WASHINGTON — Relocating from Washington and looking for lot — Highland Park area, close to George W. Bush Presidential Library. Security a must; will build green.
First Lady Laura Bush doesn't have to place a real estate ad, but she has definite ideas about where she wants her future home in Dallas to be as she and the president prepare to return to Texas in January.
"It's her turn," said a Texas member of the House of Representatives with knowledge of the move but who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "He wanted the ranch. She wants a home in Dallas."
"I have heard it's Highland Park," added the lawmaker, referring to a neighborhood on the north side of the city. "Laura wants to build a house."
Highland Park, a 2.2 sq. mile township within Dallas, is one of the wealthiest areas in Texas, with famous residents who include former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman.
The Bushes, who lived in Dallas before Bush won the Texas governorship in 1994, are expected to keep their ranch in Crawford. Bush will build his presidential library, museum and public policy center at Southern Methodist University, which borders Highland Park.
"They are moving to Dallas," said Sally McDonough, the first lady's press secretary. "They have not yet purchased a home."
Asked about the president and his wife buying a lot, which in Highland Park can run $2 million and up for a half-acre, McDonough said, "It's nothing I could confirm."
"Everybody's excited about the fact that they're coming back to Dallas," said realtor Nicky Sheets, who specializes in North Dallas luxury properties. "He may not be that popular nationally, but he still has a lot of popularity in the Dallas area."
Video: Laura Bush's tour of the Western White House on NBC's Today Show
More from McClatchy:
How weak is Bush? Only 1 in 5 Texas Republicans he called voted 'yes' on bailout bill