Townhomes In Southeast Midtown For Sale

[Charles Z]

The number for sale seems to continue to rise. Do you think it's more of the state of the market in the sense townhomes are usually somewhat transitional, and it's tough to get out of them in a bad market? Or are people giving up on the neighborhood in the sense it doesn't seem to be progressing? I guess I'm just venting cause it's discouraging.

On that note we could use a nice, friendly Irish pub on the southeast side.

[DrLan34]

The number for sale seems to continue to rise. Do you think it's more of the state of the market in the sense townhomes are usually somewhat transitional, and it's tough to get out of them in a bad market? Or are people giving up on the neighborhood in the sense it doesn't seem to be progressing? I guess I'm just venting cause it's discouraging.

On that note we could use a nice, friendly Irish pub on the southeast side.

They are just completing 6 new townhomes on Genesee near Gray but they all have for lease signs in front of them. Just down the block next to Juan Mon's they have started construction on what seems to be 6 new townhomes. still building.

[brian0123]

The number for sale seems to continue to rise. Do you think it's more of the state of the market in the sense townhomes are usually somewhat transitional, and it's tough to get out of them in a bad market? Or are people giving up on the neighborhood in the sense it doesn't seem to be progressing? I guess I'm just venting cause it's discouraging.

On that note we could use a nice, friendly Irish pub on the southeast side.

I've noticed that too... but I think it's more a sign of a crappy market. Our neighborhood has always had a high turnover (docs buy, live there a couple years, then sell when transferred). I think townhomes are sitting around longer on the market now because most people aren't buying properties as quickly. Some have recently sold... but if you look at the rest of the city, there is a lot of inventory. I'm not worried about our hood. It has progressed in the couple years I have lived here. Midtown continues to grow and develop. The market just stinks right now.

[Charles Z]

I've noticed that too... but I think it's more a sign of a crappy market. Our neighborhood has always had a high turnover (docs buy, live there a couple years, then sell when transferred). I think townhomes are sitting around longer on the market now because most people aren't buying properties as quickly. Some have recently sold... but if you look at the rest of the city, there is a lot of inventory. I'm not worried about our hood. It has progressed in the couple years I have lived here. Midtown continues to grow and develop. The market just stinks right now.

Couple of the ones for sale in my complex now have "Sale Pending" signs as of today. Good to see.

[stmkit37]

Or are people giving up on the neighborhood in the sense it doesn't seem to be progressing? I guess I'm just venting cause it's discouraging.

I can tell you from living in a townhome there for four years now, it's because the neighborhood is getting worse and worse- and it's been mainly the past year. Crime, drug use, and vagrants have skyrocketed in the last year. You can't even get in your front door now without being watched by men just hanging out on the corner anymore.

I too have noticed all the townhomes going up for lease, block by block, and amazingly they are still getting leased out pretty fast. It's a shame to see it happening as we have such a nice home here, but ours too will be up for lease in the next few months.

[brian0123]

I can tell you from living in a townhome there for four years now, it's because the neighborhood is getting worse and worse- and it's been mainly the past year. Crime, drug use, and vagrants have skyrocketed in the last year. You can't even get in your front door now without being watched by men just hanging out on the corner anymore.

I too have noticed all the townhomes going up for lease, block by block, and amazingly they are still getting leased out pretty fast. It's a shame to see it happening as we have such a nice home here, but ours too will be up for lease in the next few months.

Oh come on... you're way off. I've been here three years and have seen nothing but the same foot traffic with more development in the neighborhood. The crime statistics from Precinct 7 Constables, HPD, and Metro all show continued declines in our crime (I've been to the Midtown Public Safety meetings). Your personal observation runs contrary to the crime stat facts.

HAR shows 8 Pending Sales right now from the past couple of weeks and 1 option pending that just showed up. As I said in an earlier post, people will buy when the market starts to recover. Lo and behold... people are starting to buy again. You are also seeing leases skyrocketing because people are still either worried about home purchases, or they don't qualify to get a loan based on lending standards. The fact that people want to lease here just shows you how high the demand is for our neighborhood.

[kylejack]

Yeah, that's ridiculous. Midtown's history was far sketchier than its current reality. Midtown has come a long way.

[GerryM]

Almost half of the units in my small condo complex near Baldwin Park are up for sale (with one recently leased out after being taken off the market), but all are for sale because of owners' transitional status — marriages, job transfers, etc.

I think they're definitely lingering because of the economy and sluggish market. On the other hand, the three new units built next door in the last six months are now occupied and the builder has started a second phase of construction.

[Ross]

SE MIdtown is a cakewalk compared to the dark days of 1998/9, when drug dealers and male prostitutes ruled the streets and we called HPD about 4 times a week. The dealers were actually OK - they didn't want any trouble and soon moved on. The male prostitutes would throw things at us and complain about how we were ruining their neighborhood. And then there was the apartments on the NW corner of Austin and Tuam. I got the then owner and a few of his friends arrested for public intoxication and public urination one Sunday. I can handle the drinking, but when I saw them pissing in the street, not even facing their vehicle, I had had enough. They moved their drinking sessions into the parking lot after that. I occasionally miss the excitement...

[brian0123]

SE MIdtown is a cakewalk compared to the dark days of 1998/9, when drug dealers and male prostitutes ruled the streets and we called HPD about 4 times a week. The dealers were actually OK - they didn't want any trouble and soon moved on. The male prostitutes would throw things at us and complain about how we were ruining their neighborhood. And then there was the apartments on the NW corner of Austin and Tuam. I got the then owner and a few of his friends arrested for public intoxication and public urination one Sunday. I can handle the drinking, but when I saw them pissing in the street, not even facing their vehicle, I had had enough. They moved their drinking sessions into the parking lot after that. I occasionally miss the excitement...

Wow, thanks for the story! I've only been in my home for three years (and as I said earlier) it just gets better. There are only a couple of my neighbors who are original owners now, and they have some crazy stories like that too. I'm at Austin and Anita, and apparently the grass between the street and sidewalk could not be walked on w/out nearly stepping on a needle. Today I only have to worry about stepping on dog crap.

[stmkit37]

Oh come on... you're way off. I've been here three years and have seen nothing but the same foot traffic with more development in the neighborhood. The crime statistics from Precinct 7 Constables, HPD, and Metro all show continued declines in our crime (I've been to the Midtown Public Safety meetings). Your personal observation runs contrary to the crime stat facts.

That's interesting because at our HOA meeting a few weeks ago there was talk about how crime has gone UP, from the area 7 Constables, and how the corner of Anita and Austin was where a guy got footage of broad daylight robberies! We are just a few blocks away too. I'm not trying to argue with you, but it does seem odd that being so close we aren't hearing the same info.

[brian0123]

That's interesting because at our HOA meeting a few weeks ago there was talk about how crime has gone UP, from the area 7 Constables, and how the corner of Anita and Austin was where a guy got footage of broad daylight robberies! We are just a few blocks away too. I'm not trying to argue with you, but it does seem odd that being so close we aren't hearing the same info.

LOL I'm the guy that got that footage. It was one robbery where they went for the one house w/out a security alarm sign. It was three younger guys and last I heard HPD got one of them. About a month ago they walked by again and I got the constables to arrest the other two. I'm not sure where they all stand now. That said, that event was one of the few major incidents.

[RedScare]

LOL I'm the guy that got that footage. It was one robbery where they went for the one house w/out a security alarm sign. It was three younger guys and last I heard HPD got one of them. About a month ago they walked by again and I got the constables to arrest the other two. I'm not sure where they all stand now. That said, that event was one of the few major incidents.

This sure sounds more like a burglary than a robbery. I only point this out because robberies are scary, violent attacks against a person, whereas a burglary is a sneaky invasion of a home or business by people who generally are very averse to people. Further, there are roughly 10 times as many burglaries as robberies, so witnessing 1 burglary out of the 28,000 committed in Houston every year is not nearly as big a deal (or as scary) as witnessing one of the 3,000 or so robberies.

Basically, people get hurt during robberies. You lose your television during a burglary. Big difference. But, I guess if stimkit is hearing burglary stistics and thinking robbery, then yeah, it would seem like a big jump in crime, since there are 10 times as many of those.

[Ross]

This sure sounds more like a burglary than a robbery. I only point this out because robberies are scary, violent attacks against a person, whereas a burglary is a sneaky invasion of a home or business by people who generally are very averse to people. Further, there are roughly 10 times as many burglaries as robberies, so witnessing 1 burglary out of the 28,000 committed in Houston every year is not nearly as big a deal (or as scary) as witnessing one of the 3,000 or so robberies.

Basically, people get hurt during robberies. You lose your television during a burglary. Big difference. But, I guess if stimkit is hearing burglary stistics and thinking robbery, then yeah, it would seem like a big jump in crime, since there are 10 times as many of those.

Most people don't care about the difference. We had a neighbor in Midtown tell us they had been robbed. I asked if they had been hurt. They replied "We weren't home". I said, so you were burgled, and their reply was "whatever - robbery, burglary, same thing". Or, another favorite: "My car was robbed last night". No, it was burgled.

[RedScare]

Most people don't care about the difference. We had a neighbor in Midtown tell us they had been robbed. I asked if they had been hurt. They replied "We weren't home". I said, so you were burgled, and their reply was "whatever - robbery, burglary, same thing". Or, another favorite: "My car was robbed last night". No, it was burgled.

I realize that, but when someone is posting scary crime reports on the internet...complete with exclamation points...the least they could do is be accurate. I was actually concerned about the statement until I realized that it was just your garden variety burglary. Even more annoying was the "broad daylight" statement. Well, that's when burglaries are committed, broad daylight, when the homeowner is at work.

Anyway, sorry for the rant. Occupational hazard, I suppose.

EDIT: Oh, one more before I go. A Home Invasion is NOT the term for a burglary. It is a term d'art for an armed robbery during a burglary. And, it is not used when a homeowner surprises a burglar. It is used when the burglar specifically breaks into the home to rob the occupants at gunpoint, usually because the burglar has knowledge that the homeowner has large sums of cash, guns, jewelry or drugs inside. It is not a random occurence. Because "home invasion" is used to describe a specific type of burglary, and because drama queens (like those on the news) love to use the term to spice up their otherwise drab and boring burglary, I reserve the right to ruthlessly ridicule anyone who carelessly uses the term, even going so far as to suggest that they are drug dealers, and that is why they were invaded.

OK, I'm done.

[Ross]

Red, you want accuracy? Where's the fun in that?

[brian0123]

Most people don't care about the difference. We had a neighbor in Midtown tell us they had been robbed. I asked if they had been hurt. They replied "We weren't home". I said, so you were burgled, and their reply was "whatever - robbery, burglary, same thing". Or, another favorite: "My car was robbed last night". No, it was burgled.

Sorry, I'm guilty of not paying attention to the difference. This was a burglary for sure. My cams caught them looking for an easy target in the morning when no one was home. You see them circle the block casing the area. Apparently they knocked on a neighbor's door who was home. My neighbor yelled "one second" thinking it was a visiting friend, went to look through the peephole, but no one was there (the guys must have heard them and moved along). They clearly did NOT want to go to a home w/ someone in it. As Red said earlier, these types of crimes happen all the time in Houston. My coworkers who live in the burbs have had the same things happen to their neighbors. Even HPD officers at the public safety meetings have said that Midtown is one of the safer neighborhoods you can live in Houston. Yeah, you have petty crime and some burglary, but he said "I can take to you many other neighborhoods in this city and show you dangerous."

[Original Timmy Chan's]

As Red said earlier, these types of crimes happen all the time in Houston. My coworkers who live in the burbs have had the same things happen to their neighbors. Even HPD officers at the public safety meetings have said that Midtown is one of the safer neighborhoods you can live in Houston. Yeah, you have petty crime and some burglary, but he said "I can take to you many other neighborhoods in this city and show you dangerous."

It happens out in the country too. My family was hit by this burglary ring near North Zulch. Glad they made some arrests (more than a dozen arrests) and recovered some property. Our stuff (trailer, TV's, electronics, tools) was not recovered. If they recovered a quarter-million bucks worth of stuff, how much was *not* recovered?

I wouldn't argue that North Zulch is a dangerous place...unless you're a deer or a can of beer.

http://www.madisonvillemeteor.com/article_f3d3e528-91ed-11e0-a354-001cc4c03286.html

It’s only June, but the Madison County Sheriff’s Department has already recovered more than $250,000 in stolen property.

The majority of the stolen items have been returned to the owners. The owners of the stolen items were primarily from Madison County, however, there also were a good amount of victims from other parts of the state.

Stolen items include diamond rings, power tools, recreational vehicles, farm equipment, generators, air compressors, four wheelers and horse saddles, to name a few. More than a dozen arrests have been made in cases involving stolen property

[Charles Z]

Couple years ago I accidentally left my garage door and house door open over night. It was a mix up with my girlfriend on her closing everything before she went home. Luckily I activated my intrusion alarm. And of course then they stole stuff out of my garage and opened my house door, but I think they were scared away by the alarm as far as entering very far into my house. You can call it a burglary, robbery, home invasion, or whatever, but just the shear fact that someone had the guts to try it has me waking up at 4am quite often nowadays. I double-check everything now before I go to sleep. Also installed a storm door because my neighbor had his regular door kicked in while he was at home on Christmas Day. I'm sure that burglar assumed no one was there during the holidays. It's still scary, and I can't say that my side of Midtown is necessarily safe no matter what the stats say.

[samagon]

You want safety from people who don't care about anything but themselves, buy an island. Midtown, The Heights, River Oaks, Alief. There are chances of crime anywhere in a city this large.

You can also try a condo with a 24 hour concierge.

I'm not certain it's a question of if, depending on where you live; I think it's a question of when, regardless of where you live.

That's not to say that Midtown couldn't do with better street lighting at night, but as others mention, most of the burglaries happen during the daylight hours by people trying to catch houses empty and people at work.

[Charles Z]

You want safety from people who don't care about anything but themselves, buy an island. Midtown, The Heights, River Oaks, Alief. There are chances of crime anywhere in a city this large.

You can also try a condo with a 24 hour concierge.

I'm not certain it's a question of if, depending on where you live; I think it's a question of when, regardless of where you live.

That's not to say that Midtown couldn't do with better street lighting at night, but as others mention, most of the burglaries happen during the daylight hours by people trying to catch houses empty and people at work.

Right, I would say we don't have a high number of violent type robberies, but with all the transients there is not much room for error on burglary. Either way they were bold enough to try to come in my house and my neighbor's. That can't be denied.

[brian0123]

but just the shear fact that someone had the guts to try it has me waking up at 4am quite often nowadays. I double-check everything now before I go to sleep.

Install one of these for your garage. I did and love it (probably only took about an hour to do).

http://www.amazon.com/XCELTRONIX-Garage-Door-Autocloser/dp/B0013N0GZM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311009620&sr=8-1

[Charles Z]

Cool, thanks for the link.