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Houston Real Estate Blog
Good News and Bad News for Houston Real EstateContributed by HTRE Admin on January 1, 2010 Houston real estate sales are reported to be way down; in fact they are the worst figures in over ten years. However, the silver lining is that the Houston real estate market is still performing better than the rest of the country. Houston Association of Realtors saw total property sales of 5,984 in September 2009, a decrease of 16.7% compared to the same month last year. The subprime mortgage market which is fueling the rate of foreclosures is not yet at an end and is still having a negative effect on the sale of homes, especially those beyond the $80,000 to $150,000 price range. Prices remain relatively healthy, increasing 2% from last September’s average but inventory is up as well. There is a reported 15.5% increase in available homes compared with last year’s active listings. Hopefully Houston can pick up on these pockets of good news amidst the world-wide slump elsewhere. Comments: 0 CityCentre Walkable Mixed Use Development Replaces Town and Country MallContributed by HTRE Admin on August 29, 2009 Houston is getting one of the first Mixed-Use developments which means residents can live, work, eat, shop, and play in the area. While other walkable neighborhoods like this exist in Houston and other major cities, CityCenter won't be adjacent to a mall and will have all of its amenities within in the neighborhood. They have already signed a movie theatre, a huge fitness center, and numerous restaurants and retail stores. While these walkable mixed use neighborhoods have been the craze around the country, CityCentre is attempting to pull this off in very rough economic time. Funding is scarce and people aren't willing to spend a lot of money on luxury right now. That said, the complex has already sold 50% of the retail space and nearly 75% of the office space and will open in the Spring. City Centre will be located near I-10 and Betway 8. Comments: 1 Top 10 most expensive homes in HoustonContributed by HTRE Admin on August 12, 2009 Top 10 Most Expensive Homes in Houston Houston’s most exclusive multi-million dollar homes can be found in Rover Oaks; the older subdivision of Shadyside; Piney Point and Sherwood Forest areas. River Oaks backs on to the River Oaks Country Club Golf Course and the Buffalo Bayou while the area of Sherwood Forest has magnificent individually designed homes in grand chateau style. 1.Piney Point, Houston TX 77063 (Piney Point) 8 beds, 10+3 baths, 26,214 sq ft For Sale: $12,900,000 2.1 Longfellow Lane, Houston TX77005 (Shadyside) 5-6 beds, 4.5 baths, 11,862 sq ft For Sale: $12,495,000 3.3482 Inwood Drive, River Oaks, Houston, TX77019 (River Oaks) 4 beds, 7+2 baths, 17,404 sq ft For Sale: $10,500,000 4.River Oaks, Houston TX 77019 (River Oaks) 5 beds, 5+2 baths, 6,649sq ft For Sale: $10,500,000 5.2307 River Oaks Bl, Houston, TX 77019 (River Oaks) 5-6 beds, 8+3 baths, 11,236 sq ft For Sale: $10,000,000 6) 3665 Willowick Rd, Houston TX77019 (River Oaks) 5-6 beds, 9+2 baths, 13,386 sq ft For Sale: $9,900,000 7) 2909 Inwood Dr, Houston TX77019 (River Oaks) 5 beds, 6+3 baths, 7,968 sq ft For Sale: $9,250,000 8) 25 West Lane, Houston TX 77024 (River Oaks Tall Timber) 5 beds, 5+2 baths, 6,622 sq ft For Sale: $8,950,000 9) 306 E Friar Tuck, Houston TX 77024 (Sherwood Forest) 5 beds, 6+2 baths, 12,734 sq ft For Sale: $7,400,000 10) 3900 Inverness Dr, Houston TX 77019 (River Oaks Tall Timber) 6 beds, 7+1 baths, 9,609 sq ft For Sale: $7,000,000 Check out our listing section to search for the the most expensive homes in Houston. Also see: 10 most expensive homes in Dallas Comments: 0 Houston Gardening Tips to increase your homes value by 10%Contributed by HTRE Admin on May 29, 2009 Finding suitable plants for Houston's challenging growing conditions can be difficult, but here are a few hardy gems which will enhance any garden. Small shrubs such as Forsythia, the Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) and Dwarf Crepe Myrtle will bring a touch of color to your yard and need very little attention. Colorful vines can be trained over gateways and up trellises. Try Carolina Jessamine which is covered in golden flowers in the spring; Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera Sempervirens) with gorgeous trumpets loved by hummingbirds and Virginia Creeper which does not flower, but the leaves become vivid red and orange in the fall. Hardy ground cover plants can include the low growing junipers such as Andorra Juniper (Juniperus horizontalis ‘Plumosa’); English Ivy (Hedera helix) and hardy Mondo Grass. In general experts estimate that a well groomed landscape can add 10% to your home's value. Similar Postings: Green tips to increase home value Comments: 1 Green Up...Home Selling Tips for HoustonContributed by Alan Morlan on December 14, 2008 If you are considering selling your home in Houston this coming spring…Green Up! Why not? Green homes can bring in more greenbacks! Find out if your utility company will do a FREE energy audit or check out www.greenhoustontx.gov for a self audit guide. Follow the recommendations for renovations and increase the marketability of your home. It might be as simple as using a low VOC paint, check out the this Consumer Reports article http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/home-garden/home-improvement/paints-stains/interior-paint/interior-paints-3-08/overview/interior-paint-ov.htm or replacing appliances with ones that have high Energy Star ratings. Other tips: - Clean your home. Duh -Get a friend to walk thru for a sniff test, especially if you have pets or are a smoker (btw…stop smoking immediately, it’s nasty!). -If you have hardwoods under the carpet, by all means pull up the carpet and get the hardwoods redone (of course use non toxic products). -Bathrooms should be immaculate, so get after the dingy grout, repaint and replace cracked or missing tile. Replace outdated fixtures. Purchase new decorative bath linens, shower curtain, etc. The minimal investment will be worth it. - Look at the outside. First impressions are important, on numerous occassions I’ve had a buyer not want to go inside based solely on the outside. So…repaint the front door, power wash sidewalks, house (maybe you won’t have to repaint the house?) and don’t forget the driveway. Trim trees & bushes, plant new flowers, mulch and make sure that you pick up after your dog!!! Hopefully, this information is helpful and the resources provided will help with the successful sell of your home. Comments: 0 The Bailout & How It Affects Houston’s Current & Future HomeownersContributed by Alan Morlan on December 10, 2008 One of the goals of this blog is to be a resource for Houston homeowners. So, my first blog post is one that I think will save Houston homeowners money! Today, I was reading the December 2008 Texas Realtor magazine and in it was an article on “The Bailout”, I am sure you have heard by now that the federal gov’t. has signed into law the Emergency Stabilization Act of 2008 ($700 billion). However, until reading this article I thought that most of the assistance was going to the financial institutions, but there are also benefits to taxpayers (surprised, I was). There are several ways that the Emergency Stabilization Act of 2008 can save you money, Property-tax deduction even if you don’t itemize, deduction for sales tax, tax break on forgiven mortgage debt, but the one item that really spoke to my “green” sensibility was… Energy-efficiency perks- extension of several tax incentives for energy efficiency expenses have been extended. For example, installation of energy saving windows, insulation & doors qualify for a one time $500 tax credit. Taxpayers can also take a 30% credit on certain solar, wind and fuel cell installations. Check into the details with your accountant/tax expert to find out how you can best take advantage of the credits & deductions that may be available to you. sidenote: It snowed today in Houston! Happy Holidays from Alan Morlan Comments: 1 Housing Market in Houston Stable for the MomentContributed by HTRE Admin on November 22, 2008 The AP recently published an article on the Houston real estate market and some of the reasons why homes in the area have kept their value more so than in other parts of the country. That said, the article discusses the question on everyone's mind...will the Houston housing market be able to weather the larger macro economy issues? The experts aren't sure. The credit crunch will affect important factors like the ability to refinance mortgages, harder to get debt to finance investment properties, etc. Similar Postings: Many Texans struggle with Mortgage Payments Comments: 0 How will the destruction of Hurricane Ike affect the Houston economy and real estate market?Contributed by HTRE Admin on September 21, 2008 Many homes throughout the Houston area were damaged last week from the wrath of Hurricane Ike. While there is still a lot to be assessed, one of the common questions is how will the damage and wreckage that the storm left behind affect the local Houston economy and real estate market. Here are a couple of article we found that might give some insight to that question: - Thriving Texas Slowed by Ike from The Wall Street Journal - Hurikane Ike to affect US economy, but not like Katrina from the LA Times We'll post more as we find more valuable resources. Comments: 1 CityStateRealEstate launches San Antonio real estate site - SanAntonioHomes.comContributed by HTRE Admin on August 13, 2008 CityStateRealEstate (parent of HTRE) is proud to announce the launch of a new site to cover the San Antonio, Texas real estate market. San Antonio Homes will have all of the features you've come to know through other CSRE sites...a blog following the local market, questions answered by local professionals, listings, and tons of information on San Antonio neighborhoods with profiles for the major neighborhoods. San Antonio is the 7th largest city in the United States and the 2nd largest in Texas (behind Texas and larger than Dallas, which many people are surprised by), and we look forward to covering such a fast growing market. Comments: 0 How Do You Pass a Building Inspection with New Green Systems in Your HomeContributed by Frank Schulte-Ladbeck on July 27, 2008 The world is changing. Gas has reached $122 a barrel, and other fuel costs are going up as well. The demand for bio-fuel has spurred food prices to go higher. As homeowners, we look for ways to save money, which has led us to “green” technologies. Some products that have been around for some time are still new to most people, especially when it comes to new energy efficient products. I am planning to install a tankless water heater on my own home this year, but I have never seen a unit installed on a home that I have inspected. About a month ago, I met a plumber who has been installing these units in Houston. We had a lively talk about the proper way to install these water heaters, and the common mistakes people make when purchasing this product. I then went to some home inspectors around the country to see if they knew of any other issues. It appears that tankless is popular in California, but it has not caught on in most other parts of our union. Yesterday, I ran into an acquaintance who mentioned that she and her husband have been working on “greening” their home, but she was frustrated. The plumber who installed her unit happened to be the plumber that I had spoken with. I had checked out his facts in the building code, and found them to be correct, so I was sure that he did a good job for her. When the city's building inspector came, her frustration began. He had never seen such a unit. She reported to me that he had never heard of one. He asked for the installation manual, which he glanced over. He came to the determination that the unit was not installed to code, so he insisted further modifications be made. Unfortunately, he had the authority to enforce his demand. Although most home inspectors that I know are trying to keep up with new developments, city building inspectors do not always have that luxury. Having to go from one site to another, every day, prevents them from having the time to study the latest information on new products. If you are an early adapter, you may face a similar situation. My best advice is to have the installer there when the inspector comes. He may be able to show how the system works and meets the guidelines for the proper installation. Comments: 0 Why is That Home Falling Apart?Contributed by Frank Schulte-Ladbeck on July 17, 2008 My son conducted a survey amongst his friends recently. Someone asked if he knew his neighbors. He does, but he found that the questioner did not. He started to ask his fellow students if they knew their neighbors to find that most people do not. He reported his results to my wife and me over dinner with considerable surprise. My wife told him that he should realize that he is fortunate. I like taking walks through my neighborhood with my daughter. We go through most of my subdivision and the one next to us. Being an inspector here in Houston always causes you to examine the homes along the route. I have offered advice and help to some of my fellow residents, so in that way I have come to know them. I never could understand why some simple maintenance is not carried out on a home, but there are a few that need help. With foreclosures rising, these vacant homes have become the sites of various criminal activity from theft of the home's components to the house being used for various illicit purposes. This kind of activity will not stop, unless other homeowners start contacting the police when they see unusual activity. Watching out for an empty home is in your best interest, because if the situation becomes bad, your home's value can decrease. The problem occurs that some homes that appear vacant, and that are starting to fall apart, are not foreclosed or vacant homes. The elderly who have found their finances to be tight have also let their homes deteriorate. When I saw a home that was greatly in need of repair, I thought this might be the case. I had seen lights on at times, but no one ever seemed to come out. At one point a young man came to live at the home too, and a few repairs were done, so I thought this may be a grandson coming to take care of a grandparent. [split] I was blind to the facts, so I did not question what I saw. The house became steadily worse, and I saw an extension cord hooked up to a van, but no one was inside the van. What I discovered was that the house was being used for drugs. The police have been there twice now, leading people away in handcuffs. As I discovered this fact, another incident was brought to my attention. Two young men broke into a home in full view of the neighbors, who never called the police. I cannot fathom why they would not call; I would think that they would want that consideration if their home was being broken into. I hope that you came away from this post with the idea in mind that you need to watch what is happening in your neighborhood to make it safer, and to secure the value of your home. Comments: 0 Up in Smoke: A look at common problems with chimneysContributed by Frank Schulte-Ladbeck on July 4, 2008 There are few days in Houston where we could use our fireplaces. I feel no need to have one in my home, but my wife and son would dearly love one. Romanticism, fascination with watching fire, or creating holiday spirit seem to be the reasons behind this wish for a hearth in our home. Over the past month, I noticed some problems with these units. It has almost been a theme, so I feel that bringing these finds to your attention may help you avoid them. Here is a list of some common issues in my reports: 1. Creosote build-up. When you are burning logs, creosote will begin to line the flue. This material can burn itself, so it needs to be cleaned. Since our chimneys are not used often, we forget to have them swept. 2. An ineffective damper. The damper closes the flue off from the outside. It needs to be opened when a fire is going, but if left open, it will allow your conditioned air escape, increasing your utility bills. I have found them disconnected, or badly installed, so repairs are in order. 3. Damage to the cap. Brick chimneys have a cap of cement on top to shed the water off. I have found that these caps over time break down, allowing water to seep into the structure. 4. Water damage to the flue's covering. Brick, stucco, or wood chimney coverings are exposed to the elements, and need care as do your walls. Since the chimneys are on the roof, we do not look at them on a regular basis. Yearly may be nice, but you can go a few years before it really needs to be checked. [split] 5.I have seen units pulling away from there surrounding framing due to their weight. This causes drafts to occur, again a utility problem. These have been my current findings with chimneys and fireplaces. You should check them out once a year. I have seen these enclosed gas units, which operate by remote, where the system no longer functions. I also noticed missing keys for turning on and off the gas. Little things like this get noted when it comes time to sell your home. Comments: 0 Retro Fitting Your Windows for Energy EfficiencyContributed by Frank Schulte-Ladbeck on June 20, 2008 As our utilities bills go up, and the prices may not come down, we have been looking into ways of becoming more energy efficient with our homes. Part of this has to do with the “eco” advertising encouraging us along these lines, but it is simply a smart way to upgrade our homes. An area where we have our greatest energy loss is our windows. I recently met with representatives from various manufacturers who are offering products to help you achieve your goal of a lower bill. I should note that there are many firms out there offering these products, I was just going to mention the companies that I just met. My neighbor has taken on a weekend project of replacing the windows in his home with vinyl insulated windows. These are double paned windows that have far greater insulation abilities (a higher R-value) than your old single paned glass. I saw some units from the Generations line by Norandex/Reynolds. The frames generally come in one color for the exterior, with a few options for the interior. A determined do-it-yourselfer can change out a window. My neighbor only does one or two on a weekend, and he does not do them every week. He has told me that he is already saving a good deal on his utility bills. A simpler solution to create a double paned window is by using a magnetic interior insulating window. This unit is just placed on the side of the window that is in your home. It helps create a dead air space, similar to a double pane window; however most double paned windows use a gas to help provide a higher insulating value. A sample unit that I examined did not allow for fresh air to come into the home, which is important to me, but a representative from Mayeco (a seller of these windows) said that they will not interfere with the function of your windows. [split] Are your car windows tinted? How about your homes windows? Window film products from firms like Vista, 3M, and SunTech are more evolved than your car's window tint. I looked at a set-up with a regular window, half of which was covered by a window film. A heat lamp was focused on the window, and you could feel a real difference when you held your hand to the different sections of the window. An advantage of these films is that they can prevent the glass from breaking into your home during a hurricane. The glass will shatter, but it is nice to have that safety. To protect your home during severe weather or from thieves, you may want to consider a rolling metal/plastic shutter. This product was invented in Germany many years ago, and it is starting to be found in homes here in the U.S. One brand here in Houston is Rolltex. These units can save on utility bills when kept in the lowered position, but completely closed they offer not light. You can crack them open for some light to come in through the spaces. They are good if you are worried about security. An alternative to window tinting is to replace the mesh in your screens with a UV resistant mesh. It cannot be any dark mesh, although they do help. This is an easy project (I did all of the windows on my home in half a day, and I was building new frames for the screens too). When going to your home center look for a material that states it will reduce the sun's heat coming into your home. A nice addition to your patio may be an Eclipse awning. These automated awnings will retract when you need them to, so you can have sun or shade by your window. This will help cool the home during our hot summers, but this is the least effective method when it comes to reducing your utility bills. Personally I find it better to fix an existing window than replacing your unit, since the old windows will end up in a landfill, but I cannot deny that a new window is a nice thing. Comments: 0 Keeping Your Drinking Water SafeContributed by Frank Schulte-Ladbeck on April 1, 2008 I was in a hardware store looking for some anti-siphon devices for an exterior hose bib. The salesman had to call the manger over to find out where they are. As we are walking over to the aisle, the manager mentions that the only time that they sell these units is when someone is going to have their house inspected. I laughed, and told him that I was an inspector. I was purchasing these items for a house that I am preparing for sale. He asked a pretty good question: do I force people to have these on their homes? Is there a law in Texas that states that a home has to have them installed? Before I go on, let me explain what an anti-siphon device is. The more common term would be back flow preventer. This is a six dollar part that screws onto your hose bib (the exterior faucet for your garden hose), so standing water cannot flow back into your drinking supply water. Here is how this could happen: you are watering. As you finish, you drop the hose into a pool of water, and then you go to turn it off. When you turn off the faucet, you have created a suction, where water could flow back into your home. The anti-siphon device lets water flow out, but not back in. The concern is that you may allow bacteria flow into your home through this water. As a Houston Real Estate Inspector, I cannot force anyone to do anything. My report is too highlight areas of concern, which may cause the buyer to want to negotiate with the seller, but I cannot tell the seller to repair it. Houston and Texas have building codes in place, which indicate that these devices need to be on a home, so they could technically force you to put them on, but building departments do not check this, unless they have a reason to look. This is why most homeowners manage not to be concerned about these devices. However, I think that you may wish to keep you and your family safe. Six, twelve, eighteen dollars (for one, two or three hose bibs) is not too much to spend for one small step in making your drinking water safe. Comments: 0 Investor opportunities in HoustonContributed by Margie Kaplan on March 28, 2008 There are many opportunities for investors looking for real estate in Houston. Houston has not seen the extreme foreclosures that other markets have experienced. However because Houston has a good job base and experiences slow but steady increases, it's a good place to invest. Many investors are interested in the High Rise Condo market because they assume they will appreciate fast. Consider before investing in a high rise the monthly HOA fees involved and what rental rate you can expect. Be sure you are dealing with an experienced high rise expert because it is a unique type of property and requires special expertise and knowledge of the market. Houston is a good start for any investor if you do your homework and work with an experienced agent or broker. Comments: 0 |
Recent Blog Posts...Good News and Bad News for Houston Real Estate Comments: 0 CityCentre Walkable Mixed Use Development Replaces Town and Country Mall Comments: 1 Top 10 most expensive homes in Houston Comments: 0 Houston Gardening Tips to increase your homes value by 10% Comments: 1 Green Up...Home Selling Tips for Houston Comments: 0 The Bailout & How It Affects Houston’s Current & Future Homeowners Comments: 1 Housing Market in Houston Stable for the Moment Comments: 0 How will the destruction of Hurricane Ike affect the Houston economy and real estate market? Comments: 1 CityStateRealEstate launches San Antonio real estate site - SanAntonioHomes.com Comments: 0 How Do You Pass a Building Inspection with New Green Systems in Your Home Comments: 0 Archive:1Q 2010 3Q 2009 2Q 2009 1Q 2009 3Q 2008 2Q 2008 1Q 2008 3Q 2007 2Q 2007 1Q 2007 Other Blogs:Dallas Texas Real Estate Blog Austin Texas Realty Blog San Antonio Homes Blog Seattle Washington Real Estate Blog |
