HedwigTramp

This (http://pdata.hcad.or...load/index.html) is HCAD's web portal for public data. With a little knowledge of Access, you can assemble the entire tax roll of Harris County to perform your search. Good luck.

Thanks TheNiche for the link.

That is an ecellent resource. Unfortunately my Access skills are a little rusty and I need to link myultiple files to find what what I looking for.

Guess I need to find a neighborhood ten year old to help me build the database. LOL

I live in Hedwig Village (Memorial Villages) on a ½ acre+ lot. The neighborhood has been redeveloping over the past 10 years with the older ranch homes being torn down and replaced with 5k-7k sf homes worth 1.5-3 million. My house is one of three remaining original homes on my street. The other two are classified as Economic Mis-Improvement with ridiculously low appraisals on the improvements… (All the land values are still outrageous… $30 per sq ft).

I had my hearing with the appraisal review board this week, and I tried to get my property re-classified to Economic Mis-Improvement (EM). The ARB reduced my appraisal by 20K (1.5%) based on pictures of flaws with my house. I had expectations of a much larger reduction.

My neighbor (whose house is EM) did a major remodel in 2008, but somehow HCAD was never notified. I had pictures comparing his kitchen and my kitchen, and they are basically the same. New cabinets, Granite, Stainless appliances, tile, etc.

There is no doubt my house will be bulldozed when I sell it. By all definitions, it should be classified as EM, but the partial remodel is preventing HCAD from making the change.

Before I commit to Binding Arbitration, I have a question:

Is anyone aware of a property in Harris County that had a partial remodel (that HCAD knows about), and was re-classified to Economic Mis-improvement?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I am from the East End and proud of my wharf-rat heritage. My wife is not from Houston and knows nothing about the east side. We have an investment property about a mile east of downtown and we were going to meet some perspective tenants.

.

As we were going down Harrisburg she saw a construction sign about the new "East End" light rail line.

She asked a very logical question....Why do they call it East-End? The "East" she understood, but why "End"? She asked what does the End refer to.. the end of ???? I did not have the answer.

I never thought about it until she asked. I have been calling it the East End all my life.... because that is what it is called (Not Eado).

Only Houston's East side uses "End" description.

Anyone have any idea where the name "east End" came from?

I need a reputable marine mechanic to work on my outboard. I live in the Memorial area but I am willing to drive a reasonable distance

You mean memorial just outside the loop? I'd hate to say this but it's not a suburb. It is Houston.

Wrong!

Bunker Hill is not Houston. It is it's own incorporated city or "Village". As are all of the 6 true "Memorial Villages".

Bunker Hill Village

Hedwig Village

Spring Valley Village

Hilshire Village

Piney Point Village

Hunters Creek Village

They have their own Police, Fire, Water, School District, etc.

All are the perfect example of a "suburb".

A tidbit about the Tenneco / EP building. It was built to be self reliant.

There is an old working water well in the basement. Not exactly spring water quality, but you can flush toilets with it. It also has backup generators for electrical power.

The old well and generators were integrated into their Y2K contingency planning .... in case the doomsday scenario occured.

They also built an underground bunker system at Hockley for their Gas Control center. It was built during the cold war with A-bombs in mind.

Yes. This one is great, with several subsections about the Houston area. Sky Ranch is listed, Linda Sue is not.

http://www.airfields-freeman.com/TX/Airfields_TX.html

COOL SITE. Thanks

Obviously none of you have been in town long enough to have seen the turnaround at Memorial City. Trust me, all the malingering in the world won't improve an area, no matter how you feel about anybody else.

I have "been in town long enough to have seen the turnaround at Memorial City". And I don't see any comparison between the two malls. Memorial mall is surrounded by very high "disposable income" households. Sharpstown is surrounded by pseudo-ghetto, and middle to upper-middle class neighborhoods. big difference.

Memorial Mall was a no brainer. Complete an upscale remodel and increase security. The locals (yes I am one) took care of the rest. They told their friends who told their freinds...etc.

Hi all,

It would be "too bad" if they tore that Hunter's Creek house down.......especially since it seems well maintained, at least in the pictures (older, smaller homes in Mc Mansion nabes don't look bad........ smaller, older, "UN-maintained" homes look bad in Mc Mansion nabes.......... because un-maintained homes look just plain bad anywhere )

Now, if there are foundation problems ( some are tough to fix, others are not) or serious mold issues---well, that would be one thing.....

With more aging baby boomers heading into retirement years, and not needing the "status Mc Mansion" anymore, homes like this offer a nice

option----close to city life with a lttle peace and quiet when you return home ( ahh, if the road noise from I-10 isn't a problem)

Plus it is one story--might be a little small for some folks--though ( only in Texas is 2K sq ft. considered a tiny home)

Close to the bayou though--is this area "prone" to flooding ?

I know some areas along the bayou are.........................

It does not flood.

IMO.... The house is toast (sad...pictures are beautiful). But a 2,100 sf house on a 20,000 sf lot with a land-only value (HCAD) just under $450K), in a prime neighborhood is a Major mismatch. Unless George Washington spent the night in the house, it will be in a dumpster 2 months after resale.

The owners over-remodeled... I did the same thing.

I have worked downtown for 20+ years and the downtown tunnel system is one of Houston's greatest assets. I don't remember how extensive the network was in the 1980's, but I remember parking in the Hyatt garage and tunneling to work. The tunnel network is huge today and it is the ultimate in "walkable". One of my employees lives downtown and tunnels to work in bad weather.

For those who are searching for large pedestrian crowds street-side to get that "Big city" feel ..(why he asks???), just visit the tunnel system on a cold rainy day about 11:30. It is wall to wall people in a NYC stride.

But if the weather is decent, during lunch I will go for extended walks street side and head for Sam Houston/Buffalo Bayou parks. A beautiful area that is under-utilized by downtowner's.

If you have never made the trek... visit the tunnel system and marvel at the underworld.

I have noticed that homes bounded by West of Gessner, Memorial to the North, Beltway to East, I 10 to the South getting expensive as well.

Huh??

I am confused..... what area are you describing? "West of Gessner, Memorial to the North, Beltway to East, I 10 to the South"

Is it for sale? I know Methodist Hospital owns it, but wasn't aware it's for sale.

I thought I remembered that lot having some of those permanent "For sale or lease" signs posted. I may be mistaken, and if so I appreciate the correction.

PS- What's up with this house on Legend Ln in 77024. I know the street's a little funky, but that's a darn good price for 1/2 and acre. http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cf...mp;backButton=Y

At $585K it is almost twice the appraised (HCAD) value. My concern is the large 10 acre commercial parcel off Memorial that has been for sale (for years) within a stone's throw (two lots). Since it is in Houston (vs the villages) there is no zoning, so who knows who your new neighbors would be.

And based on the pics, this house does not seem to qualify as a teardown (as advertised) unless there are serious structual problems or mold.

I hate the "improved" traffic lights in downtown peak traffic.

I take Louisiana (north) in the evening (5pm ish) and it is a nightmare. At every green light I advance 1 block (maybe two) before having to stop to keep from blocking the intersection.

That is north/south. East/West across downtown is even worse. The lights are no where near synchronized. Perhaps this causes the N/S jam as unfriendly drivers block the intersections.

On the flip side. Westheimer and Richmond seem to have excellent traffic flow after the changes.

If you are interested in appreciation, buy as much dirt "in the Memorial villages" that you can afford. Lot size will mean much more at a resale, and and fact you do NOT live in Houston is a strong selling point. I have steadily seen the Massive rebuilds move north thru-out Piney Point into Hedwig, and now has jumped I-10 (especially into Campbell Place).

I bought in Hedwig in 2001 with one priority...get as much dirt as I could afford. I bought a 3/4 acre lot and then "over-remodeled" a 1950's ranch. The location is excellent - end of a private road and a creek runs along the back and south side of my property (no flooding.

My "Dirt" is now worth 3 times what I paid for it. Unfortunately, my "over-remodeled" house will probably be leveled by whoever buys the land.

Another secret... When buying an investment in a gentrifying area (actually Memorial never significantly declined), buy on a street with the smaller homes/large lots. These will be the first to be attacked by the developers.

When I moved into my home, my street was appraised 20-30% less than the surrounding streets because of the older, smaller homes. Now I am surrounded by new 6-8 thousand foot houses that sold for 2+ million. The surrounding streets had very nice homes that made the lots too expensive for the builders.

The new HEB is open. Went last night with the chica to check it out and it was a zoo. Hopefully the newness wears off, the freebie coupons expire, and it becomes a bit more manageble in the future. It's a big store.

Wife went yesterday and went crazy buying stuff. She was supposed to get a couple of steaks but came back with everything under the sun (including 5 Lobsters). She was amazed at the quality and prices of the food. She called her relatives and immediately headed for HEB.

I remember the area well... The Watermelon stand with the sawdust floor.

The Lumber yard, but I don't recognize the name "Tampke". I asked my 95 year old dad who has lived in Pecan Park since the 30's if he could remember the name...but no luck.

I actually worked at the E&H Ceramic shop from about 1968 to 1973 (started as a 7th grade student at Deady). Two single ladies owned/ran the shop (mother and daughter). The daughter had a son that was wild as a lion. I think he turned it into a Classic Mustang restoration shop a few years later.

I actually lived in one of the apartments above the warehouse at the corner of Bowie and Evergreen for a couple of years. There was the ice house across Evergreen that would sell a 16 year old booze. And there was "Doc".. the doctor who had an office (in a house) on the east side of Evergreen next to my apartment. "Doc" stayed plastered during office hours and would stumble across Evergreen to the Ice house a couple of times a day. He actually performed my Physical when I started the U of H. I vividly remember that his office had cat food in the fridge with the medicines.

The shady bars on Bowie were a Real trip on the weekends. I never visited them, but gunshots outside my apartment were routine.

Yep.. I have a lot of memories (some pretty blurry) of that area.

RedScare:

Without going into your financial situation, it is probably not as dire as you think. The maximum "appraised value" increase is 10% per year. Of course, taxes have numerous reductions built in, so the actual increase in taxes may not be 10%. Additionally, Harris County is very generous with the over 65 homeowner. My parents do not live in as nice a neighborhood as you, but the exemptions are so generous that their 2007 tax bill was $166. Total

Thanks for the link. Last year I bought an investment property in the near East from an estate and my portion of the 2007 taxes at closing was $12.

Unfortunately,

A little research and I found it.

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2007/06/18/daily4.html

This shold be a nice addition to the second ward. It is an elite school.

A high school established with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and designed for students with academic potential, has found a new home.

The Houston Community College Board of Trustees approved leasing land to Houston ISD for a permanent home for East Early College High School.

EECHS, which is currently housed at the HCC Southeast Annex, will be located adjacent to a new academic center for HCC's Southeast College on Drennan Street in Houston's Second Ward. Each institution will build its own standalone facility of up to 65,000 square feet on the property. Completion date for the two facilities will be in 2009.

East Early College High School offers students the chance to earn a high school diploma and a college associate's degree in five years, for free. The 111-student school, which will add a new freshman class of 100 students this year, is geared toward increasing the high school and college graduation rates of teens in the southeast area, many of whom are low-income and first-generation.

The early college model is designed for students with academic potential who may be overlooked in traditional high-school environments.

The Gates Foundation awarded $400,000 to begin the school.

What is happening on the block bounded by Milby, Lovejoy, Bering, and Drennan?. It used to look like a failed apartment complex or small subdivision that never made it. Streets were poured and fire hydrants installed, but not one structure was ever built. I noticed today that there is a lot of activity on the site. the ground has been graded and it looks like new sewers are being installed. It looks like a high dollar infrastructure upgrade.

Anyone know what the plans are for this site?

Here is a link to goggle:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&...uWDjSmTBk83PlxA

Absolutely. All of this thread really relates to using the home as an investment. I realize that few people buy homes as homes anymore, but I also realize that the housing crisis was spurred by using homes as investments. If you plan to stay in your home for awhile, learn to let go of the resale demons in your head, and build or remodel to suit your tastes. Don't worry so much about what others want to eventually do to your home.

Your comments are right-on.

I have enjoyed my home immensely, and the appreciation has been WAY beyond expectations.

But I want to retire in couple of years, and there is a real possibility I simply can't afford to live here after I retire. Because of the skyrocketing appraised market value, my taxes will go up 15 % (max?) a year until I am 65 (ten years). Assuming that the house is paid off, my tax bill will be 2 times what my mortgage is/was. And yes, I fight my tax appraisal every year. I also tried one of the professional tax reduction firms that guarantee results, and they would up giving me a $100 credit to any Papas restaurant.

If I have to sell and want to get the maximum value for the property, I need to bite the bullet and rebuild before I sell.

So it will probably be ME who hires the bulldozer (to build a beautiful home I will never live in). That is why I am frustrated.

I agree that the builders are also pushing this phenom, but is there something wrong with being the smallest home on the block (even if others view it as a possible tear-down?). What's been your experience within your n.hood...Is everyone following the "The Bigger, The Better Theme"

My neighborhood (Hedwig Village) looks nothing like it did when I moved in 2001. Nearly all the original 50s ranch houses on large lots have been torn down and replaced with 6000+ sf monsters. I can think of only 1 sale where they did not tear down the home (3800 sf), but the owners added about 1/3 more square footage, added 2 more baths, and totally gutted the rest.

There is currently a new house on my street for sale at $2.4 mil. Two years ago a nice 60's 2 story 3000 sf brick home stood on the lot. I came home one day and it was in a dumpster. No for sale sign was ever posted.

Same thing happened to another one 2 houses down. It was a 3200 sf remodeled in the late 80s. Our Mayor used to live there. She passed away and within 3 months the house was in a dumpster. The lot is still vacant without a for sale sign. None of these transactions went through MLS, so I can't find what they sold for.

Another "house" is being built about a block away on Lou-al that is just under 13,000 sft with 11 baths (per HCAD). I went inside while it was under under construction and it is not just a bunch of sheet rock to add footage. The main entry area is about the size of my house and it must have 30 foot ceilings. Ridiculous.

I chose to remodel my 2900 sft house and I regret it. I put way too much money into the remodel, and I know all that work and effort will wind up in a dumpster.

The Avalon was at 743 South 75th St.

According to Cinema Houston, it was later known as the Capri, Fiesta, then the Living Hope Church

http://www.hcad.org/records/details.asp?ta...t=0410300000280

For at least a short time (in the early 70s?) it was a porn theater.

To this day I still remember driving by the theater and reading the marquee outside announcing the feature flix:

"A Hard man is good to find"... i thought it was one of the best Porn titles.

///no I did not visit the place nor see the film

This is an interesting thread.

I am surprised no has brought up the ratio of lot value / to house price

The dirt in West-U, Bellaire, Memorial, etc is VERY expensive. These locations EARNED their high prices. Schools & services are excellent. And folks with $$$$ want to live there.

A builder that buys a $300k teardown in Bellaire is NOT going to build a 2000 sqft home. A builder that buys a $800k

There was also no mention of Charlie's. I would think that it would be coming down as well.

As of this afternoon, Mr. C's is now a pile a dirt. The Japanese place will probably be gone tomorrow.