duncan

I work with a builder/architect, MDGi, that builds a lot with CMU, i.e. concrete masonry units. The concrete blocks are often painted and from a distance looks a lot like stucco. Some of the houses have exposed concrete block walls inside. What price range are you looking in? The location will change the price quite a bit due to land values.

Good point about MDGi. My friend owns a house they built and it is very nice.

I like CMUs. I also like the blocks that look like limestone - I saw a lot of them in Austin.

Price is not yet determined. Location is as near to Montrose as I can get after I have budgeted for the house.

The problem I have is that I haven't seen a townhome in the 300+ range that I like and if I am going to spend a lot of money I think I might be able to build something I really like instead.

I need to speak with some builders to know if what I want is realistic. In Austin they were quoting 120+ a square foot several years ago.

Duncan

Hi all,

I really like the newer dense construction in Houston and would like to live somewhere urban. But I have looked at lots of townhomes and have not seen any that I liked enough to make an offer.

I would like a place that is 3 stories high and built with masonry but that still has enough room on the lot for a pool.

Maybe it is not economically feasible to build with masonry in Houston? Can anyone reccommend a local builder who has experience with custom building of masonry houses?

Thanks

Duncan

To improve the bayou you need to get more people to visit it. My proposal is to install some artificial rock climbing routes down there.

Does anyone have any suggestions on who I might contact to help get this idea off the ground? It would need to be someone with some serious influence to cut through the red tape.

Liability concerns could be mitigated by having the climbs start about 7 feet up so that non-climbers could not use them. Money is not an issue as I will happily pay for the gear.

Thanks

Duncan

Thanks for the suggestion. I will check out IKEA tomorrow. Something locally made would be nice though.

Duncan

It seems like the industry is geared towards selling me an enormous bed with a 6 foot headboard and a 2 foot thick mattress.

I think I would like something that is simply wooden slats with a mattress on top.

Please can anyone reccommend a company in Houston that sells (locally made?) wooden beds?

Thanks

Duncan

I just viewed the recent sales in 77007 in the map view on zillow.com

Ideally I would like to see the MLS offer prices and the final sales prices. But I don't know how to get that data.

MLS offer price - a number computed from comparable sales or guessed

Zestimate - an algorithmically derived value that probably has a huge error margin

Sales prices on zillow - where do they come from?

Is it significant that the sales prices on zillow are consistantly less than the zestimate which are usually less than the MLS offer price?

Thanks,

Duncan