Calling Out To Current East Enders For Advice

[LoverofOldThings]

My husband and I relocated from Upstate NY last year, and are looking at housing in the East End (eastwood) area. We are currently living in a rental in the Heights, but the only affordable homes we have seen there are the new townhouses that are going up everywhere. We like the feel of the neighborhood, but are not willing to pay $400K for a bungalow.

I work in the Medical Center, and Eastwood seems like a nice neighborhood and will drastically reduce my current commute time. (When we moved here, we had no idea that 15 miles down 610 meant a 40 minute commute -- the lesson we learned.) Plus, the options are much more affordable than the Heights/Garden Oaks.

I am looking for a quiet and fairly safe neighborhood, as I am on call 24-7 and sometimes need to leave in the middle of the night. However, we are not looking for one of those clean but character-less neighborhoods, and understand that living close to downtown will have more crime and commotion than living in Sugarland or Clear Lake.

We would like a house for under 100K, preferrrably a bungalow, to restore. (Yes, I said restore, and not just renovate.)

Are there specific areas that you can recommend?

We have seen some listings that we were interested in...one on McKinney St, One on Altic St, etc...all fixer-uppers and decent size. Can anyone tell me about these neighborhoods?

Unfortunately, when I see something that says "Broadmoor" or "Gulfgate", I am not sure where these neighborhoods are, and what their pros/cons are. I would like to live near a Park, but I am not sure if that means more crime in this area.

Any assistance would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[musicman]

My husband and I relocated from Upstate NY last year, and are looking at housing in the East End (eastwood) area. We are currently living in a rental in the Heights, but the only affordable homes we have seen there are the new townhouses that are going up everywhere. We like the feel of the neighborhood, but are not willing to pay $400K for a bungalow.

I work in the Medical Center, and Eastwood seems like a nice neighborhood and will drastically reduce my current commute time. (When we moved here, we had no idea that 15 miles down 610 meant a 40 minute commute -- the lesson we learned.) Plus, the options are much more affordable than the Heights/Garden Oaks.

I am looking for a quiet and fairly safe neighborhood, as I am on call 24-7 and sometimes need to leave in the middle of the night. However, we are not looking for one of those clean but character-less neighborhoods, and understand that living close to downtown will have more crime and commotion than living in Sugarland or Clear Lake.

We would like a house for under 100K, preferrrably a bungalow, to restore. (Yes, I said restore, and not just renovate.)

Are there specific areas that you can recommend?

We have seen some listings that we were interested in...one on McKinney St, One on Altic St, etc...all fixer-uppers and decent size. Can anyone tell me about these neighborhoods?

Unfortunately, when I see something that says "Broadmoor" or "Gulfgate", I am not sure where these neighborhoods are, and what their pros/cons are. I would like to live near a Park, but I am not sure if that means more crime in this area.

Any assistance would be appreciated.

Thanks!

your 100k may be a big problem if you're looking in eastwood. i like the altic area, but you're across the street from a middle school. not sure if that is a problem to you. mckinney is a long street so not really sure where you were looking specifically. broadmoor is adjacent to eastwood, while gulfgate is farther out 5 mins on freeway but is great location to retail and freeway access.

EDIT: the 100k scares me period now.

[jm1fd]

Are there specific areas that you can recommend?

We have seen some listings that we were interested in...one on McKinney St, One on Altic St, etc...all fixer-uppers and decent size. Can anyone tell me about these neighborhoods?

Unfortunately, when I see something that says "Broadmoor" or "Gulfgate", I am not sure where these neighborhoods are, and what their pros/cons are. I would like to live near a Park, but I am not sure if that means more crime in this area.

I suggest that you drive around the east end to get a feel for things, and the areas that you like.

The HAR map search should help you get an idea of where things are: http://www.har.com/MapSearch/default.cfm

[LoverofOldThings]

*lol*

Musicman--

I didn't mean we were firm about the 100K.

That is what we would prefer, but we are willing to go up to 160K.

Usually these houses don't need much work though.

There is a house on Altic going for under 100K --- a definite fixer-upper---but we weren't sure what that neighborhood was like at night.

Thanks for responding.

[LoverofOldThings]

Also, I forgot to mention...we don't have any children, so schools are not an issue.

We don't mind living in a neighborhood with kids though.

We are young professionals (okay, I have the read the boards, I know yuppie is a bad word) but we are quiet people.

Smaller houses are fine with us for this reason as well.

However, being able to walk (down the steet, to a park, etc.) would be nice.

That's the biggest change for us moving from a small city in NY, we used to walk everywhere...

[musicman]

*lol*

Musicman--

I didn't mean we were firm about the 100K.

That is what we would prefer, but we are willing to go up to 160K.

Usually these houses don't need much work though.

There is a house on Altic going for under 100K --- a definite fixer-upper---but we weren't sure what that neighborhood was like at night.

Thanks for responding.

IMO....many expect the same environment as in the burbs. in most instances, there are more problems due to the older infrastructure, access to a typical burb mall, etc. the eastwood area is isolated retail-wise so expect to do some driving, particularly if you value your time.

EDIT: IMO the park in eastwood area sucks. mason park is the best one.

[TheNiche]

I am looking for a quiet and fairly safe neighborhood, as I am on call 24-7 and sometimes need to leave in the middle of the night. However, we are not looking for one of those clean but character-less neighborhoods, and understand that living close to downtown will have more crime and commotion than living in Sugarland or Clear Lake.

We would like a house for under 100K, preferrrably a bungalow, to restore. (Yes, I said restore, and not just renovate.)

Are there specific areas that you can recommend?

We have seen some listings that we were interested in...one on McKinney St, One on Altic St, etc...all fixer-uppers and decent size. Can anyone tell me about these neighborhoods?

Unfortunately, when I see something that says "Broadmoor" or "Gulfgate", I am not sure where these neighborhoods are, and what their pros/cons are. I would like to live near a Park, but I am not sure if that means more crime in this area.

Living near a park is good because you can enjoy it more frequently. Idylwood and Forest Hill are well positioned for park access and are nice neighborhoods. But living along a park or along the route through which people from other neighborhoods walk to get to the park (for instance, Sylvan Street in Idylwood) can be a disaster.

At the price that you'd like, I'd recommend that you look at Houston Country Club Place, Forest Hill, and Broadmoor. If you can get into Eastwood or Idylwood, great, but the three places I recommend will probably have a good selection of what you want and will each be reasonably safe as you are reasonable--that is to say, don't buy a home that backs up to apartments, that is right across from a park or the park's primary access route, or that is right next to a convenience store.

As far as crime goes, Eastwood and Broadmoor seem to be doing pretty well, and Harris County Constable Victor Trevino lives in Broadmoor, so that probably goes a long ways toward keeping the peace. Broadmoor also will likely have a transit advantage, since the light rail will likely terminate at the Eastwood Transit Center, which is closer to Broadmoor than to Eastwood...but that may also result in some additional pedestrian thru-traffic.

We are young professionals (okay, I have the read the boards, I know yuppie is a bad word) but we are quiet people.

If you're willing to buy a home that requires any amount of follow-through effort, you don't qualify as a yuppie in my book. Those are the types that have so little imagination that every little thing about anything they buy has to be fully updated to look just so.

[Vertigo58]

Living in the area is very affordable. I personally would speak to actual long time residents. People that live in the area. I urge you to read some of the topics under East End and decide for yourself. Broadmoor is your best bet. Near Frwy for easy access anywhere. Some of our neighbors were from the same area you mentioned. I used to walk just one block to the Eastwood Transit Center when working downtown, bus gets youu there in approx 15 minutes or less. Can't beat that!

Eastwood is just too close to Harrisburg which is soon to have a rail system running right through it. Traffic jams are certain. Idylewood taxes....hmmm and your closed in by heavy traffic on Wayside to the west. Parts of it flood too. Country Club Place is tops. Fast access to frwy as well.

Best thing to do is get in your car and drive around day and night. Go by your instincts. It isn't perfect, but you can really stretch your $ in this area.

Once you get involved with community and orgs that support each other you will fare well. I'll start a barbecue when you arrive.

[TheNiche]

Living in the area is very affordable. I personally would speak to actual long time residents. People that live in the area. I urge you to read some of the topics under East End and decide for yourself. Broadmoor is your best bet. Near Frwy for easy access anywhere. Some of our neighbors were from the same area you mentioned. I used to walk just one block to the Eastwood Transit Center when working downtown, bus gets youu there in approx 15 minutes or less. Can't beat that!

Eastwood is just too close to Harrisburg which is soon to have a rail system running right through it. Traffic jams are certain. Idylewood taxes....hmmm and your closed in by heavy traffic on Wayside to the west. Parts of it flood too. Country Club Place is tops. Fast access to frwy as well.

Best thing to do is get in your car and drive around day and night. Go by your instincts. It isn't perfect, but you can really stretch your $ in this area.

Once you get involved with community and orgs that support each other you will fare well. I'll start a barbecue when you arrive.

Clarifications: METRO is building Bus Rapid Transit (not light rail) to downtown along Harrisburg, but Harrisburg is north of the railroad tracks that seperate Eastwood from the commercial strip along Harrisburg. Regardless of congestion or the lack of congestion on Harrisburg, it is almost always better to access downtown via Polk or Leeland streets, which run directly through Eastwood, are more accessible and direct, and are more aesthetically pleasing anyway.

Also, don't get spooked too easily. A few weeks before I closed on my house, I went through the neighborhood at night and there was a homeless woman sleeping in the median of Park Street in Eastwood with a roving pack of three dogs loitering across the street from her that spotted and chased me for quite a distance as I drove by. I've never seen anything at all like either of those things before or since. ...just one of those freak occurances.

[LoverofOldThings]

Thanks for all of your advice, I really appreciate it.

This is our first home purchase, and we are both excited and hesitant, which I am sure is normal.

I have read, in previous posts on this board, about flooding in areas near the Bayou.

Does that include homes around Mason Park?

There are some properties on Azalea, Satsuma and Elm Street that we are interested in, but wondering if this area floods. One of the houses lists "good backyard drainage" as a benefit.

We are looking in Broadmoor too but there doesn't seem to be much for sale right now.

Waiting and looking and researching.

Unfortunately, patience is not my forte.

[TheNiche]

Thanks for all of your advice, I really appreciate it.

This is our first home purchase, and we are both excited and hesitant, which I am sure is normal.

I have read, in previous posts on this board, about flooding in areas near the Bayou.

Does that include homes around Mason Park?

There are some properties on Azalea, Satsuma and Elm Street that we are interested in, but wondering if this area floods. One of the houses lists "good backyard drainage" as a benefit.

We are looking in Broadmoor too but there doesn't seem to be much for sale right now.

Waiting and looking and researching.

Unfortunately, patience is not my forte.

Backyard drainage probably has more to do with getting water out of the yard rather than having it pond or possibly get under the house. It is a good thing, but is usually not related to flooding.

As a general rule, if you can't perceive topography, you're in good shape. Eastwood, Broadmoor, and Houston Country Club are generally out of harm's way, but portions of Idylwood and Forest Hill do face flooding issues, while other parts are high and dry. When in doubt, check TSARP.

[musicman]

Does that include homes around Mason Park?

There are some properties on Azalea, Satsuma and Elm Street that we are interested in, but wondering if this area floods. One of the houses lists "good backyard drainage" as a benefit.

Waiting and looking and researching.

Unfortunately, patience is not my forte.

the bayou has been widened in that area of mason park all the way to the ship channel to help the situation. they are spending quite a bit to upgrade the facilities. i live just south of there (a mile or so) and have had no flooding problems whatsoever.

[Vertigo58]

That is what is annoying when searching for a home.

I'll bet if you got in a car and drove around the areas you will find many homes for sale. I personally would not rely on website's, real estate forums and hearsay.

There are lots practically being given away near the 45 frwy. It would not take long to build a cozy little chateau in the vicinity. The small cluster of homes right behind Luby's are a steal. You could throw a rock and hit the frwy.

Invest a little in a car rental and cruise this area for bargains. Only you know what you want.

Your probabaly getting pms from everyone by now anyway. >

[LoverofOldThings]

Yes, my husband and I have driven around the neighborhood a bit, but I didn't realize how little we had explored until I saw how large Eastwood was.

I always intend to go after work, but I leave the Med Center around 4AM...not a good time to go exploring.

We are going to cruise around this weekend. He wants to check out the commercial stuff in the area anyhow.

Recommendations for good places to eat?

We prefer the little moma-and-pop places.

Not big on fast food.

No PMs yet, but I am definitely taking in all of the great information you guys are giving me.

By the way, the comment about the random pack of dogs had me cracking up.

Thanks!

[musicman]

We are going to cruise around this weekend. He wants to check out the commercial stuff in the area anyhow.

Recommendations for good places to eat?

We prefer the little moma-and-pop places.

Not big on fast food.

my big 2 are 888 and telwink.

[Scharpe St Guy]

Ok, I do live in Broadmoor and if you PM me your welcome to drive by and talk with my wife and I about Broadmoor. My wife walks our dog almost every night, I on the other hand only join her infrequently but we always talk with the neighbors and people in the neighborhood, everyone is remarking on the change occurring right now in the neighborhood with more and more new people moving in, fixing up, etc...

If you can swing it this home just came on the market: http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cf...mp;backButton=Y

Or this house would be a good home after some repairs and updating: http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cf...mp;backButton=Y

In regards to parks we have the smaller triangle park but if you require more space we have the "Huge" area attached to the school consisting of baseball fields, track, etc... My wife uses these all the time and the dog is always finding random baseballs. I think my next door neighbor may be selling soon he has been working feverishly and quite frankly I wish he would, he has been good lately but now and then he will decide he is entitled to open all the doors of his vehicle while washing and have the stereo on loud. Bothers me for a split second, I go out and tell him to turn it down, he trys to act tough, I call Constable Victor Trevino, he loses everytime.

It should be noted that Broadmoor is predominantly Hispanic however this has been changing in the three years we have lived here. Over all they are great people to live next door to but sometimes they can be too loud and you just have to be nice but firm with them to let them know that you won't tolerate it. Overall though it is a very very quiet neighborhood, Victor Trevino does a great job keeping things safe and responding faster then Superman.

PM me with any questions you might have.

Regards,

Scharpe St Guy

[rps324]

I've shown that 1.5 story one on Altic on the large lot, if that is the one you are talking about over there. A lot of good architectural interest in that one. It did need a TON of work, so it would not be for the faint of heart.

As for Eastwood, there is one in there that has been reduced to $150,000. You might look at it although it too needs a ton of things done to it. It has all these murals in it that supposedly date back to when the house was owned by the Pappas family. Can't vouch for the validity of that tale, but that is the story. There is a house adjacent to Eastwood on the corner of McKinney and Dumble I think. Problem is it is across from a cantina & that will always be a bit of an issue. I think it has been reduced to $90,000, but it would probably need at least another $90k in work.

Woodleigh, Eastlawn, Broadmoor & Lawndale will get you closer to the 100k mark. I do agree that Houston Country Club is a great option too, but there just isn't anything available in there right now. I would expect to pay around $150k in there.

[Guest danax]

We prefer the little moma-and-pop places.

Not big on fast food.

...................................................................

By the way, the comment about the random pack of dogs had me cracking up.

Thanks!

Welcome to HAIF and to Houston, and I'm especially glad to see a lover of old things want to buy over here. We need lots more like you.

Another food suggestion would be Cafe Flores, a newish mom-and-pop sandwich and coffee place in the strip center on Lawndale and Wayside and there's an Asian tapioca and food place next to the Amegy Bank at 75th and Lawndale, usually just called "the Chinese place".

There are a lot of loose dogs over here too. I think the owners just let them run loose or some get tired of them and lock them out. Nothing to fear though, most are sad and skinny. Even the pit bulls look defeated. National Geographic really needs to do a piece on them.

In your price range, I'd say Mason Park is good (great location, and the park itself is the best local park inside the loop, that I know of anyway). Forest Hill has been mentioned and has great terrain and is adjacent to Mason Park. Those homes there aren't anything spectacular but they can be restored in a very unique way. The exteriors look like Grandma's house and a lot of the interiors have Art Deco stylings like arches, two-panelled doors with glass knobs and almost all have wood floors. It's a nice combo and could make for a postcard-like street scene if enough people got the vision. More likely might be a teardown frenzy in the future.

Wild card nabes for around 100K would be,

1) what is generically known as Magnolia Park (north of Harrisburg) which has a lot of houses from 1910-1930 and

2) Pecan Park, where I live, which has a lot of Cottage style architecture with some brick bungalows and basic boxes blended in, which were built mostly in the 30s and 40s. The Grandma's house/Art Deco interior potential is great here too (right Musicman?). I love Pecan Park's location. Very close to 45 and 610. You're near them but can't hear them. Nice big shade trees too, some planted in the 1800s when it was first planted as a pecan grove. Way more squirrels than people here....I'm on a first-name basis with mine. This is also where Gulfgate center is, which is just a shopping area. You could get to the Med Cntr via 610 south within 15-20 minutes, or you could take Griggs to Old Spanish to Holcombe and be there in about the same time. The inner Pecan Park homes have tons of potential while the surrounding edges look shabby. Land values keep rising so it'll eventually be restored and protected or dozed. Crime is relatively low over here too, and that comes from the Eastside HPD.

Here's one in Pecan Park. I believe it's a flip and the price is a bit high at $138.5K.

[musicman]

Wild card nabes for around 100K would be,

1) what is generically known as Magnolia Park (north of Harrisburg) which has a lot of houses from 1910-1930 and

2) Pecan Park, where I live, which has a lot of Cottage style architecture with some brick bungalows and basic boxes blended in, which were built mostly in the 30s and 40s. The Grandma's house/Art Deco interior potential is great here too (right Musicman?). I love Pecan Park's location. Very close to 45 and 610. You're near them but can't hear them. Nice big shade trees too, some planted in the 1800s when it was first planted as a pecan grove. Way more squirrels than people here....I'm on a first-name basis with mine. This is also where Gulfgate center is, which is just a shopping area. You could get to the Med Cntr via 610 south within 15-20 minutes, or you could take Griggs to Old Spanish to Holcombe and be there in about the same time. The inner Pecan Park homes have tons of potential while the surrounding edges look shabby. Land values keep rising so it'll eventually be restored and protected or dozed. Crime is relatively low over here too, and that comes from the Eastside HPD.

yes i like my grandma's house. i wouldn't call pecan park wild card either. some of the surrounding ones maybe. they sell quickly over here. wrt highway access and retail we are primo. if you don't like the freeways to the med center you can also go via OST in about the same time. traffic always moves. loverofoldthings...if yall want to stop by PM me and i'll give you my phone/directions.

[silverartfox]

Hello and welcome to the HAIF Forum. Two years ago I moved into a tiny brick veneer bungalow in Broadmoor and would also encourage you to drive through this area. It's a quiet neighborhood except for occasional train whistles and car stereo noise , but those exist in pricey innerloop neighborhoods, too. I sold a Bellaire teardown and needed to move quickly but there was nothing in Eastwood proper when I was in the market (I was priced out of Montrose and the Heights). Living in a Broadmoor DIY work-in-progress is a good fit for me. The neighbors are friendly and in the time I've been here, several houses close by have started renovations and a new one is under construction.

Not all houses for sale in Broadmoor are going to be listed in on the 77023 HAR website. There's a bungalow in the 1500 block of Elliott that isn't and just today, I saw a couple of new FSBO signs in the 1500 block of Lawson. Most of the 1920's and '30's houses still standing in Houston need work on foundations, plumbing, electrical, HVAC and insulation before the fun part of restoration/renovation begins.

The Eastwood Civic Association meets the first Monday of every month at the E. B. Cape Center on Leeland and is a source of information on the near East End and its redevelopment.

[LoverofOldThings]

We looked at a TON of houses this weekend, but we were mostly interested in the neighborhoods.

Mason Park Terr. was really nice.

The house we looked at:

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

We thought it was cute, but the backyward was too tiny for even an herb garden! We are kind of partial to two bathrooms, since my in-laws stay with us about 2-3 weeks/year when they are traveling around during the winter, but we understand that it is unusual in older homes.

ALSO

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

which my husband said would take a LOT of money to rehab. The garage is a complete teardown, and the HUGE front lawn and no back yard make that a lot of wasted space.

We did like the neighborhood though, a lot!

We liked Broadmoor, but the surrounding areas were a little scary.

The two houses we looked at were in very bad shape, and we don't want to do any structural work.

Plus, a young kid in a Mustang tried to run us over when we were crossing the street. Hopefully unusual, but we decided to jump back in our car and get out of there.

Pecan Park was okay, it was funny to see houses that were so obviously cared for next to houses that I was surprised people were still living in. The one they are asking ~$140K for, that someone mentioned previously on the board, has NO lawn and it very small.

It definitely is not worth what they are asking.

We looked at another house in Pecan Park that was redeemable, but the apartment complexes down the street and strung-out looking people eyeing us as we drove by frightened us, and changed our minds. I think that area would have to improve a little bit more for us to be interested.

We saw all of the lovely houses in Idylwood, and oooo-ed and aaaaaah-ed as we drove through. Those are out of our price range. If we planned on staying in Houston long-term (more than 5 or 10 years) we would seriously consider the hefty price tags.

We saw this house:

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

What do you guys think of Pine Valley? It seemed nice enough, but they are asking too much for this house. It was decent, and I liked the funky old-school windows. It needs some work and has a cracked slab. Also, the windows will need to be replaced (broken) and the living room is so small you would not be able to get a couch in there. We liked the back yard though, and behind the garage would be the perfect place for a small garden. However, I have read that people think this development wil never appreciate in value....any thoughts on this?

What are your thoughts on Glenbrook Valley?

We would like something close to some shopping (books stores and grocery stores)....and even Idlylwood-ers have to drive a distance to get to the nearest grocery store. I have heard mention of some stuff commercial shopping being built in Gulfgate and Almeda....

ALSO -- We went to the Telwink Grill. THANKS! That place was great! Friendly and good, cheap food.

We were a little nervous when we walked in and it was packed, but it was quick service. Now, if the people that sat in the table across from us had showered say, in the last century, it would have been a little better for us. But, hey, it was worth it.

Also, we went to the Asian Tapioca place in that little plaza after we looked at a house near Mason Park.

In NY we call them "bubble tea" and I was SO excited to have one again! My husband tried strawberry and I tried watermelon. The owner was there was talked to us a bit, it was very homey.

*whew*

To relax we drove out to the Med Center area (where I work) and lounged at the B&N and stocked up on foodie type groceries at the Randall's. It's sad that there is were not any nice places to shop and/or relax in the Eastwood area. The Med Center/Bellaire is too far away to drive for some organic food, but we would suck it up for a nice neighborhoods.

Anyhow, let me know what you guys (and gals) think.

So far you have really helped me get to know the area, and know where I should (and should not) be looking.

Thanks!!!

[MasonParkThree]

My husband and I rented between the Altic and Eastwood area for several years before purchasing a home near Mason Park. We are young professionals with a baby. We find this side of the East End to be much quieter, safer and family oriented than our last home... although we do have one neighbor with a deafening car sound system.. .but that's another story. We were able to get much more house for the money in this area and are enojoying the proximity to the park tremendously. I am disappointed in the number of families with young children, though. No playmates for my little one. There is a large 2 bedroom on Smallwood selling for about 115K, though personally I think it is also a bit overpriced and I would imagine is in need of renovation.

I sometimes get frustrated when forced to make the drive to bookstores, ethnic food, organic produce, etc... but in the long run it saves us money. I used to shop at Half-Price books at least once a week. Now I browse the Houston Public Library catalog and have the books delivered to the Melcher Branch. Very cost effective

Good Luck with your search. I just started looking at commericial/retail in the area this weekend myself. I imagine I will be stopping by here to ask for advice on this topic as well. I currently work out of my home, but I imagine a storefront might increase my client base.

[Guest danax]

We looked at a TON of houses this weekend, but we were mostly interested in the neighborhoods.

Mason Park Terr. was really nice.

It sounds like you made good progress this weekend. I'd have to agree with your overall assessments of the nabes you visited, although having lived here for over 5 years now, I would say not to worry about the scary things you noticed. If you find a home that you like, try to make it to their civic club meeting. You'll notice the complaints by those who live over here tend to be about noise and the way things look, not crime. And, the lack of retail is complained about too, but people find ways to adapt. I stop at Whole Foods on the way home from work, or maybe on the weekend if I'm over near there. Retail will come eventually, and you'll be glad you got your house for 100K when it does.

I've noticed a LOT of "outsider" real estate agents, meaning ones from the other parts of town, listing homes over here in the past year or so. It used to seem like only a handful of local agents handled most of the listings. It's nice to finally feel like the rest of the city is taking notice, but the listing prices are making my eyes pop out a little. I'm thinking those Mason Park homes would've been 90K a year or two ago. That one for 120K looked like it had potential to be grand, but no back yard is a big negative.

See the Pine Valley topic before you buy over there. Another true wild card area would be Pineview Place, which is right across the bayou from Mason Park. It would be quite the jaunt to the med cntr though, although you could do BRT from Magnolia Transit Center to Intermodal to Red Line.

[Dan the Man]

I would say not to worry about the scary things you noticed...

Another true wild card area would be Pineview Place, which is right across the bayou from Mason Park...

For the past year, I've been looking off an on at relocating to the East End. I was initially hesitant, due to the "scary things", but each time I drive over there, I get more and more comfortable with the area. Now I am sure that I can live in this part of town, and I believe that it is on the upswing. Each time I drive over there, I see something new being renovated or built.

Pineview Place is so cool! The neighborhood and the surrounding area is pretty run-down, but there are some really neat houses back there and there is a little topography like in Idylwood.

[jm1fd]

Mason Park Terr. was really nice.

Did you drive through Forest Hill as well? A month or two back there was a pretty good looking (at least from the outside) FSBO on either Forest Hill or Alta Vista. Most of the lots in Forest Hill are bigger than those of MPT.

What are your thoughts on Glenbrook Valley?

If a big yard is high on your list (which it sounds like it is) then check out Garden Villas.

[LoverofOldThings]

You know, we ALMOST looked at Pineview Place.

It is so funny that you mentioned it.

We were driving towards the house in Pine VALLEY, and I accidentally programmed PINE VIEW into the GPS!

Needless to say, we ended up in the middle of nowhere until I caught the mistake.

I have heard about Garden Villas and Glenbrook. I read about Glenbrook on the forum.

That would be a sell for my husband though, since he works in the neighborhood. (off Telephone Rd.)

Apparently his colleagues are always telling him what a "dangerous" area it is. Someone told him that they "thought it was a nice neighborhood" until a stray bullet came through their living room window on Thanksgiving Day. So, he feels that it may not be safe.

I fly out of Hobby a lot, and the apartments that I pass on the way there worry me.

They worry him too. They looks like they are going to fall apart, and most of them say things like "first three months free" and "no deposit".

However, some of the homes up near Reveille (probably not spelled correctly) are going for 200K plus. I have a hard time thinking they would ask for those prices in dangerous neighborhoods. What do you think?

Is Garden Villas worse than Glenbrook?

Right now we live in the Heights and I have a 20 minute commute each day. It would be a much longer commute if there were more cars on the road at 04:00AM and noon. So, the commute from the Mason, Pineview, etc wouldn't be that much longer. Most of my co-workers drive 45 minutes in, from Kingwood or Clear Lake, so I know I could do worse.

As far as retail, we love Whole Foods and Half-Priced Books. Luckily, we are not far from either one right now. However, we are also not willing to pay Heights prices for real estate. The houses are so high at this point I cannot imagine them going much higher, and I have a feeling that our friends who just purchased a $400K bungalow three blocks from the new "villas" (aka crap townhomes that look nice but will fall apart in 10 years) and going to be very sorry they paid that much.

We saw that Mason Park house. It's not bad, but very small. I cannot imagine that people with children would ever buy that house, unless they want their kids to play on the sloped front yard. I suppose that is why people with children eventually move out to the burbs. At least in upstate NY. It seems that is true here as well...

I thought I read somewhere on the board that there was some new stores going into Gulfgate, Almeda and near the airport was being renovated....those were older topics and posts though.

[rps324]

Garden Villas has the beautiful lots and tree-lined streets, but its achille's heel is the planes that fly right over. In certain sections it is not that big of a deal, but in others it is a nightmare. Glenbrook doesn't have that issue as much.

In reference to the apartments on Broadway, the ironic thing is the worst looking ones, Thai Xuan Village, are condos that basically produce no crime. The best looking ones, Broadway Square are home to far more issues. There are other discussions on here about that if you do a search.

They did just create a management district for that Broadway corridor, so that should help improve things some.

[musicman]

We looked at a TON of houses this weekend, but we were mostly interested in the neighborhoods.

Mason Park Terr. was really nice.

The house we looked at:

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

We thought it was cute, but the backyward was too tiny for even an herb garden! We are kind of partial to two bathrooms, since my in-laws stay with us about 2-3 weeks/year when they are traveling around during the winter, but we understand that it is unusual in older homes.

ALSO

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

which my husband said would take a LOT of money to rehab. The garage is a complete teardown, and the HUGE front lawn and no back yard make that a lot of wasted space.

We did like the neighborhood though, a lot!

if you like mason park's feel, i'd continue to look there.

[musicman]

It sounds like you made good progress this weekend. I'd have to agree with your overall assessments of the nabes you visited, although having lived here for over 5 years now, I would say not to worry about the scary things you noticed. If you find a home that you like, try to make it to their civic club meeting. You'll notice the complaints by those who live over here tend to be about noise and the way things look, not crime.

i have to agree with danax on this one. i'm right by melcher and my main complaint is probably a neighbor's car stereo but after a few calls to the police he doesn't leave it on for a long time. i have a friend that's live over here for 15 yrs. back then you heard gunshots, etc, now rarely. but that's the inner city for you!

glad you liked telwink!

sounds like you and your hubby want value for your money. that will drive you to make a good decision and i think yall are on your way!

[Vertigo58]

i have to agree with danax on this one. i'm right by melcher and my main complaint is probably a neighbor's car stereo but after a few calls to the police he doesn't leave it on for a long time. i have a friend that's live over here for 15 yrs. back then you heard gunshots, etc, now rarely. but that's the inner city for you!

Above was an honest assessment.

All in all, this section of the city is way better if you compare to Southwest Houston area. So yes, I would look here for great buys more than anywhere else in this metropolis.

(I thought we were not allowed to advertise our properties on this site?) There was that person on corner of Harrisburg & Lockwood that got booted out for doing so a few months ago. Procotol has changed I suppose.