George Bush | House Tour | $10 Million Texas Ranch & More

In these videos, we don't reveal any addresses and even though I've done a house tour of my own place, please do not show up at any private residences because it's not safe for anyone. George W. Bush is best known for serving two terms as the 43rd President of the United States and facing a series of major challenges during the course of it, including not only the 9-11 terrorist attacks, but also the beginning stages of the 2008 economic collapse. It was a lot, which is probably why once he was finally free from office, Bush immediately returned to the comforts of Texas, the state where he once served as governor. In 1999, just a couple of years short of becoming President, Bush bought a 1,500-acre hog farm known as Prairie Chapel Ranch and then completed the development of the site in 2001, following his appointment to the most important position in the entire country. Located in the sweet spot about halfway between Dallas and Austin, the natural beauty of this incredible land is precisely what drew George and his wife, Laura, to the area. Occupying just about 1,600 acres near the hole-in-the-wall town of Crawford, the Bush estate is anchored by a strong but modest house that finds different ways to honor the history of its location. Prior to his retirement from office, Bush used this property as the western White House, often welcoming numerous heads of state. Of course, Bush was also spotted more than a few times on this property, getting his hands dirty by clearing brush and enjoying the searing heat. Today, the ranch remains the President's getaway, a place to unwind and spend time with his family on the weekends, while also entertaining close friends and the occasional prominent cultural leader. Of course, with all that intended use, this place needed to look pretty spectacular, so George and Laura put together a special team to help bring their retirement estate to life. When George and Laura Bush first bought this property, their friend, Deedee Rose, immediately recommended that they hire David Heyman to build their home. When the former first lady was growing up in Midland, Texas, her father used to build spec houses, more specifically one-story homes that were low to the ground. So, when discussing how they wanted their new home to look with David, that's exactly what Laura asked for. In the end, David's designs carefully placed a single-level, three-bedroom limestone structure, as well as an adjacent two-suite guesthouse, amidst an existing grove of live oaks and cedar elms. Wrapped by deep-roof overhangs, some of which are up to 10 feet wide, and used to deflect both the region's boiling sunlight, as well as occasional torrential downpours, the Bush family dwelling boasts tall windows that add a romantic flair to its otherwise unpretentious facade. Because the couple wanted a mix of indoor-outdoor living, many of the home's windows also act as doors that open to cover terraces, walkways, grass lawns, and the tree-shaded swimming pool. As an advocate of sustainability, the family's architect also incorporated a number of green features into the compound, including a geothermal energy system for heating and cooling. Meanwhile, rainwater will run off the home's standing seam metal roof and into a gravel-filled moat, where it then filters into a 42,000-gallon cistern that's been concealed beneath their rear terrace and is used to irrigate the property's lawns. But I know all you really want to check out is the interior, which showcases an easygoing and multicultural mix overseen by Fort Worth-based decorator Kenneth Blazengame, a man who's worked with the Bush family for more than three decades. Inside the Bush family home, Kenneth arranged flower-painted Mexican wood plates, known as bateas, in the breakfast area, just above an antique cabinet that the Bushes brought back from Maine. Two of those wood plates were inherited from the former first lady's maternal grandmother. Over in the living room, sculptures by Pamela Nelson, a Dallas-based artist and close family friend, as well as a Santo painting by Manuel Acosta, join forces with a leather-topped partner desk that once belonged to George's grandfather, and now usually sports an in-progress jigsaw puzzle that the couple likes to pick away at over time. Then there are the paintings, George's paintings, to be quite clear. Once he retired from office, George became something of an artist, painting portraits of world leaders, some of which have even been exhibited at the George W. Bush Presidential Center, which is not far from here. Several of his other works have remained at Prairie Chapel Ranch, where they're displayed in the home's study. Among them are some beautiful landscapes, as well as an image of Barney, one of the family's late Scottish terriers. As talented an artist as George has become over these last few years, none of those images manage to capture the actual natural beauty of the estate surrounding the main house. Just outside, you'll find resilient red and yellow firewheels, white prickly poppies, as well as Texas bluebonnets, the official state flower that were hand-selected by Laura herself. As for George, he's just as much of a nature enthusiast as elsewhere on the property. He cultivates thousands of live oaks, burr oaks, bald cypresses, and other species on a 90-acre tree farm. Idyllic settings such as that are the reason why George's daughter, Jenna, eventually decided to say I do directly on the ground. She held her wedding ceremony here back in 2008. But as picture-perfect as this estate is, George and Laura don't spend every second here. A lot of the time, they're living out of their home in nearby Dallas. If you can't find him at his gorgeous retreat, odds are you'll locate George W. Bush at his home in Dallas, Texas, in the northern neighborhood of Preston Hollow. George settled on this location largely because of his history with the place. Prior to becoming president, Bush and Laura lived in this exact same neighborhood from 1988 to 1995 on a block that was lined with oak trees in single-story houses. Their twin daughters still remember attending a private school nearby, and George, well, he used to love to jog outside before stopping off at a local pizza joint. In late 2008, Laura found the perfect home for the couple in that exact same neighborhood. Located less than a mile north of their old block, Laura immediately fell in love with the floor-to-ceiling bookcases that lined the home's hallways, as well as the fireplace and large windows that provided views of a football field-sized backyard. And George, he never even visited the property. He simply trusted his wife's advice. Soon enough, this 8,500 square foot home, surrounded by a further 40 acres of private land and its very own trout-filled lake, was theirs for a cool $2.4 million. Of course, with this being the primary address of a former president, the interior of this home is being kept under pretty tight wraps. But images that have appeared online suggest some oak trees shade the front yard. In 2013, the New York Times reported that Bush even has a man cave on the second floor of the house. Outside of that though, good luck finding out more about this place. Not only does Secret Service occupy a house right next door that was purchased a year later, but the entrance into the cul-de-sac is restricted by permanent gate, as well as two police cruisers and four agents. If you're interested in ever trying to become George's neighbor, you better start saving up now, because many of the homes in the surrounding area are outrageously expensive. Like the $100 million property that belonged to businessman Tom Hicks, and a $15 million home nearby that was built to resemble none other than the White House itself. Alright everyone, that's gonna bring this latest edition of House Tour to a close. Thanks for joining me, and before you head out, consider answering the following question. If you owned your own ranch, would you enjoy getting your hands dirty and running it yourself? Let me know if you're as good at clearing brush as George W. Bush in the comments down below. Otherwise, like, subscribe, and turn on your notifications to make sure you never miss an episode. My name is Kara, coming up in just a moment is a look inside the homes of the man who succeeded Bush, President Barack Obama. So, don't go anywhere quite yet. I'll see you all next time. Hard as it is to believe, former United States President Barack Obama hasn't called the White House home for seven years now. And, while moving out of one of the most famous residences on the planet was definitely difficult, at least Barack and his family had a series of gorgeous homes to fall back on. Barack cut his political teeth in the city of his wife, Michelle's birth, Chicago, Illinois. As he climbed up the ranks on his path towards becoming Illinois State Senator in 2000, Barack and Michelle bought a home on Chicago's South Side in the neighborhood of Kenwood for 1.65 million dollars. Roughly 6,400 square feet in size, this home had undergone a high-end renovation just a handful of years before the Obamas purchased it, including the addition of Chinese wash basins, mahogany bookcases, and a granite kitchen floor. Since moving into this property some 20 years ago, Barack and his family have kept a low profile in terms of showing off the interior of this space. Probably because they haven't spent all that much time here since Barack's move to the White House in 2008. At the time of its purchase, however, this was an ideal home for a now senator, and it remains such a beautiful spot that the Obamas have kept it in their portfolio while spending the vast majority of their time living only a few minutes away from their former address at the White House. Situated in the exclusive neighborhood of Colorama in Washington, D.C., the Obama family made the decision to buy this home after spending a few months leasing it following Barack's exit from office. They decided to make this their permanent home so that their youngest daughter Sasha would be able to complete her high school education in Washington without having to change schools. She has since managed to earn her diploma, but the family has actually decided to stick around anyways. That might have something to do with the fact that the property is a gorgeous 8,200 square foot Tudor-style mansion with nine bedrooms that sits on a quarter acre of land. Inside the estate, you'll discover marble floors all throughout that provides a luxurious sense from the very moment you first enter the place. This home is also notable for containing not one, but two kitchens. One is an Eden with stainless steel appliances, tall white cabinets, as well as marble countertops to complement the flooring. The second is quite a bit smaller, more like a galley kitchen, and is probably used most when someone in the family needs a quick fix as opposed to a full course meal. Walking through a nearby Gothic-style doorway will lead you directly into the home's gorgeous dining room, where Barack and Michelle have no doubt entertained some of the biggest names in the entire world over the past few years. Speaking of entertaining, there's also numerous other spaces for the family to kick back and relax, either on their own or with company, like inside of this epic formal living room. And if they're looking for something a little more down-to-earth, they can always move things into the nearby family room with its floor-to-ceiling windows that look out towards the property's backyard. Meanwhile, upstairs, you'll find the home's bedroom wing, including a master suite with more than enough space for an epic king-sized bed, as well as eight further bedrooms, two of which belong to Obama's daughters, Sasha and Malia. Sasha is said to be lucky enough to have her very own suite in the home, complete with a separate living area. What's more, Sasha reportedly designed the space herself, at least. That's what Michelle once told Ellen back in 2018. Since Sasha got so lucky with her massive bedroom, that meant Barack had to cut back a bit on his office, which provides all the necessary equipment he might need. But it is maybe just a little light on square footage. Last but not least, the home also includes a totally finished basement, while providing the Obama family with a that provides plenty of room for not only the kids, but the family pets as well. Of course, as nice as the Obama's primary home is, it's not like they're going to spend all of their time living out of Washington. Sometimes they need a break, and when they do, they head to Martha's Vineyard. In June 2017, Barack Obama and his family finalized the purchase of an $11.75 million waterfront home situated on nearly 30 acres of Martha's Vineyard, a very affluent island located just south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Designed by Taylor Lombardo Architects, this summer home was first built in 2001, and the Obamas fell in love with the location while visiting it for their annual getaway from the White House. Having developed such a passion for the place, once Barack had a bit of free time on his hands, he decided to put down some roots in the very same gorgeous villa his family used to rent every summer by purchasing the property. The home had been on the market since 2015, when it was originally listed for $22.5 million. Barack would only wind up spending about half of that when he made it his own two years later. For all that money, he and his family got an expansive 6,892 square foot house, fronting the beautiful Inside the home boasts seven bedrooms, eight and a half baths, as well as several stone fireplaces. Much like their home in Washington, this property has been designed with entertaining in mind, which means there's also an expansive kitchen as well as a dining room that provides one-of-a-kind views of the nearby water. When it comes time for relaxation, Barack's family can unwind in the family room that offers plenty of space, as well as architectural details that give the home plenty of character. Upstairs, the property features an elegant master suite complete with a fireplace, dressing room, and ensuite bathroom that provides views across the bay. There's also a stunning gallery living space upstairs with windows located on three sides to allow for plenty of natural light. Outside, on the surrounding property, you'll discover a detached barn, a pool, raised sun deck, a boathouse, two-car garage, and direct access to that pond. Pretty much the ideal place to spend a summer, right? Sure. Then again, if you're as famous as Barack Obama and have that much money, you might want to have options. And recently, he provided himself with exactly that. Back in 2015, Barack began to think about his eventual retirement. That's when he scooped up three acres of land in the community of Waimanalo on the island of Oahu in Hawaii for $8.7 million. Here's a fun fact about this piece of property. The home that previously sat here was the house featured in Magnum P.I. starring Tom Selleck. That structure was originally constructed in 1933 and was one of the most famous houses on the island. But, at the time Barack bought the land, it had fallen into disrepair. Rather than salvage the home, Barack demolished the historical property in 2018. For a while after that, the land was left alone. But now, crews are finally getting around to landscaping the grounds, which is usually what occurs towards the end of construction. So, it's quite possible that the Obama's Hawaii home will be ready to spend time in as soon as this summer. Only, it doesn't appear to be complete quite yet. Back in February 2022, Barack visited the site to scope out how the work was progressing, and he didn't look thrilled. Turns out, he wasn't the only one. Environmentalists were also unhappy because the Obama's discovered a loophole in Hawaii law that allowed them to keep a seawall on the premises. One that is believed to be perhaps causing erosion to the coastline. Scientists suggest that while seawalls protect what's located behind them, they do the exact opposite to what is in front of them, preventing beaches from migrating inland. And, they're one of the main causes of beach loss throughout Hawaii. As for what the Obama home will look like once it's finally completed, well, we're not entirely sure. Though, records suggest that there will be three structures located on site, with one of these presumably being for secret service. There will also be two swimming pools. All right everyone, that'll bring this latest house tour to a close. Thank you so much for watching, and before you leave, consider answering the following question. If you used to lead an entire country, would you stick around the capital or get as far away as possible once you were out of office? Let me know if you would have stuck around like Barack did in the comments down below. Otherwise, like, subscribe, and turn on those notifications to make sure that you never miss an episode. My name's Cara the Vampire Slayer. Feel free to follow me on Instagram, and thanks again for joining me.