Stonewater Homes In The East End

[hahbui]

Can anyone tell about their experience with Stonewater homes in the East end. I'm currently consider one of their townhomes on Delano and Paige.

Also, I want everyone opinion on this. I currently consider a foreclosure in Rice Military and the a the new townhome, which one do you think would appreciate more in 5 years. Both are about the same price and sq foot. The new townhome has more of WOW effect.

Thanks.

[jm1fd]

Can anyone tell about their experience with Stonewater homes in the East end. I'm currently consider one of their townhomes on Delano and Paige.

Also, I want everyone opinion on this. I currently consider a foreclosure in Rice Military and the a the new townhome, which one do you think would appreciate more in 5 years. Both are about the same price and sq foot. The new townhome has more of WOW effect.

Thanks.

If the one in RM is priced below market because it is a foreclosure, you'll have instant appreciation.

Since RM is further along than the east end, I would think that the east end has more chance for appreciation, because as things get better it will become worth more. HOWEVER, it would seem that the RM one should cost more if it is the same size, since the gentrification is further along there.

[TheNiche]

Can anyone tell about their experience with Stonewater homes in the East end. I'm currently consider one of their townhomes on Delano and Paige.

Also, I want everyone opinion on this. I currently consider a foreclosure in Rice Military and the a the new townhome, which one do you think would appreciate more in 5 years. Both are about the same price and sq foot. The new townhome has more of WOW effect.

Thanks.

Welcome to HAIF.

We get these kinds of questions pretty frequently, and I think that jm1fd is on the mark.

[hahbui]

You are right, the one in RM should cost more, but as I said its a forclosure. I can get it right at HCAD appraised value.

Im not sure if I agree with the idea that the east end will appreciate more. That what worries me the most. There new developement everywhere in the loop. Its hard to say where the next boom will be. I've know people who bought in Midtown in 2000 (@ Baldwin Square) and was only able to sell for an additional 8K in 2006. That main reason they said was because there was new construction everywhere and homes trends had changed.

[rps324]

You are right, the one in RM should cost more, but as I said its a forclosure. I can get it right at HCAD appraised value.

Im not sure if I agree with the idea that the east end will appreciate more. That what worries me the most. There new developement everywhere in the loop. Its hard to say where the next boom will be. I've know people who bought in Midtown in 2000 (@ Baldwin Square) and was only able to sell for an additional 8K in 2006. That main reason they said was because there was new construction everywhere and homes trends had changed.

I don't know that home trends have changed that much since 2000. I'm a little skeptical of that as a reason. IMO the lack of much appreciation, (besides competition from new construction), is b/c so much of the more moderate priced inner-loop townhome product offered over the last several years is, to be blunt, boring at best. Most are designed for amenity based buyers who care more about things like the brand of the dishwasher & if its granite or silestone counters than the quality of the overall architectural design, or if it has character, etc. The strongest selling point for a lot of these townhomes is their newness, and location. Once the newness wears off, they lose half of their appeal.

It all boils down to personal tastes and lifestyle choices, so if a new townhouse fits what you want, great. But if your primary concern is appreciation, I am still of the opinion (for whatever thats worth) you are better off buying a vintage single family house in a transitional or established neighborhood.

For example, I think it is a pretty safe assumption that if your friends had spent the same back in 2000 in Oak Forest, Lindale Park, Eastwood or Idylwood, (just to name a few), they would have seen far better than $8,000 in appreciation.

[morerealestateinfo]

i agree with rps324

i am not aware of any major trends that have had an impact on values and appreciation, Houston builders and developers seem to lack vision when it comes to design; most simply build 2 or 3 story townhomes that look just like the last builders development with no real aesthetics architecturally.

the east end is and will be one of the hottest areas to purchase in as it is still what i consider to be ahead of the curve for savvy buyers who buy the right product at the right price. 5th ward is probably hotter than the east end, however the product currently on the ground is not all that great (juliet & in-town homes).

buy a bungalow that needs a little work that suits your lifestyle and watch your net worth grow over the next 0-3 years or simply buy a nice lot and build your dream home; personally i would build my own place as there are some good deals that are popping up from time to time in these areas on lots and/or teardowns.

[twchouston]

Can anyone tell about their experience with Stonewater homes in the East end. I'm currently consider one of their townhomes on Delano and Paige.

Also, I want everyone opinion on this. I currently consider a foreclosure in Rice Military and the a the new townhome, which one do you think would appreciate more in 5 years. Both are about the same price and sq foot. The new townhome has more of WOW effect.

Thanks.

My experience with stonewater has been great if not amazing. These guys are the easiest to work with and you can tell that customer satisfaction is high on their priority list. After having a disastrous experience with a large builder only a few blocks away, we are certain that this is the right way to have a home built. The quality and professionalism of their entire staff as well as those performing the build is so much higher than what we previously experienced. We will be closing on a stonewater home in a couple weeks and can honestly say there have been no surprises or disappointments.

[jm1fd]

My experience with stonewater has been great if not amazing. These guys are the easiest to work with and you can tell that customer satisfaction is high on their priority list. After having a disastrous experience with a large builder only a few blocks away, we are certain that this is the right way to have a home built. The quality and professionalism of their entire staff as well as those performing the build is so much higher than what we previously experienced. We will be closing on a stonewater home in a couple weeks and can honestly say there have been no surprises or disappointments.

I'll be taking this pearl of wisdom with a grain of salt....first post on here to sing the praises of Stonewater? I smell a shill.

[hahbui]

Really? Could you tell me if you purchased a custom home from them or a townhouse?

[twchouston]

Really? Could you tell me if you purchased a custom home from them or a townhouse?

It's a townhouse. One of three located at the corner of Paige and Rusk.

[hahbui]

Those are the exact one I'm looking at. Couple of questions:

1) Do you hear the trains?

2) Do you see quite a bit of transients walking around due to the bus depot and general warehouses in the area?

3) When did you purchase?

4) Lastly, what was the price? (Feel free not answer this if you think its too personal. I'm just trying to gauge how many price increases they have had since breaking ground)

Thanks.

[twchouston]

Those are the exact one I'm looking at. Couple of questions:

1) Do you hear the trains?

2) Do you see quite a bit of transients walking around due to the bus depot and general warehouses in the area?

3) When did you purchase?

4) Lastly, what was the price? (Feel free not answer this if you think its too personal. I'm just trying to gauge how many price increases they have had since breaking ground)

Thanks.

1) I do hear the trains. I hear the noises of the train on the tracks, but I don't think it horns until further down. I currently rent north of 1-10 and west of durham and hear the horns all the way from washington all night, so I guess I'm used to it.

2) I have only seen workers at the bus depot. I thought this was just a maintenance for the buses, I don't see taxis or metro stops that I noticed like there are at other bus stations. If they do have passengers, I haven't seen any hanging around or walking around.

3) We should close before New Years. We signed mid October.

[hokieone]

i don't live in the stonewater homes, but i live fairly close (more towards leeland). You can hear the trains and the horns where I'm at, but like everyone says you don't even notice the horns after a while. They don't shake the pictures off the wall of anything.

As for transients in that part of town - its still a developing neighborhood and you occasionally see the guys walking down the street pushing a cart, but for the most part its a heavily vacated area of town. I've been surprised there hasn't been more run ins with the homeless. As for crime, you do get the occasional tagger like this past weekend, but all in all, its not a bad area. maybe i'm just naive, but overall, its not a bad area, just the remaining homes that are there are owned by extremely poor people. Doesn't make them theives though.

[Htowngirl]

My bf & I are buying a Stonewater home in RM. We have had nothing but good experiences with them - they are all really nice people, and customer satisfaction is really high on their priority list. My only (small) complaint is that they are slow (since they are such a small builder, their construction workforce is small) - but I would rather they be slow and do a good job. We looked at SOOO many houses before deciding on this one.

We were originally considering a house with a builder through Urban Living - but the builder was such a jackhole and unwilling to change anything about the house (there was no bathroom on the 2nd (living room/kitchen) floor!?!!) - we happened to run into Stonewater's main guy (Scott) outside that house, and the rest is history. We are extremely happy with how willing Stonewater is to work with us.

Stonewater is a relatively new builder. They built their first 5 houses in RM last year. My bf's parents own one of them. They say it's not the most well-built house they've ever lived in, but they knew that going in, and are happy with their experience and their house. My opinion is that Stonewater is learning as they go, and the more they build, the better the houses.

[houstonmacbro]

I recently drove through the near east end and the construction there is incredible! I am really considering buying in the area of Paige and Leeland.

Thoughts?

[musicman]

I recently drove through the near east end and the construction there is incredible! I am really considering buying in the area of Paige and Leeland.

Thoughts?

be prepared to drive to go shopping. i know many complain about the trains, but i think the leeland area is impacted less.

[Guest danax]

I recently drove through the near east end and the construction there is incredible! I am really considering buying in the area of Paige and Leeland.

Thoughts?

The area is going through that stage where it's not just for pioneers anymore but is still in the process of becoming a neighborhood. Retail should start popping up within 5 years if the current construction pace keeps up. With the Metro line going in, it'll be sort of a lesser version of Midtown. Negatives are the trains and lack of local parks to break up the concrete.

I would say that location/proximity to established culture and retail along with stage of transition would be the main reason the pecking order for the 1st ring townhome nabes seems to be;

1) Midtown

2) Rice Military

3) Warehouse District.

[houstonmacbro]

The area is going through that stage where it's not just for pioneers anymore but is still in the process of becoming a neighborhood. Retail should start popping up within 5 years if the current construction pace keeps up. With the Metro line going in, it'll be sort of a lesser version of Midtown. Negatives are the trains and lack of local parks to break up the concrete.

I would say that location/proximity to established culture and retail along with stage of transition would be the main reason the pecking order for the 1st ring townhome nabes seems to be;

1) Midtown

2) Rice Military

3) Warehouse District.

Warehouse district meaning even further out on the east end? Or closer in?

Leeland and Paige is just behind (?) the warehouses, but not quite into what I consider 'the east end' (past say ... Scott...?).

I do think the lack of shopping venues (grocery, pharmacy, etc.) is a big deterrent in all of this, but not a deal-breaker. But you are right, there are not enough parks (greenspace) in that immediate area.

[hokieone]

The area is going through that stage where it's not just for pioneers anymore but is still in the process of becoming a neighborhood. Retail should start popping up within 5 years if the current construction pace keeps up. With the Metro line going in, it'll be sort of a lesser version of Midtown. Negatives are the trains and lack of local parks to break up the concrete.

I would say that location/proximity to established culture and retail along with stage of transition would be the main reason the pecking order for the 1st ring townhome nabes seems to be;

1) Midtown

2) Rice Military

3) Warehouse District.

i live in the area you mean, and those are my two biggest complaints - no retail and and no local parks/ greenspace. while not right next door, i do think the new discovery green park will help, as that probably no more than 1 1/2 miles from most of the housing going up. take a bike down there or even walk it and i think that will help.

as for retail, i keep hoping kroger will realize the polk store is an embarrasment, but i'm not holding my breath. its closer to where the majority of the population still is and i don't see kroger being aggressive. my hope would be that someone wants to take a chance and looks at the housing stock coming along and wants to get in on the commercial side early. i don't need highland village, but at least a decent bodega type store (i mean CVS has covered every other area of town with new stores) and a couple of restaurants close enough to walk to would be enough for me.

[houstonmacbro]

i live in the area you mean, and those are my two biggest complaints - no retail and and no local parks/ greenspace. while not right next door, i do think the new discovery green park will help, as that probably no more than 1 1/2 miles from most of the housing going up. take a bike down there or even walk it and i think that will help.

as for retail, i keep hoping kroger will realize the polk store is an embarrasment, but i'm not holding my breath. its closer to where the majority of the population still is and i don't see kroger being aggressive. my hope would be that someone wants to take a chance and looks at the housing stock coming along and wants to get in on the commercial side early. i don't need highland village, but at least a decent bodega type store (i mean CVS has covered every other area of town with new stores) and a couple of restaurants close enough to walk to would be enough for me.

Discovery Green ...? That is the place that's going to be right in front of the convention center? That does seem like it will be a great boon for those just east of 59.

[musicman]

i don't need highland village, but at least a decent bodega type store

may i ask where you're from originally? NYC? the way i've heard bodega used here has been more negative.

Discovery Green ...? That is the place that's going to be right in front of the convention center? That does seem like it will be a great boon for those just east of 59.

..and leeland is a good entry point from the east side.

[Guest danax]

Warehouse district meaning even further out on the east end? Or closer in?

Leeland and Paige is just behind (?) the warehouses, but not quite into what I consider 'the east end' (past say ... Scott...?).

I do think the lack of shopping venues (grocery, pharmacy, etc.) is a big deterrent in all of this, but not a deal-breaker. But you are right, there are not enough parks (greenspace) in that immediate area.

I'm referring to that area east of 59 until Scott, or maybe more precisely Milby, as the Warehouse District, although the Near East is also used. One of the two names will probably win out over the other eventually, probably about the time all of the warehouses have been demolished...... .

You might want to explore deeper into the East End where other townhome colonies are beginning to germinate. North of Harrisburg there's a few right now and that might be the next boom area. There are some established parks already nearby and the bayou seems to be coming along nicely too, plus the Metro line's going in up there. That whole upper East End might become even more desirable than the Warehouse District. I terrain is a tad hilly and there's more of a private feel. Being 8 minutes from DT instead of 3 is no big deal. Clinton Dr. is always an option too.

[houstonmacbro]

I'm referring to that area east of 59 until Scott, or maybe more precisely Milby, as the Warehouse District, although the Near East is also used. One of the two names will probably win out over the other eventually, probably about the time all of the warehouses have been demolished...... .

You might want to explore deeper into the East End where other townhome colonies are beginning to germinate. North of Harrisburg there's a few right now and that might be the next boom area. There are some established parks already nearby and the bayou seems to be coming along nicely too, plus the Metro line's going in up there. That whole upper East End might become even more desirable than the Warehouse District. I terrain is a tad hilly and there's more of a private feel. Being 8 minutes from DT instead of 3 is no big deal. Clinton Dr. is always an option too.

I'll explore that area. One of the things I like about near-Eastside is that it is for all intents and purposes, downtown (good or bad).

[hokieone]

may i ask where you're from originally? NYC? the way i've heard bodega used here has been more negative.

..and leeland is a good entry point from the east side.

no i grew up in houston, but i lived in dc for a couple of years, and have made a fair amount of trips to nyc over the years. houston does tend to think of bodegas as dumps that exist only in barrios, but i think if someone ever brought the ny style bodega to these new neighborhoods, they would do well. basically eatzi's was a fancy bodega on steroids, so if someone that opened one up that wasn't nearly as fancy, but offered quick take out with basic staple items in the store, i think they would do well. i know if someone opened one up next to me, i'd probably eat there quite often.

[TheNiche]

The area is going through that stage where it's not just for pioneers anymore but is still in the process of becoming a neighborhood. Retail should start popping up within 5 years if the current construction pace keeps up. With the Metro line going in, it'll be sort of a lesser version of Midtown. Negatives are the trains and lack of local parks to break up the concrete.

Danax knows the score, but I'd expect that there might be a retail boomlet in 2011, as the new Census data is released and national retailers start realizing all that has changed in the previous decade in Houston.

The parks issue will likely persist for a while, chiefly because the City and HCFCD like to concentrate on bayou-front land. It'd be great if the City would come in and purchase the row of half-blocks along the Bastrop Street ROW for parks or limited development, but I wouldn't count on it. Otherwise, they really don't like trying to assemble contiguous blocks of land parcel-by-parcel. On the plus side, the Columbia Tap rail ROW is being converted to a hike and bike trail that will connect Leeland to N. Macgregor.

[musicman]

The parks issue will likely persist for a while, chiefly because the City and HCFCD like to concentrate on bayou-front land. It'd be great if the City would come in and purchase the row of half-blocks along the Bastrop Street ROW for parks or limited development, but I wouldn't count on it. Otherwise, they really don't like trying to assemble contiguous blocks of land parcel-by-parcel. On the plus side, the Columbia Tap rail ROW is being converted to a hike and bike trail that will connect Leeland to N. Macgregor.

unfortunately for the east side, the city is about to plop down ~5 million to acquire the old hackberry golf course on the sw side for add'l park space. great news for them.

The city of Houston plans to purchase the 22.435-acre, 9-hole Hackberry Golf Club for a proposed park in Alief.

The estimated cost of the purchase and development is close to $5 million. The site is located at 7777 S. Dairy Ashford between Bellaire and Beechnut.

Houston City Council was scheduled to vote on the purchase at its Aug. 1 meeting.

The agenda item proposes appropriation of $3 million from the Parks Consolidated Construction Fund, with an additional $1.89 million from the Houston Parks Board.

It also authorizes $500,000 in development costs to convert the property into a city park.

While the purchase cost is $4.89 million, the parks board will provide $500,000 for site work, refurbishment of buildings currently on site

[Vertigo58]

I never heard of the word bodega being a bad word? I thought it meant warehouse. Then there is Bodega Bay in SFO area, tourist attraction. Never assumed it was derogatory in any way.

Now barrio is not meant to sound kind at all. It is used negatively like ghetto, which is another unpleasant word. Just had to release that folks. Peace! Now back to our movie - Stonewater Homes in the NEAR East End.

[musicman]

I never heard of the word bodega being a bad word? I thought it meant warehouse. Then there is Bodega Bay in SFO area, tourist attraction. Never assumed it was derogatory in any way.

the way i've heard it used here mainly was negative not bad. kind of like a ghetto stop and go.

i female i know told me of a bad use for it towards women, but i don't remember the exact translation.

[millennica]

I never heard of the word bodega being a bad word? I thought it meant warehouse. Then there is Bodega Bay in SFO area, tourist attraction. Never assumed it was derogatory in any way.

the literal translation of bodega is warehouse. i've heard people in california, philadelphia, ny, and boston refer to little mom and pop shops as bodegas

[musicman]

the literal translation of bodega is warehouse. i've heard people in california, philadelphia, ny, and boston refer to little mom and pop shops as bodegas

when i went east that is where i heard it used like a neighborhood store/deli/etc.