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Great Memorial Plaza Mod For Sale


Parrothead

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There is a beautiful mod on Kimberley Drive that I have admired for a while now. It is located at 13022 Kimberley Dr. in Memorial Plaza and looks to be a Floyd original though I will have to check for sure. I drive past this house every day and have always admired it.

What DISTURBS the he*l out of me is the HAR listing says, "Investors and Builders, if you're looking for a great deal, this is it!" :blink: The reason that frightens me so is because David Weekley and other builders have bought three homes and have torn them down in the past year just in Memorial Plaza...which is small to begin with. I think it would be a travesty if this house were torn down. I wish I could buy it, because I would in a heartbeat. The neighborhood is great--it's right near Rummel Creek Elementary, and it's a large sized house that is absolutely beautiful. Why it is priced so low I have NO idea (unless it has foundation or pipe issues)...I checked their taxes and they look all paid up to date...anyway, it's a great house! Someone save it from the McMansion Wrecking Ball... I think if the word can spread among the masses that care that this house is priced so well (I think it is around $89 per square foot) it might go to someone that actually wants to live there. It's in pristine condition from what I can see.

Mod House Listing 13022 Kimberley Drive

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I've already done some research, courtesy of Texasdago's Memorial Bend website. A mirror image of the plan is on 12806 Figaro Memorial Bend Architecture

I'm going to see it tomorrow. From the photos it appears to be remuddled (one ex: marble fireplace) but Floyd's design could be brought back to life. One concern I have is how much traffic Kimberley gets. It seems to be an important thru street.

Shin'enKan

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There is a beautiful mod on Kimberley Drive that I have admired for a while now. It is located at 13022 Kimberley Dr. in Memorial Plaza and looks to be a Floyd original though I will have to check for sure. I drive past this house every day and have always admired it.

What DISTURBS the he*l out of me is the HAR listing says, "Investors and Builders, if you're looking for a great deal, this is it!" :blink: The reason that frightens me so is because David Weekley and other builders have bought three homes and have torn them down in the past year just in Memorial Plaza...which is small to begin with. I think it would be a travesty if this house were torn down. I wish I could buy it, because I would in a heartbeat. The neighborhood is great--it's right near Rummel Creek Elementary, and it's a large sized house that is absolutely beautiful. Why it is priced so low I have NO idea (unless it has foundation or pipe issues)...I checked their taxes and they look all paid up to date...anyway, it's a great house! Someone save it from the McMansion Wrecking Ball... I think if the word can spread among the masses that care that this house is priced so well (I think it is around $89 per square foot) it might go to someone that actually wants to live there. It's in pristine condition from what I can see.

Mod House Listing 13022 Kimberley Drive

ACK !!!! :blink:

This is one of the noted houses from the "Contemporary Center" promotion of Kimberly as "Houston's One Block Long Idea Street."

The listing realtor is dangerous to original houses. The same realtor worked the purchase of a contemporary house in my neighborhood that had original period bath tile, light fixtures, etc, and 'rehabbed' it into just another yucky homedepot special. They've now got it for sale for an unrealistic price, didn't get approval for any of the work they did, etc.

What CAN be done is for the Kimberly house .... a concerned neighbor or individual could talk to the owner and convince them to put a clause into the contract to prevent the house from being torn down for x years. It might be worth a shot.

And, yes, Memorial Plaza is turning into teardown central. Those houses are too nice to have this happen.

Somebody save it, please ....

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ACK !!!! :blink:

This is one of the noted houses from the "Contemporary Center" promotion of Kimberly as "Houston's One Block Long Idea Street."

The listing realtor is dangerous to original houses. The same realtor worked the purchase of a contemporary house in my neighborhood that had original period bath tile, light fixtures, etc, and 'rehabbed' it into just another yucky homedepot special. They've now got it for sale for an unrealistic price, didn't get approval for any of the work they did, etc.

What CAN be done is for the Kimberly house .... a concerned neighbor or individual could talk to the owner and convince them to put a clause into the contract to prevent the house from being torn down for x years. It might be worth a shot.

And, yes, Memorial Plaza is turning into teardown central. Those houses are too nice to have this happen.

Somebody save it, please ....

the same thing is happening to a greater degree in Gaywood, on the south side of Memorial. Weekly has torn down more than a dozen houses and put up their Disneyland crap, ie, all fake materials, poor contruction, selling for $800-900K.

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That part of Kimberley only gets traffic in the evenings when everyone comes home. It is not a through street to anything major other than the subdivision, though it does bring cars in off of the beltway. I am kind of a freak about traffic and I would definitely buy this house if I could do it. It could be a great mod flip if done properly. What an investment!

Yes--the fireplace as it is would have to go buh-bye. It looks goofy and needs to be wayyy less ostentatious. The furnishings and add-ons are a muddle of chinese baroque and with the clean-lined design of the home is an absolute horror (like that fireplace! UGH!). Easily fixable though.

I don't understand why Memorial Bend can't be protected...can someone clarify that for me again? Has anyone tried?

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I've already done some research, courtesy of Texasdago's Memorial Bend website. A mirror image of the plan is on 12806 Figaro Memorial Bend Architecture

I'm going to see it tomorrow. From the photos it appears to be remuddled (one ex: marble fireplace) but Floyd's design could be brought back to life. One concern I have is how much traffic Kimberley gets. It seems to be an important thru street.

Shin'enKan

It is a good opportunity to get a mod in that area for that price range.

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I am the Listing agent on this home, what Homedopot special?

Kimberley is priced to sell it is a great deal but needs work. The master bath is original. Thats it.

I am sorry if you feel I am dangerous, but the house was built in 1960 and needs work.

What Neighborhood do you live in, lets make sure your story is correct.

Janice Pekema

Premier Properties

quote name='GoAtomic' date='Friday, October 7th, 2005 @ 1:09pm' post='51890']

ACK !!!! :blink:

This is one of the noted houses from the "Contemporary Center" promotion of Kimberly as "Houston's One Block Long Idea Street."

The listing realtor is dangerous to original houses. The same realtor worked the purchase of a contemporary house in my neighborhood that had original period bath tile, light fixtures, etc, and 'rehabbed' it into just another yucky homedepot special. They've now got it for sale for an unrealistic price, didn't get approval for any of the work they did, etc.

What CAN be done is for the Kimberly house .... a concerned neighbor or individual could talk to the owner and convince them to put a clause into the contract to prevent the house from being torn down for x years. It might be worth a shot.

And, yes, Memorial Plaza is turning into teardown central. Those houses are too nice to have this happen.

Somebody save it, please ....

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the only word in the listing people jumped all over was "builders" in the opening sentence: " Investors and builders if you are looking for a great deal..."

that raises a big red flag...

otherwise, the ad seems pretty harmless, although people are people and some of those will buy it, decimate it, and build a "Weekley Special" as i like to call em... :unsure:

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I am the Listing agent on this home, what Homedopot special?

Kimberley is priced to sell it is a great deal but needs work. The master bath is original. Thats it.

I am sorry if you feel I am dangerous, but the house was built in 1960 and needs work.

What Neighborhood do you live in, lets make sure your story is correct. Last time I checked I did not need you to tell me what color walls or type of carpet I could use. GOD help us when it comes to that. I see why neighbors build such large fences, you need to get a life, and get out of mine. GOD HELP US ALL.

Janice Pekema

Premier Properties

If you have a chance check the other MOD as well.

It is located at 1507 Imperial Crown, it might be a William Floyd, this home is in wonderful shape

for a 1960's home. Please go see it and tell me if it is a Floyd.

quote name='GoAtomic' date='Friday, October 7th, 2005 @ 1:09pm' post='51890']

ACK !!!! :blink:

This is one of the noted houses from the "Contemporary Center" promotion of Kimberly as "Houston's One Block Long Idea Street."

The listing realtor is dangerous to original houses. The same realtor worked the purchase of a contemporary house in my neighborhood that had original period bath tile, light fixtures, etc, and 'rehabbed' it into just another yucky homedepot special. They've now got it for sale for an unrealistic price, didn't get approval for any of the work they did, etc.

What CAN be done is for the Kimberly house .... a concerned neighbor or individual could talk to the owner and convince them to put a clause into the contract to prevent the house from being torn down for x years. It might be worth a shot.

And, yes, Memorial Plaza is turning into teardown central. Those houses are too nice to have this happen.

Somebody save it, please ....

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That's totally rude and uncalled for!

My guess is Janice isn't aware of the history of the neighborhood, or how much the area needs to be preserved. Janice, are the owners willing to finance? Can you tell us a little about what the sellers have found wrong with the home?

Thanks for popping on Janice!! It's a GREAT house. I'd buy it if I could. I live right around the corner in Georgetown so I pass it all the time!

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That's totally rude and uncalled for!

My guess is Janice isn't aware of the history of the neighborhood, or how much the area needs to be preserved. Janice, are the owners willing to finance? Can you tell us a little about what the sellers have found wrong with the home?

Thanks for popping on Janice!! It's a GREAT house. I'd buy it if I could. I live right around the corner in Georgetown so I pass it all the time!

The house has had an addition, plus the skylight has leaked for some time. A low pitch roof is very difficult to drain properly. I am very aware of protecting homes, sometimes it is a fine line. The first person with the cash gets the home, one of you step up to the plate and save this home. It is not up to me, if I had the money I would do it myself. But a few years ago I did a house at 210 Foust in Memorial Bend, I will never do that again. The owner is not willing to finance. So you see it is really up to you, while you are at it their is a copy of this house on Memorial right at the Chevron station.

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Why? Gay people like mods, so I would assume gay people live in Memorial Bend. He already said that he's "allergic to homo's".

:lol: Isn't it obvious that Cadillac is in the closet ? C'mon Jeebus, give the kid a break, he'll be new in town, he'll be expanding his horizons here in Houston, he'll eventually meet some friends that have some friends that think Cadillac is cute. They'll slip him some rohibinol, and then they'll be expanding more than his horizons, and he won't be able to walk right for a month. All because he bought that wonderful MOD house , and I think the price is fairly decent for that part of Memorial. He'll be close to church ,and can go pray that he never wakes up in "Steve's" bed again. :D

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:lol: Isn't it obvious that Cadillac is in the closet ? C'mon Jeebus, give the kid a break, he'll be new in town, he'll be expanding his horizons here in Houston, he'll eventually meet some friends that have some friends that think Cadillac is cute. They'll slip him some rohibinol, and then they'll be expanding more than his horizons, and he won't be able to walk right for a month. All because he bought that wonderful MOD house , and I think the price is fairly decent for that part of Memorial. He'll be close to church ,and can go pray that he never wakes up in "Steve's" bed again. :D

LOL! Yes well, one does have to wonder. After all, back when I was 17 the guys that wanted Eldorados over some sports car or SUV usually turned out to be a member of the congregation! It's not the butchest car ever, unless you're comparing it to a VW bug or a Miata.

And of course I am of the firm opinion it's always the squeaky wheel that wants to get greased......

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One thing that can somewhat help the teardown situation in many neighborhoods are the deed restrictions. The proliferation of teardowns and subsequent building of McMansions in Gaywood has prompted neighboring communities to reexamin their deed restrictions in regards to size issues. I don't know what kind of restrictions exist in Memorial Plaza. Although one horrendous monstrosity was recently built on Memorial, west of BW-8. Jeez what a mess that place is. Looks to be casted from some freak show.

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One thing that can somewhat help the teardown situation in many neighborhoods are the deed restrictions.

To some extent, deed restrictions can help, if they are properly written. But enforcement is often a group decision, and getting the group to agree to pursue something can be a chore.

By the time a decision is made, the owner may have torn the house down; any remedies after that (fines, etc.) are moot, because the irreplaceable item, the house, is gone. But, an association serious about fighting destabilization of the neighborhood could force the owner to build something that looks like an old one ... which of course would royally peeve an owner intent on building a McMansion.

It's just a messy deal any way you look at it.

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Well, I saw the house this weekend and I can say that it needs alot of work. I saw termite damage to some exterior walls, structural damage and modifications that must be addressed, water damage due to numerous roof leaks, and a home addition that has left the master bedroom without windows. But, all of that being said, these items can be repaired and these portions of the house restored to its original design. However, I can be sure that there will be other problems that are hidden from view. I haven't seen a renovation/restoration that didn't dig up something not priced in the estimate.

Another problem concerns the remuddling of the interior because this would mean additional moneys that most home buyers aren't looking to spend. What I mean is the amount of "traditional" finish details that are not found in a mid-century mod, such as crown moulding and carved wood trim that this house seems to have in spades. I can see a substantial cost involved.

It's a great opportunity to save a Floyd house but I do not want to spend so much money that in the end I've spent more than the house will appraise for someday (money pit?). I don't have the kind of disposable income that others do to tear down and build their dream McMansion. Does anyone have some experience with this kind of situation? How do you determine when to buy and when to walk away?

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I would be interested to hear other's perspective on that question as well. Since I deal with a lof of these style houses, I am confronted with the situation often.

IMO, the first thing I would tell anyone looking at mid-century modern type homes is you usually have to expect a lot of restoration costs. The dream mods with vintage details intact and needing little work are close to non-existent. You either end up paying renovation/restoration expenses to clean up one that has been let go and/or abused, or you are paying to undo a previous owner's questionable choices in so-called "updates & upgrades."

Secondly, just like buying any house the numbers have to make sense. If homes in the neighborhood typically run $300k range in great shape, and the one you want is $250k, but needs $75k work, then I certainly wouldn't recommend to a client to buy it for that price. In that situation I would think it would have to be priced less than $225k or why not just buy one that is already in great shape for $300k and save yourself the trouble. Often times with "renovated" (for lack of a better description) mods, the price of the "upgrades" is figured in the selling price. It is hard to make the numbers work if the upgrades are not what you would want, and then you would have to pay to "undo" and put things in that are more appropriate.

Third, what I think anybody needs to ask themselves is what do you really want? How high on your list of priorities is it to have a recognized architect? Do you really want total vintage? Original cabinetry, appliances, et al or do you like the style but give me a modern kitchen with new appliances? You have to buy the house you really love, because if you chicken-out too easily and pass on a potential deal, good or not so good, you will mind-$%* yourself when you look at every other house and compare them to "the one that got away." If the house by the recognized architect has a rare character and style, but maybe isn't such a great deal, but is still within the realm of reason, you might consider it anyway if there isn't going to be anything similiar on the market. After all, passing up your dream home & buying a better priced one that you aren't that crazy about isn't really that great of a bargain. I never recommend paying above market, but I never knew anybody that regretted paying top dollar for a house they really love.

So to make a short story long, no one can answer that question for you! You will have to weigh in the options and come to the conclusion that works best for your situation.

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Wow!

I'm really glad I checked this board today. I'm supposed to be doing work, but this topic is near and dear to me so instead I'm weighing in here. RPS and GoAtomic really summed up my feelings on the subject well, but here's a bit more.

"Real estate agents, whose job it is to sell, sell, sell, seem largely uninformed about what some of the older properties represent, but are making matters worse by pitching houses to prospective buyers as

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To some extent, deed restrictions can help, if they are properly written. But enforcement is often a group decision, and getting the group to agree to pursue something can be a chore.

By the time a decision is made, the owner may have torn the house down; any remedies after that (fines, etc.) are moot, because the irreplaceable item, the house, is gone. But, an association serious about fighting destabilization of the neighborhood could force the owner to build something that looks like an old one ... which of course would royally peeve an owner intent on building a McMansion.

It's just a messy deal any way you look at it.

I agree that is why zoning is needed. But, Houstonians are too stupid to understand that zoning is good

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Personally, I get awfully frustrated by the realtors who list houses and speak out of both sides of their mouth - "look at this great modern house" but "with a great big lot ready for your new construction". You can't have it both ways. Ultimately, follow the $ and realtors, more often than not, are going to suggest razing a house, significant or not, if they think they can get the quick sale. Far too often, builders, developers and realtors could care less about what the new house will do to the architectural integrity or character of a neighborhood. Regardless of whether the new 5,000 sq. ft. house will look like a big white elephant on a nice street of mods and ranch houses, they're after the 6%. The commission is made and they move on. The neighborhood gets stuck with the result.

If you want a perfect example of this, look at the monstrosity on Memorial on the south end of Memorial Plaza. A house that is "universally" (yes, universally... I've never heard a single person say a positive thing about the house) ridiculed. That portion of the neighborhood looks like crap but I'm sure someone made their commission. If you live in the area, you know exactly which house I'm talking about (and yes, it is leaning).

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Personally, I get awfully frustrated by the realtors who list houses and speak out of both sides of their mouth - "look at this great modern house" but "with a great big lot ready for your new construction". You can't have it both ways. Ultimately, follow the $ and realtors, more often than not, are going to suggest razing a house, significant or not, if they think they can get the quick sale. Far too often, builders, developers and realtors could care less about what the new house will do to the architectural integrity or character of a neighborhood. Regardless of whether the new 5,000 sq. ft. house will look like a big white elephant on a nice street of mods and ranch houses, they're after the 6%. The commission is made and they move on. The neighborhood gets stuck with the result.

If you want a perfect example of this, look at the monstrosity on Memorial on the south end of Memorial Plaza. A house that is "universally" (yes, universally... I've never heard a single person say a positive thing about the house) ridiculed. That portion of the neighborhood looks like crap but I'm sure someone made their commission. If you live in the area, you know exactly which house I'm talking about (and yes, it is leaning).

that house could be used as a Halloween spook house. Just who are those folks and why did not Memorial Plaza do something about it. That house never would have been built acrossed the street in Rustling Pines.

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Of course, I completely agree with you on this, but sometimes the original/previous owners didn't take well enough care of their home. Either that, or time itself didn't take care of it or natural disaster or whatever... Many of the homes we'd love to see saved are quite a bit run down and in desperate need of restoration. The potential buyers for these homes don't want to spend more than the house is worth, or more than they could sell it for someday soon, anyway. So in comes the bigger problem, and that is the current market attitude that "new is better, bigger is better, and do it cheap". That's when the greed factor you're talking about enters and leaves the once beautiful neighborhood with a huge shiny piece of junk. That's why we have to work at educating people and promoting the "mod way of life" or whatever we want to call it. It's a huge task and we're only seeing small steps toward that aesthetic. Who knows how much progress can be made or if the trends will continue they way they are now and Bellaire's McMansions will soon be Meyerland McMansions and then Westbury McMansions and so on...

Jason

The neighborhood gets stuck with the result.

If you want a perfect example of this, look at the monstrosity on Memorial on the south end of Memorial Plaza. A house that is "universally" (yes, universally... I've never heard a single person say a positive thing about the house) ridiculed. That portion of the neighborhood looks like crap but I'm sure someone made their commission. If you live in the area, you know exactly which house I'm talking about (and yes, it is leaning).

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that house could be used as a Halloween spook house. Just who are those folks and why did not Memorial Plaza do something about it. That house never would have been built acrossed the street in Rustling Pines.

I really don't appreciate you folks talking about my house like this. I had a dream, I had the money, I was within the building conformities, well, at least I was after I paid off the HOA, those guys are expensive, but nonetheless, I have a gruesome addition to our neighborhood, if you don't like it, well, sell your house to me, and I'll build something just as ugly on that property. It is my intent to change the neighborhood. :P

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Are you referring to that Grey monster on Memorial next to the mod? The one with the white lions and blah blah blah? If you are, that house actually drove me from even considering the mod next door :(

I think that the bottom line to all this is to make sure you have neighbor's who care and who think alike

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