Swamplot

Swamplot’s sponsor today is Houston’s own Central Bank. Thank you for the continued support!

Central Bank has 4 (central) Houston branches available to meet your business or personal needs: in Midtown, the Heights, West Houston, and Post Oak Place.

Central Bank believes that change is essential to its success; the company actively pursues the latest in service, technology, and products. Central Bank aims to know its customers personally and to be their primary business and personal financial resource. The bank’s staff values relationships and strives to be available when you need them.

To learn more about how Central Bank can meet your banking needs, please call any of the following Senior Vice Presidents: Kenny Beard, at 832.485.2376; Bonnie Purvis, at 832.485.2354; Gary Noble, at 832.485.2366; or Ryan Tillman, at 832.485.2307. You can also find out more on the bank’s website.

Some great Houston businesses support Swamplot. Here’s how yours can too. 

Today Swamplot is brought to you by Loam Agronomics, in order to introduce the company’s new CSA program for Houston. Thanks for the support!

Have you been looking for a way to get a regular supply of fresh, locally grown produce for your household? Do you like the idea of eating food that hasn’t been shipped thousands of miles, but is picked at peak ripeness nearby and available to you in 48 hours or less? Then you’ll want to know all about the launch of Loam Agronomics.

The first crops are growing now on a 40-acre portion of a 288-acre agricultural site the company has acquired in Richmond. And you can participate — by joining the Loan Agronomics CSA. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. The CSA will give Houston residents direct access to high-quality, fresh produce grown on this local farm. When you become a member of the Loam Agronomics CSA, you’re purchasing a weekly “share” of vegetables from the company and supporting the production of local food in your community. Loam Agronomics will begin regular weekly distribution of CSA shares in March.

Loam Agronomics is a project of the same people behind Edible Earth Resources, the local gardening firm that’s been transforming some high-profile urban lots in Houston into attractive edible gardens. Loam Agronomics will serve much of the same community, but at a larger scale.

If you’ve got questions about the CSA program or the operation and standards of the farm, take a look at the answers to the FAQ posted on the brand-spanking-new Loam Agronomics website.

Loam Agronomics offers:

• Drop sites across Houston
• Pickups on Thursdays and Saturdays
• Signups available any time
• Cooking and storing tips
• Community events

. . . all for just $30 per week.

To sign up, all you need to do is select a convenient drop site; fill out a member information profile; and choose a payment plan (4-, 12-, 26-, and 52-week plans are available, some with discounted rates) — all of which you can do from this page on the Loam Agronomics website.

Swamplot is a smart place to announce exciting new community projects. Learn about our Sponsor of the Day program here.

Our sponsor today is the 2-story home at 407 E. Cowan Dr. in Crestwood, offered for sale by Nan and Company Properties. Thanks for supporting Swamplot!

This 4- (but could be 5-) bedroom, 4-and-a-half bathroom home has a mostly open floor plan. A set of double front doors opens to a 2-story foyer. To the right, the entry is open to the formal dining room; to the left is a study; and ahead, next to the wrought-iron-lined, curving central staircase and through a set of arches, is the formal living room pictured above. A separate family room, adjacent to the kitchen and breakfast area, looks out onto the back yard. Standout features include the upstairs media room, the window-side bath in the extensive master suite, and the outdoor living area at the northwest corner of the back yard of the 9,900 sq. ft. lot.

Just a block and a half west of this 5,751-sq.-ft. home in the Crestwood subdivision just east of Rice Military lies Houston’s renowned Memorial Park. There’s only a short drive north to I-10, one exit away from the West Loop.

For a quick tour of this unique property, watch the video above. More information is available in the listing.

If you’re interested in this home, please call the property’s agent, Abigail Dodds of Nan and Company Properties, at 713.561.3582, or email her at abby@nanproperties.com for more details. Abby specializes in luxury, designer homes within the Houston Inner Loop area.

Is there a standout property in your life that deserves to be introduced to a wider audience? Find out how to get it featured on Swamplot.

Swamplot’s sponsor today is Just Buyers Houston, which represents — yes, you guessed it — buyers only in real estate transactions. Thanks for the support!

Just Buyers Houston has a data scientist to help buyers make better decisions. But there isn’t anything the firm can do about the low inventory of homes currently for sale in many Inner Loop and surrounding neighborhoods.

Judy Thompson has been calculating market conditions every other day for more than 10 years in 19 popular local Zip Codes — using a formula based on supply and demand. It just so happens that the latest update (shown in part above; click here to see the whole thing) shows, on average across all the tracked neighborhoods, a seller’s market in every price range except the $2-million-plus market (and that one is classified as a “normal” market). The end of the year is an ending point for many listing agreements. If a lot of potential sellers re-list their houses and many others decide early 2017 is a good time to sell, that could increase inventory.

Whether that happens or not, Just Buyers Houston data scientist Henry Kernan has several analytical tools to help you understand more fully the huge investment you make when you buy a house to live in or as an investment property:

• Percentile of value for nearby or comparable properties (for example: 80 percent of lot sizes are bigger, 20 percent are smaller)
• Probability analysis of how much the final sales price will be
• Monte Carlo simulation for the return on investment (ROI) from rents, flips, long-term holding, etc.
• Needle-in-the-haystack search for exactly what any customer needs
• Spatial comparisons showing how the neighborhood or city is changing; trends

He’ll be developing even more metrics over the next few months.

So if you are an analytical buyer who has been frustrated at the dearth of house-buying data analytics, you’ll want to check in with Just Buyers Houston and see what the company has to offer. Take a look at the stats catalogued on the Just Buyers Houston website — and check it regularly as the offerings are expanded. And talk to Judy or Henry if you’re wanting a more customized approach to Houston real estate information.

Become a Swamplot sponsor and communicate directly with your next customers. Here’s how to do it.

Today we have Houston’s own Central Bank as our sponsor. Thank you for the continued support of Swamplot!

Central Bank has 4 (central) Houston branches available to meet your business or personal needs: in Midtown, the Heights, West Houston, and Post Oak Place.

Central Bank believes that change is essential to its success; the company actively pursues the latest in service, technology, and products. Central Bank aims to know its customers personally and to be their primary business and personal financial resource. The bank’s staff values relationships and strives to be available when you need them.

To learn more about how Central Bank can meet your banking needs, please call any of the following Senior Vice Presidents: Kenny Beard, at 832.485.2376; Bonnie Purvis, at 832.485.2354; Gary Noble, at 832.485.2366; or Ryan Tillman, at 832.485.2307. You can also find out more on the bank’s website.

Sponsoring Swamplot is a great move for smart Houston businesses. Here’s how to do it. 

Today on Swamplot we thank our latest sponsor, Jamestown Estate Homes. Thanks for supporting this site!

The results of the first annual Jamestown Estate Homes Holiday Decorating Photo Contest are in! And here you have them — well, half of them. Above, we have the winners of the Best Interior and Best Exterior categories. To see the winners of the Most Fun/Creative and Best Tree categories (as well as larger versions of the winning pix), you’ll want to click on over to the Jamestown Estate Homes Facebook page and take a look.

Yes, entries in this competition were limited to current residents of homes built by Jamestown Estate Homes. If you’d like to join this select group in time for next year’s competition, check out the properties Jamestown Estate Homes currently has for sale on this page of the company’s website. And while you’re on the website, take a look at some of the company’s other work — it’ll help you get a sense if the kind of work they do would be a good fit for your home-construction project. (For more information on Jamestown Estate Homes’s custom building programs, contact Victoria Hawes — (832) 296-1663 or victoria.hawes@jamestownestatehomes.com.)

Jamestown Estate Homes was named Custom Builder of the Year by the GHBA in 2013. The company has active projects in the Memorial Villages, Oak Forest, and the Heights, and is looking to expand into Meyerland, Bellaire, and Tanglewood. (Jamestown Estate Homes will also build on a client’s land in surrounding areas.) The company completes 6 to 12 homes a year, with projects starting around $500,000 (for the house only).

Some smart Houston companies are building names for themselves by sponsoring Swamplot. Find out more about how to become a sponsor.

Today Swamplot is sponsored by the 4-bedroom, 4-and-a-half-bath home at 712 E. 9th St. in the Houston Heights. Thanks for the support!

Brickmoon Design was inspired by a series of Creole cottages by New Orleans architect Ken Tate, the company reports, when it designed this 4,162-sq.-ft. property. The builder, Smith Family Homes, has constructed a number of homes in the Heights. You’ll find a careful attention to detail in the finishes and craftsmanship of this home.

The first floor is centered around a side-facing courtyard. The family room, which features a wood-burning fireplace and windows on 3 sides, faces onto this courtyard as well as the front porch. The 7-ft.-wide central entry hall passing between the family room and the dining room leads — through a pair of French doors — to a side veranda facing the courtyard. The kitchen (photo at top) faces onto the veranda and courtyard; there’s an option to add an outdoor kitchen that would sit at the veranda’s far end.

The first-floor master bedroom suite, entered through a private vestibule, also has views into the courtyard. Behind it is the master bath (pictured above) and an even larger walk-in closet. Rooms on this floor have 11-ft. ceilings. The attached garage is accessed from the alley.

The second story also has views into the side courtyard — from a vestibule suitable for use as a homework station as well as from the 17-ft.-by-23-ft. game room. Each of the 3 upstairs bedrooms has it own bathroom; there’s also a separate walk-in storage closet.

The home is zoned to Harvard Elementary School. Shops along Studewood are just down the block; the well-known restaurants on 11th St. to the north and White Oak Blvd. to the south are easily walkable.

If you’d like to see more details — including the distinctive rafter tails and some views of the site-crafted trimwork — check out the property website. Further information, including floor plans, are available on this page of the Smith Family Homes website.

Don’t miss out on Swamplot’s Sponsor of the Day program; here’s how to participate.

Today on Swamplot our sponsor is Mosaic Clinic Dermatology. Thanks for supporting this site!

Mosaic Clinic Dermatology is an award-winning, highly rated general dermatology practice with multiple Houston locations: in Upper Kirby at 2211 Norfolk St. Suite 405; in Midtown at 902 Fairview St. Suite 1; and in the Tanglewood area (convenient to the Galleria) at 5757 Woodway Dr. Suite 185a.

Mosaic Clinic Dermatology has just introduced its own professional-grade cleansing cream (pictured here). It’s now available at all 3 clinic locations — and from this page online.

The clinic treats all skin conditions — including acne, eczema, and skin rashes. The Mosaic Clinic’s dermatologists are available for both scheduled appointments and last-minute urgent skin visits. You can schedule same-day and Saturday appointments online or by phone. And here’s an idea: Use your end-of-year insurance benefits for skin cancer screening and to get suspicious moles tested.

Check out the Mosaic Clinic Dermatology website — or call (281) 941-5556 for immediate assistance.

Local businesses are getting great results from sponsoring Swamplot. Find out more about our Sponsor of the Day program here.

Swamplot is sponsored today by Houston’s own Central Bank. Thank you for the continued support!

Central Bank has 4 (central) Houston branches available to meet your business or personal needs: in Midtown, the Heights, West Houston, and Post Oak Place.

Central Bank believes that change is essential to its success; the company actively pursues the latest in service, technology, and products. Central Bank aims to know its customers personally and to be their primary business and personal financial resource. The bank’s staff values relationships and strives to be available when you need them.

To learn more about how Central Bank can meet your banking needs, please call any of the following Senior Vice Presidents: Kenny Beard, at 832.485.2376; Bonnie Purvis, at 832.485.2354; Gary Noble, at 832.485.2366; or Ryan Tillman, at 832.485.2307. You can also find out more on the bank’s website.

Let Swamplot readers know about your business: Become a sponsor. 

Our sponsor today is Jamestown Estate Homes. Thanks for supporting Swamplot!

Jamestown Estate Homes wishes you a Merry Christmas!

For the third year in a row, the team at Jamestown Estate Homes has sent out its holiday cards. In years past they’ve donned tacky Christmas sweaters and matching plaid flannels. But this year they decided to represent their alma maters.

From top left:

• The company’s president, Greg Hawes, earned his BS in Math from the University of Texas at Austin.
• Project coordinator Lindsey Bechtold earned her BA in psychology from the University of Texas at Austin.
• Construction manager Mike Prejeant earned his BS in Civil Engineering from Louisiana State University.
• Controller Katy Hawes earned her MBA from Rice University after getting her BS with high honors in Molecular Biology from the University of Texas at Austin.
• Sales and marketing director Victoria Hawes earned her MA in communications from Purdue after graduating first in her class with a degree in corporate communication from the University of Houston.

Jamestown Estate Homes completed 7 custom homes in the Memorial Villages, Oak Forest, and Fall Creek in 2016. 2017 will be an exciting year for Jamestown Estate Homes as the company continues to focus on the Memorial Villages and Garden Oaks/Oak Forest communities, build its new office in the Heights, and expand into new markets. To learn more about Jamestown Estate Homes click here — or simply email Victoria Hawes directly at victoria.hawes@jamestownestatehomes.com.

You can view Jamestown Estate Homes’ custom home offerings in the Memorial Villages at 11323 Surrey Oaks and 11926 Broken Bough by visiting open houses in both locations this Sunday, December 18th, from 2 to 4 pm.

Is it your holiday wish to become a Swamplot sponsor? Make it so!

Swamplot’s sponsor today is Unit 5C at The Willowick, at 2200 Willowick Rd. Thanks for supporting this site!

Perched on the southwestern border of River Oaks, The Willowick is a Gerald D. Hines development from 1963, designed by Houston standout Modern architects Neuhaus & Taylor. The 15-story structure has a classic midcentury look: walls of glass on all sides, with overhanging concrete slabs that form continuous balconies in every direction.

The balcony wrapping unit 5C frames southern views toward Greenway Plaza (visible in both photos above) and eastern views toward River Oaks and Downtown. Central Market and the Highland Village Shopping Center are just down the block.

This 1,960-sq.-ft. unit has 2 bedrooms and 2 baths. Recent renovations include new white oak floors laid in a chevron pattern, sleek new custom kitchen cabinetry from Eggersmann, Grohe fixtures, and custom-made bedroom closets (these are shown off nicely in 3 listing photos).

You’ll find many more pics of this unit and this unique building on the property website. Unit 5C is offered for sale by Star Massing of Boulevard Realty.

Classic residences show off nicely when they sponsor Swamplot! More info about our sponsorship program is this way.

Today our thanks go to sponsor of the day West U Real Estate LLC, which has a big announcement to make:

As of today, West U Real Estate has a new name, a new website, a new associate, and an intensified focus on data analytics. The new name is Just Buyers Houston. The new website — which is soft-launching right now, as we type — is here (that’s a screenshot above). The new associate is Henry Kernan. And he’ll be steering the brokerage’s new data programs.

Buyers’ agent Judy Thompson has been collecting useful historical home sales data on a select group of mostly Inner Loop neighborhoods on her website since 2004. And she’s served exclusively as a buyer’s agent in this city for more than 20 years. She’s tended to attract clients who have “a thing” for analysis — as she does. That’s how she met her new business associate.

Henry Kernan was a client first. After seeing her Sponsor of the Day post on Swamplot (!) late last year, he first contacted Judy to help him find a home in Houston. Later, she invited him to join the company.

Henry Kernan considers himself a data scientist first (and a petroleum geologist a close second). His passion, he says, is discovering the hidden gems in massive data sets. “Through my work in various fields,” he says, “I’ve come to consider automation as only a first step; the ability to tailor analysis to individual problems is the true goal. Sites like Zillow give users a good overview, but nothing can replace local knowledge and personalized advice. At Just Buyers Houston we aim to combine experience and cutting-edge technology — so our clients can be confident they are getting all the data.”

In case it wasn’t clear from the new name, Just Buyers Houston still represents real estate buyers only. If you’re the kind of Houston real estate watcher who’s interested in using local data to get a sense of the market in the neighborhoods you’re considering — or if you just want to check out what this rebranded company has to offer — take a look at the brand-new Just Buyers Houston website. More information will be added to it in the weeks to come. And even after that, you’ll want to visit it regularly, to get a sense of the stories the latest data are telling.

Yep, Sponsor of the Day posts on Swamplot help Houston businesses make great connections. Here’s how your firm can participate.

Today’s sponsor is Edible Earth Resources, which is launching a new series of Garden Dinners this Sunday. Thank you for supporting Swamplot!

Edible Earth Resources is elated to announce the launch of its Garden Dinner series. Edible Earth Resources is the full service edible-focused gardening firm that’s been the motivating force behind a number of Houston-area edible-garden initiatives, including Farmstead, a store for edible-garden gardeners; the urban farming project known as Planted Houston; and some great green spaces like the garden at Heights restaurant Coltivare. The company recently acquired a space behind Patrenella’s Italian Restaurant, one block off Washington Ave, for a show garden.

EER will use the garden space for a series of chef-driven dinners and garden classes. The garden dinners will feature the culinary work of many established and upcoming chefs. A significant portion of the produce used in all the dishes at these dinners will come directly from the garden — making the dishes as fresh as possible. Each four-course meal will be paired with fresh cocktails.

The inaugural dinner is this Sunday, December 11th, at 5 pm, at the new Edible Earth Resources Show Garden at 4107 Lillian St., near Washington Ave. The chef for this evening will be Adam Garcia (pictured above), known for his work at The Pass & Provisions, Coltivare, Revival Market, and Julep.

And you’re invited! Bring your friends and come celebrate the year and meet some of the people behind Houston’s burgeoning edible-garden movement. If you’re interested in edible gardening — or just making friends over a fine meal — you’ll want to attend this event. Click here to buy tickets.

Swamplot’s Sponsor of the Day program is a great way to get the word out about important local happenings. Here’s how to become a sponsor.

Our sponsor on Swamplot today is Houston’s own Central Bank. Thank you for the continuing support!

Central Bank has 4 (central) Houston branches available to meet your business or personal needs: in Midtown, the Heights, West Houston, and Post Oak Place.

Central Bank believes that change is essential to its success; the company actively pursues the latest in service, technology, and products. Central Bank aims to know its customers personally and to be their primary business and personal financial resource. The bank’s staff values relationships and strives to be available when you need them.

To learn more about how Central Bank can meet your banking needs, please call any of the following Senior Vice Presidents: Kenny Beard, at 832.485.2376; Bonnie Purvis, at 832.485.2354; Gary Noble, at 832.485.2366; or Ryan Tillman, at 832.485.2307. You can also find out more on the bank’s website.

Some great Houston businesses are sponsoring Swamplot. You should too. 

Today’s Swamplot sponsor: The 1959 vintage home at 8102 Colgate St. in Glenbrook Valley. Thank you for sponsoring this site!

If you’ve been waiting for just the right Glenbrook Valley Mod to make its presence known, you’ll want to take a good look at the 3-bedroom, 2-and-a-half-bath home at 8102 Colgate, which just went up for sale over the weekend. It sits on a 13,573-sq.-ft. lot on the corner of Colgate and Lakewind St., tucked deep into the neighborhood south of Sims Bayou. Glenbrook Valley, in case you didn’t know, is Houston’s only historic district prized for its Midcentury Modern homes.

A double entry door flanked under an overhang by cross-ribbed glass panels at the center of the front facade of this home leads to a terrazzo-tile entry hall. And your first view inside is unexpected (well, it would have been if we didn’t spill the beans here): A central atrium court, seen through 3 floor-to-ceiling windows. (It’s the outdoor space shown in the photo at top.)

Many rooms in the house provide views into the atrium space — including the vaulted, 28-foot-long den (pictured above), which has an office alcove off it. The attached 2-car garage has storage rooms and additional workshop space. There’s also carport, with room for 2 more cars.

You can get a pretty good sense of the home’s layout if you study the photos on the property website. Or arrange for a tour! The home is offered for sale by Robert Searcy of Robert Searcy Properties.

Got a snazzy listing that deserves to be featured as a Sponsor of the Day? Let us know about it.