travelguy_73

Best to contact East End Chamber of Commerce, Super Neighborhood orgs, etc. I know Idylwood has always done a great job about reinforcing all the rules. If I'm not mistaken, residents have to pay $ (dues) for this? or maybe not but some other areas of the city do.

Idylwood's dues are non-voluntary, and like most other older neighborhoods, it struggles to keep enough cash in the bank to fight deed restriction violations.

And deed restrictions on paper are all well and good, but unless you have an active civic club willing to go after violators, then those restrictions aren't worth the paper they are printed on.

I like this idea a lot--I will eventaully need to tear up and replace my current drive/parking pad (it' very short, on the side of a corner lot). We're trying to avoid pouring more concrete.

Have also thought about an in-between solution-- just paving strips that you would drive on and leaving the rest open-- used to see this with older homes where they replaced old oyster shell drives with concrete. My BF has even thought of building the parking pad out of sand and pavers. That's a lot of pavers, though. Is it a bad idea?

I love the idea of a "Hollywood driveway" (why is it called that?), and assume it meets current code because I have seen some high-priced townhomes with it (usually with river rock running down the middle). A parking pad of sand and pavers would be ok as well, perhaps with grass growing between the pavers? I would think you would need very large pavers as the smaller ones might crack under the weight of a tire. Also, if you are on any kind of a slope, then the dynamics might change and increase stress on the pavers, causing more problems.

The rear part of my driveway is part gravel and part concrete. It wasn't by design as the prior homeowner had the sewer line replaced and left a big chunk of the driveway missing. We dumped gravel in the area to temporarily relieve the pressure to replave the entire driveway. Turns out we actually love the gravel, but aren't sure that we want a driveway full of it as it catches leaves and debris and is a pain to "keep clean." Still, it does help drainage and allow more water to the nearby tree.

Ditto the cost being the same from what I have been told. I believe all the work is in the preparation of the ground, which is just as labor-intensive for gravel as for concrete. The only difference is at the end you lay down and compact the gravel instead of pour concrete. Without the proper base, you will end up with ruts.

My parents are in SA and they have adopted the new automated trash collection, big trash cans and all. They also have the new full-size recycling containers. Other than finding a place in the garage for it, they love it.

The other surprise is how hard it is going to be to find the redwood siding we need to patch the exterior where we are removing a door and window unit.

Olshan's in the east end had shingles that match our asbestos ones, so perhaps they would have something that works for you.

Thanks for the reply. I drove through there with him this weekend, and I agree with you about the neighborhood closest to the loop. The other areas seem to be nicer. The Randall's strip (I think it's called Meyer Park) didn't look that bad, but if just a few more places went out of business, it would seem a little abandoned.

He may buy in this area but is still unsure. Someone at his work told him that many families send their kids to private school. That area may top out in terms of resale at some point because why not pay just a little more (as prices are rising) to the west or north and use good public schools?

Anyway, thanks again for your opinion.

The elementary and junior high schools in the area are good. Bellaire HS is great, but Westbury HS is not, and perhaps that is what that coworker referred to.

As far as topping out of resale at some point, in theory this applies to all areas. Willow Meadow's limit is Meyerland; Meyerland's limit is Bellaire; Bellaire's limit is perhaps West U and Memorial. It goes on and on. There is always a better area for "just a little more," but at some point the rule of diminishing returns applies. If your friend can afford $500k, then Meyerland might be a better bet, but in the $300-450k price point, in the city, there aren't a ton of other options (Woodside/Woodshire is nearby and worth considering as well).

I had a house on O'Meara near Nenana for a while, and I cannot think of anything bad to say about Willow Meadows. Strong civic association, well-priced compared to Meyerland, and the railroad nearby is a quiet zone (it wasn't when I lived there). The Randall's shopping center has been regularly vacant for a long time, but it hasn't hampered resale from what I have seen. One note: the side of the neighborhood closest to the loop is zoned to Bellaire, and the other side is zoned to Westbury HS. Funny enough, the homes in the Westbury HS side are actually nicer, IMO.

There is an inner loop section of WM that got hit pretty hard during Alison, as evidenced by the crazy quilt of new (raised) homes and original ranchers.

Willow Meadows is still one of my favorite old neighborhoods.

I just wish they could find an effective way to get all of the northbound SW fwy/59 traffic to stay to the right when approaching the downtown spur. It's hopeless, I know, but it does add quite a bit of time to my drive home, just wading through the last-minute lane changers.

Anyone like the chic new logo? My GF, who's a Graphic Designer, hates it...lol

I like the retro look to it, but the Jack is, ummm, a bit too prominent. I am curious what she finds offensive about it...being in the trade, she probably has some definite reasons that the average Joe misses.

Fill system as full as possible, leaving radiator cap off

Pinch upper and lower radiator hoses to "burp" system, adding more coolant as air pockets come out

Start engine

Turn on heater

Wait for engine to come up to temperature, the thermostat to open, and all the air pockets to be forced out of the block

Add more coolant until full

Put radiator cap back on

Allow engine to cool

Check coolant level

Don't you have to dispose of used coolant like used oil, only at certain recycling locations? Do you have to pay to dispose of it? Seems like this negates some of the benefit of DIY.

Good point. My HCAD number went down 15%, but USAA will be raising my rates between 15 and 20% come my renewal in June.

Our Nationwide policy renewed just after Ike, and before our claim was settled. It went up 8%. I can't imagine what will happen this fall when it renews again. We were "stuck" with them when we bought the house because they would insure our concrete asbestos tile roof. Now we have a brand new roof to shop around with .

I think we need a separate topic on insurance! It will be fun (like pulling off a band-aid slowly).

I would be more worried about the bums hanging out at the corner gas station than the typical inner loop Spec's customer.

Ours is down a whopping 13% (in Eastwood). No change in the land value, it is all structure. And to think they never even reached our 2007 purchase price and we have put another $35k into the house since then. WooHoo!

It would show up as an Android phone. I believe I listed the exact identity string in another thread. It's the 10th most popular browser & OS combination on HAIF with 0.37% share.

Here is the ranking of mobile devices on HAIF:

• 1.15% - Danger Hiptop (T-Mobile Sidekick)
  
• 0.97% - iPhone
  
• 0.37% - Android
  
• 0.11% - iPod Touch
  
• 0.02% - Palm
  
• 0.01% - Blackberry 9530
  
• 0.01% - Samsung SGH-I617
  
• 0.00% - Blackberry 9000
  
• 0.00% - Sony PSP
  
• 0.00% - Blackberry 8900b
  
• 0.00% - HTC 8500
  
• 0.00% - HTC 8900
  
• 0.00% - LG LX600 Polaris
  
• 0.00% - Non-Safari iPhone
  
• 0.00% - Blackberry 8900a
  
• 0.00% - HTC P3701
  
• 0.00% - Samsung SGH-I907
  

I have tried to HAIF from my BB Bold (aka, 9000) a few times, and it is a disaster. The type is so small, even for my Superman eyes.

What about blown-in Celbar? We have an uninsulated crawl space and were told that this is a good insulation option (it is similar to what we have in the attic).

Perhaps we should learn Spanish, and employee some of these workers. I have PLENTY of work they could do... but I am so *cheap* that I just cannot make myself hire someone to do work that I can do...

What happened to the days when High School kids, who needed jobs, actually worked at jobs? I mean, legal high school kids could do the same work, for the same price, as illegals... but maybe the high school kids don't want to do those jobs.

The thing is, I have lots of work as well...old house and all that. But I don't hire them, not out of some ideal to hire someone documented, but simply because I don't know the quality of work they will do. And I don't want to waste time, so usually will hire people whose work I have seen before. Now I will say that my neighbor has a guy he regularly employs that he randomly found at HD, but he's the expection, I think.

Don't get me started on the high schooler thing. I was at the West Loop HD on Saturday buying some plants, and the checkout kid actually had earbuds in his ears! I felt like some 80 y/o, saying "the kids these days!"

Does anyone know why the Gulfgate Home Depot has SO MANY day laborers, when the Gulfgate Lowe's doesn't have any (nor does the West Loop Home Depot for that matter)? It is really getting out of control; you can barely even drive down the side street due to the car- and pedestrian traffic. Heck, my partner won't even go to Home Depot anymore because of them.

You would think they would spread themselves out a bit between locations just to make the chances of getting picked for a job that much more likely. And while "accosted" isn't the correct word, I do tire of constantly having to say "no thanks" when loading heavy items into the car.

I will say this: I'm FAR more likely to give them money than I am the people on the corner of Cullen/45, who seem happy enough to just take without giving something else (labor) in return. Yikes, I think I am losing my liberal 'hood cred!

I'm sure this has been discussed elsewhere, I just can't find the thread...

At this point, I assume they have begun to enjoy the "auction" process and might start a side business. Seriously, how much furniture could they have left to auction, and who buys nightstands at auction thinking they are gonig to get a deal?

American Apparel?

It's an interesting question, and I think the real answer is somewhere in between cost and regional preference. There was a thread not too long ago asking why we don't use concrete block like neighborhoods (of all price ranges) do in the desert SW. There are a number of vinyl styles that I like, but I'm not going to spend the extra money for it and have my fence look completely different from that of my neighbors. Plus, doesn't it chip away pretty badly if hit with anything, like a weedeater?

IMO, If a builder used vinyl in a major neighborhood, in a big way, then you would probably see the trend start here. Until then, fancy is seen as a rot board and 2x4 cap across the top, LOL.

OK, resurrecting this thread to seek a recommendation for someone to build a deck on the back of our house. We would do it ourselves (or attempt it), but there is a massive oak tree that needs to be dealt with and we think that Dek Blocks might be required to avoid the tangle of roots just under the surface.

Are you in one of the neighborhoods in danger of losing recycling? There was a letter than went around last summer ago saying that neighborhoods with less than 10% would be removed from the recycling program.

The people on my street aren't very good recyclers, even the young people who should know better. I have often thought of asking 311 to deliver bins to every house to drive the point home, but I doubt the City would do that!

ETA: found it

http://www.houstontx.gov/solidwaste/200807...clingletter.pdf

Housing Director Richard S. Celli said that the plan would only have been able to help applicants pay off installment debt like student loans, and not revolving debts, such as credit cards.

We got a quote from Harvard Heights and a shell was around 60k with fully fitted around 80k. It wasn't cheap, basically you are building a small house.

Looking like this you would think that they would WANT to be mistaken for another make.

Here is BMW's entry in the sedan-that-looks-like-a-coupe sweepstakes. What do you think?

Definitely not as tasty as the CC or CLS. The front- and rear end are too upright. IMO, it isn't worth the compromise in backseat comfort...I'll stick with the 5-series (though it does give some clue as to the look of the next 5-series--upright grills are back, baby!)