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Home At 5103 South Braeswood Blvd.


HoustonRealtor

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  • 3 months later...
"(Another) challenge will be to find someone who wants a really swank late 60's mod and has access to the money to fix it up."

Conservatively, a house this size and age will likely take between 300K to 500K for a proper renovation (i.e. infrastructure, insulation, roofing, window replacement, etc.).

"

Wow, conservatively $90 to $150 per square foot for remodeling! I couldn't imagine...

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...
I had a client that put an offer in on it for $325,000 when it first came out, and the bank wouldn't talk about it.

Happens quite a bit I hear. I put in a near asking price cash offer on an REO a couple months ago. I can't get ANY reply.

flipper

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I will be honest. This house brings a smile to my face because I like funky odd houses, but I would never flip it. I like to gamble, but not that much.

I think it needs to be bought by someone who loves mod digs, wants to fix it up themselves, and wants to get into that school district for cheap cheap money. If anyone is thinking of taking this house on I am happy to pledge my assistance and pro bono advice/contacts. I imagine some other flippers and remodeling experts who navigate this board would also be happy to help.

I would hate to see it get torn down. Someone needs to step in and offer that bank 250K and go for it. Make it super glamorous and funky, live in it for 15 years, and watch the cheap, crappy McMansions crumble into dust around you while the world admires your vision and foresight.

Mark

area 16 homes

area16.com

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I'm right there with you. This house is in a similar situation to the house we bought in 2005, and there were huge risks and rewards with buying it. If that owner is out there, we're all interested in seeing how it turns out. Houston Mod has even contacted the Formica Co to see what help they might be, though it hasn't panned out in an offer of merch or grants yet.

Jason

I will be honest. This house brings a smile to my face because I like funky odd houses, but I would never flip it. I like to gamble, but not that much.

I think it needs to be bought by someone who loves mod digs, wants to fix it up themselves, and wants to get into that school district for cheap cheap money. If anyone is thinking of taking this house on I am happy to pledge my assistance and pro bono advice/contacts. I imagine some other flippers and remodeling experts who navigate this board would also be happy to help.

I would hate to see it get torn down. Someone needs to step in and offer that bank 250K and go for it. Make it super glamorous and funky, live in it for 15 years, and watch the cheap, crappy McMansions crumble into dust around you while the world admires your vision and foresight.

Mark

area 16 homes

area16.com

Edited by Willowisp
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  • 3 weeks later...

From what I could tell from the photos this house has a Nutone type "house stereo" that probably had an intercom or paging feature. These systems never worked reliably, but there are alternatives. There are ways to use mod faceplate styles to introduce current technology. That said, virtually all the speakers put in these type of houses in Houston that I have seen over the last 30 years (and that's been alot!) were the cheapest "dentist office" specials. If you are going to do any relevant system in a very live environment like this, your speaker choice is critical. The odd shaped rooms are a distinct advantage and with wireless control technology - stealth volume/media controls are a snap. The amount of metal used in framing, windows, reinforcement in a house like this would mean that one should anticipate wireless shadows and problems. These are minor challenges to wireless computer networks, home automation/management systems, and telecom systems. If you anticipate them - solutions can be engineered in advance. Using well designed architectural speaker systems appropriatly and you can really mask ambient noise as well as create environments. This house would not seem to present a problem for stealth introduction of contemporary technologies as most of you know - there is always an engineering solution.

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We have been trying to find out more information about the flooding history of this house. Our realtor is at a stalemate. I do know that the west side of Rice that it sits on has traditionally sat higher than the other side of the street and the houses further back on the west side have not flooded in years past. Does anyone know anything about it or know of another resource to look up the info besides the useless FEMA site?

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Have you tried contacting the HOA to see if they keep records of which properties flooded? I know that they keep track of the lots which are owned by the Harris County Flood Control Authority, but they may not keep track of all the flooded houses. What about contacting those neighbors who are original owners and asking if they remember the house flooding.

Unfortunately too much time has passed since TSA to track in CLUE reports. They only log the last 5 years of insurance claims.

We have been trying to find out more information about the flooding history of this house. Our realtor is at a stalemate. I do know that the west side of Rice that it sits on has traditionally sat higher than the other side of the street and the houses further back on the west side have not flooded in years past. Does anyone know anything about it or know of another resource to look up the info besides the useless FEMA site?
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We have been trying to find out more information about the flooding history of this house. Our realtor is at a stalemate. I do know that the west side of Rice that it sits on has traditionally sat higher than the other side of the street and the houses further back on the west side have not flooded in years past. Does anyone know anything about it or know of another resource to look up the info besides the useless FEMA site?

Well, this is all very unofficial, but I was showing the house at one time last year. When we were in there we heard the garage door go up. There was a very young lady parked in the driveway and she had used a code on some keypad to the garage door to open it. She told us her family had lived in the house, (that is how she knew the garage door code) how much she liked it, etc., and just wanted to stop and look at it. We asked her about flooding in Allison. She told us yes, the house got a little bit of water that came in, then flowed back out quickly. It did not stay in the house long but they got a "few inches."

So according to her, yes, the house did get some water in Allison. How much weight you want to put behind that exchange is up to you. I do believe there is some warping on some of the formica panels down low that indicate the house had water.

Edited by rps324
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We have been trying to find out more information about the flooding history of this house. Our realtor is at a stalemate. I do know that the west side of Rice that it sits on has traditionally sat higher than the other side of the street and the houses further back on the west side have not flooded in years past. Does anyone know anything about it or know of another resource to look up the info besides the useless FEMA site?

Take a look at the plywood behind the refrigerator opening in the kitchen. That should give you an indicator of the number of times the house has flooded.

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Isn't the general consensus on the house that it was beautiful until the latest owners got ahold of it?

As for flooding, is the question how many times did it flood ("how many past issues are there to fix?"), or "do you think it will flood in the future?"

There's been debate about future floods and how the county is trying to remedy future flooding. I'm probably naive but I think they are doing a lot as far as new detention ponds etc. I guess I'm just saying I don't live my life worried that my house is going to flood.

All this is coming from someone who really wants to see the house saved though so take it for what it's worth...

Jason

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Isn't the general consensus on the house that it was beautiful until the latest owners got ahold of it?

As for flooding, is the question how many times did it flood ("how many past issues are there to fix?"), or "do you think it will flood in the future?"

There's been debate about future floods and how the county is trying to remedy future flooding. I'm probably naive but I think they are doing a lot as far as new detention ponds etc. I guess I'm just saying I don't live my life worried that my house is going to flood.

All this is coming from someone who really wants to see the house saved though so take it for what it's worth...

Jason

This house needs to be bought by someone willing to live in it. I seriously considered buying it and renovating it to sell, at little or no profit. I don't think it would work. While the design is unusual,it's the formica that would scare off most modern buyers. But the formica is what makes the house a unique historical artifact. If someone can't be found who is interested in living there, the only other alternative is some non profit organization. I don't know of any who would step in to buy something like this. Perhaps someone does.

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I too downplayed the flooding issue a while back when I found a mod house that had flooded during Allison. On this very forum I was told by several people that if you'd ever had your house flooded, it's something you would NEVER want to have to go through again. It is now something that I definitely consider.

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Sorry, I didn't mean to say not to consider it. It was definitely one of the most important things we considered when we bought here. When they told us it hadn't flooded in Allison despite being right next to the bayou, I felt like if we ever flood, then everyone is flooding.

All I'm saying, at least in our area, is that huge holes have been dug to remedy possible flooding situations. Of course, new development (oh boy) is going in not far from us (other side of S. Main) and that may offset some of the efforts.

I agree with the thought that this is not a flip house and the buyer will have to live there awhile to make it financially viable. Boy does that sound familiar.

Jason

I too downplayed the flooding issue a while back when I found a mod house that had flooded during Allison. On this very forum I was told by several people that if you'd ever had your house flooded, it's something you would NEVER want to have to go through again. It is now something that I definitely consider.
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Historic "Formica House" Wins Preservation Support

Grant from Formica Corporation Could Aid New Owner in Restoration

The Formica Corporation and Houston Mod announce a joint effort to assist in the preservation of Houston's historic "Formica House". In partnership with Houston Mod, the Formica Corporation has generously offered to donate up to $5,000 in laminate materials to a new owner that commits to an appropriate restoration of the house.

"With an increased interest in mid-century architecture and design, the Formica Corporation is seeing renewed appreciation for the creative uses of laminate surfaces" said Ren

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Does anyone have a picture of it further away so you can get an idea of the entire facade facing the street? Where is the garage in relation to the front of the house?

It's hard to back up far enough to shoot the entire facade because you run into the bushes that separate the yard from the street.

If you're standing on S. Braeswood, looking at the house, the garage would be on your left. The house is on a corner lot, and the garage faces South Rice.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Good article Lisa.

Despite the repairs needed on the house, my opinion is that the biggest "negative" the house has going is the location. Ironically, it might be what ends up saving the house from demolition though.

flipper

Edited by flipper
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