musicman

I'm not actually in the market of buying right now. I live in Albuquerque and look to move back to Houston within a year or two. Even then I won't be buying immediately. My salary certainly doesn't allow me to buy a condo DT right now. At the same time, I wouldn't expect the quantity of condos to go up within one to three years, thats why I ask loosely if it's a good time to buy "now" or later(5-10 years).

And really I'm asking these questions generally and to educate myself for the future. BTW, do y'all know the lowest price for a nice/decent condo in the DT area, or at least the range for a low end one?

So why wouldn't you expect the quantity of condos to increase?

$23K total (mind you I only spend $110K on the Galleria area 2,500 sq ft townhome/money pit, so I still think it was justified)

$17K for the stucco, and the remaining fund was to replace all the termite/water rot damage framing members.

D--m! i was thinking that if something goes wrong, small claims might be an option but at 17k for the stucco that's not an option. So why were the framing members rotting? was it caused by cracks in the stucco? for 23k, you could have easily put on siding that would have eliminated the leaking walls.

in some of the stucco i thought they put fiberglass in it to give it more strength. you know if the company did something like that?

Yeah, it'll take time for them come. But the Fingers tower should certainly help things; that's a lot of units. And I'm not so sure it's such a big gamble for residents to move downtown. It's not like they're used to having a grocery store, etc. right around the corner anyway, right? Once those everyday things do come though, it'll provide that much more convenience.

the grocery store won't be "around the corner" for everyone because the housing is scattered thruout downtown. if you don't expect retail, grocery stores etc then there is no gamble to move downtown because you have no expectations. i know people who've lived down there easily over 10 yrs and don't really care because that is how it's been for quite a while. i would venture to say there are less options now than there were 10 yrs ago because speculation has caused an increase in prices.

many of the newer residents ARE expecting certain amenities however. those are the ones that will be the ones most disappointed that they will have to drive to the grocery store,etc. Many are expecting chain type places to move in. IMO i think those are less likely to move there b/c of the lack of population. Downtown has some great mom/pop/individually owned type places that are doing well enough to make it since i've been going downtown in the 80's. The starbucks, burger kings, etc are there but are only open during biz hrs which does not meet criteria for residents.

the owners of treebeards have lived downtown for quite a while now. They've attempted to open their mkt square in the evenings but only do it for parts of the yr because the demand doesn't warrant it. (not sure if they did it last yr) Retail would be nice in the eves but the downtown retail that is there closes early so it doesn't draw additional people outside of downtown which might help existing businesses.

it's that chicken and egg question.

It just seems to me that if every day needs, i.e. grocery store, retail, etc, come DT then so will the people. As we've witnessed on HAIF, there are many people in Houston who are from the North East and are used to this type of living and even prefer it.

So hypothetically, if these things come and condos continue to be built...what's the future of the prices of them? I know it depends on other things as well, such as demand, which I think will definitely be there.

But these everyday needs places aren't "flocking" to downtown nor the near east side. Both residents and businesses are taking a gamble which in the long term could be lucrative. i think gulfgate is proof that there is money to be made on the east side. just takes a few more visionaries and people that are willing to support them.

I would assume that condo owners typically keep a nice house and take care of their things. Would y'all say this is mostly true? And I don't know how all this works, but I'm also assuming that once purchased, the condo is sole property of the owners and that when they sell, it's all theirs and they don't have to go through anything w/ whom they purchased it from originally; they just sell as if it were a single-family unit?

Talk to stolix and rps about condos. i'm sure they'll have a few words on the upkeep of some condos near their hood.

And, HOW'S THE PARKING?

I am applying for a part-time, low paying position at a bank and it's downtown. I could've applied at a branch closer to where i live but I'm curious about downtown.

not sure exactly where you're going to work downtown but you might considering parking farther out and taking the bus or train. i've seen some for up to $10/day. and if you leave and come back? then you pay again. i know some places lease it out by the month/yr.

IMO, it's not that she lacks backbone. It was a calculated position to make her a more sympathetic figure.

the way she was responding to the david geffen attacks this morning, she sure isn't getting much sympathy. i'm sure the dogs nearby could hear her teeth grinding.

This is not the sythetic version though, I have the real concrete one, so am I better off or worse?

whatever you put it on must be stable otherwise i'd say cracks will occur.

i'd say signing a waiver sounds risky. if they can't get it right, then i'd ask for some of your money back. may i ask how much you paid? i think they want to wimp out personally.

Clinton, Obama clash over Geffen

The sun was not yet up on Wednesday, and members of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign team were confronted with the kind of attack that most infuriates them: one questioning the character of Clinton and her husband.

To make matters worse, it came from David Geffen, the Hollywood producer who was once a big supporter of the Clintons but has since turned on them and is now backing Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination.

What followed was a remarkably caustic exchange between the Clinton and Obama campaigns that highlighted the sensitivity in the Clinton camp to Obama's rapid rise as a rival and his positioning as a fresh face unburdened by the baggage borne by Clinton, the junior senator from New York. The Clinton camp seemed also to be sending a warning to mud-slinging critics that they would be dealt with fiercely.

It began with a column in The New York Times by Maureen Dowd, in which Geffen said the Clintons lie "with such ease, it's troubling" and that the Clinton political operation "is going to be very unpleasant and unattractive and effective." Geffen called Bill Clinton a "reckless guy" and suggested that Hillary Clinton was too scripted.

In a statement, the Clinton campaign called on Obama to sever his ties to Geffen and return the $1.3 million that Geffen helped raise at a reception on Tuesday.

"While Sen. Obama was denouncing slash-and-burn politics yesterday, his campaign's finance chair was viciously and personally attacking Sen. Clinton and her husband," Howard Wolfson, the Clinton campaign communications director, said.

Bill Burton, a spokesman for Obama, quickly responded with a statement, saying it was ironic that the Clintons had no problem with Geffen when he was "raising them $18 million and sleeping at their invitation in the Lincoln Bedroom."

This sure was a hot topic on this morning's news.

is that the mini-complex?

we were biking and stopped at the happy go lucky (telephone @ broad). you always see fairly nice cars there. the way the asian madame came up to us. i'm sure some of their clientele are happier and luckier than went they went in!

synthetic stucco has been a problem for many people. there are complaints/lawsuits going on all over the country. scroll down to stucco part. IMO what makes the product bad is that it doesn't allow your home to breathe. so when moisture is introduced thru a crack, the moisture trapped causes the studs to mold and even rot!. because we're in houston, your house will shift (but it may not be noticeable) due to moisture levels. because the product is hard, cracks will result.

There are some townhomes built in mid 90's in the montrose area that use stucco and all the units had to be treated for mold and all the stucco had to be replaced in 2003. that's not a good record. Look at the apartments in estates at memorial heights i think. a coworker lived there and when i was in the parking garage walking to his building, it was surprising at the number of cracks in the stucco for such a new building.

I know someone here that is a distributor for one of the manufacturers in houston and also builds custom homes. he uses it because it is the cheapest product for external walls. maybe it is a good product when the climate is dry, but in areas that are more moist, it should be avoided IMO. oh i forgot, his first home had mold problems.

I live in Houston and walk to work everyday. So does my wife. We both live and work downtown. My walk is approximately six blocks while her is seven. She has free theater district parking but chooses to walk because faster and more pleasant. Even in the summer, it's not that bad in the morning and surprisingly I've only been rained out by severe weather twice in the past six months. I'm simply baffled by the aversion to walking that seems to permeate this city.

I don't think there is an aversion to walking. i just don't think a convenient walking situation is there for most. for your wife for instance, she finds walking faster than driving so she walks. if it wasn't faster, i don't believe she would walk as often.

when i was there in the 80's, i will say there were plenty of apple computers for our use.

Ah a local celeb. lives in the building?

They havent cleaned the area up since the LRT?

Im looking at something in the 500-650 sq ft range. He doesnt need anything larger than that i think. Also, what about guest parking? Is there garage parking for guest or is it surface parking, and if it is surface, is there a charge? I should get out and go take a look around.

Also, does it have a good mix of ages that you know of? Thanks for the feedback.

for guests i remember parking across the street for free in a lot (and on street in front), but since that is also across the street from the bus station, there are quite a few loiterers.

The area is basically the same except that METRO's headquarters across 45 uses the area under the pierce elevated for parking. it is now fenced so the homeless just moved farther down pierce a few blocks. sometimes i see 50 or so over by st joes. of course with the homeless ordinance they aren't suppoed to be there.

i think the residents are diverse. a friend who evacuated from nola lives there. he likes it but still doesn't venture very far. i think there was a little store in the building as well as a small washateria but his unit has washer/dryer. last time i was there i remember some dog poop out front. guess some don't pick it up!

most of the people i know there like it. the most negative think i've heard is the surrounding area. the mcdonalds/bus station etc doesn't make you feel comfortable. some of the units i've been in are quite small, but that would probably be ok for a student.

if your son is going to meteorology school, he can get some pointers from dr neil frank who lives in the building.

I found an old archive listing on the Colgate house back when it was a different, and IMO better color scheme. It also shows the detailing above the living room window that has since been removed.

old archive listing from 5 years ago.

it's really gone downhill in 5 yrs.

Well there should've been some protests in that area, then. But as far as official floodplains, you're correct.

During allison there was no water over telephone nor bellfort. prior to widening i remember 18" over telephone bridge. There's definitely been improvement.

Castle Court Neighborhood Association.

Meanwhile, Adra Hooks observed that the Castle Court Neighborhood Association which also adjoins Richmond, views the traffic from a different perspective. She observed that today, Richmond already carries more than 25,000 vehicles per day and is near capacity, so

How do you know they're not?

it takes a special skill to look at someone and determine their country of origin. The federal govt could use expertise like that.

It would be a cool job but not in our summer heat, wow! and real tough when time to go to the restroom.

Wonder if anyone has already mentioned The Old San Francisco Steak House? The pretty girl would get on a swing and hang around over head as you had dinner.

I always heard of this but was too teenage and hip (at least in my head) to check it out.

Was on Katy Frwy??? anyone have a photo???

it was out on westheimer past the galleria. and i can confirm the bell

Many houses are quite dilapidated, and are inhabited by mexicans who could really care less about what the property looks like.

so how do you know they are mexican?

On that map showing the civic associations... what are the gray areas on Richmond, not mentioned as For Richmond Rail?

The big gray area on the NW corner of Montrose and Richmond isnt a civic association.. it is UST and they have already stated they are for Richmond alignment.

Two other areas could possibly be civic associations.. the small one as the SW corner of Montrose and Richmond

The bigger one betwene Shepherd and Wood head on the N side of Richmond.

What are these two neighborhoods and what are their stances ?

I'm just looking at the data you posted from the pro-rail organization. if the data wasn't there, maybe they wanted to remain neutral? that question could be posed to the pro-rail folks and maybe they'll update the info either way.

I think the ones along richmond have more at stake. we went to eat on richmond this past weekend and the place had a couple of anti-rail signs. i asked the lady who said that they were worried about losing parking. she said that from the meetings she went to, other businesses/homes were more worried about losing the structures themselves. and i can understand that because some of buildings sit 2-4' from the sidewalk. on some portions i don't see the ROW for 2 traffic lanes plus 2 lanes for the LRT unless some demolition occurs.

If METRO could show the concerned property owners the rail plan as it affects their property, i'm sure it would appease those along richmond. there are still too many unknowns.

what size home approximately?

as kinkaid said, glenbrook valley might be a good option if driving scares you. #1 you will be driving south against traffic. #2 your husband can go around 610east to 45north (or hardy toll road) to avoid traffic during rush hr (but it will still be a drive)

not sure what you call "eclectic stuff" but the drive to downtown (or whereever) is 10-15 mins. so while it may not be walking distance, it is very accessible.

if you lived on the west side of town, i really think your drives time would increase considerably esp since you both commute. The times i've taken the east loop during rush hr it surprises me that it moves as well as it does. i'd probably recommend staying north of i-45 esp if commutes trouble you.

I think you're crazy if you think you can find the same sort of lively atmosphere and bars/clubs in Sugarland that you find in dowtown. Sugarland is nothing but chain restaurants and bars nothing original about that place.

very true. many of the downtown places are like a family. many socialize outside of the clubs/bars as well. it really is a community

While it might be true that many of the Boulevard Oaks folks want it to be built on Richmond rather than "through their neighborhood," there are many others who want it because it makes the most sense.

Boulevard oaks is just like haif, we agree to disagree.