Lakewood Heights: Where historic charm meets modern East Dallas living

There are so many great places to live in Dallas that it helps to have an expert on your side. The Neighborhood Guide presented by Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty gives you insider access from the agents who live and work there, providing in-the-know info about your possible new community.

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Before real estate, Monica Vallina's world was shaped by architecture and design. She holds a degree in architecture and a deep foundation in interior design — an education that shaped her discipline and creativity. Earlier in her life she also spent 30 years dancing ballet, an experience she credits for her appreciation "for movement, proportion, and design, qualities that still influence how I see homes and architecture today." Her passion for travel keeps her abreast of the latest design trends and innovations, and it is that design-trained eye, she says, that makes her such a creative problem solver: whether she is evaluating a historic cottage or a thoughtful new build, she can see past the surface to a home's structure, flow, and long-term potential.