Susan Palma made for her, but marketing tends to get a tad jumpy about messing with the D logo. Artist Jane Corbellini took Susan’s portrait from page 85 of the August issue, and re-named it PHome. Leslie Kennedy wrote “Susan’s Pet Care Tips: in one word, stuffed“, and “Sons Alex and Charlie disclose trauma of smocked outfits well past preschool.” I understand that one is really true.

Rustic Charmer

Came across this listing. “Rustic” is right. This house is stuck in the early 80s but isn’t it cool? A total redo could make this place a show house. Not bad for the price.

Robert A.M. Stern to Design Bush Library

So it’s official, sort of. Even though everybody and their dog knows the library’s going to SMU, that has not been announced. But we do have an architect on the project.

Dave Perry-Miller: The Million Dollar (Per Day) Man

Dave Perry-Miller was on a panel of nationally-recognized top agents teaching other agents how to “embrace today’s Luxury Real Estate Consumer”. The other panelists were Brian Lewis, charming graduate of The College of William and Mary who told us how the best training he got was by working as a Concierge at the Four Seasons Hotel in NYC where his clients were, among others, Oprah Winfrey. Brian is with the distinguished New York City-based Halstead Property, LLC firm. Then Susan Rychel of Slifer Smith & Frampton Real estate in Avon, Colo. piped in with her years of experience dealing with generations of high echelon buyers in Vail. But it was our very own Dave who wowed the crowds with his tale of helping a Dallas couple settle first into a $4 million “interim” house while they tore down and devised building plans and then finally moved them to a $10 million interim home. The best way to service clients, he said, is to simply get them what they want. Which he does uber well, apparently: in his first 90 days at Ebby Halliday, Dave has closed $1,000,000 (one million) per day for a total of $90 million closed with only 29 agents.

Fact Checking Trillions

Talked to Don Winter, VP of the Harrison Group, who wanted me to clarify a few things in my earlier post — nothing as earth shattering as the figures I shared with you. I am still stumbling over that TR word, TRILLION….

One, the top 5% of the wealthiest in America control $32 trillion in private assets. The rest — 95% — control only a mere $7 trillion. The top 5% spend $1.3 trillion annually. And finally, Don said the average age of these mega trillionaires is 47, not 45. Which makes me feel a whole lot better.

Whatever Happened At That Centrum Auction???

Remember this story? Yeah, well I’ve been wondering too. So today I about jumped for joy when one of the presenters at Luxury Portfolio was Alan Kravets, President of Sheldon Good & Company or — the folks who auctioned off the Centrum Tower properties this past spring. Price at which a total of several Centrum properties sold: $6 million. (more…)

Dear Steve II

Totally in agreement today. And might I add that one element of this good fortune may be coming from both abroad and south of the border: final day of Luxury Portfolio, we learned (among other things) how the influx of foreign buyers has helped prop the US Real Estate market. Folks, they are buying up our properties in droves — a 25% increase in foreign buyers in sagging markets like NYC and Miami. LP’s Executive VP Paul Boomsma calls it a two-for-one sale given the dollar’s devaluation. We heard from top Miami Realtor extraordinaire Audrey Ross with Esslinger-Wooten-Maxwell that if 2005 was the shining year of Florida Real estate sales, 2007 sales for single fam homes is down 34% from that pinnacle, and condo sales are down 22%. OMIG: 20,000 fresh new condos are yet to be delivered to the market. However, she is setting her sites (and brushing up foreign language skills) on the flush buyers coming from the UK (Ireland and Scotland, the Highlanders apparently love beaches) and Russia. Not one buyer, she said, has hailed from California — it’s Europe coming in and sweeping up the bargains.
In our case, it’s Mexico and South America and it won’t be long before the Russians will also be coming to Texas.

Grape News?

This just in:

Popular local chef Brian Luscher who gained acclaim at Greenville Avenue landmark The Grape has left his current position at TPC Craig Ranch where he was named 2007 Avid Golfer Best Private Club Chef in the Metroplex.  Rumor has it a Grape reunion might be in the works.  Stay tuned….

Welcome To The New Affluence

Great presentation today by Don Winter of The Harrison Group, a high-end market research company who helped American Express figure out their customer’s spending habits and profit from that very valuable knowledge. Focusing on the top five percent in America, I learned that — are you ready for this — the top 5% in America control $32 trillion in spending dollars. Trillion as in T. To spend. The wealthy in America can be divided into three basic groups: the Affluent, who have a discretionary income (after mortgage and taxes paid, just pure fun spending) of $125 to $249K per year to fritter away, to the Super Affluent, who have $250K to $499K to fritter, and the Wealthy — half a million plus as discretionary income. Let me tell you what I learned about these folks and why you should pay attention:

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Re: Designer’s Bill of Rights

Peggy, Michelle is one of the most talented designers I know. Problem is, everyone wants something for nothing these days, which I cannot figure out given the trillions of dollars floating around. Maybe do what Moulton-Brown told us today they do: just say no. “We do not discount. Discounts are for discounters.” End of story.

Candy’s Letter To Steve Brown

Dear Steve,

I read your piece in Friday’s paper. It took me all weekend to gather my five thousand thoughts. Wow, so Realtors are getting creative in their attempts to move properties? More than just a sign in the yard? They are throwing parties with food, wine, maybe even models showing off great jewelry?
Gosh, Steve, you’d better sit down. Maybe grab a drink because I have something to tell you: this is old news. For years, in fact ever since Dallas Realtors ceased to be bored housewives in St. Johns suits with a lot of selling chutzpah, the shining stars of Dallas Real Estate have been grabbing the limelight by wining and dining both clients and other Realtors. Honey, that’s how Dallas sells dirt….

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Designers’ Bill of Rights

Do we need a Designers’ Bill of Rights? I’ve heard so many horror stories about how clients feel they own the designer once they are hired - they are indentured servants that can’t leave town without the approval of the client. Michele Nussbaumer, the brilliant merchandising talent behind Ceylon et Cie, laments that some of her clients hire her, and then don’t want her to say she did the job. They want to take credit. “Oh this? I just threw it together last week.” Come on, it looks easy, but like any gift, it takes talent. Any thoughts?

50 Years of Eero Saarinen

Todd Johnson forwarded this image from Design Within Reach celebrating 50 years since the design of the original iconic Saarinen table.He said it made his mouth water. Mine, too, especially since my new 48″ table in due in from Smink this week.

Re: Overhyped Organics

That is what I call senseless regression.  I guess you can build a case against anything.  Like the bloggist who discovered a miniscule error in a NASA report - that made absolutely no difference and took over the headlines for days.

Learn to be WaterWise

Learn how to keep your garden green and save water at same time by attending the Xeriscape Gardening Seminars hosted by the City of Dallas Water Utilities on September 8th at Mountain View College.

Water-wise gardening – also known as Xeriscape – saves water, time and money. One of the main principles of Xeriscape is the use of plants that are native or adapted to the region. They can take the heat and require less water and maintenance, so they are perfect for gardens in North Texas.

The two seminars to be held on September 8 at Mountain View College are “Xeriscape Landscape Design 101” from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and “Fantastic Plants for North Texas” from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. The seminars will be held in the Performance Hall in the east building, middle level at Mountain View College located at 4849 W. Illinois Avenue.

Interested persons may register online at www.savedallaswater.com/contact.htm or call the Water Conservation hotline at (214) 670-3155. Bonnie Reese of Beautiful Landscapes will be leading the seminars. Information about Ms. Reese can be found at www.beautifullandscapes.net.

Briggs Freeman Opens International Service

Briggs Freeman has announced a new division– Briggs Freeman International – serving executives and their families moving into and out of the Dallas area. The announcement was made by Robbie Briggs and his partner, Charles Freeman. Ginny Logan, CRP GMS, senior vice president for the firm, has been named the division head for Briggs Freeman International.

Oak Cliff Merchantile Reopens

Hooray! News from Henry Branstetter:

Hey Paige, hope you are well! We are ready to open the store again! I’m so excited. We are at 700 W. Davis, phone is the same (214 948 8080). We will be open Wednesday from 10-6, Thursday from 10-6, Friday 10-3 and Saturday from 10-6. I will probably add Sunday in the spring and carry plants and pots and fountains since we have such a big yard out back. We still have architectural pieces, and antique furniture but have also added some new gift items as well. Have you noticed the building? We have worked on it all summer, painting, scraping, and cleaning and are really proud of the building.

Be sure and stop by and be wowed.

Organic, Local, Pesticide-Free Living: Overhyped?

“Imagine a world in which all food is organic and local, air is free of industrial pollution, and physical exercise guaranteed. Sound idyllic?” Spiked Mag has other ideas.