lcc179

Has anyone posted this yet?

Carl Landry of the Houston Rockets was shot last night on the 3100 block of Leeland. Here's the link:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6316071.html

Crazy! Luckily, it's a flesh wound and not too serious.

I was really close to buying a townhouse about 3 blocks from here (Delano City Views). .

I suppose no news is good news when it comes to builder opinions on the internet..

Still no opinions other than they are taking a long time to build the condos?

From what I understand, they are going for an upscale bar feel and will serve fancy hamburgers and such. I have no idea what qualifies as a "fancy" burger, so we'll see how that pans out

Oh, so this may be the same place as the one in NYC. I heard there's a Rare Bar in NYC, which is known and famous for its burgers.

was supposed to be just around thanksgiving....now supposed to be just before Xmas..... im betting after new year

Thanks, I'm betting the same.

Sounds like Washington is well on its way to becoming a major rival to Austin's 6th street.

I would rather it rival Austin's 4th street.

Has there been any word on when the Benjy's will officially open?

Swamplot has a recent post about all the new bars coming on the 5000 block of Washington:

http://swamplot.com/coming-soon-late-night.../#comment-13557

Does anyone have any idea what the rumored 5110, 5129 and 5317 bars will be?

Correct. To be more precise, they could open, but could not sell alcohol without the license. Most would consider that bad for business. It should be noted that the procurement of a license can take from 1 month to several months, depending on numerous factors, such as background checks on the bar owners, and distance that the front door (or property line) sits from churches, schools and other protected places in the statutes. Plus, both the city and the county must sign off on the permit before TABC will issue it. If there are problems, one must do battle with the city or county or TABC, including potential lawsuits to overturn a negative ruling.

Not knowing if any of these factors will come into play makes it good business to secure the permit BEFORE spending money on buildout.

Interesting, good to know.

So it's safe to assume that if a place has a permit it should be opening sometime in the near future? It'd be nice to have some place within walking distance to get a beer . Cova's not bad, but sometimes (ok, most of the time) I rather just have a nice cold beer.

I didn't see Benjy's on that list of TABC permits. Aren't they opening up this month?

Yep, just google for TABC and prod around on their page. Their information is cumbersome, but fiddle around with it and you can get it to work in Excel.

You can also look at reported violations. Those can be interesting.

Thanks TheNiche.

So does this list include places that haven't opened as well? I saw there was a "Pub on Washington" (I'm assuming this is Pub Fiction?) at 5102 Washington and a "Tap's House of Beers" at 5120 Washington, but I've never seen either. Why would they get a license before they open? Also, has anyone heard anything about Tap's House of Beers? This sounds like an interesting place.

There are 133 TABC permits in the 77007 zip code, including some for places that I'm not yet aware of. ...but a lot of places have multiple permits (Spec's, for instance). And browsing the list and looking at what is already there, I just can't think of where that many new establishments would go!

Is there an online link of that list? I'm curious to see the potential new places.

I saw a new listing today for a ~9000 sq ft lot at Washington and Malone that is going for sale:

http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cf...mp;backButton=Y

I believe it's right next to the Wabash Antiques Store. Who do you think may be interested in a lot like this? It seems like it would be a great location for businesses (near Cova and El Tiempo). Do businesses ever purchase land like this or do they typically only lease? Hopefully it'll be something good!

What would you consider a "hot" area now? Just curious.

Also, how do you think the higher priced communities inside the loop will fare with the current situation (i.e. Rice Military S of Wash/W of Shepherd)? My logic is that prices will not be affected too much because people with decent income can continue to get loans, thus, not really diminishing the prospective buyer count. But I could be wrong..

$500K and two room mates paying rent?

Is this going to be another forclosure when the room mates go beserk?

Nope, I made sure I could afford the mortgage by myself. Roomates just help me live more comfortably. Without them, I would have to go out alot less. And it's closer to 400k...

Has anyone seen that construction going up just West of Cova and across the street from El Tiempo. I saw a sign in front that said future home of Eye Impact. Is that whole building really going to be an optomotry/eye glasses store? If so, that's kind of disappointing..

So which one did you decide on?

I decided to go with the more expensive private driveway townhome. I know that it may not build as much equity or have as much appreciation, but I finally started to see my family's point of view that you can't put a price on happiness and comfort of living, which this house provides alot more of than the cheaper one. I just hope it maintains it's value and doesn't depreciate.

Also, the more I drove around Rice Military the more I realized the convenience of having a private driveway. If I bought in Midtown I would not care as much as there is plenty of street parking, but the streets in RM are just too narrow to go along with the open ditches. I may be renting out the other 2 rooms to friends as well and it would be a pain for the 3rd roomate's car. Thanks again for all the responses. And don't all gang up on sowanome , it does add value to certain people like myself.

Here is what one Waterhill site in Midtown looks like... 10 shells and a whole bunch of construction debris.

Waterhill

If you look at that site directly east of there across the intersection, you can see 3 townhomes and 3 empty spaces to the southwest of them in the same lot. That has been sitting like that forever too. 2 of the 3 already built have been on the market forever. I've seen the listing go to Option Pending numerous times, only to go back to Active. I think they keep failing inspections. I went to look at them in person and although I like the floorplan, the contruction felt pretty shoddy. Not looking good for that immediate area.

Thanks for all the replies. The rooftop deck is actually not too big so I'm not too concerned with the horror stories I hear about flat roofs. I'd say 75% of the roof is an actual roof sloped downward. Also, the view of downtown will not be blocked because you actually have to look slightly to the left down the street to see downtown. So basically the path to downtown is a street where nothing can be built.

Regarding the 300k home, the main windows face west and there is an empty lot to the west of it with some huge trees that block the sun in the late afternoon. I'm sort of worried that they'll end up building some tall townhouses in this lot in the future as well. There are also windows to the south of the home (north is connecting wall), but these directly face a mirror image of the unit next door about 8 feet away (which means the windows look directly into the neighbor's, this is where the balcony is too facing the neighbor's).

I'm not too worried about the location of either because both are south of washington and west of shepherd (already developed), and all the houses in this area are listed at over 400k. My family insists on the 400k house because they think I will be more comfortable and can see myself starting a family here, but my wallet is telling me to go for the 300k deal. However, I do get a very cozy and homey feeling in the 400k one, more so than the 300k one which feels more bachelor padish. This is the hardest decision I've ever had to make..

Are those things collectively worth the $100k premium to you? If you cannot justify the cost difference, then chances are other buyers cannot. Especially not in the same area, surrounded by the same amenities.

What you might find, however, is that in a townhome-heavy area like RM, these things are nicer to have day-to-day, and help differentiate your place from the sea of other 3-story homes when it comes time to sell. I cannot answer whether it justifies the extra cost, but it does give you an edge in resale. However, how many people have $100k worth of play in their mortgage (i.e., aren't you looking at two different sets of buyers)?

If you are getting a below market deal of the $300k unit, then IMO you are better off because you can be price-competitive at resale time and still see some appreciation.

Honestly, I am literally on the fence about whether the premium is worth it. I think the 300k one is a better DEAL. However, when weighing in the comfort of living and better natural light, I can see how the 100k premium could be worth it as well. Another thing is the 400k place is on a street that's built out, while the 300k place has 5 to 6 run down houses still on the street. So the 400k won't see any new construction to compete against in its immediate surrounding. I guess I can see how you can justify either or, and the decision will ultimately be what works for me. But any other opinions on this would help me come to my decision tremendously.

Hi all,

I was wondering how much value does a private driveway, rooftop deck, and the main windows facing the street add to a townhouse as opposed to shared driveway, no rooftop, and facing sideways?

If you could break each one down by an estimated $$ amount, that'd be even better. I currently have an offer on a great deal in Rice Military for a little over 300k (pre-foreclosure). However, there is a brand new constructed townhouse a couple blocks away (on a nicer street) that has all the extra things (private driveway alot better in RM where guest parking sucks, rooftop that sees downtown, and alot more natural light since it faces the street). This house is a little over 400k though. Do you think this is worth the extra 100k? Better in the long run for living comfort and resale?

Any opinions are greatly appreciated!

Wanted to bump this..

Does anyone still not know anything about Reuther Homes?

It's hard to believe that a house that expensive has a toilet right next to the tub.

From what I've seen, every townhouse with a 3/3.5 plan have toilets right next to the tub in the non-master baths. The master bath for this house has the toilet in a private room/closet (door at the end of the hall in picture 15).

If you compare the strength rating as an exterior sheathing, plywood and OSB are exactly the same. It is true that OSB will tend to swell more on the edges when it gets wet. So you don't want the framing left open for too many rain storms. We have not had much rain during the spring and winter months, so it is likely that the framing wasn't exposed for too long.

These actually started construction in 2006 and I believe were finished early 2007. I don't quite remember the rain frequency during that time, but here is the finished product for those who are curious:

http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cf...mp;backButton=Y

Thanks for yall's responses. I really appreciate it.

In your case, I think the type of stucco and the expertise in applying it are of far greater importance.

I plan on getting the stucco thoroughly inspected during my option period. My friend told me about stucco experts who can tell how well the stucco was installed, if it's real or synthetic, etc. They are a pretty pricey hire, but definately something I want to check.

for that price they could have easily used plywood. i've seen people use it on roofs and that is a major mistake IMO. plywood does better should there be an issue with water.

the steel framing is a little cheaper than the wood. with wood prices rising (and good wood becoming hard to come by) you'll see more steel.

It does look like they use plywood on some parts (in the 5th picture behind the stairs and also on the floors), and OSB near the windows.

Also, steel framing may be cheaper, but I've researched steel vs wood framing, and it seems that the advantages of steel heavily outweigh wood. Has anyone had experience with steel framing in homes?

Hi all,

I have been reading this site for several months and have come across alot of good information, but now I have a specific question. I am currently in the process of getting an offer accepted from a townhouse in Rice Military. I came across some pictures of this townhouse during its construction phase and was wondering if this was pressed wood sheathing in the pictures?

http://www.har.com/HomeValue/dispSoldDetai...p;MLNUM=6522948#

I've read from this site you should stay away from any house with pressed wood, but I can't tell if this is pressed wood as this is my first home buying experience. It doesn't seem like the builder would skimp on materials because they use steel framing and I previewed the house, and it appears to be built very well. I've looked at many other houses, and this one seemed to be one of the best built. Everything just seemed structurally sound and sturdy. However, I'm not sure if I'm maybe influenced by the high end finishes.

And if this is pressed wood, is this a warning flag for possible other areas the builder skimped on? How bad exactly is pressed wood? I don't want to make a very costly mistake as I am putting my life savings into this home.

Thanks in advance!