The Next Development

[emirate25]

Ok ...we have heard East End, Idylwood, Midtown, Washington Corridor are all neighborhoods that are up and coming with gentrification. Now my question is...where do you predict will be the next "boom" of new townhomes/house development where you will see yuppies, bohemians, professional be trying to established themselves and creating another midtown?

Is there still a place left in the Houston area that has lots of potential but for some reason builders are quite not taking the risk right now, but do have an eye on it as future potential?

[TheNiche]

Ok ...we have heard East End, Idylwood, Midtown, Washington Corridor are all neighborhoods that are up and coming with gentrification. Now my question is...where do you predict will be the next "boom" of new townhomes/house development where you will see yuppies, bohemians, professional be trying to established themselves and creating another midtown?

Is there still a place left in the Houston area that has lots of potential but for some reason builders are quite not taking the risk right now, but do have an eye on it as future potential?

Three general areas: East End, Third Ward, and Near Northside. In that order.

[jm1fd]

Ok ...we have heard East End, Idylwood, Midtown, Washington Corridor are all neighborhoods that are up and coming with gentrification. Now my question is...where do you predict will be the next "boom" of new townhomes/house development where you will see yuppies, bohemians, professional be trying to established themselves and creating another midtown?

Is there still a place left in the Houston area that has lots of potential but for some reason builders are quite not taking the risk right now, but do have an eye on it as future potential?

The northeast part of town (north of 10, east of 59) has yet to show any signs of being anything other than a ghetto....that would seem to me to be, because of its proximity to town, the final frontier.

[TheNiche]

The northeast part of town (north of 10, east of 59) has yet to show any signs of being anything other than a ghetto....that would seem to me to be, because of its proximity to town, the final frontier.

5th Ward, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the TheNiche.

His mission: to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life

and new civilizations. To boldly go where no white man has gone before.

I'm probably gonna get skewered for that one...I can envision nmainguy even now, repeatedly quoting this without the smiley as some ridiculous evidence of racism in an effort to discredit me on some completely different issue. I thought it was funny though...and it was the first thing that came to my mind when jm1fd used the phrase "final frontier"...just couldn't help myself.

Seriously, though...there are some excellent and completely obscure shots of the skyline...especially at dusk...and even a few blue collar neighborhoods with pride of ownership. Lovers of old derelict warehouses and the ambient energy of active rail yards will also be delighted.

Be careful, though. Carry a gun if you've got one or go with someone. This isn't as tame a neighborhood as 3rd Ward.

[MidtownCoog]

Third Ward, and to a much lesser extent, the Museum District, becuase it's just about re-discovered by Columbus.

Museum District, where dumps are getting close to 400K.

[rps324]

My top ten, not necessarily in order:

Brooke-Smith - Between N. Main & 45. There are already some restored homes in there, I think we will see more restorations & new constructions in there. Gains from Heights/Norhill "spill over."

First Ward- With the new Target & now In-Town homes at the old Merfish site, I can't imagine that this area won't be in for a big transformation over the next few years. Whatever bargains are left in there, don't expect them to be there for long.

East End - With large blocks of land that a single developer can acquire and already a foothold by people like Juliet & Perry, this area is poised for a lot of redevelopment. Once land prices reach a certain point and availability becomes limited on spaces in the Washington Avenue corridor, watch for this section to really take off as developers move in there in earnest.

Near Northside - New development has begun to creep in such as Davinci Courts all the way north to the Oaks of Sharmin near Cavalcade. If the proposed BRT line goes through, it should give the area a real shot in the arm too. If the Hardy Rail Yards project ever comes to fruition, that could be like opening the gate big time over there.

Eastwood - Already prices have climbed somewhat, but there is still a ton of unrealized potential over there. It will heat up even more if the adjacent East End warehouse district really gets going. Additional retail downtown such as the Pavilions will make close-in easterly neighborhoods feel a little less isolated which will also help.

Broadmoor/Lawndale - The area still looks sketchy, but I have to admit being surprised at the amount of creative-class types already over there. The area will benefit from spill over from Eastwood too. For those needing a real bargain inside the loop, this area fills the bill.

Shepherd Forest - Why this area isn't more expensive, given the current rates in Garden Oaks & Oak Forest, is beyond me. It is practically surrounded by some very up & coming territories. Its curb appeal is a lot less intimidating to people who might be "put off" by more transitional neighborhoods. Look for this one to eventually ride into a higher price bracket on the coat-tails of Oak Forest.

Westbury South - Homes can still be found under $100k in here. Westbury's gentrification is going strong in many sections, including the northern sections & Parkwest, where home prices are starting to break through the $250,000 ceiling. At one time the entry-level buyers that started the gentrification in Westbury could buy pretty much in any part of the subdivision, but as prices rise in the best sections, the first-time starter home buyers will be pushed farther south.

Glenbrook Valley - You know I couldn't leave this one off the list. If the proposed image plans on the Hobby Airport web site ever take hold, that could totally redefine the whole area. In the meantime, mod enthusiasts and those in search of a larger house will find this to be one of the last frontiers for larger, still affordable homes close in.

Houston Country Club Place/Simms Woods - Sort of faux-Idylwood. For under $150,000 you can still get a cute cottage in a neighborhood with decent curb appeal, & still be inside the loop. If Idylwood is a bargain, This little pocket is a steal.

[jm1fd]

Shepherd Forest - Why this area isn't more expensive, given the current rates in Garden Oaks & Oak Forest, is beyond me. It is practically surrounded by some very up & coming territories. Its curb appeal is a lot less intimidating to people who might be "put off" by more transitional neighborhoods. Look for this one to eventually ride into a higher price bracket on the coat-tails of Oak Forest.

Exactly...I don't know why it isn't more expensive than it is...at least in section 1. Section 2 and 3 are in the floodplain. In section 1, We're getting our first McMansion....it is being built on the vacant lot at the intersection of the N Loop feeder and W 31st.

[Original Timmy Chan's]

We've got new homes going up on nearly every block here in South Union right now. It's heating up over here for sure...as reflected by the 50% increase in our property values last year.

South Union is generally bounded by 288 to the west, Scott Street to the east, 610 on the south, and Corder on the north.

It also looks like Scott Street is poised for some redevelopment. I noticed a church was demolished at the corner of Scott and Mainer a few weeks ago, and several other businesses have been demolished in the past year.

It's an interesting mix here just inside the Loop...there are plenty of dilapidated properties that need to be knocked down (and generally are being knocked down now), vacant tax-delinquent properties, small apartment complexes (<10 units), a corner grocery store run by the same Korean family since the 50's, and single-family homes ranging in size from 700 sf cracker-jack boxes all the way up to 4,000 sf behemoths. There are also at least 3 or 4 places in the neighborhood where horses are penned up...something you don't see inside the Loop too often. A mix of the rural and urban right here.

[TheNiche]

We've got new homes going up on nearly every block here in South Union right now. It's heating up over here for sure...as reflected by the 50% increase in our property values last year.

South Union is generally bounded by 288 to the west, Scott Street to the east, 610 on the south, and Corder on the north.

It also looks like Scott Street is poised for some redevelopment. I noticed a church was demolished at the corner of Scott and Mainer a few weeks ago, and several other businesses have been demolished in the past year.

It's an interesting mix here just inside the Loop...there are plenty of dilapidated properties that need to be knocked down (and generally are being knocked down now), vacant tax-delinquent properties, small apartment complexes (<10 units), a corner grocery store run by the same Korean family since the 50's, and single-family homes ranging in size from 700 sf cracker-jack boxes all the way up to 4,000 sf behemoths. There are also at least 3 or 4 places in the neighborhood where horses are penned up...something you don't see inside the Loop too often. A mix of the rural and urban right here.

I don't know about SU. They seem to have gotten a disproportionate amount of tax credit apartments lately. Most aren't bad at all right now...but in 20 years?

Have you seen the Concord apartment properties? They've got two different sites in the SU area...the ones at Del Rio & OST have green mold on some of their exterior siding that's been there for over a year. Even though they're less than 5 years old, their rental rates are about $0.65psf, just like many of the crappiest of Class D apartments.

[Pumapayam]

There is a nice grid neighborhood south of Westhiemer, north of Westpark, East of Jeanetta and West of Dunvale

Plenty of old home that i can see being torn down and become the next Bellaire.

[Original Timmy Chan's]

I don't know about SU. They seem to have gotten a disproportionate amount of tax credit apartments lately. Most aren't bad at all right now...but in 20 years?

Have you seen the Concord apartment properties? They've got two different sites in the SU area...the ones at Del Rio & OST have green mold on some of their exterior siding that's been there for over a year. Even though they're less than 5 years old, their rental rates are about $0.65psf, just like many of the crappiest of Class D apartments.

That's true about the number of tax credit apartments...they just built one on Alice Street west of Peerless, another on Corder at Scott, and another right across the street on Scott and Corder. Every one of them looks good, though, and we haven't seen any problems from them.

Another tax credit apartment complex is the one right on Yellowstone at Peerless. It's been there for 10 years now, and it's still well maintained. I don't know of any problems at that facility, either.

As far as I know, all these tax credit apartments do a good job of keeping the criminal element out.

However, I agree with you 100% on the Concord apartments on OST. It's quite a bit further from us than the others, and I'm happy about that. That place looked like a P.O.S. the day it was built...and now it looks like a piece of GREEN $hit! It's unfortunate that they built those apartments there...but I guess it's fortunate that they used shoddy construction practices. Maybe the place will fall down in a few more years and we'll get a better neighbor!

As far as South Union goes, it's enjoying steady growth right now, compared to the decades of no growth. It'll never be River Oaks...or even Third Ward for that matter...but it's a quiet, safe, convenient and affordable blue-collar neighborhood inside the Loop. It's not flashy, but it's solid. My wife, who grew up in the neighborhood, says that South Union hasn't changed in her 30 years...and I don't expect that it's much different than it was 60 years ago. At least we're consistent!

There is a nice grid neighborhood south of Westhiemer, north of Westpark, East of Jeanetta and West of Dunvale

Plenty of old home that i can see being torn down and become the next Bellaire.

I think you're talking about the old railroad community of Jeanetta. If you ever drive up and down Jeanetta you'll see some very old farm houses, especially adjacent to Westpark.

That community shows up on some maps dating back to the 20's and 30's.

[Pumapayam]

I think you're talking about the old railroad community of Jeanetta. If you ever drive up and down Jeanetta you'll see some very old farm houses, especially adjacent to Westpark.

That community shows up on some maps dating back to the 20's and 30's.

So do you think it should be an early investment, empty lots are in the $30K to $50K right now.

[gnu]

I think you're talking about the old railroad community of Jeanetta. If you ever drive up and down Jeanetta you'll see some very old farm houses, especially adjacent to Westpark.

That community shows up on some maps dating back to the 20's and 30's.

i heard that Jeanetta was historically a black community. do you know anything about the history of the community?

[Pumapayam]

i heard that Jeanetta was historically a black community. do you know anything about it?

As black as they get.

[rps324]

Here's a visual of what is available in some of the "hidden jewel" areas.

Bargains du jour

A couple of these are "pending" but it gives you an idea. Of course some of them need some real work, some don't. It is amazing what you can still find out there for $80's to $150's range in some of these areas, especially if you are willing to put in "sweat equity."