lwood

I understand you can protest your property taxes. How is this done and what reasons do you use?

A local realtor suggested I sell my homes on the west end beachside at 25% lower than what I paid for them in early 2006. Is this a valid reason? It seems property values have gone down so it would reason that the taxes should be lower too.

Check out cutmytaxes.com

Does anyone know what the average construction costs per square foot for a townhouse type of building in downtown houston?

Thanks

A very tough question to answer. Do you want a Yugo or Toyota? 18 months ago I paid about $140/sq. ft. This is with a perimeter wall foundation (chosen by the structural engineer) with medium to high end finishes. The custom builder is someone who builds about 10 homes per year. You would know their name. Land not included in that sq. ft. cost. I am very happy with the final product. I can't say as much for my neighbors who did not use an architect or engineer. They trusted their builder.

I would imagine material costs have increased in the last 18 months.

Thanks for the replies.

In my case it is a new build -- and the TechShield is an extra option. The rest of the house will have R-13 insulation, dual pane windows, 14-SEER air conditioner, etc. The attic is supposed to have R-30 insulation standard, but they are trying to up-sell the TechShield, saying it will "drastically" reduce electricity usage in the summer months because it keeps the attic cooler. The sales pitch sounded good, so I wanted to see if anyone had any real world experience with it.

You should also check into skin vent construction along with continuous ridge and soffit vents. The skin vent construction adds almost nothing to the construction amount. I would also suggest on-demand water heaters.

I personally think the architect did a great job. You can tell that he probably was thinking of ocean waves when he made it. That's true art.

With that said, anyone seen these in person?

The left side of the balcony railing is a concrete wall. If you are sitting inside, that will give you a view of that wall and not the water. I thought that was an odd detail when you are trying to sell the view. I agree with you that the shape of the building is interesting.

Email sent to Ms. Andre.

Another link, for those interested...

http://blogs.chron.com/heights/2007/05/hik...urday.html#more

This email was sent over the weekend to those who attended the gathering Saturday morning. PLEASE contact Councilman Garcia's office,

Heights Proposed Hike & Bike Trail.

What now?

Next steps to help make it happen.

Yesterday, Saturday May 5, Heights residents, friends, and cyclists came out to make their feelings known on the 8-year-long on-hold status of the Hike & Bike MKT Trail. We had probably 100 people, many who asked what the delays have been and what else we can do to help this long-delayed trail become a reality.

The Mayor

For those interested:

http://chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/heights/news/4765956.html

I have made copies of the article in the Chronicle to place in my neighbor's mailboxes south of 11th. I contacted Councilman Garcia's office twice this year but they have not been able to give me any information.

Please join me in contacting Councilman Garcia's office this week.

Thanks,

Lwood

Just wondering, should I hire a carpenter to build cabinets for me, or would it just be cheaper for me to go to Home Depot and order them?

Any recommendations on good carpenters that can do that? Thanks!

Armstrong (flooring, cabinets, etc.) has a cabinet showroom just off of 290:

4315 Dacoma, Houston, TX

They've got low end to high end. They were very helpful and competively priced.

Money generated for whom? The people who live in Galveston wouldn't "get" anything accept a higher tax bill as property valuations rose.

If I already lived in Galveston, I'd be against it. As a potential (small) investor in Galveston, I'm not against it, and am sorta-kinda looking forward to it as something else to "do" in Galveston. Even though I don't gamble much.

Money generated for people in Galveston who get jobs. Being from the Lake Charles area I can attest to the positive impact that gambling had on that area. Lake Charles is the one that will suffer when gambling comes to Texas.

We have reached the 9th floor and are currently working on the forms for the 10th floor. Framing has started on the lower floors and we expect to occupy the building late July 2007. Endeavour is over 80% SOLD OUT and we have a long list of people waiting for us to release the presale inventory for Endeavour Parkside. Endeavour Parkside will be 34 floors and start in the $300's up to 3million plus.

What can you tell us about the Poretto Beach project?

I actually had questioned the city on this yesterday along with a couple of other items...

My email:

"Hi there-

I have a couple of questions about Stude/White Oak Park in my neighborhood.

I was roller blading on the bike path for the first time (I'm a new resident) and darn near killed myself as the paved path is overgrown with grass in many spots, is broken up in others, and in some areas is completely non-existant. My two questions are this:

What is the status of the Heights Rails-to-Trails path?

And once that is started, will there possibly be work done on the Stude Park bike paths that would make them safer to skate or jog on?

Actually, I just thought of a 3^rd question. While I was skating the path I saw there was some serious dumping of garbage in the trees and brush that probably happened years ago. Its really ugly and nasty. Any chance of getting this picked up?

Thanks for any info you can provide!

Jeff"

Their response:

Jeff, Here's the scoop: the trash was probably the result of flooding, and a general cleanup is scheduled in the not-too-distant future which will include that. Of course, every time the water rises it will collect again. The unfortunate fact is that trash on the streets washes into the storm drains and ends up in the bayous every time there is a heavy rain. The city keeps the streets relatively clean, but litter and other trash gets tossed daily and thus the problem stays ahead of the cleanup. The superintendent of Special Projects for the Management and Development Division is out looking at the paths in Stude Park this morning. Hopefully, there will be a plan up and running soon to repair them. I'll let you know what comes from that. Lilibeth Andre, the Bicycle-Pedestrian Coordinator for the City of Houston Bikeway Program, reports that design work for the Heights Rails to Trails project has been completed, and work is waiting on right of way clarification for some TxDOT parcels. Construction should be able to commence in the latter part of the year. The Heritage West Trail along Stude Park and the north bank of White Oak Bayou will extend to UHD and connect at Stude Park with the MKT/SP, which will also enter construction this fall. Thanks for taking the time to contact us. Keep roller blading! Don WhitakerMedia Representative, Houston Parks and Recreation Department

[/quote

I recently worked with John in Councilman Garcia's office to get more information on the status of the Nicholson Street trail. Even the councilman's office had no luck on getting details from Lilibeth. Please join me in contacting Councilman Garcia's office and Lilibeth's office to make sure this is moving forward.

Thanks.

http://adriangarcia.com/index-1.html

lilibeth.andre@cityofhouston.net

I have a condo that is in need of a new central AC system. Currently, the compressor is located inside my condo. It's mounted in a sealed off closet-like space along an exterior wall. The hot air vents to the outdoors through a steel vent insert that was formerly a window opening. Suffice to say it's not an ideal setup. The plan is to move the compressor up to the roof, as several other owners have already done. I'm on the 6th floor, and the roof is approximately 24ft above my ceiling. There is a utility chase next to spot where my compressor is currently located, which runs all the way to the roof and should make it relatively painless to run the cooling lines and power for my unit to the roof. I'm hoping someone here might be able to recommend an HVAC person that could handle this job. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

Central City Air.

Caterer planning to spice up local market

By Laura Elder

The Daily News

Published October 5, 2006

Cr

Well, builderbob, thanks for representing the builder side of things so candidly. Now I know why the homebuilding experience sucks. So you are telling me that when you buy a home, that you should never get what you pay for. If the contract says I get A and B and the builder says, screw you, you get X and Y...hey that's the builder's perogative. Nice. Your "point" has also been clearly made. Salary bonus. Understood.

What I think you as a builder should understand is that buying a home is a very emotional experience. Do you ever think about where the buyer is coming from? This may be a buyer's first home. They are spending a serious amount of money on a home. They are financially and emotionally invested. How are we supposed to feel we don't get what we want and then get blown off? Who's demanding perfection? You mean I can't expect to have an empty backyard or the tile colors that I chose for a bathroom?! So if I buy a car with a black interior and I end up getting a car with a tan interior...too bad so sad?!? That's ridiculous.

I don't think YOU as a builder understands how much protection you get from your lobbyists and the law. I love how proud of the fact that you make X amount as a builder, when I as a consumer, who probably doesn't make half what you make, but can't expect to get a house that we want. Nice attitude buddy. When I buy a car at least consumer protection laws apply. Not so for homes. What remedies do we have? This forum. Arbitration. BBB? Ha! Really attractive choices. In other words, we should harken back to medieval days of buyer beware.

You know what I think about builders could do? At least give two cents about what the buyer is saying. Don't blow us off and come back with a flat no. At least understand where we coming from. You've made it abundantly clear why you don't want to do change orders. You will lose money. Fine. At least give us the courtesy of being somewhat flexible. Geez. I sincerely hope your opinions do not reflect the majority of builders out there.

American Capitalism, "the right of any business." Well, let me salute the flag and then bend over for you, my friend.

Wow. In addition to the comments above, I have seen these lately:

1. "wrong again, as always"

2. "I think I may know more about what you write than you do"

The tenor of the group has changed over the last several months.

A bit unrelated, but quick question for you older people. Was the Houston House used in the movie 'Urban Cowboy' with John Travolta? Was it the place where John picked up the gal at the bar and went back home to? I saw it the other day on some cable channel and it looked like it.

2016 Main.

Hello all,

We found this webpage while "googling" for some information about houses in Houston. We come from abroad, and we are interested in buying our first home.

We've been looking some houses for the last couple of days and are now very confused. Yesterday we looked at some homes east of 288, just before beltway 8. The houses are built by KB Homes. They are certainly very affordable.

Today we looked at some houses in the inner loop. Some Perry Homes and Lovett homes in zip code 77003.

We have looked in the internet for information about these three builders, finding very mixed reviews. Some people hate them, some people love them. Any comments on the quality of the houses these three companies build? Taking into account that we cannot afford our own architect, is there any builder you would recommend?

Also, do you think that a house in the inner loop (particularly in zip code 77003) would appreciate faster than a house in the suburbs?

Any tips for first time buyers that come from abroad and don't have a clue about how houses are built here?

We would really appreciate any advice.

Whatever builder you are looking at, do a google search such as "kb homes complaints". That one will shed a lot of light on KB.

I have had mulch in all my other flower beds - but am concerned about termite now. Any truth in that concern?

Some suggest coming out from your foundation about 8-inches with river rock and then starting your mulch. The rocks are about 3 or 4 inches in diameter. I don't know for sure if it helps but it does look good.

My question is more about the mechanism for bringing up my property to the established market value. The land value is set based on the neighborhood, so it seems like the improvement value is the only real variable at play that then absorbes all the rest of the increase needed to bring the total value up to the sales price, right?

If I understand your question correctly, the land value could go up also. I'm thinking of inner city neighborhoods where lots are available and lot prices are rising. In a large suburban subdivision that is built out, lots may not be available but the increase in appraised value will still be divided between the land and the structure. I would think there is a formula but I don't know it.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a drainage expert or consultant in or near the Heights/Near Northside area? We've had persistent drainage issues that are most noticeable during periods of heavy rainfall since we moved into our house several years ago, namely:

1) part of the house is very close to one corner of the property, and there are some elevation changes between our neighbors' property and ours, with ours being lower

2) there are also elevation changes within the backyard that cause rainwater to pool in certain areas

3) I suspect our gutters are inadequate for the volume of rain they need to handle

The original part of the house is on a pier-and-beam foundation; what used to be the garage was converted to a den and attached to the house, and as it's on a slab, it is about a foot lower than the rest of the house. Not surprisingly, it's around the den/former garage where we have the most pronounced drainage issues.

I had several drains put in a couple of years ago along one side of the den, where the drainage problems are the worst, but they haven't solved the problem. I'd like to get someone who's experienced at dealing with residential drainage issues to take a close look at the property and make some recommendations to fix the problems once and for all, and I'd like to do so before the summer monsoon season kicks into high gear.

Thanks in advance for any pointers.

A few years ago I used Long Horn Lawn Drain Company with very good results. I'm not sure if they are still in business.

I'm looking to stay in this house/townhome for 8-10 years so I was hoping by then that there will be no more room in Rice Military to build so if you wanted to live there you would have to buy a used townhouse. I understand right now that you have the option to buy new, but I'm hoping that by the time I am looking to sell, that option won't be there.

Upper west end doesn't appeal to me as it is right on the train. I know that I'll still hear the train in Rice Military, I just don't want to be right on top of the tracks.

Does anybody know any more areas in the heights with new townhomes or 3 story single familys going up?

Also, any opinions on the quality of Waterhill homes?

Thanks for the replys

I would also talk to Tricon Homes. At one point they were building only in the Heights with a traditional look but they are now expanding to other areas with more contemporary designs. They have a 3.5 story home almost completed at the corner of Herkimer and 9th in the Heights. Interesting design with a roof top deck. It's usually open so you can walk through it.

http://www.triconhomes.com/

Hi All...I'm new to the forum and to Houston. I've been looking for a townhome in the Rice Military area and I understand that Rice Military is framed by Westcott, Washington, Memorial and Durham/Shepherd. How is the area just east of Shepherd around Paterson St? For resale, do you think it's important to stay in the real Rice Military?

Any other areas near Rice Military I should check out? I work out west on I10 so I want to be able to access I10 pretty easily. Thank!

Waterhill is building in the Rice Military area. They are also about to begin construction on the same type of product in the Heights. 8th Street between Waverly and Nicholson. (From 10 go north on Heights Blvd. and turn left on 8th.) They are a few blocks down on the left. Their web site shows them priced "from the 300's".

I don't know about Waterhill but the Heights area gives you an alternative to Rice Military and still great access to I-10, downtown and the Galleria.

Everybody has their opinion but I would prefer the Heights. This location is adjacent to the proposed hike and bike trail.

Thanks, JM. I've been looking at houses for a couple of years, and I've come to the conclusion that I'm so picky I won't be happy with anything that is already built. Also, I like a lot of non-traditional stuff that you don't see very often, and I absolutely require a pool. I know the land is going to be more than I want to spend, but of course I want to pay as little as possible.

Niche, I work near Holly Hall and 288, and need to stay around that area because of work commitments. I'm willing to go east of 288 or south of the Loop if the neighborhoods are decent, as well as just about anywhere else within a 10-15 minute drive. I'm not jazzed about going south on 288 because of the traffic issues. I am cautious about neighborhoods, as I am a single woman who lives alone.

Again, if anyone has any recommendations on builders, contractors, real estate/land agents, or architects, I would love to hear them. Thanks in advance!

In the best situation, designing and building a new home is a challenge. One year ago I used Tom Tynan Homes as the builder. I'm very happy with the product. PM me is you would like additional info.

Is this gonna be a mixed development with retail on the first floor?

Parking on the first couple of floors. No retail. Many of the units are efficiencies. I was surprised at the freeway noise even with the windows closed. It is an entry level property.

This is being developed by Mir Azizi, the gentleman who was one of the first to build in the West End (Feagan St.area) about 15 years ago.

You're correct, travel guy_73. The building's so-called "balconies" will be accessible via windows, not doors!!! I learned from a real-estate agent who has some familiarity with the Herrin project that what are being marketed as balconies are really just four-foot-deep ledges that are being affixed to the building's exterior at window height.

Also related to the marketing of the building . . . the Herrin units are being promoted on the HAR Web site (and, hence, to prospective buyers!) with square footage amounts that include the aforementioned ledges! For example, an available unit might seem, through one's reading of a description in the HAR and MLS listings, to be a unit of particular size for sale at a particular price, though one should keep in mind that the listed square footage figure for most units includes the balcony square footage, which, depending on the unit, might be 90+ square feet or so of what many of us would consider not-really-usable space!

On a quality-related note: I've heard that much of the kitchen and bathroom cabinetry being installed in the building are IKEA products.

I know someone who was giving some serious thought to purchasing a unit in the building. Upon learning all of this information, her interest level decreased significantly! I think she was most turned-off by the idea of paying something like $15,000 (her example was 90 sq. feet of balcony x $160 avg. per sq. foot) to purchase a loft that "features" (she's fond of using "air quotes" when she talks) a deep window ledge with a pretty railing attached to it!

Herrin Lofts is now open on Sundays and some weekday hours. It is not what I had hoped for.

My wife and I want to move from our small home in Bellaire to a larger home. We really like Spring Valley, but homes seem to be pretty pricey. New homes are very expensive, but we don't really like the older ones. We're thinking of building. Does anyone know the psf cost to build a decent new home. We wouldn't go to extravigant, but we would want things like granite kitchen countertops, and brick exterior.

Also, what are thoughts on the area just between Westview and Long Point, and even just north of Long Point?

thanks

One year ago my construction costs were about $130/sq. ft. by a well known custom builder. If you would like opinions on the builder, please PM me. I was happy with them.

Update on the Nicholson Street hike and bike trail from the City:

We are addressing the last questions. The final package will be delivered this month. We can count 5 months from that to estimate a construction letting date. This means a contractor will be on board at that time and be able to let us know when they can begin and end. I hope we can move up the timeline.

Lilibeth Andre

Bicycle - Pedestrian Coordinator

City of Houston Bikeway Program

(713) 837-0003

lilibeth.andre@cityofhouston.net

www.houstonbikeways.org

January 5, 2007 update

This email was received from the City today:

A question regarding a parcel has come up and final project review will not continue until that question has been cleared. The letting date will likely be pushed down but I will not know dates until we have a progress report on the research, IF it would be resolved today we would be looking at May. Keep in mind that this is a large project and that it encompasses a stretch beyond Nicholson as well.

Lilibeth Andre

Bicycle - Pedestrian Coordinator

City of Houston Bikeway Program

(713) 837-0003

lilibeth.andre@cityofhouston.net

www.houstonbikeways.org

The Houston Bikeway Program is a program under the Neighborhood Programs Engineering Section of the Engineering Branch in the Engineering and Construction Division of the Public Works and Engineering Department for the City of Houston.