HoustonRealtor

Reduced to $339,999 today (from $345,000).

It just opened within the last week or so, but the sign has been up inside since the grand opening.

SKF Design Group according to the original listing with Urban Living. Not sure if they are related or not.

The nutmeg stain is nice and very popular, so I agree that it would be an excellent choice. As for woods, Brazilian Walnut is supposed to be one of the hardest, but you will probably pay more for it.

The apartments have been on the maps for years, so if they didn't know, it's their own fault. As for foreclosures, I'm not seeing any more in SCR than anywhere else that has homes that are at least a few years old. The reason we have this mortgage crisis is that people bought houses (all over the country) that shouldn't have been buying them in the first place. Builders and their lenders were making it easy for almost anyone to qualify. These buyers are now being forced out of their homes because they just can't afford them. The landfill will never be a positive for SCR, but it shouldn't have a huge long-term impact if the expansion isn't granted. If it is granted...well, we'll just have to wait and see.

I would do hardwood in the living areas and bedroom. I would also do it in the kitchen, if that's an option. Tile in the bathroom. Countertops in quartz (Silestone or similar) or granite. You can often find both for about the same price, so it's a personal preference. These finishes should appeal to the masses and make it easier to sell/lease in the future.

Personally, I can't figure out what the big deal is. If you look at Houston houses that are 50+ years old, you will also see a mix of brick and another material, such as stucco or wood. Hardiplank is essentially a wood substitue. The fact that builders use brick and hardi today, is no different than using brick and wood many years ago. I admit that I like brick better (my house is brick on all 4 sides), but I hardly see the use of brick and wood (or a wood substitute) as something that should be "blamed" on today's builders.

I'll second that. The last time we were in Galveston, we asked the Visitor's Center for suggestions. We were there as a group of 8 for a few days and wanted to try some different places. When I asked for an Italian suggestion, I specified that I wanted to know where the locals go, not an Olive Garden or the like. The woman told me her favorite was DiBella's. It's not on the seawall, but don't let that be a deal breaker. Everyone enjoyed their dinner. The restaurant has been around for many years in an old house. Almost all the parking is on the street, which can be a little of a chore. The only thing to note is that they only accept CASH. Luckily, the lady at the Visitor's Center told me so that we weren't caught off guard.

Even without kids, schools should be taken in to consideration for resale value.

The parking situation was ridiculous yesterday around 1:00 pm. Let's hope the crowds dwindle, because the parking lot isn't huge for a grocery store + additional retail. However, I'm sure a number of Whole Foods corporate folks were there, as were constrcution workers and vendors. There was some parking in rear that was blocked, presumably for employees and vendors. There is other retail going in on both sides of the store, as well as some pad sites. I don't know if anything is open yet and the only places with signs up are Charles Schwab (I think) and FedEx Kinkos.

I have read very good reviews about: Chavez Plumbing 281.591.3033 http://www.chavezplumbing.reliabilitymall.com/ (small page through BBB membership) They are Better Business Bureau members and seem to have a clean record with them.

Houston456 and BWShultz, I assume this is the house that you referring to. If so, it sold for $260,601 in August.

Central location should be good for resale, not only for Greenway Plaza itself, but it's proximity to the Med Center, Galleria and Downtown. You could definitely hit your budgeted payment, including maintenance fees.

Both are pending, but they are too high for his $1000/mo budget anyway. The maintenance fee doesn't help at $324/mo! By the way...my estimates in my previous post were based on 100% financing, as so many buyers are still without a down payment. Obviously a down payment can reduce the monthly obligation.

Tanglewilde isn't the most desireable area for many buyers, so resale could be tough. Inner loop locations will likely only have covered parking or a parking garage (like Reata, for example). However, to get something for $1000/mo, you probably need to be <$80k with insurance, taxes and maintenance fees. This is close to Tanglewilde, but a more desireable location: http://www.har.com/8830505. It is a foreclosure, so the price should be somewhat negotiable. Even still, with taxes and $156/mo maintenance fee, you are probably looking at $1100-1200/mo. However, I'd be happy to write a contract for you tonight...hehehe. Renting is a whole different scenario. You can negotiate on some leases but other landlords are tough and won't negotiate too much. They have costs to cover and don't want to be in the red month after month if they can help it. Mr. Chenevert seems to have worked a sweet deal.

There are good and not so good areas of Riverpark (I don't want to say any are bad...just not as good). I had some buyers that were looking at the lower end, and they were not impressed with the houses or the way people maintained them. You may want to post over in the Sugar Land forum, as you are likely to get more feedback from the "locals" over there. http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...hp?showforum=18

Rooms to Go, if I remember correctly. http://www.roomstogo.com/

By the way, are you referring to Urban Lofts (www.urbanlofts.com), the builder of the aluminum TH's? I don't think there is a builder of townhomes like that called Urban Living.

I know that Vinod is not a broker, he is just an agent owns that owns a real estate company. He has a broker that works for him. Maybe that's how he gets away with things...he reports to a broker that really reports back to him. The poor broker is between a rock and a hard place!

It did sell in August for full asking price according to MLS. That was $1.1M. The house was listed for 185 days and started at $1.5M. It was advertised as being sold in "as-is condition".

I don't do foreclosures, but if I did, I would have to sign up for the Crappy Photos 101 class. Foreclosure listing agents (or their $6/hour guy that runs errands for them) get the WORST pics I have ever seen. I think with some good pics some of the foreclosures could sell much faster as buyers may actually want to LOOK at the houses after seeing them online.

This foreclosure was listed in MLS this morning. www.har.com/1014039 It sold for $323,000 in 1999. http://harpictures.marketlinx.com/MediaDisplay/16/hr2046116-1.jpg http://harpictures.marketlinx.com/MediaDisplay/16/hr2046116-2.jpg http://harpictures.marketlinx.com/MediaDisplay/16/hr2046116-3.jpg http://harpictures.marketlinx.com/MediaDisplay/16/hr2046116-5.jpg http://harpictures.marketlinx.com/MediaDisplay/16/hr2046116-6.jpg http://harpictures.marketlinx.com/MediaDisplay/16/hr2046116-7.jpg http://harpictures.marketlinx.com/MediaDisplay/16/hr2046116-8.jpg

The bigger price drops can be seen in new construction homes. The resales have been doing OK, although it takes a little longer to for the homes to sell. A desperate seller may drop their price faster in order to get their home sold. You won't find mature trees here in SCR. Silverlake has more mature trees, but it's not a forest by any stretch of the imagination. West Oaks has more trees, but its farther east and the homes can date back to the 90's, which may be older than you are looking for.

Pricing on new construction out here in Pearland does seem to have gone down a little. While our real estate market isnt booming, it's not in a complete slump either. A lot of the national builders out here are doing what they can to try and close some sales and bring in some money. Our market can help them look a little better on paper when some other markets are doing so poorly. In this kind of market, it's best to buy long term, just like buying stocks. It's not wise for the average home buyer to buy a home and expect to make a fortune off of it in a couple of years, whether in Houston or the suburbs. The real estate market here is not known for skyrocketing prices, but rather a slow and steady increase. I think buyers should focus on the house they want in the location they want, as you have no control over what happens to the economy and how it effects the value of your home. I would love to see my property escalate over time. However, I really bought this as a home, not an investment. And even if the value doubles by the time I'm ready to move, if the value of my "move-up" house has also doubled, then I haven't gained much anyway.

Some others: www.har.com/5307452 www.har.com/2067354 www.har.com/7240391 www.har.com/1984115 www.har.com/9680229