There was a time when you couldn't give a condominium away in the land-rich Dallas, Texas area. But traffic congestion (bad), the revitalization of downtown (good) and other factors have contributed to a loft, townhome and condominium-friendly housing environment.

While some areas of Dallas show a housing glut, the Oaklawn/Uptown area just north of downtown Dallas is experiencing a renaissance.

"Oaklawn/Uptown is the hot spot of Dallas for buyers wanting the convenience of Downtown, Uptown, Park Cities and the two major airports," says Realtor Sue Krider. "A vibrant, bustling area of activity! Townhomes and condominiums are featured in this area with very few single-family residences, making this an attractive area for singles, professionals, executives, and people wanting a more simple lifestyle."

She says, "April and Year-to-Date numbers are great for the Oak Lawn/Uptown area. Condo and townhome sales are very strong! For the first time in months, there are slightly less homes on the market then same time last year.

Listed below are the most recent statistics for condominium/loft/townhome sales released by the North Texas Real Estate Information System:

Number of Sales Closed April 2003 - 78
Number of Sales Closed April 2002 - 59

Average Sales Price April 2003 - $247,377
Average Sales Price April 2002 - $218,249

Pending Sales April 2003 - 93
Pending Sales April 2002 - 82

Active Listings April 2003 - 641
Active Listings April 2002 - 662

Year to Date # Sales April 2003 - 275
Year to Date # Sales April 2002 - 254

YTD Avg. Sales Price April 2003 - $234,301
YTD Avg. Sales Price April 2002 - $225,935

Says Realtor Joanna Tipton, "Oak Lawn/Uptown is both a high-rise and low-rise area, offering a wide variety of homes. This area offers the ultimate in convenience and low maintenance so necessary for today's lifestyles."

"Oak Lawn/Uptown is an exciting urban neighborhood with many great restaurants, galleries, shops and more," says Realtor Alan Shaffer. "Now that spring is here in full force, it's the busiest time of the year for real estate. Interest rates are still under 7 percent, the market is getting stronger and stronger for sellers! I'm finding buyers competing for the homes on the market in price ranges under $125,000. With interest rates so low, now is a great time to buy and or sell real estate."

Published: June 3, 2003

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Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. For more articles by Blanche, click here.