Was This Most Expensive Real Estate Sale in Dallas — Ever?

Down in the Big D where everything’s big, there was a big sale recently. Our friend Candy Evans at Dallas Dirt reported that an estate in Preston Hollow, located at 5323 Park Lane, Dallas, TX,  was just sold for the priciest Dallas real estate transaction in history — possibly for about $30 million.

Candy says it was originally listed for $45 million last year, but was recently lowered to just under $40 million and then her sources say it was sold for “$30 million-ish.” The buyer is Kelcey Warren,  Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Energy Transfer Partners, L. P. (ETP) and the seller is Larry Lacerte, founder and CEO of Exponent HR, a Web-based technology solution for human resource and payroll administration. Interestingly, Warren’s agent was Rosie Waters (of Allie Beth Allman and Associates), who is married to football legend Charlie Waters, who works for… Energy Transfer Partners!

If the Preston Hollow neighborhood sounds familiar, it’s where former President George W. Bush and Laura live after life at the White House.

Look at the aerial below and try to identify some of the unique outdoor amenities on this 9-acre estate:

• racquetball court
• exercise room and locker rooms adjacent to a near Olympic-sized natatorium
• bowling alley
• wine cellar with tasting room
• an Orangery conservatory
• Interlocking Koi ponds loaded with about a million dollars worth of Koi
• tennis court
• baseball diamond
• private lake