Inwood Forest Developments

[Heights2Bastrop]

We "escaped" IF about a year and a half ago. Actually, it was mostly an escape from Houston, but Inwood lost it's desirability. What has been said is very correct in that there are some great deals to be had there. However, there was no positive indication that resale value would increase anywhere near other areas.

Much of out time revolved around the CC. When I was injured a few years back, I could no longer play golf, so my reason for being a member suddenly ended. Besides, things really went downhill after Mr. Smith died. Stacy (his daughter) tried a number of things to keep it going, but too many things were wrong with it.

My house was in Timbergrove, but I stayed in IF with my GF. When I quit the club, I lost all interest in the area, sold my house and bought a home in Bastrop. GF sold her house there, and now has a home in Cedar Creek.

GF still keeps in touch with people formerly with the club, but, not only have they quit, others they keep in touch with quit as well, so we have no more inside sources.

Another problem is all the flooding in IF. Measures have been taken to alleviate that, but some areas still flood. Also, many houses have been bought out and razed by ???

[Chris]

Its not a bad Subdivision. Its in Klein ISD, so great schools. It is a very large subdivision. I dont think it is bad.

[Heights2Bastrop]

Its not a bad Subdivision. Its in Klein ISD, so great schools. It is a very large subdivision. I dont think it is bad.

Actually, it is in Aldine ISD.

[Philliper]

This is pretty much the deal. I live in Inwood North, just behind the golf course. As Rob points out, there are sketchy areas (apartments in Inwood South at Antoine & DeSoto and Inwood North at Antoine and Gulf Bank.) Most of the people who live in the houses have been around for a while and are really nice. There have been a few auto break-ins (I've had a smashed window and so has my neighbor), so park in the garage if you can, but other than that, no problems. One neighbor had their door kicked in and some specific stuff stolen (we suspect it was an "inside job," based on what wasn't taken)

There are discussions/rumors around the golf course going public. A surveyor has been out a few times and my neighbor has asked the surveyor why he was out there, "possible sale of the property" was the answer.

IMO, the major thing IF has going for it is the proximity to "town". You can't get a nicer home any closer for a better price. Many of the homes are custom, and yes, 70s modern.

Because of all of the apartments, I don't expect much of a rise in property values. However, I do expect people to do quite a bit of updating inside the homes - it's time.

I'm originally from Indiana - Richmond. Welcome to Texas. You'll never want to live in Indiana again.

Hey...thanks for the info. Today we had our inspection of our IF home...had to have the guy go in through the house himself as I couldn't leave Indy. When he was done, he wrote me a email and said: "are you sure you have seen this house?" LOL Still waiting for his full report but if all goes well, think we will be movin on in to IF in Feb. Have a feeling I will be a "regular" at Home Depot!

I am probably more open to transitional neighborhoods than many people. Having lived in Houston a while I have seen areas go from sketchy to trendy in just a few years time. Even so I tend to lean toward the pessimistic side on any major gentrification in the Inwood area.

Inwood Forest offers a lot of home for the money. It's close proximity to "town" depends of course on who you talk to. On the bell curve it is pretty good in that respect.

As far as it changing in the near future my opinion is no. What you see is what you get. There are many people who like living in Inwood & that is not surprising given its nice homes at bargain prices, & the golf course, but I think to be satisfied with it you have to accept it somewhat as is.

The Antione apartment district, especially around Desoto, is especially rough. This provides some level of deterrent to improvement. The second issue is that while Inwood offers some beautiful homes, they are not of any specific sought after architecture that is usually part of what sparks a gentrification movement. People moved in & gentrified the Heights years ago because they wanted the Victorian and bungalow styles, people will brave the transitional neighborhood factors of Eastwood to get a great bungalow or arts & crafts style home, people brave the same issues in Glenbrook to get a mid-century modern, so on & so forth. Inwood has some quality housing stock, but not anything IMO that is currently considered strong architecturally. If 70's moderns become sought after in the same manner that mid-century moderns are now, that could possibly change.

Eventually, it could benefit from the increased popularity of Oak Forest, but I see that as a long way off.

If you are happy with the home you selected, your street and neighbors are good, then you should be okay with your decision to purchase there. Once again, I would just accept it as is and not expect big changes within the next 5 years.

Thanks for your thoughts...think I will be happy with the neighborhood.

[rps324]

FYI - there was just an article in last week's business journal about the owners of the Inwood Country Club looking to sell off part of the golf course for redevelopment, possibly commercial or apartments.

[VicMan]

Its not a bad Subdivision. Its in Klein ISD, so great schools. It is a very large subdivision. I dont think it is bad.

Actually, Klein Forest High School is considered to be the black sheep of Klein ISD.

[Philliper]

FYI - there was just an article in last week's business journal about the owners of the Inwood Country Club looking to sell off part of the golf course for redevelopment, possibly commercial or apartments.

You are kidding...I'll have to look for that. Man, that would probably be the worst thing they could do in that neighborhood.

[Philliper]

Hey RPS...was it the Houston Business Journal? I tried to do a search but nothing with "Inwood" came up

[Heights2Bastrop]

IF is a 36-hole golf course, so I could see selling off part and still having a nice course.

[rps324]

IF is a 36-hole golf course, so I could see selling off part and still having a nice course.

yeah, a nice course surrounded by some shiny new tax credit properties or who knows what.

It is on the front page of the January 26th to Feb 1 edition

"Residents take a swing at club

Inwood Forest homeowners brace for battle over bid to close old-line golf links"

".....Inwood Forest Golf and Country Club Inc. has petitioned the City of Houston's Planning and Development Department to replat 8.3 acres of land from restriced recreational to unrestricted reserve, which would pave the way for commercial development on the site.

"It's very devastating to even think about what this could do to the community," say Clymer Wright a board member of the Inwood Forest Civic Assocation.

Rumors are circulating that the owner may be planning to build a shopping center or apartment building on the property,..."

[Philliper]

yeah, a nice course surrounded by some shiny new tax credit properties or who knows what.

It is on the front page of the January 26th to Feb 1 edition

"Residents take a swing at club

Inwood Forest homeowners brace for battle over bid to close old-line golf links"

".....Inwood Forest Golf and Country Club Inc. has petitioned the City of Houston's Planning and Development Department to replat 8.3 acres of land from restriced recreational to unrestricted reserve, which would pave the way for commercial development on the site.

"It's very devastating to even think about what this could do to the community," say Clymer Wright a board member of the Inwood Forest Civic Assocation.

Rumors are circulating that the owner may be planning to build a shopping center or apartment building on the property,..."

Thanks rps. I'm not too familiar with the power of a neighborhood association but I would HOPE that the IF community would have some kind of say in the matter.

[TAK]

no f'n way anyone in their right mind would put another apartment complex in here. there are SO many empty units already.

now, if it's retail, that might not be so bad. i could use a "new" grocery store i could walk to.

if it's a liquor store, corner store, and borrow money store... not so much...

[The Great Hizzy!]

no f'n way anyone in their right mind would put another apartment complex in here. there are SO many empty units already.

now, if it's retail, that might not be so bad. i could use a "new" grocery store i could walk to.

if it's a liquor store, corner store, and borrow money store... not so much...

So true. IF is at a point where the expansion of quality retail is vital to helping it return to some of its old glory. A liquor store--even if it's a Spec's--is basically another hand swiping at the last legs of credibility on which it has to stand.

All that said, IF still has some of the best natural beauty of any neighborhood in Houston, IMO.

[Philliper]

no f'n way anyone in their right mind would put another apartment complex in here. there are SO many empty units already.

now, if it's retail, that might not be so bad. i could use a "new" grocery store i could walk to.

if it's a liquor store, corner store, and borrow money store... not so much...

From what I read on the Inwood Forest newsletter is that there is a meeting tomorrow downtown about their application to use the land for either commercial or residential (apartments). I'm with you...if its commercial, I sure hope it will be something that would be beneficial to the neighborhood and hopefully start to turn the area around some. I just wonder what they will do with the rest of the golf course since that would wipe out the club house, parking lot, etc...

[Vinnyb]

Does anyone know which section of the course they are looking to sell off?

[Philliper]

Does anyone know which section of the course they are looking to sell off?

It seems it is now official that Inwood Forest Golf Club/Course is now sold. The entire thing, from what I read, is going to be used for single family residences. Not sure how I feel about this but it's a lot better then a company building a bunch of crappy apartments.

[Heights2Bastrop]

It seems it is now official that Inwood Forest Golf Club/Course is now sold. The entire thing, from what I read, is going to be used for single family residences. Not sure how I feel about this but it's a lot better then a company building a bunch of crappy apartments.

How did you hear of that, Philliper? What is your source? My GF would love to know the details, as would many of her friends.

[Philliper]

How did you hear of that, Philliper? What is your source? My GF would love to know the details, as would many of her friends.

Hey...go to this website..the link is at the very top: http://www.inwoodforest.net/

[Heights2Bastrop]

Hey...go to this website..the link is at the very top: http://www.inwoodforest.net/

Thanks for the link!

What I don

[Philliper]

Thanks for the link!

What I don't get is, if Inwood was sold to a "golf group" (Renaissance), it would seem they would retain the area, or part of it, as a golf course. I did a search for Renaissance but came up empty.

Yeah, I know...I would have thought the same thing. Was hoping the course would have turned public. I guess there is another hearing or something on the 14th or 15th of this month so hopefully we will learn more about whats going to happen.

[The Great Hizzy!]

Single family homes... interesting. I wonder if they'll be in the same vein as the new single family homes going up in NE and SE Houston--that is, moderately priced three and four bedroom homes for around $110,000.

[TAK]

i'd like to see some good, new single-family stock. i'd buy if it looked like an uptick was happening. i like this physical location... just need someone to bulldoze a few apartment complexes and turn them into nice parks...

[Philliper]

i'd like to see some good, new single-family stock. i'd buy if it looked like an uptick was happening. i like this physical location... just need someone to bulldoze a few apartment complexes and turn them into nice parks...

yeah, it MIGHT be a decent thing if the houses being built are well priced and all, BUT, with all the possible new houses going up, will probably make it harder for the older houses to sell. Also kind of a bummer to see the golf course go....

[Scharpe St Guy]

Seems to me that removing the golf course will in essence rip the heart out of Inwood forest and the HOA up there. A real shame as Houston was moving/gentrifying out in that direction. Going from a golf course view to a KB Home type of builder view of tightly spaced hardi plank homes is terrible. Good luck to the neighborhood attorneys who will try and fight this.

All the best,

Scharpe St Guy

[The Great Hizzy!]

But they're not ripping out all of the golf course, right? Just the piece that's furthest west. Or am I wrong?

[Heights2Bastrop]

But they're not ripping out all of the golf course, right? Just the piece that's furthest west. Or am I wrong?

I believe that has yet to be decided.

[Philliper]

I believe that has yet to be decided.

Today, the guy that did my inspection on my house in Inwood sent me a email saying: Just FYI, there was an article in a local free paper this week that the I.F. golf course has been sold to an outfit that buys struggling courses and turns them around. This paper is not on the web. There wasn't anything about it in the Chronicle

It would be AWESOME if they fixed up the course..maybe changed it to a 18 hole public course and built some houses on the other 9 holes!! Think there is another meeting about it next week.

[Heights2Bastrop]

Today, the guy that did my inspection on my house in Inwood sent me a email saying: Just FYI, there was an article in a local free paper this week that the I.F. golf course has been sold to an outfit that buys struggling courses and turns them around. This paper is not on the web. There wasn't anything about it in the Chronicle

It would be AWESOME if they fixed up the course..maybe changed it to a 18 hole public course and built some houses on the other 9 holes!! Think there is another meeting about it next week.

That article was in The Leader, a neighborhood weekly. It covers a large area from the Heights up to the far northwest. They are thrown at individual houses, but you can find them at many stores and restaurants in the area. The office is on Rosslyn just north of W 34th.

[Philliper]

Here is the latest: The new owner of the Inwood Forest Golf and Country Club is NOT Renaissance Golf Group, LLC. It is a separate partnership named Inwood Forest Partners, LP. This new partnership apparently includes many, if not all, of the principals of

Renaissance Golf Group, LLC. Richard Cook is a limited partner in the Inwood Forest Partners and will serve as General Manager at Inwood Forest; he also is the General Manager at Quail Valley.

On the Inwood Forest website, there is a link that you can click on to add your email so that you will be sent email information about what is going on with the golf course purchase.

[The Great Hizzy!]

I was in IF last night meeting with an associate. There are definitely some positives to note relative to the previous few years. The area seems to have less litter than it did a couple of years ago and it looks like fewer houses are on the market (I could be wrong about that but it's my perception).

Unfortunately, those apartments on Gulf Bank are just awful. It would really be nice if someone took them over and began remodeling them, like the ones on Kirkwood at Briar Forest.

Another positive is that it looks like retail expansion on Antoine & Tidwell is ongoing, which may suggest that nearby neighborhoods like Candlelight Oaks are maintaining their status and that there could be a spillover to some degree, although it's very tenuous right now.