South Point Townhomes At 3001 Murworth Dr.

[cornerneighbor]

I don't know if this is the correct board to put this, but it looks to be the closest one.

I recently found these new townhomes being built off of Buffalo Speedway near 610. I was just wondering if anyone had any opinions on the area, these townhomes, etc... It looks like they are a bit overpriced to me, but I am probably not the most informed on this area of town.

South Point Townhomes

[Guest danax]

Welcome to the forum, cornerneighbor.

My opinion is that I would not enjoy living in an own-your-own apartment complex, and that's what this looks like to me. "Resort Style Living" Gimme a break. If they wanted to have the amenities of an upscale apartment complex that's one thing but, if I were in charge of such a project, I would make darn sure the design of the units somehow offset that college dorm look, and these look so hokie, apparently no one even considered that angle.

I imagine visiting a friend's unit for the first time and asking the guard for directions;

"Hi, uh, where's building Q? "Oh, make a left at the vending machine, 4th building down, next to the workout room."

The area around the South Loop is transitioning but, being away from true upscale urban action, ends up being a wannabe waystation. I have a feeling that this is what the former AstroWorld will spawn too.

My opinion is biased against condos though, even ones that call themselves townhomes.

I vote 2 thumbs down.

[cornerneighbor]

Thanks for the welcome.

I kind of had the same feeling about these, but I am getting beyond frustrated in my search for something to buy. I am a single female in my mid-twenties, so while I can afford the mortgage, insurance, taxes, etc... on a single family home, I don't know that I can afford the upkeep on the homes built in the 50's/60's.

I have looked in quite a few areas around Houston. My number one priority is safety - that's relative to each person though. It's more of a feeling I get I suppose.

I moved to Bellaire last year and I like it as well, I just can't afford to buy in the area. I lived in Memorial Heights/Rice Military for two years and enjoyed it, so I have done some shopping for townhomes in that area. I am just very concerned about my resale value over there. I don't have high expectations of making a "profit" on the home I buy, but I certainly don't want to lose money when I get married and am trying to sell it in 5 years. It just seems like there is no end in sight to new townhome development in the area and I think it will start moving east along Washington Ave. towards the new Target now.

I'm beginning to think home ownership doesn't look as appealing as it used to....

[Guest danax]

Thanks for the welcome.

I kind of had the same feeling about these, but I am getting beyond frustrated in my search for something to buy. I am a single female in my mid-twenties, so while I can afford the mortgage, insurance, taxes, etc... on a single family home, I don't know that I can afford the upkeep on the homes built in the 50's/60's.

I have looked in quite a few areas around Houston. My number one priority is safety - that's relative to each person though. It's more of a feeling I get I suppose.

I was probably a little harsh in my criticism of that type of project. Maybe someone else here can give you an educated opinion on the potential for the value to at least hold with inflation in the near future as I wouldn't feel qualified to do that. It is one of those areas that will see a lot of new building in the next 5 years so that could be a negative unless the location is somehow superior.

I really do understand your predicament though. I have a female friend who is "ready to buy" and has been for at least 2 years now. She's worried about the same things you are; safety and fear of owning an older single family home. She found one actually built in 1940 that she knew was "her house" but someone else snagged it. In the meantime, values on the East End where she's sort of looking have gone up and so have interest rates.

Young single females have bought older homes and survived. I think you feel more comfortable once you learn a little about how a house works. One in my neighborhood, a NASA engineer, has bought two but she pays others to do the work for her. She's done some serious remodeling too and doesn't seem to mind living with sawdust and stuff laying around at times. Now both of her houses are beautiful. Simple maintenance would be much easier, of course. Sometimes the savings in mortgage payment with an older home versus a townhome is enough to be able to pay for upgrades and repairs, if needed. At least you probably would be able to see some appreciation in value in 5 years if you pick fairly carefully.

[VicMan]

The townhomes are within Houston ISD - Or more specifically, the Bellaire High School attendance zone...

Elementary: Longfellow

Middle: Pershing/Pin Oak

High: Bellaire

The Bellaire zoning MAY be part of the reason why the townhomes are more expensive than usual, but I'm not sure...

[texas911]

That place, barf. Another eyesore for the city of Houston.

[Blkphoenix]

As a newly single female, looking for a secure place was a top priority. I am under contract for a townhome at Southpoint. Although expensive at $148 per sq ft., it was still more affordable than anything else I was looking at inside the loop that fit my preferences. I am moving out a townhome in the Heights and would have preferred to stay in the Rice Military, Cottage Grove area, but the townhomes start well above $200K. I was looking for a gated community, but did not want to live in a 6 unit townhome complex that was gated. My preference was for a gated neighborhood feel. Each of their homes is equipped with a house alarm that can also be connected with HPD. If you chose not to subscribe, you will still have that alarm feature, which can still be heard by your neighbors.

My other concern was resale value. The townhomes surrounding this project are Lovett homes (owned by Frank Liu) with a starting price that is considerably higher than Southpoint. The land surrounding the project is also owned by Frank Liu. Although I'm not a fan of Mr. Liu and his projects, his homes are in the higher market price bracket, which will help Southpoint keep up its value.

I guess it all depends at what point you are in your life and what your preferences are at that time. Having the amenities of an apartment complex is convenient. Finding a place inside the loop that was affordable, safe, and looked to be a good investment were my concerns. While Southpoint certainly isn't a dream house, it has many good points, and I would recommend it for consideration.

[Guest danax]

Welcome blkphoenix and that was a good, clear post. I criticized these earlier but I later remembered a favorite aunt of mine, a single mom, who lived in a similar condo for many years and the place was perfect for her. She made a tremendous profit when she sold, although that was after 20 years and was in CA.

[Original Timmy Chan's]

I think I know which townhomes we're talking about here...just outside the Loop at Buffalo Spdwy?

Although it's not considered a "hot" or trendy area, I love the location. It's very convenient to the Med Center, Galleria and Downtown (all within a 10-minute drive). In addition, the OST/S. Main area has really improved over the last 5 years, and it's oftentimes the most convenient place for us to do all our shopping.