1960 in a Box: Well-Preserved in River Oaks

The family that owns this brick-and-redwood-wrapped 1960-model River Oaks Mod designed by Houston architect Arthur Kotch hasn’t listed it on MLS. But they’re hoping this Sunday’s open house organized by Houston Mod will help attract a “preservation-minded” buyer. They’ve owned the place for 45 years: a 4-bedroom, 3,371 sq.-ft. home on a 9,750-sq.-ft. lot a couple blocks behind the Lamar-River Oaks Shopping Center on Westheimer. But really, who’d pay $1.9 million just to muck it up?

***

All the cabinetry and fixtures are original. Guest house in back.

Photos: Houston Mod

30 Comment

  • I’m in love.

  • I have been in it and it is a great “time-capsule” house.

  • Sliding kitchen-cabinet doors. Brady-Bunch-style staircase (before that TV show ever aired.)
    Very cool.
    “Bugles” corn snacks pop immediately to mind.

  • Those front doors remind me of the doors to the Forbidden City in Beijing China.

  • I really like that it looks “lived in”. Books, comfy furniture, the works.

  • Super swanky.

  • Love it. $1.9M to muck it up? Sadly, there are idiots who’d pay $1.9M to knock it down. Sigh.

  • First of all this home is in one of the most prestigious areas of Houston and of Texas. The land itself is worth 500-700k alone. I am an area specialist with a Real Estate Office in the neighborhood. Come check us out if you have time or make an appointment.

    Sonny Jimenez
    Real Estate Broker
    TexasRealtyPros.com
    713.320.0122 Direct / Mobile
    800.508.2939 Fax
    TexasRealtyPros@Gmail.com

  • Sonny – why are you posting your garbage spam?

  • I’d like to open up a pool to guess when this shows up on the Daily Demolition Report. Can we get a sponsor here?

  • It is an amazing home as were the couple who lived there. The land is worth more than “500-700k” but, hopefully, new owners will value its uniqueness and preserve it.

  • Yea I was estimating on the low end.

  • Your estimate is not even in the market range.

  • Ha. Ha. Apparently Sonny just outed himself as one of the worst Realtors in the city. He’s not going to get many listing promising sellers $500k-$700k for their 10,000 SF lots in River Oaks.

    Advice for Sonny:

    1. Stop using Swamplot comments as free advertising. Call Gus and buy an add, cheapskate.

    2. Do a little market research every now and then so you don’t look like a fool.

  • Market data shows lots in 77019 from

    $99,000 to $975,000

    with the median at #382,985

    with Average Days on Market of 183 Days.

    If you need me to send you a CMA just let me know I will do it for free.

  • 83835864 1101 ANDREWS ST BAKER SS 0.1148 5000 $19.98 $99,900 312*
    91618894 1417 ROBIN ST CASTANIE 0.1148 5000 $20.00 $100,000 298
    67504818 1202 Wilson ST CASTANIE 0.2204 7500 $24.13 $181,000 4*
    21324146 1618 ANDREWS ST CASTANIE 0.2296 10000 $20.00 $200,000 182*
    88018704 1008 CLEVELAND ST BAKER SS 0.2296 10000 $47.50 $475,000 235*
    28929081 1008 GILLETTE ST CASTANIE 0.03 7097 $91.59 $650,000 138
    61526466 3219 Locke Lane River Oaks 8125 $120.00 $975,000 109*

  • I guess Sonny is unaware that 77019 extends well into Montrose and by using the zip code as a delimiter, you end up with a much lower average price because it includes a bunch of $200K-300K tear-downs east of Shepherd. I don’t sell real estate, but even I know you would need to use subdivisions as your delimiter to get accurate numbers. He definitely gets my vote for worst realtor in the city!

  • Speaking of time capsules that haven’t been updated — this has been the newest site since Friday :)

  • Edit: The newest STORY since Friday
    .
    (off to get some more coffee…)

  • I second those who decry blatant advertising without payment.
    Wonder how many sites I can get on this morning calling Sonny a D Bag?

  • Ok fine guys I will also include the Sub Division of River Oaks … So now this will be any home in the Legal Subdivision of River Oaks..

    Here ARE SOLD LOTS IN THE SUB-DIVISION OF RIVER OAKS

    3219 LOCKE LN RIVER OAKS 0.186524 8125 $81.85 SOLD FOR $665,000 82* 0.93
    2433 N Pelham RIVER OAKS 0.1822084 7937 $119.69 SOLD FOR $950,000 79 0.88

    GOD BLESS,

    “Too Blessed To Be Stressed” Joel O’Steen

  • WOW…TX Realty Pros, you are really, really slow. You obviously know nothing about Houston OR its realty market. I can not believe you spelled it “Joel O’Steen.” What is this, St. Patrick’s Day? Stick to selling depreciating homes in the ‘burbs to ignorant folks like yourself. Here’s a little tip, don’t judge a lot by its zip code or adjacent neighborhood, especially in this town.

  • Im not taking this personal, but it looks like you may be. So im thinking you must be the home owner or his friend, either way I don’t judge any home… I use the plain black and white facts that an appraiser would use. MARKET DATA …

    God Bless You Again —

  • Does your last post not prove you wrong, Sonny? If my math is correct, your sold lots in RO sold for an average of $100/psf, rendering a value for this house’s land of approximately: $982,507, or about $200K more than your high end of your average.

    Sorry to pile on but if your gonna jump in and advertise yourself on the message board, be on your A-game or expect to get picked on.

  • RIGHT IN THE HEART OF RIVER OAKS SOLD FOR $81.85 A SQUARE FOOT…

    3219 LOCKE LN RIVER OAKS 0.186524 8125 $81.85 SOLD FOR $665,000

    And I also mentioned I did a low estimate…Without even looking at the data I was still very close… I had a few investment homes in River Oaks and I have my office nearby as well so I am very familiar with the territory.

  • That is one depressing looking house. People always fail to remember that Unique does not equal Valuable.

  • Sonny, thank you for your opinion.

  • No problem, I really enjoy discussing real estate.

  • A few months ago when Swamplot advertised for and allegedly hired real estate writers, I had this stupid idea that the site would expand and become even more informative and newsworthy. Frankly, I’ve found the opposite to be true seeing fewer articles and none of the neighborhood reporting that was touted and expected, at least not on a consistent basis. I now visit this site weekly instead of daily because of the lack of fresh, new information, which I mistakenly thought was the objective of hiring writers/reporters. Silly me.

  • MarketingWiz…

    Im not going to completely disagree with you… but can you give me some ideas of what some great topics you would like to see….

    Just curious… :)

    I like their articles but maybe they can be upgraded a little…