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dzm

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  1. You should see the wonderful job the new owners did in bringing the House 10 up a notch....very tasteful and added value to the mid-century esthetic. The two hip young guys who own the house might be interested in being MOD of the month if you asked them. They are designers and have great taste. I'd send them a letter if you want them to share thier home with the community. They can only say no. Also the Sobel designed house if for sale and, since there are articles showing the house in at least one 1970's magazine (the association has a copy), it would be easy to restor-ate this house for someone who values it's classis bones and location. Hopefully such a buyer will come along and make a good neighbor to the others on the street. The Sobel house has gem potential, but now has Versache glam fullnes that a knowledgable buyer can easily see beyond. The 1970's magazine describes the home basically a "single open room built around a glass walled patio" with flowing visual views and spaces, its 45x78 feet of expansive living in a compact space that was designed by Architect Sobel for his personal use. They are having open houses, so watch for one if you want a look. The Longmont homeowners association is working on a project with knowledgable experts that may lead to the street being listed as a National Place of Historic Importance on the 50th birthday of it being platted...in 2010. Therefore now is a good time for someone who's passionate about important mid century modern to become a part of this unique, important and wonderful niche of modernism. The association is working with Preston Bolton and there may be a book published on this location. Bolton just recieved the AIA award at the MFAH in December and recently visited the development to visit with owners and talk about the project. As for the question raised about modern furniture, these homes were always planned as an eclectic blend of tastes and esthetics ranging across the board depending on owners tastes. You'll note that original articles on the owners and architects who built the homes often mention original owners non-modern antiques or art work as part of the design constraint...that's part of the original esthetic blend. These houses live with time and are not so limited to be exclusively "retro"....they never were that way in the first place. The blend remains, and you'll find plenty of mid-modern esthetics blended with a wide spectrum of tastes....in the esthetic of each current owner, inside thier home. Living history....not museum history. Nobody actually "lives" in a retro world....we all want microwaves. We simply want the best part from each human achievement that has gone before us. As for architecture...Longmont has some of the best bones Houston has to offer, in my humble opinion. It's worth preserving. Just thought you'd like an update on Longmont
  2. 5000 Longmont -- I live at this development and you all seem to have several misconceptions about the place. First, your appraisal is wrong, house 10 is a double lot house so the appraisal is twice what you show, and yes these mid century townhomes are selling for just around the list prices. Your average buyer does not buy here....they don't understand the Meisian esthetic, as seems to be the case with the person who said it looked like a dental office. Read some books on Mesian courtyard homes before you look here, because then you'll have a reference for what you're looking at. The untrained eye does not "get it." That's the whole point of the place. Although older (as in mid century mod) these Mesian style courtyard homes are considered important national landmarks in Architecture. See Stephen Fox's guide to places of historical importance in Houston. Built by Preston Bolton and several other noted local archtects, there is lots of literature on the numerous state and national architectural awards they won after development...see literature from the 60's and 70's... for their outstanding design, which was typical of the genre. Sobel, Brown, Bolton and several other architects actually built thier own personal mod dream homes on the street, and sold lots only to other knowledgable friends. The quality of the materials is spot on Mesian meets Texas. That's why they are historically unique. Many famous people lived here over the years. These homes seldom come up on the market because many are still beloved by original owners. Estate sales are the most common means one can get a unit in somewhat original condition. It takes a knowledgable eye to turn back the clock and restore any transitory changes made over time. Its a small community, but we try to maintain the original look and feel of the development and the list price is mostly determined by location, location, location. Comparable sized new (stucko yucko and tyvek) homes next door to the one you mention above, at the same time of your posting, go for 1.5 million plus, so under a million is considered a bargain for these homes....however the good news is that most buyers don't understand mod architecture and go for the newer properties. Only those who know what they are getting can see how to put back the original bones and have a work of art to live in that WAS the esthetic of Mesian architecture...less IS more. That's why the property you mention was listed in the Wall Street Journal real estate section....not many available in the nation and very special to Houston. Best well kept architectural secret in town. Privledged to be able to live here. Don't tell anyone who does not understand the modern esthetic....there's plenty of contractor built homes out there to keep them happy. Not many of these gems left in town.
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