03/19/15 2:15pm

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If the 4 city lots this 1954 mod rancher property in the heart of Brookshire occupies aren’t enough space, adjacent properties are available, the $249K listing says. Located 2 blocks south of U.S. 90 (about 10 minutes west of Katy), the single-owner property appears to have stayed true to its times:

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Land, Ho
03/18/15 4:30pm

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Looking a bit like a bricked-up, tricked out Americanized Florentine chapel, a solidly built property facing N. Main St. east of I-45 could swing either way. The property would work as a home or office, the listing suggests. (The second level could be a separate unit.) In a relisting this week after a 9-month break from the market, the undecided property knocked more than $100K off its previous ask, bringing the price tag to $249K. Back in May 2014, the sellers wanted $355K. But even that price was a second whittle for the property. It had first hit the market in June 2012 at $485K, but several adjustments had brought the price down to $385K before the listing expired 6 months later. In other words, the property is available now for just over half of the previous offering’s peak price.

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On the Line
03/17/15 4:15pm

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An expansive Mediterranean number in The Woodlands borders a nature reserve, but there’s nothing reserved about the sprawling home itself, which looks over the 11th fairway of the Carlton Woods Creekside Golf Course. Even the listing description eventually runs out of over-the-top adjectives to go with the photos. Envisioned by Patrick Berrios Designs and built by Termeer Custom Homes, the former Showcase of Homes home landed on the market earlier this month with a $3.35 million price tag. Its lot occupies about an acre well beyond the (manned) entrance gate of the community, which is accessed from Kuykendahl Rd. south of Spring Creek’s swath. Amid the interior’s layers of materials, iron ornamentation unspools (top) throughout the home, keeping anemia at bay.

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Indoor Grilling
03/16/15 5:00pm

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When architect Tom Wilson designed a contemporary residence for himself in West U back in 1977, he divvied the lot down the length, giving home and extensive poolscape each narrow side-by-side footprints. Twenty years later, the current owners took over, paying $535K for the privilege. Last week, the property popped up on the market with a $1.45 million price tag. Architectural guides peg the design as “a low-key medium tech house” engineered with steel and panels of metal and wood. The “front” door is on the side; it lies inside the porch and privacy screen (above) facing the street, which is located south of University Blvd. and west of Buffalo Speedway.

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Skinny But Loaded
03/12/15 4:00pm

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Was this stone-studded home in Walnut Bend one of the 30 or so properties featured in the 1960 Parade of Homes? The pebbly property’s price tag has stuck to $389K since its listing in January — with or without that pedigree. Located midblock on an interior street east of Wilcrest Dr., the domicile lands midway between Briar Forest Dr. and Westheimer Rd. The home’s exterior layers on the (mostly) non-original textures, particularly in the terracing of its courtyard entry . . .

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Stone Aged
03/12/15 3:00pm

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Can a Mod in Piney Point Estates eke out a new life, or is there a dozer in its future? And if it’s getting torn down, will 1 or 2 homes rise on the lot? This nearly intact 1960 home on 1.37 acres could go either way, its listing, posted yesterday, says. Priced at $999K, the slightly shaggy property has had some recent updates, such as a new roof and zoned HVAC. It’s located east of Gessner Rd. and north of Westheimer Rd.

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Ground Cover
03/10/15 2:15pm

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From its extensive upper (top) and lower porches facing Upper Galveston Bay to a pair of double-bay garages, an updated 1970 Kemah Heights home finished in sea foam shades duplicates many of its open floor plan’s features. The bi-level property, located a few blocks south of the Kemah Boardwalk, has 2 courtyards, a pier, quarters, a boat house, and a $998,950 asking price on its listing.

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Baywatch
03/09/15 3:00pm

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Fronting byways rather than bayous, a 1993 Creole-style cottage in the Houston Heights has room-like porches on the front and back. The bisque-hued property looks over more plantings and pavers than free-range lawn; in its initial listing last week, the price is $989K.

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Creole Cooking
03/04/15 3:00pm

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This 2004 custom home with broad shoulders settles into 3 acres of land south of Spencer Hwy. in La Porte. It’s a Mediterraneanish spread that seems to have a thing for columns, posts, and pillars. A year ago, it debuted on the market at $749K, dropping slightly to $745K in May 2014 and $739K in February 2015. A week ago, a relisting by the same agent kept that final price point.

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Columns!
03/03/15 4:00pm

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While not flashy, tweaks have tidied a 1952 rancher in Oak Forest’s section across from the White Oak Bayou Trail near T.C. Jester Park. Its listing a week ago attached am $450K asking price, up a bit from the $186K paid in 2006, when the property last changed hands. Its perky, red-painted planter full, the property is extra buffed for an open house on Sunday afternoon.

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Ranch Dressing
03/03/15 1:00pm

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As site prep starts on the long-awaited renovation of Main Street Theater’s signature building at 2540 Times Blvd. in Rice Village (top), a recent donation by a renewable energy retailer has enabled the local theater company to add a rooftop solar array to the work scope. Although not intended to power the spotlight on stage, the installation is expected to handle a good chunk of daytime electrical use, theater sources say. Descriptions of the future solar installation mention a 64-panel array on the roof and this sun-seeking companion:

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Panel Discussion