This Winnetka Heights Craftsman was not on Keeley and Scott Ellis’s radar. They were looking for something closer to their YouTube production offices in the Design District. With Winnetka Heights only eight minutes away, it was an obvious neighborhood to check out. They started driving around and spotted this adorable home. However, it was out of their budget.
“Then we saw it had a guest house,” Keeley said. “We knew if we kept it rented out, it would make our mortgage affordable, so we put in an offer!”
They moved in two years ago, rented the guest house to a friend, and have loved living here.
“It has been perfect for us,” Keeley said.
This is an excellent example of what I’ve been advising readers for years. If you can find a home with a back house, garage apartment, guest house, or even a private bedroom with a bathroom and private entrance, the home becomes completely attainable.
Let’s not forget that this is how many of our grandparents and great-grandparents were able to afford single-family homes. Explore any historic district, choose a house, and delve into the archives of the Dallas Morning News. You’ll find advertisement after advertisement for rooms to rent in homes, garage apartments, or back houses. Everything in real estate always comes full circle.
With four entrances, Keeley knew there had to be a story behind her house. She discovered that during WWII, this 1928 Bishop Arts Craftsman was a quadplex that was converted back to a single-family home in the 1970s.
Winnetka Heights was advertised as “Dallas’ Ideal Suburb” in 1911, and it’s still living up to those words. It became the first Oak Cliff neighborhood to be zoned a historic district in 1981. With over 600 residences and 20 commercial buildings, it is the best example of preserved, intact turn-of-the-century architecture in Dallas. If you are looking for a home and neighborhood with character, this is it.
The 2,449-square-foot Winnetka Heights Craftsman has a lot to offer in addition to a rentable garage apartment. It features a large living space off the kitchen, a fully remodeled principal bathroom, an extra-large principal bedroom, and an enormous amount of captured attic space.
“Having a full third living space up there has been great,” Keeley said. “We love to craft and play board games, and it’s a great space for that as well as for guests.”
The Ellises will miss their historic Winnetka Heights Craftsman and the excellent proximity to all the fun of the Bishop Arts District. However, there is a toddler in the picture now. With a growing kiddo and two golden retrievers, it’s time for a bigger space. That means you have an opportunity for a move-in-ready home. Yes, you can afford it. Remember, that terrific garage apartment will help offset your mortgage!
United Real Estate’s James Ryder has this Winnetka Heights Craftsman at 400 N Willomet Ave. available for $749,000.
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