Photo courtesy of The Oklahoman
Home prices exploded in 2021 and the biggest blast here, the highest price paid, was $4,025,000 for a mansion in Nichols Hills — that's 17.5 times the metro-area market's median price of $230,000.
It wasn't one of the vintage manors dating to Dr. G.A. Nichols himself, the dentist-turned-homebuilder who started the exclusive enclave north of Oklahoma City in 1929. It was a newer home, a relative rarity for what is now a mostly built-out suburb.
It sounds weird, but the big house at 6609 N Hillcrest Ave. was infill construction when built in 2016 — after the existing home was razed. Nichols Hills was dealing with the reality of being fully developed: To build a house, somebody had to tear down a house.
Hillcrest Avenue is a "highly sought after" area, as they say, a street of deep lots — room in back for swimming pool and cabanas and such — backing to the east edge of the course at Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club.
It's no wonder the 9,315-square-foot home fetched such a lofty price, said Simon Simon, owner of Simon Simon Real Estate, whose wife, agent Natalie Simon, had the listing when the home sold Aug. 31.
But more than location-location-Nichols Hills lifted the listing. Tim Smith, whose Vintage Dwellings LLC built the home, said Tulsa designer Bailey Austin made magic.
Austin couldn't be reached for this article.
Smith built the home five years ago — six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, three half-baths, 15 rooms in all, four-car garage — for a young executive and family, who sold it last year to another executive.
"I wish I could take credit for a lot of it, but it was a custom home. All I did, me and my subcontractors, was put it together," Smith said.
But he added, "I've built a thousand houses the past 40 years and it's as fine a house as I've ever seen."
Indeed: "LUXURY MODERN!" the Simon listing announced, noting that the home had been featured in Elle Decor and House Beautiful magazines.
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The list of features is suitably long and includes designer tile that is the namesake of Hillcrest tile by custom tile specialist Ann Sacks in Dallas.
"Expansive chef’s kitchen with Cristallo countertops and molding with separate full catering kitchen. Wide open entertaining spaces and a media playroom for all to enjoy. Downstairs overlooks a one of a kind designed tile pool, artificial grassed backyard with outdoor living and putting green.
"Designer features are endless, Hermes and hand painted wallpaper, designer tile named after the home by Ann Sacks, Waterworks fixtures, Onyx fireplace, interior and exterior electronic shades, leather wrapped doors and so much more! Upstairs game room with a full bar and gym. Electronic gate entry, concrete layer between floors, full home generator, foam insulation and ample storage space."
Decked out, inside and out, in other words.
"You just don't see a lot of homes built like that," Simon said.
Read more like this on The Oklahoman.
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