All Signs Pointing to a Houston Slowdown; A TIRZ for Montrose

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Photo of Downtown Houston: Marc Longoria via Swamplot Flickr Pool

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  • So if someone could lend me some clarity on the housing market I would appreciate it. This is how I understand it. Median price is down, number of sales are down, however inventory went down to 3.6 months as well. Houses in the 150-250 range are still doing fine though. The first two issues seem to be related to anemic sales in the luxury market due to the loss of oil/gas workers, but I don’t understand how inventory can tighten when sales are down. Could someone help me out here?

  • Be wary about the new TIRZ. Mayor Parker will appoint all her developer friends to the board and they will funnel all the money to basically be subsidies for major projects. They don’t care about your roads. They dont care about drainage infrastructure. They will spend a hundred million dollars on projects and flood out the residents to save a million dollars.

    Sylvester Turner is taking money from these people too and he will flood out montrose if his campaign contributors get their way.

  • I feel so lucky! My wife and I were planning our move away from Houston, originally, in summer 2016 but we moved up the timeline to summer 2015. We sold our townhouse last summer and made a bunch in equity after only 2 years! It felt crazy at the time. Now there is a townhouse in the same complex that has been siting for months and months compared to ours selling in 3 weeks. I don’t think life would be the same at all if we had waited. It feels like we slid out of Houston on a high note. Good luck Houston, may the odds be ever in your favor.

  • Re: the Houston slow-down/ oil industry mess

    The oil mess is all by design. Obama and his cousins in the middle-east are in cahoots, and have been working hard to destroy Israel and Texas, Houston and its oil in particular. Now he’s letting his kin folk flood into the country to wreak havoc and cause complete chaos, a la San Bernidino, CA. Houston, state, and other leaders have sat around and allowed him to do it, so don’t start crying now. 2016 will not only be BRUTAL for Houston, but for ALL of America…everywhere will take a hit: Houston, Dallas, Texas, NY, LA, North…South… East… West. The American bubbles are about to burst, and it will be felt nationwide…it’s not just about oil, it’s the entire American economy. You can thank Obama and his middle-east loyalties for this mess. Anyone who doesn’t understand is a GD fool. Get ready.

  • Be Wary: Annie Parker isn’t the mayor anymore. So she can’t do any of what you think she can.

  • Oil is down, but it’s not the only game in town anymore…nor is it as dominant in Houston as it was in the 80’s. Hooray for economc diversification. Houston will re-double its efforts in its other large economic sectors like manufacturing, medicine/healthcare and the port, etc, to continue to mitigate losses. Additionally, the city has spent billions repositioning itself for greater tourism/conventions by expanding hotels and retail exponentially, transforming the convention district, and transforming/expanding the major parks, arts/theatre districts and renowned museums. The emphasis/focus on its other economic sectors and the boost in convention/leisure/tourism will be a trump card for Houston through the oil mess and American economic troubles.

  • What goes up…must come down. This is nothing new to native Houstonians. It’s the recent newcomers that will be hurt the most. Though more diverse than the 80’s, Houston is still heavily invested in O&G sector. A year ago Engineers were getting crazy sign-on bonus etc, – next year…you’ll be lucky to have a job. Also, if you are thinking of selling your home I’d pull the trigger soon. Those of you waiting, remember patience is virtue :)

  • Parker will likely make the appointments at end of her term.

    What matters is the part you missed that turner will flood out montrose if he’s elected. He is the one financed by the developers that will rob you blind and flood you out if you live in montrose.

  • That Chronicle article about connecting 290 to Louisiana as part of I-14 doesn’t mention 290. It talks about 190. Maybe they fixed it after that headline appeared.

  • The Montrose TIRZ could be a great opportunity to address many infrastructure issues in Montrose if done correctly.

    And everyone, please take care to disregard unsupportable and invalid complaints against TIRZs from unhinged West Houston commenters who’ve had irrational antipathy to MetroNational since the 1980s.

  • @US Economic Collapse – Take that stuff back to your Fox News chain mail echo chamber. Is swamplot being taken over by birther Tea Party dummies?

  • Local planner wants everyone to live in a 250 square foot box in a high rise off discovery green. Turner = flooded out montrose.

  • BeWary, I think it may be a little late for that since it’s a done deal (I was against it). Hopefully drainage and development can peacefully coexist, but given Houston’s track record I am concerned. My street flooded no less than 4 times since May. The water was much higher than what I experienced with Allison in 2001.

  • Michael, Sorry to hear that. Turners campaign is funded by developers. If he gets elected, the water will be inside your house, not just on the street.

  • Montrose is going to continue it’s rapid growth. That’s no secret. You’ve already been flooded out by that tidal wave of gentrification a couple years ago. The waters continue to rise BeWary. Soon you will be Challenger deep and no longer able to see the sun. (Market) Climate change will be your end of days.

    With so many beautification projects, cleaning up the parks, and now Montrose TIRZ, you will no longer see the Montrose you once knew. Every inch of it will be erased from history like all things in this city. Watch out wards.

  • Re TIRZ… well then, I will nominate WELCH street to be one of the first that gets rebuilt, the conditions are deplorable after years, and years of deferred maintenance. There are other streets in the East Montrose area, but WELCH seems to be the worse. I drive by it and I still see huge metal plates that have been there for over a year!