barracuda

If rush-hour traffic has increased on Yale and Heights Blvd, I would suspect much of it is due to folks shifting their driving pattern to avoid Studemont. But I haven't noticed any notable traffic problems in the area, other than the occasional train blocking Heights Blvd and a few construction-related lane closures.

Ouch, that is going to be a big tax increase for you, but I assume you will fight it. I would note that HCAD values don't necessarily equate to market value. My HCAD appraisals have been all over the map since living here. As of right now, my HCAD appraisal is 10% below market value, and a neighbor of mine has their home listed for 67% more than their 2012 HCAD appraisal. Even if they sell for below list, there is quite a discrepancy.

I'm pretty sure I heard the boom from the demolition in the Heights.

All the Sam's Clubs in the area are located along freeways outside the loop. There is probably less of a market for bunker-sized packaging in most parts of the loop due to demographics and limited storage space. That said, there are some large parcels near NW Mall along 610 that might be ideal for a Sam's Club. Or, perhaps they could buy the land from the Emes Place developer, turn it into a Sam's Club, and connect it to I-10 over the bayou.

There is already a bike/pedestrian bridge nearby. I'd be surprised if they were building a second so close. http://goo.gl/maps/gSLKz What'd be nice is a separate bridge near UH to connect the Heights Bike Trail to downtown, but I don't see anything in the plan. Right now, you have to use Main, which is under construction, or cut over to Milam (high-speed I-10 freeway exit) or Fannin. http://goo.gl/maps/qw7b9

It would funny if the develop put a cheap, ugly beige dome on top of this building, similar to the one on Embassy Suites, just to mess with people. I could see this becoming a trend. http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2010/07/05/tidbits3.html

As a former resident of the area, I'd be hesitant to buy a town home as an investment property. Not only are many of that area's town homes nearing a cycle of large maintenance expenses (replacing roofs, AC systems, water heaters, appliances, etc.), but I'd also worry about the construction quality in many of these town homes. I'd also consider the fact that many of the owners are first-time home buyers who often have no clue how to repair or maintain things. If it's a 3-story townhouse, some exterior maintenance and repairs may require a professional, unless your girlfriend carries around a 40-ft ladder and is comfortable climbing it. The biggest problem I have with townhouse complexes is being dependent on adjoining neighbors to maintain or improve their homes. As more owners rent their units out, it becomes more difficult to maintain and upgrade the homes cohesively (exterior cleaning, repainting, re-roofing, etc.). And as Brian mentioned, the HOAs don't collect enough dues to handle large expenses, and getting all the owners on board for these items is a challenge. In terms of renting the unit out, keep in mind that property taxes and HOA fees could make it difficult to turn a rental profit, unless she has a large down-payment to bring the mortgage + escrow payments + HOA fees + maintenance expense below the rental value of the property. Even in a tight rental market, it's tough to turn a profit on a townhouse (or any house) unless you bought it years ago or buy in a depressed market where home prices are low relative to rental prices. Note that you can't claim a homestead exemption for a rental property you don't live in. From a livability standpoint, I find the area to be mixed. It is extremely close to the CBD and not too far from the Medical Center, and of course Montrose, the Museum District, and lots of great restaurants. Freeway access is excellent, but it is in the core of freeway congestion. Walkability is good in some respects, but just okay in others, as there are many wide roads in and out of the CBD that one must traverse. The area is very accessible by bicycle, and it's easy to head into downtown or areas like the east end or Buffalo Bayou park from the area. And in terms of safety, I don't think the area is particularly bad. Yes, there are homeless folks perusing the area on a regular bases, but the ones I met were harmless and even friendly if you acknowledged them. But I know some people are uncomfortable around homeless folks, and I suspect that doesn't help property values. In terms of crime, I did have planter pots stolen from inside the gated area behind my house one time. I also has someone run into my garage to steel some random tools and a cheap bike pump, who then bolted and dropped half his loot when I casually walked out of the door and noticed him. But that's only two petty incidents over a 7 year period that I lived there. I never felt unsafe in the area and don't recall any significant crimes ever occurring among my immediate neighbors. Of course, most of the complexes are fortified with gates and alarm systems.

That would be the old Central Bank building. http://www.houstonar...l-square-plaza/

I bicycled by the Sawyer Target last weekend and was surprised by the amount of traffic. Folks were circling the parking lot looking for spaces for Target and the surrounding strip mall stores. If this is any indication, the new Walmart development should probably do pretty well. Both shopping centers do seem focused primarily on retail chains, but maybe something unique will pop up on account of the revenue potential. What I really wish is that Fadi's, Crave, and a good Indian restaurant would decide to setup shop there so I wouldn't have to drive across town. But I'll keep my expectations low for now to avoid disappointment.

The first line in the Chronicle article indicates 250 new jobs will be created, so it's really $24,000 per job. The article you linked to is a little misleading. Out of the $787B stimulus package, $288B were tax cuts and $224B were to extend various benefits, and $275B was designated for job creation. Using the same CBO estimates of 1.4 million to 4 million "full time equivalent" jobs created by the stimulus, the job stimulus cost was more like $196,429 to $68,750 per job. To make the comparison even more accurate, I'd want to know how many of those Walmart jobs will be full time, and whether these new associates will make a living wage so they can avoid relying on government entitlement programs for basic needs.

Fortunately for you, there is backup nearby in the form of 20 other Walmart Castles yielding sizable supporters inside or near the perimeter of the belt-shire. Due to their loyal support of the Walmart Castles, the help of local parliament and their bags of taxpayer gold, and the backing of the $446B Royal Empire of Walmart, this invasion will likely be victorious. Perhaps it would be wise to conform with the status quo now and begin practicing your Walmart cheer, or else you may be deemed a traitor and denied your ration of Dr. Thunder.

I always get a kick out of these conflicting stereotypes. None of my immediate neighbors have nannies and many of them are of very moderate incomes. Nobody on my street had any anti-Walmart signs in their yards. But if we're going to stereotype, I will bet that many of the McMansionaires with families living in the unrestricted portions have nannies.

People are entitled to their personal preferences, whether they are related to ambiance, merchandise, politics, etc. My father likes shopping at Walmart because his sole concern is bottom-line, yet my mother much prefers shopping at Target because she thinks they have nicer merchandise. Personally, I don't think Target is superior to Walmart, in fact, I credit Walmart for some of the progressive moves they've made as a result of the opposition they encounter when trying to build in urban environments. I stopped shopping at Target a year or so ago because I realized I hate the feel of the place (fluorescent lights and glaring red colors everywhere) and because their CEO donates to right wing anti-gay and anti-immigrant groups. Not that I ever shopped there much to begin with. Even though I occasionally shop at Home Depot, I rarely go to Lowes. Go figure. Other than HD, I don't really shop at big-box retailers. I'm also not likely to shop at the Yale St. Walmart development, but I'm not one of the folks trying futilely to stop them.

I'm sure that is exactly the problem and that there are absolutely no sensible reasons why a person would not shop at Walmart.

Maybe they can offer discounted ticket prices to the needy with the catch that they have corporate logos tattooed to the forehead. After all, it's not a good deed if you don't flaunt it, right?

^ Might be difficult; Amazon only shows 10,224 results for 'battery fan'.

This sounds like another example of putting commuters ahead of residents inside the loop, just like the proposed flyover for Hermann Park.

I'm not arguing about the fact that these relatively young live oaks were obviously planted, nor am I all that concerned about their removal. But you agree the area wasn't treeless before development. I must say, I think live oaks are kind of ugly until they mature and really spread out, so I kind of hope they plant something else.

^ Actually, much of the Heights was forested before it was developed. Just look at any old photos of the land being cleared.

I wonder how much is due to them hunting for ideal locations. Being a large retailer, they are going to study and seek out areas where population, consumer demand, and purchasing power are expected to increase. And based on population trends and predictions, it's almost a given that average home prices in the areas surrounding this Walmart are going to increase, with or without this development. But the good news is this disproves the myth that a Walmart causes nearby home prices to tank dramatically.

As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder -- check out the link in post 117 for some examples. As you can imagine, the area is important to the watershed, both for water quality and for absorbing rainwater that may otherwise flood developed areas. It also helps provide habitat for native plants and for pollinators that are important to our food supply. It's even one of the most important areas on the continent for migrating birds. I understand the need to absorb population growth, but it could be done with less impact to important habitat vs. building a massive parkway through the middle of it.

I was thinking the same thing about the spacing. I would hate having to do any maintenance within the 3 feet of clearance between neighboring walls.

Doubt it, since the majority of BMWs are leased (according to this article from 2007, 85.3% of 7 Series were leased). Which tells me that most of the folks driving BMWs are the 99% but want to appear to be in the 1%.

This expansion should help alleviate the serious lack of sprawl in the region.

I wonder if the builder disclosed the fact that those homes sat partially complete for several years with uncovered window and door openings. I would not be surprised if the owners eventually uncover mold damage, unless the builder replaced the materials in heavily exposed areas.