St Andrews Place, University Park: What Buyers Should Know Before Touring

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St Andrews Place is one of University Park's estate-lot addresses, with recorded parcels ranging from about four-tenths of an acre to more than one and a half acres, a creek running through front yards on part of the street, and architecturally significant houses among its housing stock. The recorded lots are unusually irregular — part lots, half lots and replats appear throughout the subdivision — which makes the survey more important here than almost anywhere else in the Park Cities. This page covers that and what to verify before making an offer.

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By Nitin Gupta, CRS, GRI, CLHMS, ABR, REALTOR® and Broker Associate with Competitive Edge Realty, who has closed more than 480 DFW transactions.

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The subdivision is bigger than the street

The recorded subdivision, St Andrews Place and St Andrews Place 1st Installment, covers blocks B, C, E and F among others, and the addresses within it sit not only on Saint Andrews Drive but also on Westwick Road, Shenandoah Street, Normandy Avenue and Connerly Drive.

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So a property can be in St Andrews Place without a St Andrews address, and a St Andrews Drive address is not automatically in the subdivision — at least one home on the street has been recorded under a different subdivision name by one source while others place it in St Andrews Place.

Take the recorded subdivision from the legal description on the appraisal district record for any specific address. It settles which deed restrictions apply and makes a comparable analysis defensible.

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The lots are large and the records are irregular

Appraisal district legal descriptions for properties in this subdivision include parcels of roughly 0.42, 0.43, 0.465 and 0.53 acres, and one of about 1.54 acres. They also include descriptions such as a part lot, an east half of a lot measured at 55 by 217 feet, and a re-replatted lot.

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That matters more than it sounds. On estate parcels that have been divided, combined and replatted over time, the recorded lot, the fenced area and the usable ground are frequently three different things. Buy the survey, not the acreage figure, and have it explained — particularly if you intend to build, extend or add a pool, since setbacks and lot coverage are applied to the actual parcel.

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The creek through front yards

Part of the appeal of this address is a creek that runs through front gardens along the street, with mature tree cover.

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Where a parcel adjoins water, add to the option period: the survey showing where your boundary sits relative to the creek, the easements crossing the lot, who maintains the banks, how the site drains, and the condition of any retaining structures. Have the inspector look specifically at grading and drainage away from the house, and at the condition and position of mature trees relative to the structure and drives.

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Architecturally significant houses, and what that changes

The street includes work by noted Dallas architects — one contemporary house here was designed by Gary Cunningham with interiors by Trisha Wilson, on a parcel of about 0.43 acres.

On a house of recognised architectural merit, price the renovation route before assuming a rebuild. Buyers who approach these parcels purely as land sometimes find that the existing house, properly valued, is worth more than the lot cleared — and the reverse is sometimes true. The point is to establish which before committing, not after.

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If you are building, establish University Park's current rules on setbacks, height, lot coverage and tree requirements for the parcel with the city, and get a builder's read during the option period. The custom builders page covers who works at this level.

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Watch for the same property listed twice

At least one parcel here has appeared simultaneously as unimproved land of about 0.41 acres and as a house of over five thousand square feet, at the same price.

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That is not deceptive — it reflects a property being marketed to two different buyers, one who wants the house and one who wants the site. For you it means the property-type field tells you nothing, and the question to ask is what the seller actually expects: a buyer of the existing home, or a buyer of the lot.

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Valuing at this tier

With few sales, parcels ranging from under half an acre to over one and a half, and houses ranging from architecturally significant originals to recent construction, averages are meaningless.

A defensible analysis is built from the closest estate-lot sales with explicit adjustments for acreage, frontage, creek adjacency, architectural merit and the condition of the existing house — and written down, because it will be tested at appraisal as well as in negotiation. The home value page explains why portal estimates are unreliable in Texas, and at this tier they are unreliable twice over.

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Schools

Highland Park ISD serves University Park, Highland Park and a portion of the City of Dallas, and listings on this street have cited Bradfield Elementary among the campuses.

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Proximity and listing references are not assignment. Confirm the district and the specific elementary, intermediate, middle and high school assignments for the exact address with the district before making an offer. The Highland Park ISD page covers the district.

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What to verify before you offer

• The recorded subdivision, block and lot from the appraisal district record, including whether the parcel is a whole lot, a part lot or a replat.

• A current survey showing true dimensions, boundaries, easements and the relationship to any creek.

• The full taxing-unit list and a tax certificate, so your lender builds the escrow estimate from real figures.

• University Park's setbacks, height, lot coverage and tree rules for the parcel if you intend to build, extend or add a pool.

• The district and the exact campuses, confirmed with Highland Park ISD.

• System ages, renovation history and permit status on an existing home, or warranty status on a recent build.

• Grading, drainage and retaining structures on any creek-adjacent parcel.

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Common questions

How large are the lots in St Andrews Place?

Recorded parcels range from roughly four-tenths of an acre to more than one and a half acres, with many between about 0.42 and 0.53. Several are part lots or replats, so take dimensions from the survey rather than an acreage figure.

Is every St Andrews Drive address in St Andrews Place?

Not necessarily, and the subdivision extends beyond the street — recorded addresses also appear on Westwick Road, Shenandoah Street, Normandy Avenue and Connerly Drive. One home on the street has been attributed to a different subdivision by one source. Confirm from the legal description.

What should I check on a creek-adjacent parcel?

The survey and easements, where the boundary sits relative to the creek, who maintains the banks, site grading and drainage, the condition of retaining structures, and the position of mature trees relative to the house.

Why is the same property listed as both land and a house?

Because it is being marketed to two different buyers — one for the existing home, one for the site. Ask which outcome the seller expects, and treat the property-type field as uninformative.

Should I renovate or rebuild?

On an architecturally significant house, price the renovation route before assuming a rebuild, and establish what the city permits on the parcel either way. Both answers occur on this street.

Which schools serve St Andrews Place?

Highland Park ISD, with Bradfield Elementary cited on listings here. Confirm the exact assignments for the address with the district, since listing references are not a district confirmation.

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Thinking about St Andrews Place?

Send what you are looking for — acreage and frontage, creek adjacency, an existing home or a site to build on, your price range and your timeline — and you get back what is realistically available here and on the handful of comparable estate addresses, with the recorded parcel and lot type confirmed from the record, the survey questions identified, a written comparable analysis rather than an average, and the campus assignment confirmed with the district. Call 469-269-6541 or get in touch.

More on the city is on the University Park page, other estate addresses on the Golf Drive and Brookside Estates pages, and nearby markets on the Highland Park page. For buyer representation generally see buyer services, and if you are selling here, seller services.

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Nitin Gupta, REALTOR®, Broker Associate with Competitive Edge Realty. He holds thirteen professional designations, including the Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist, CRS, GRI and ABR, has closed more than 480 DFW transactions, and was named a D Magazine Best REALTOR® in 2020, 2023 and 2024. His background is on his bio page and client feedback on his reviews page.