December 13, 2008
President George W. Bush buys 8,501-square-foot house in Dallas’ Preston Hollow neighborhood
President George W. Bush has purchased an 8,501-square-foot house in Dallas’ Preston Hollow neighborhood.
We know this story was all over the news last week (in fact, it was so many places that we’re not even going to bother crediting anyone on this), but we wanted to weigh in on it (and provide a lot more details for our readers) before it got too out of date.
And in the ensuing week since this story broke, we have to say that even given its size, something about Bush’s new house still feels to us to be a little….small. And underwhelming. We realize that the soon-to-be-former president doesn’t have a lot of money right now, and we also realize that the man already has himself a gigantic ranch on 1,580.22 acres at 43 Prairie Chapel Ranch on Prairie Chapel Road in Crawford, Texas, which he purchased through his Lone Star Trust in 1999 for an estimated $1.3 million.
And yet, at the same time, this house, which is in the Mayflower Estates sub-area of Preston Hollow, just feels something less than presidential to us.
Before discussing Bush’s new house, let’s talk about the New York Post’s Cindy Adams’ ridiculous and error-filled report back in September that Bush had purchased a house on five acres in Preston Hollow. (Although Bush did go ahead and buy his house the following month, it’s certainly not on five acres!) Local media immediately debunked the report.
The following month, however, Bush did go ahead and purchase a house in Preston Hollow, which is at 10141 Daria Place, which was built in 1959 and which sits on a 1.13-acre parcel, according to public records. The house had not been on the market, and Bush made the purchase in the name of his accountant, Robert McCleskey, closing on the deal on October 1, 2008 (deal recorded on October 3, 2008). Local officials do not require that property sale amounts be made public (which is incredibly annoying for celebrity real estate snoops like us). However, the good news is that mortgage amounts there *are* made public, and records show that the president took out a $3,074,239 mortgage. Bush reportedly will be buying the 4,684-sqare-foot house next door, at 10151 Daria Place, ostensibly for the Secret Service’s use, but records do not show yet that a sale has closed on that house (that house had been listed for $1,679,900, and its longtime owner, Joan Northway, died in October 2003 at age 76; the house reportedly is empty at present).
The adjoining homes that Bush has bought back up to homes owned by Gene and Roxanne Phillips (at 10300 Gaywood Road) and Tom Hicks, who purchased the Texas Rangers baseball team from Bush in 1998. Hicks’ home, at 5555 Walnut Hill Road, is more like a mansion, measuring a whopping 28,996 square feet.
Before becoming governor, Bush lived just a short distance away from his new digs, owning a 3,397-square-foot house at 6029 Northwood Road in Preston Hollow. Bush purchased that house in November 1998 for $320,000 and sold it for $348,000 in January 1995 — when he moved into Dallas’ governor’s mansion in Austin.
Both Bush’s 1988-1995 residence and his new house are in areas that have had restrictions barring non-whites. The Northwood Road house did, and the specific part of Preston Hollow that they’re now buying in, the James Meaders Estates subdivision, has been widely reported to have had a neighborhood association covenant from 1956 until 2000 barring any non-whites from owning property in it.
Check out a tax record for Bush’s new house.
For sale by owner MLS listings are now possible through a special program.
Filed under Celebrity Homes, Movers & Shakers by Bob Goldsborough
Comments on President George W. Bush buys 8,501-square-foot house in Dallas’ Preston Hollow neighborhood »
Isn’t that illegal?
And I thought that Bush had made a ton of money when he sold the team. I know that Presidents, and maybe other politicians, have to put all their money into trusts or something while they hold office. But I would have thought that the man was going to be rolling in it after Jan. 20.
lol, barring non-whites from owning…how is that legal?
Of course its not legal…And of course its a bullsh#t made-up story.
Sorry folks, but that barring certain groups of people from buying in certain areas used to happen all the time in this redneck state. If you read the article, it says “used to bar….”. So, it’s not a “made up bull**** story, J.
President Bush will be rolling in it very shortly with all the speaking engagements and such.
BTW he is much stronger and better than me.
I was never a fan of past President Bush. However, I must say he and Laura showed style today. It must have been very difficult for them, to leave the White House behind them. That has been their home for 8 years. Memories were made there.
But I am glad he walked the new President through the White House including Michelle Obama and the children. I bet they will stay in touch and become friends , despite their political agenda’s. Let’s hope he will have a good time in his Retirement. Considering the contraversy regards his political agenda, I do not think he will get many speeches.
They showed true poise and dignity even though their whole family was booed and cursed. Today Mr, New President stopped ‘wire taping and torture of terrorists” so we will see who is next to be booed and cursed and lets see how they react.
“Bush purchased that house in November 1998 for $320,000 and sold it for $348,000 in January 1995″
Did he invent a time machine? Haha just messing with you, I know it was just a typo.
George and Laura Bush are and have always been very classy people, and they are not so “small minded” as most of the Obama supporters are. I have never heard them talk about, make fun of, or any in way be rude to anyone, even if they were political/moral opposites. They are very fine people. Back Obama was elected by the mainstream news media, Opray Winfrey, and all of the dead and unregistered voters whose votes were counted for him. Also, President Bush’s low ratings are mainly due to the MSM’s fabrication and trashing of his reputation. The majority of Americans love him and realize that he did what he had to do while in office. Remember, only SMALL MINDED people talk about other people. What does this say about the Obamanites? I will give Obama the same respect that was afforded to President Bush and I will conclude this statement with such: Barack Obama is NOT MY President!!!
Also “when he moved into Dallas’ governor’s mansion in Austin.” Dallas doesn’t have a governor, but Texas does and the mansion is in Austin.
He’s plenty rich. He made over $12,000,000 profit off the rangers from a borrowed $800,000. Also,$400,000x 8 = $3,200,000 in presidential salary, and $200,000 yr. pension. I’m sure he and Laura will do book deals for millions. He might do paid speeches too, even though not very good at it! So he’s not hurting, but far from having the money Cheney has from his Haliburton dealings. (80,000,000+)
I’ve got news for you pal, he might be a fine person, but he certainly WAS NOT loved by most Americans! Where do you live Crawford?
You cannot speak for “most” american Crunchbird56. You dont know most americans. I am an American and would continue to vote for George W. until i was blue in the face if law would allow. He did the job to the best of his ability. I would love to see anyone of his critics do better. He did not cause our problems of today. Your fellow americans did. Blame them and not G.W.
seems like cynthia yankee is doing a lot of the same trash talk, that she apparently despises. And the beauty of Obama is that he is indeed your President as he is the President of all whether you like or dislike him. Now THAT is classy.
The truth is that most Americans despise George W. Bush. He had the lowest approval rating of any president in history. This is fact - not the delusional thinking that present as fact.
OBAMA SUCKS!!!!!!!
OBAMA SUCKS!!!!!!
He is not just a bad president, he is the worst president.
Fact is Bush did get us in this financial crisis as you undoubtedly know that wall st. has nothing to do with government debt. With the drawn out deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan costing Americans close to 1 billion dollars a day in new debt. I would be willing to say that Bush indeed has caused a financial crisis!!!
It sounds like a magnificent place to live, probably a very low crime rate. By the way, The Congerssional Black Cacus and Black Entertainment Television (to name a couple) don’t exactly welcome white people with open arms.
The President's Tax Return Reveals Large Charity Donations - Elections - Page 7 - City-Data Forum @ 3:44 pm
[...] other areas so they can afford a nicer house. I don’t think the Obama’s drove an expensive car. President George W. Bush buys 8,501-square-foot house in Dallas’ Preston Hollow neighborhood [+] Rate this post [...]
Why too much envy among some in here? President Bush is an honest man and he deserves a big and beautiful house. In fact, he deserves a palace.
hate to tell you but the covenants are true and real while illegal today, these covenants do exist. I own a piece of property near the same location and my deed says the same thing. void provision though!
Bush may not be popular with you, but he is A-1 in my book. The media is responsible for the average person’s opinion…and I’ll say no more.