rps324

There are some great bargains still in the East end. I know there are one or two in Idylwood that can be bought right now for under $150,000. There are two on North Dover( a good block) in Glenbrook that are 2500 sf range that can also be bought for under $150k.

Idylwood:

6621 Fairfield $149,900

6602 Meadowlawn $149,000

Houston Country Club Estates

1019 Villa De Matel $139,900

6503 Pinehurst $149,000

6402 Jefferson $155,000

Glenbrook Valley

8110 Dover $149,900

8224 Dover $149,900

7742 Morley $137,500

You also might want to check out the Broadmoor area, which is near Lawndale and Telephone. They're mostly brick bungalows from the 20s & 30s from the $80s to 130s, I believe. The man that sort of started the Eastwood rehabbing in the 80s, Bill England, supposedly has bought some houses over there. It still looks a little ragged though right now.

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I got an e-mail from him about the Glenbrook Valley web site. I saw one of the houses he redid in Eastwood received a good brick award from GHPA.

Thanks to everyone for your replies!

It is nice to see there is opportunity for a 1st time home buyer to live near downtown.  I had started to lose hope after looking at prices for the Heights and Montrose areas...  I am going to do a little exploring out in the car this Sunday.  Any Eastside neighborhoods that are must-sees?  I am definately checking out Idylwood, Forest Hill, and Pineview.  Riverside Terrace had some amazing homes, but I haven't seen many for sale.

Danny

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Riverside has some incredible homes, but the prices can get up there. Idylwood and Houston Country Club Estates are two must see, along with Glenbrook Valley & Eastwood.

Hey everyone---

Please excuse me if I am way off here:

I have heard that certain areas of towns can be 'redlined' by mortgage lenders, meaning that the property can be considered too high risk to loan money for.  Is this true?  If so, does this apply to any areas of the East End of Houston?  Many of these neighborhoods have such obvious potential.  Though, I wonder if I would have better luck getting a loan for a property in the Heights?

Anyone have a thought on this?

Thanks,

Danny

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No, that is not true. The practice of "redlining" was outlawed years ago, I believe in 1968.

Those will probably be there for some time. Houston has no zoning & you always have a mixed bag in every part of town. You can pay top dollar to live in the Montebello, and have these less expensive ones a block over, or you can buy a house in River Oaks on Shepherd, and overlook a car lot. That's just Houston.

Yes, Karpas properties has the listings. I will get the details. I do remember seeing the price list and they started at $180,000

Gunspoint would be a better bet for revitalization, though, since it is located near those offices and such.

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Poor old Gunspoint, they tried all that cityview renovation with the apartments behind it. The whole concept was modeled after a successful redo Lincoln Property Company did in Dallas. Unfortunately it flopped here. It seems like Greenspoint is too far out for more urban people, and with so much retail, etc at Willowbrook & on 1960, has little to draw people past all that from the North. The reputation is just too ingrained it seems.

I would like to see something more inspired at Northline, but since I am currently living in Lindale Park & even basic retail is at a minimum around here, I would be thrilled to have a Target and a Gulfgate-esque type HEB just to have something close. I know we are supposed to demand better development, but at this point I will take any improvement I can get!!!

If you try apartmentguide.com or forrent.com, they are probably on one or both sites. You can also check out apartmentratings.com. It is a site where people can post WHATEVER they want about the apartments they live(d) in.

Of course you have to take some comments with a grain of salt.

Forest Hill is one of my favorite areas.....the winding streets, and hills are really neat....although I think all those old moster houses that predate everything else are a little wierd.  Know any more of the story behind those houses?  Why are those huge houses in there, and everything else is a more typical size?

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There is something in the architectural guide to Houston about those two, the big colonial and the Spanish one, but I can't lay my hands on my copy. Can somebody look those up?...

Meyerland is definately NOT one of those suffering "ring rot".

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I totally agree. If the Ring ever had a gap in it, it was there.

Of course when it comes to growth and decline patterns, it seems like Houston sets its own path and doesn't always follow other cities precedents.

I think a lot of Houston's "first ring" suburbs have already "cycled" through their decline and have bounced back, with the decline and stagnation then moving to what I guess you would call a second or third suburban ring.

Inner-loop Southwest on thru Meyerland is extremely strong, pushing any ring of decline arguably out as far as Fondren and beyond. Northwest is similiar. Garden Oaks, Oak Forest, Spring Branch all saw declines in the past, and while parts of Oak Forest and Spring Branch can look a little sketchy, they are rebounding nicely, or already have rebounded, pushing the ring of decline out to starting more at Inwood & stretching to parts of FM 1960.

Other houses look to be by Harwood Taylor, Charles E. Lawrence of CRS and Donald Barthelme.  A few more are in the wings... it will probably be 8 or so houses spread from the Memorial area to the Hobby Airport area.

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Meadowcreek Village near Hobby I bet? or Houston Country Club?

Not sure what can be announced but you'll see a mix of residences from some notable Houston architects like Wilson Morris Crain Anderson and William R. Jenkins.  Should be great!

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Any updates you can spill yet?

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed how Highland Village is always the first shopping center in Houston to put up Christmas decorations and last to take them down? Usually by Halloween they're all lit up and some years it's almost February 1 before they get them down. I know this year I was traveling for work much of January and February and I remember coming home between trips the second week of February and driving by and seeing the big red bows still on top of the buildings.

But they are great decorations and give the place a great holiday atmosphere. I just think they could be a little more prompt in taking them down.

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The same company does the decorations for the River Oaks Shopping Center, Meyerland, Champions Village, Woodlands Mall, and so forth, it may be because they are limited in their ability to get everyone down at once. Last year, though, didn't they want to leave lighting up through super bowl or something? Or did I imagine that? Seems like I heard that somewhere.

The childhood home of cosmetics mogul Mary Kay Ash (nee Mary Kay Wagner), founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, is threatened with demolition. The diminutive house at 2111 Kane Street was Ash