brian0123

Perhaps Houston19514 is a bit jealous that Brian may have achieved some minor fame. However, having had a City Hall victory snatched from my hands at the last minute, I applaud ANYONE who takes on government and wins, even if it is considered small potatoes by some. Kudos to you, Brian, for bringing this to the attention of those who are interested. Don't let the pettiness of government or other posters deter you, even if that petty poster may occasionally be me.

Thanks, I appreciate the comment... and no, I'm not deterred. I think the problem is that people talk about the government as some big and scary evil entity where nothing gets done. In reality, it's just a bunch of people like you and me who happen to be working for a huge organization. Most of them have good intentions, they just aren't aware of what everyone else is doing. Change happens when you can break through the monotony of their daily jobs and help them notice what's going on.

The story on the news was taken directly from Innerlooped. It was just Innerlooped. The vague responses were a little frustrating and ridiculous. But, it is HIGHLY unlikely that this uproar caused the city to abandon its alleged plan to halt work and redesign the project to add a third lane THAT quickly. Cities just don't make moves that quickly and, further, they have contractors on the job who need notices to halt work and re-start work, etc.

If indeed work was to have halted within days of the Innerlooped report, the contractors would have been on notice. Seems like that should be something a reporter could track down pretty easily, no?

My original post was meant to change the minds at a certain department that were about to do something incredibly stupid. Yes, it was highly unlikely it would work (I had no idea it would even gain the traction it did). However, I was just able to get a hold of my source and things are looking good. There are still some adjustments being made... but it's now something that can be dealt with unlike where we were the other week. I will be posting an update later.

In my experience, Innerlooped is not a very reliable source. People should get a little more information before grabbing for their pitchforks.

Can you enlighten me on what I have posted in the past that was "unreliable"? I work hard to ensure that what I post is accurate and true. Trust me... I don't post for the piddly AdSense revenue. I post only when I have something to say, and I only post because I care deeply about our city. Mainly, I want to make sure public officials don't screw up the good things we have going for us.

This IS a threat to Bagby. People are right to have grabbed their pitchforks. I haven't posted any updates yet because while construction continues, there are still disagreements and questions behind closed doors. I'm waiting to see how things play out before I relax (probably won't be until the project is completed).

Even so, the city now knows there are a ton of people that care deeply about having a pedestrian-friendly Houston. My hope is that this event remains in the back of their minds each time they begin to make a decision that impacts our urban neighborhoods.

I am currently buying a 1950's home in the loop... and while getting everything setup for my lender, I was shocked to find out from my insurance agent (who I've been with forever) that they will not insure the property because "more than 50% of the walls are wood instead of brick/masonry/vinyl siding". Have you ever heard of this before? Anyone have recommendations on who I should contact that a wooden house won't be a problem? Surely people in West U, South Braeswood, Heights, Montrose, etc. find insurance.

How is it "highly inaccurate" when he's saying that Bagby will be brought in compliance with “the City’s Major Thoroughfare and Freeway Plan”? The plans had been approved (we've all seen the renderings for awhile now) and the "minor revisions" are actually major to property owners and Midtown. Basically, he's saying he wants to turn Bagby into a major thoroughfare with "minor revisions" to a project that had already been approved and has been under construction for awhile.

I think you'll find that most residents of Riverside Terrace don't care about the race of their neighbors, at least I don't. Interestingly enough, back in the late 50s when Riverside Terrace was becoming THE place to live for black professionals in Houston, some white residents resisted the white flight and resisted the tactics of the realtors to get them to sell their homes and stayed with the hopes that the neighborhood would become a mixed race neighborhood. Those efforts lasted until the late 60s when the neighborhood finally tipped the scales and become majority black. Some of those white residents took it as a sign that their efforts to mold Riverside into a rougly 50/50 mixed race area failed and thus finally left. But, some white residents stayed until the 1980s before moving into retirement communities or smaller homes or condos in other neighborhoods. I think the efforts to make Riverside Terrace a throughly mixed neighborhood are being re-kindled. While it's still majority black, I have observed many white residents, and LGBT families living in the area and everyone seems to get along nicely.

Very cool. Thanks for the info.

Which brings up another point, in that HOA's wield WAAAAAAY too much power in Texas...

I disagree. If my townhome neighbor (who I share a wall with) were to start neglecting their property, it would have an immediate impact on my structure (termites, water intrusion, etc.) along with all other homes that touch it. I would hope an HOA would step in to protect the block.

A person couldn't possibly know what every HOA or development in Midtown has banned.

I don't know where SteveW lives (he'll need to check his HOA rules), but I'm part of Baldwin Square and we make up a good chunk of blocks near the park. I was referring to the deed restrictions that apply to the 165 homes that are part of Baldwin Square.

I was not planning to stuff a ton of people in the townhouse, just maybe an extended family. I don't want to violate any HOA or area rules, much less make life hard on my renters.

I'm confused about why the MMD (which I am assuming is the same thing as the Midtown Management Association) would be opposed to or involve themselves in NGO or other charitable organizations missions. They don't appear to be too involved in the existing ones who let their patrons camp out around the facilities all night long. In my opinion the dysfunction outside these facilities is representative of the dysfunction on the inside. That being said I'm not all that concerned about being an issue in the neighborhood. I'll run a good place. Midtown is a diverse place, people just need to interact with others outside of their comfort zones.

May your day bring peace, enlightenment, and Hope.

Steve

You mentioned having "two families split the rent". I mentioned your HOA because all of them in Midtown have pretty strict rules to protect property values and neighbors and they can come after you if your property becomes problematic.

Again, I (and it sounds like everyone here) do not understand your logic. Even so, the route you are pondering involves a lot of legal hurdles (Section 8 requirements, your HOA, your neighbors, finding good Section 8 renters that won't damage you or your neighbor's property, etc.) I'm not sure why you'd even consider that path. As I mentioned earlier, your best bet is finding a cheap multi-family property (look on HAR.com).

Also, Midtowners already interact with people outside their comfort zones. It's probably one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the city. We interact with an entire range of people from the homeless, to club goers, drunks, parents, kids, black/white/hispanic/asian, doctors, engineers, college kids, retirees, foreigners, tourists, etc. I'm not sure what other type of person you'd expect Midtown residents to "interact with".

Steve,

What you're proposing can't be done with your townhome.

1. I'm pretty sure your deed restrictions prevent this and your townhome will be foreclosed on by your HOA if you violate those rules. I live near Baldwin Park too, and my deed restrictions prevent it. I know if a neighbor of mine tried to do what you're proposing, I would ensure the HOA foreclose on them because of the added traffic, parking, noise, trash, etc. and outright violation of the design of the townhomes. In other words, what you're proposing isn't a violation like letting weeds grow, not painting, etc. but you are trying to change the fundamental usage of your block. Your block was designed to handle only so many occupants. If every townhome tried to do what you're proposing... no one would be able to get to their house, fire engines would have a tougher time getting to emergencies, etc.

2. I don't even understand your logic of using an expensive townhouse to house a couple people when you could have a greater impact selling your 200k+ townhouse and purchasing several properties in cheaper areas where you could house even more people. You'd probably even be able to find a multi-family unit that is already setup to support 3 or 4 families (w/ seperate power/water meters, doors to each unit, etc.) and you have in turn made a greater impact with the same amount of resources you have available. You could even live in one of the units and still have plenty of room for others.

3. The city has codes about just stuffing people into residential structures. Your structure has to meet a different set of code requirements depending on occupancy. If you attempted to do this in Midtown, your neighbors would probably contact the MMD and Code Enforcement to shut you down. I know the MMD works hard to prevent slumlords from stuffing people into buildings, and they've been successful at limiting occupancy in larger structures like you are thinking about renting.

On a side note about your neighborhood, my wife and I are house hunting right now and were wondering a little bit about Riverside Terrace. We've driven around it and found it very pretty with nice people. That said, we're sensitive to the issues of gentrification. How do residents of Riverside Terrace feel about Caucasian neighbors? Would it stoke fears of "taking over the neighborhood" or is it a non-issue? Or, have the demographics in Riverside Terrace already started to change?

nice to see you online again musicman! i think many of us are tired of political rhetoric. never thought i'd be complacent where politics are concerned........but..i'm bored with the whole process and the media surrounding politics.

Agreed. I've given up trying to have a rational conversation with anyone who still thinks Obama was born in Kenya and is secretly a communist Muslim trying to destroy America. I just can't stand feeling like Luke Wilson in Idiocracy.

Niche, problem is that once rail entered Midtown, property owners along it started to ask crazy amounts of money for their land (there are still plenty of hold-outs). Developers DID move to Midtown, but further away from the rail line on lots they could turn a profit with. Now that the neighborhood isn't the warzone it used to be, it's making sense to spend more along the rail (hence the Independent Arts Collective that will be built, Camden and Midtown building the Superblock this year, the Continental Club guys bought the buildings across the rail line and plan to build parking garage, retail, etc.) Yeah, Camden didn't build the super block right away... but they sure were busy building other apartments in Midtown.

Also, rail has helped bring more residents to the neighborhood. It was a deciding factor in why I bought on the east side of Midtown instead of over on Washington or anywhere else in the loop. My neighbors have said the same thing.

I wonder if the builder disclosed the fact that those homes sat partially complete for several years with uncovered window and door openings. I would not be surprised if the owners eventually uncover mold damage, unless the builder replaced the materials in heavily exposed areas.

I wondered about that as well. Those townhomes were nearly falling apart and were torn up from homeless camping inside and the elements.

I had a guys night out Friday night at City Center. On the way a freind of a friend needed to be picked up. The just moved off Gessner, first street north of I-10 (behind Whataburger and Mr. Carwarsh). They rented a house there having just moved from the Heights. When I asked why they moved, they said "The Heights was overpriced, they got twice the house, twice the room, they are close to everything and the school district doesn't suck." Of course I live just north of them in Spring Shadows, so I was happy to hear that. My cul-de-sac is now filled with young professionals with small children (like myself). However, I thought we were ahead of the game and that Spring Brach was still fairly low key. When I told them that, they told me that the first place they tried to rent they lost, the second had the tennant offer 3 years rent up front (paid for by some medical employer). He said the whole area is being bought-up or rented by all the new medical staff coming into the area. Not to mention the expansion of City Center and the Energy Corridoor nearby. Then he forwarded this: http://sbmd.org/images/stories/downloads/newsletters/sbdm2012q1-web2.pdf The new flag poles apparently will line Gessner when it is re-done in the very near future. Very exciting news for Spring Branchers.

I grew up in Spring Shadows, and my wife and I decided to look at homes in the area the other weekend. We spent a half day driving around SB and I quickly remembered why I fled Spring Shadows in the first place. There are still waaaaay too many run down apartment complexes. While I agree that the Heights is overpriced, I would say Spring Branch is too. The nicer areas have already had a run-up in prices. The transitional areas remind me of the time my mom was almost killed by our neighbor's ex-boyfriend as he shot up Blalock in a jealous rage. We decided to take our house hunt back in the loop.

Guys, I don't know what to say about the rooftop bar, they told me it was going to be permanent but needed a few weeks to open. My friends are giving me a lot of s*** about this too, haha sorry. Maybe conditions/financing has changed.

Reminds me of that Seinfeld episode where George is taken to an awesome secret club full of models (because he's dating one). After breaking up with her and trying to go back with Jerry, there is nothing there except for a meat storage room.

Thanks for the photos. I remember seeing this place when our cab drove by it and I was dying to know what it looked like inside. Bad food by British standards is spooky.

You mean, like this? http://www.har.com/H...5-M12005146.htm

...

The danger is that you get accustomed to a certain neighborhood and way of life, then realize that you're actually totally priced out of your own area when your housing needs change.

Yes! That is an exact example of what we want. In fact, something like that would probably last us much longer than 10 yrs (our current place is 1700 sqft... so 2000 would be perfect).

Your final point is definitely a concern of ours. Guess we'll just cross that bridge when the time comes.

I like both of your ideas. Ideally we want find one that is in good (original) condition and can do a nice renovation on. Something someone will want to buy later like RedScare mentioned.

However, let me throw one more hypothetical at you and see what you think. Let's suppose the house is "lot value" because it has foundation issues. Despite that, the house itself is nice and livable. Would you even attempt a repair or just run away and let a McMansion gobble it up?

My wife and I have started house hunting inner loop single-family homes 300-350k and run across a lot of single-story 3/2 homes in areas like Linkwood/Bellaire/Meyerland that look great (built in the 50's), but are either for "lot value"... or if not lot value I assume will be bought for that if we decide to sell 10+ years from now.

We want a smaller single-story 3/2, not a McMansion. I know the Heights celebrates older homes... yet places like Bellaire seem to relish the thought of sticking up McMansions. We aren't interested in the Heights, so are we pretty much screwed if we buy something elsewhere (i.e. we buy an older mod house, fix it up... only to try and sell later and only can get lot value)?

Anyone have experience with this or opinions?

Don't forget the smaller places like Shrimp 'N Stuff...

One of my favorite places on the island!

You drove literally right by my house and snapped a pic of it. Cool post. I love Red Pier as well.

Where is this place? http://www.flickr.com/photos/irees/6912725592/

I read on twitter that in the near future, 47% of people will be working from home on at least a part-time basis. That's seems high to me. But if true, that does not bode well for skyscrapers in sprawling places like Houston, imo.

I've heard this too but I find it hard to believe. If by part-time they mean once a week... then maybe.There is just so much more you can accomplish in person at the office than teleconference. I think companies know that and will continue to seek out large campuses where mgmt and employees can work collaboratively.

Rentals on the other hand, I'm of the impression they can be a great supplemental income!

I was actually just about to ask this. Let's change the scenario to one where you buy an outdated house, renovate, then rent it out. I've noticed there seem to be a lot of places around town (especially in the burbs) where rental prices are a lot higher than what the mortgage would be. To me it seems like a no-brainer. How much beyond mort.+taxes+insurance would you say you'd need to get in rent in order to come out ahead when you factor in repair costs for the house?

Like Pleak said... look north if you want "wooded". My coworker lives in Kingwood and it has some "wooded" spots I think. I just found this place on HAR http://search.har.com/engine/2602-Kings-Forest-Kingwood-77339-2416_HAR34529170.htm Is that sort of what you had in mind?