bubbles

Well we've only lived in Woodland Heights for 6 mths and Last Friday they got us. They entered the backyard and then our divided garage and kicked in the wall from the extra room to the garage and proceeded to take, tools, lawn equipment, mower, bicycle.

We have a wrought iron driveway gate. During Ike the short section where the gate latches on one side had a partially rusted post and it fell down. I have been trying to get it repaired but no one will come out since it is not a big job. Does anyone have any suggestions for someone to repair it. It may just need welding or a new post. The wrought iron is fine. I have a dog and really need it repaired. Thanks for any help you can offer. Just need it repaired at the post!!

He said it was because it was such an efficient unit!! Also said it was easy to replace.

Great news! The inspector did a thorough inspection today. The good was pretty good considering what we thought was wrong. We may have all new wiring but We will have to get an electrician to be sure. Most of it is new in Kitchen, Bath and ceiling light fixtures. Said we need a 30 amp instead of 60 amp for new Ac that was put in this year or it won't recycle properly. Heater seems to be ok , it lights and flame looks good. Plumbing was replaced when batht was put in so we have a combination of old and new there. Climbed under house and said that it is graded well, pier and beam look good, no evidence of wood damage.Said removing a bit of the skirt would allow for air to get in. Termite inspection to be done next week. Roofer said that roof decking looks good, supports are fine and gave a quote of under 5,000 to fix. Inspector actually said that this is one of the best homes he has seen lately! Not sure why the other inspection said what it did but the inspector never went into the roof , attic or under the house. We were very happy to see that our biggest item is the roof and that is fully repairable. If the electrician say the old knob and tube was just left there then we are really in good shape. The big 5 seem to be fine. The old house next door has been sold so lets hope something nice will go up next to us. I am really feeling good about this and appreciate all the help everyone has given. I think you may have a new neighbor in the heights very soon!!!

Well I'm feeling a little better knowing my house may be ok. I'll just have to wait for the final inspection this weekend.

Well I have the new inspection this weekend and I told them to climb under the house! I am so thankful to all of you for your honest opinions and information. We want to live in the heights but we also want a house that is safe. We can handle cosmetic renovations but the structure itself must be good. I am hoping that the report will focus on my areas of concern, wiring, plumbing, roof, wood. I do know that the roof is not overlayed so there may another problem. Thank you for the info on proper supports, wiring, plumbing and wood. I knew there would be some issues in buying an older home but this all hit at once and was very stressful! You get so excited when you find THE HOUSE , then your bid is accepted and then the fun begins with inspections!!! Now I am wondering how many homes have most of this already done? Hard to know if I bid properly on this one nwo that this has all come to light.!

One Question.....how do you have insurance if you still have the knob and tube wiring in your house?

IMO, depends on your willingness to live in a construction zone and if you've got the cash to do the repairs now. New roof, taking out old knob and tube, and the plumbing are all things you should do immediately (electrical first, if you want to find someone to insure the place). I'd imagine you're well over $10 grand in repairs just moving in. And if the current owners have not bothered to fix it themsleves, they're probably not going to want to do them as terms of the contract, since that's money directly out of their pockets.

Well we went for this house because we thought it was move in ready. The inside is gorgeous. We ruled out others that needed tons of repairs. If all the houses in the area need this I hate to let this house go but if most of the houses already have these things done I may have to reconsider this one.

I appreciate all your help and information. Thank you so much !

Put a contract on a house. Read a recent inspection. Part of house is still knob and tube, supports in roof bending, needed a new roof when the owners bought it and they never put in on. Says that the plumbing and pipes could go any day and have never been updated and that the heater is in bad shape. This house is in the heights, shows well but has been on the market about 3 mths. I am worried about the repairs needed and have no experience here. I really need some help since this is our first house. Can anyone offer an opinion on this 1915 bungalow's condition. Is this a normal or really bad inspection report? My own inspector will inspect this week since the other one never climbed underneath. What do they do to rewire a house exactly? I'm ready to back out since I think I may be in over my head!

Hcad says its in Hermosa Court.

if it is woodland heights proper, the restrictions say...no structures should contain more than three stories or floor levels, nor shall they be more than forty feet high.

there are multiple sets of restrictions for the various hoods over there so you will need to determine which hood it is in so you can figure out how it is restricted for sure.

Okay I read the official and Unofficial deed restrictions for Hermosa Court. They both say one residence for 2,500 ft. and no more than 3 stories. What is the difference between the official and unofficial? I saw where there are 4 townhomes on Northwood and I did see the blight on Omar. ON the Har site it says Hermosa Court and not Woodland Heights so should I be worried about what will be built?

I appreciate all you insight and I want to be sure that if I buy a house on Merrill it will not be surrounded by townhomes. One larger home is alright if done nicely!

Realtor informed me that an old house on Merrill was sold. I had seen a sign that said for sale by owner. Anyone know who purchased it and what will be done with the property? Since I'm looking at all the houses on Merrill I was wondering what will be built there. I see they are starting to build something on a lot I saw last week too. Can they build townhomes in this area of Woodland Heights? Looking to buy a bungalow but don't want townhomes to swallow me!

How long are you willing to wait?? The reason why I ask is b/c our neighbors on the corner of Byrne & Watson are currently fixing up their house. If you drive by, I believe they're in the process of painting it yellow. Pretty sure they're going to sell the house when they're done, but I can double check depending on your timeline!

I definitely think the bungalows will survive. There's too many people renovating their houses in our area for it to all go away.

Agent called and a contract fell through on one house we liked, so we may put in a bid!!! Will drive by Watson and Byrne tomorrow! We don't really have a time line but would like to find one before the summer months!

How long are you willing to wait?? The reason why I ask is b/c our neighbors on the corner of Byrne & Watson are currently fixing up their house. If you drive by, I believe they're in the process of painting it yellow. Pretty sure they're going to sell the house when they're done, but I can double check depending on your timeline!

I definitely think the bungalows will survive. There's too many people renovating their houses in our area for it to all go away.

If I read this right, I just want to clarify for you- Proctor Plaza includes parts of Norhill. There are several ready-to-occupy homes for sale in this area. Do a HAR search for streets like Key, Cottage, Temple and Melwood. Most are well done, preserved bungalows in the high $200s, low $300s, which I bet can be negotiated down in this market for sure. Again, this neighborhood has the only full historic designation in the Heights (in fact, it is the largest historic distric in the city of Houston, larger in area than all the other historic districts put together) so it will never look the rest of the Heights.

I hope you find what you are looking for. Anywhere in the Heights is a great place to live. Don't count us out in Proctor Plaza just cuz we're across 11th Street! This is a very vibrant, active, community oriented neighborhood. We are so happy to live here, be raising our family here and to be watching our property value rise without seeing the bungalows we love lost to development. C'mon! Give us a try.

Heights Yankee, I am originally from NY but have been here for over 29 yrs. (practically a native) Well the homes we like in Norhill all have options pending. We looked at one on the Esplanade and some on Cottage. The listings on HAR don't reflect the contracts yet. We are looking in Norhill too. Being north of 11th is fine with us too! What are the boundaries of Proctor Plaza exactly? What school are you zoned to or are your children in Private School?

Tanith, we love the one on Bayland but the pool takes up the entire yard. Its not a plus for us as we would like a little yard at least! The pool also prevents any future add on. Its a shame because its beautiful!!!

Flipper, did not mean to bash flippers. I know that those that live in the same neighborhood would do a great job of renovating but out of state investors are notorious for shoddy work!!

Just need 2 or 3 bedrooms, 1 or 2 bath with new wiring, ac, and garage. Not too much to ask for I hope.

Well right now we are pretty discouraged. We spent the entire day in Norhill/Woodland Heights. What is available is either next to a vacant lot and we know what will be built there. Another needs total electrical redo plus roof and is priced very high. 2 others need new roofs, some are without a garage. One bathroom is perfectly fine with us by the way! One was told to do a roof when they bought 3 years ago did nothing and there is water and structural damage. Believe me we are not picky just looking for a house that was not bought by a flipper but by someone who loved it and took care of it. I hope the flippers and real estate investor groups don't ruin Woodland Heights like they have in other places by doing shoddy work . We really want to be your neighbors but can't find a house at the moment! We have the money and are ready to buy! We have done our research regarding flood issues, widening of I45 in the future etc. All we want is a cute little Bungalow that we don't have to totally redo! Please wish us luck!!!! We would be great neighbors and kind considerate long term residents!

Thanks for all the information. For the record I really like the Woodland Heights/Norhill area. I just don't want it to look like the heights in a few years. I like the neighborhood atmosphere and would love to live there. Presently I've looked at homes in the mid to high 200's that need lots of work. Only a few were ready to live in. I've been pricing new electric, new roofs, leveling, kitchen remodeling and bath additions and they seem to be expensive. I could understand doing all that if the actual prices were lower. I've also run into the problem of one person placing bids on many homes to reserve one until the others are inspected. It's very disheartening when you really want to buy ONE home. Hopefully I will get the hang of things so we can finally end up living there. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

I have recently been looking for a bungalow in Woodland Heights. As I look it appears that the prices prohibit renovating and promote demolishing and rebuilding. What do you think the future holds? Also what areas are in the White Oak Spillway?

I see many houses on the same street for sale like Teetshorn and Merritt. Is there a reason for that?

I'm new here and just looking for info from those that know!!