Specwriter

Touche, Houston19514. The "did not like" comment was made tongue-in-cheek. I seriously doubt animus toward a previous owner would have real bearing. If someone disliked the previous owner he probably would not even be considering buying the property. My thinking about mentioning a current owner is it could influence the negotiation of a selling price and you are correct, it probably applies as much to other high-cost items as to real estate. Professional athletes' lives are pretty much out in the open. Knowing, or believing, that person's situation - he's looking to be traded or facing financial difficulty - puts him in an adverse situation seems unfair. My post was meant to be humorous but I guess I missed the mark. For me prior ownership of a house, car, plane, or boat carries no weight unless it belonged to Elvis Presley. Then I might have to consider the possibility of it having bullet holes. 🙂

Well said, Luminare. I do believe we are considering the word 'cheap' in a different way of thinking though. You appear to be condemning, and rightly so, the cheap aesthetic of having one material 'pretend' to be another. I was thinking more in terms of materials like concrete having a higher initial cost but providing economy through long-term durability. Here's something to think about: In past times formwork for vertical concrete was made up of boards nailed across whalers. When the formwork was removed the concrete showed the individual planks and often the wood grain of each plank. I don't believe the look was intentional so I wouldn't consider it dishonest. Besides, the concrete was often parged or covered by some other material. Also, I should not deride OSB in and of itself. It does have an honesty about it when it is exposed and properly protected with something like a clear polyurethane coating. I was thinking more in terms of its use as the sheathing over wood studs in situations like tract house construction when it is covered by other materials like a sheet weather barrier. In that case it does not stand up well to shoddy construction that allows moisture to get to it and destroy it. That is my understanding of cheap. 🙁 We are both architects. We should be part of a panel discussion to reinforce those Vitruvian ideals for the next generation. This has been a very interesting exchange. Thanks for your contribution.

I know it was tough times and people were glad to have jobs but these guys (probably all men), especially the high steel workers, really had cojones.

It may not have been cheap-cheap to build but it should be durable which is great for student housing. The dorm I lived in my freshman year in college had CMU walls between the rooms and along the corridors. Half the people who lived there were animals; the rest of us were just careless. 🙂 At least the school splurged on vinyl tile instead of bare concrete for the floors.

IMO, writing that the house belonged to Correa was not really a wise thing to do. What if a potential buyer didn't like Correa? Seriously, that seems unprofessional especially if it might in any way affect negotiations or put the owner in jeopardy. Hopefully the famous owner is no longer in residence as is often the case. I like old and exotic cars and I follow the auctions for entertainment since most everything in them is beyond my budget but I do notice that references to previous celebrity owners are mentioned but, that case, it only enhances the cachet and doesn't invade the privacy of someone who no longer owns the car. Who wouldn't want a Peugeot that previously was owned by Peter Falk? 🙂 I did have, on two separate occasions, the opportunity to buy directly, not through and auction, vehicles that were purported to have belonged to one of my favorite comedians, Red Skelton. One was a late 1960s Mercedes-Benz coupe and the other was a Jeep Wagoneer. I was informed both times that I already had enough toys. 🙁

Regarding "design" a very respected architect in this city (Houston) once told me "it will never get better if you don't stop picking at it." 🙂

There are still quite a few "we tote the note" used car lots here but nothing like in the past. The real estate has become too valuable.

Perhaps the price of spray paint is going up with everything else.

. . . since the first time I drove it in the late-seventies.

That's a point my wife brought up. Even at 3,600 sq. ft. plus it is evident the house on Peden was built more for entertaining than raising a family.

The in-state tuition thing may not be as cheesy as if first appears. If someone owns real property in Texas he is paying property tax, taxes on utilities, and sales tax on goods and services for that property, etc. If only renting the renter those taxes are built into the rent. Politicians move around, or simply rent a place, just so they can run in races they feel they can win.

. . . drunk students with affluent parents. Actually this might be a good investment for anyone with the means. My cousin's daughter went to Florida State in Tallahassee in the early 2000s. My cousin bought a three bedroom condominium in a small complex close to campus which her daughter lived in for the duration of her time at FSU (under grad and graduate) and rented the two remaining bedrooms to other students. Since her daughter graduated and moved away my cousin found a good leasing agent and has kept the property since. It is a nice cash generator for her.

I so hope you are correct, wilcal. I would expect all celebrities to live in very secure places like gated communities with around-the-clock on-site personnel. That is a very nice house though.

😭

Try Historic Houston Salvage Warehouse https://historichouston.org/salvagewarehouse One has to be a member to access the warehouse but if you are looking for more than a couple of items it might be worth joining.