12/31/14 11:00am

2744-briarhurst-unit-47-04

2744-briarhurst-unit-47-01

Converted to condos in 1977, hacienda-themed 1963 Trafalgar Place is part of an architectural lineup encompassing Georgian and French Empire inspired apartment, townhome, and converted properties of the same era — plus more recent residential developments. Old and new properties share a block-long street — extra-wide to accommodate both a median and complex-serving feeder lanes — that spurs south off Westheimer Rd. just west of Fountainview Dr. The tidy, stucco-clad property lies across Westheimer from Briargrove, and across Briarhurst Dr. from the Lambo Chinese Buffet.

One of its updated 1-bedroom units popped up on the market earlier this month, and it’s asking $93K. It last changed hands in 2010, for $65K.

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY

Converted
12/23/14 1:30pm

3707-durhill-20141222_0001

3707-durhill-20141222_0005

Shaggy carpet, lots of louvers, and plenty of boldly patterned wallpaper from a long ownership tenure cling to a 1960 rancher in Woodside. Its midblock lot curves slightly to fit the mid-neighborhood roadway that spans from Latma to Timberside. In its listing late last week, the property’s asking price was set at $359K.

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY

Carpet Diem
12/16/14 1:00pm

2602-riverside-01

Known to passersby as much for its solid (though decorative) brick-and-stone wall as for the neoclassical and French-ish features that peek over it, this baronial 1930 home in Riverside Terrace arrived on the market a week ago. What wonders await beyond its fortifications? Well, for starters there’s the $1.5 million asking price for a property a couple blocks north of Brays Bayou and a couple blocks east of Hwy. 288. Have a peek at a few more:

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY

Behind the Brick Wall
12/15/14 12:15pm

3126-amherst-01

3126-amherst-15

Over in West University, one of the updated brick bungalows in the Rice Court neighborhood makes a few good points — in its windows, archways, and a section of living room ceiling vaulted into the sharply pitched roofline. The 2008-renovated 1934 property has been on the market since an August listing aimed at $799K; it dropped its price a month ago to $765K. Two-and-a-bit years ago, the current owner picked it up for $551K.  CONTINUE READING THIS STORY

Pointillism
12/11/14 11:45am

1119-highland-07

1119-highland-01

Previously remodeled and recently tidied, a Norhill cottage is attempting a flip with a twist — and a big finish. Having last sold in mid-October, for $416,000 after a $369,900 listing, the 1928 property popped up again over the weekend with an asking price more than $200K higher: $640,000. Could the price escalation be an example of how frighteningly frothy the local housing market has become, a reader asks? See if you can spot the updates . . .

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY

Pricing Structure
12/08/14 3:15pm

1535 milford interior

1535 milford front-2

In a niche neighborhood near the Museum District, a 1994 modern home designed by architect Natalye Appel blends into the stretch of custom homes on a wishboned street pair between Mandell and Montrose Blvd.  The corner property was listed a week ago with a $995,000 asking price and held its opening open house last weekend. Updates since its 2012 change of hands (at $730,000) include a kitchen remodeling and access from the master suite downstairs to a new courtyard and pool.

CONTINUE READING THIS STORY

Space Efficient