Comments on: Half Off New Construction: Where? http://swamplot.com/half-off-new-construction-where/2009-01-12/ Houston, Texas real estate development, home buying, landscape, and design Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:51:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Miz Brooke Smith http://swamplot.com/half-off-new-construction-where/2009-01-12/#comment-16979 Miz Brooke Smith Sat, 17 Jan 2009 13:45:30 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=5486#comment-16979 Tara, if the property is within City of Houston you can (if yu haven't already) report the overgrown lot to 311 as a nuisance under Neighborhood Protection ordinances. Report weeds etc. over 3' high, and tell 'em you've seen rats and other varmints ("rat harborage" is the official term). The city will come out with a warning sign and give the owner a certain period of time to clean the place up. If that doesn't happen, eventually the city itself will come out and do it and bill the property owner. Of course if the guy already owes taxes and doesn't give a hoot about the property this may not do much good in the long run, but at least you'll have a cleaner lot next door. Best of luck to you... Tara, if the property is within City of Houston you can (if yu haven’t already) report the overgrown lot to 311 as a nuisance under Neighborhood Protection ordinances. Report weeds etc. over 3′ high, and tell ‘em you’ve seen rats and other varmints (”rat harborage” is the official term).

The city will come out with a warning sign and give the owner a certain period of time to clean the place up. If that doesn’t happen, eventually the city itself will come out and do it and bill the property owner. Of course if the guy already owes taxes and doesn’t give a hoot about the property this may not do much good in the long run, but at least you’ll have a cleaner lot next door.

Best of luck to you…

]]> By: tara http://swamplot.com/half-off-new-construction-where/2009-01-12/#comment-16978 tara Sat, 17 Jan 2009 12:52:08 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=5486#comment-16978 i have one of those next door to my nice house in champions....for 5 years the land is just sitting there beyond grown over with fallen trees and snakes .... he has not paid taxes or champions dues in 5 years ...i have tried to buy the land from him as it is for sale but he is asking 3xs what its worth because he is a personal lender and he does not care.... is there anything i can do...he has no insurance so all of it fall on me to repair....i read this site everyday it is my fav and i trust you guys may have some way to point me.... thank you so much i have one of those next door to my nice house in champions….for 5 years the land is just sitting there beyond grown over with fallen trees and snakes …. he has not paid taxes or champions dues in 5 years …i have tried to buy the land from him as it is for sale but he is asking 3xs what its worth because he is a personal lender and he does not care…. is there anything i can do…he has no insurance so all of it fall on me to repair….i read this site everyday it is my fav and i trust you guys may have some way to point me….
thank you so much

]]> By: subprimelandguy http://swamplot.com/half-off-new-construction-where/2009-01-12/#comment-16859 subprimelandguy Thu, 15 Jan 2009 21:36:24 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=5486#comment-16859 Jeez - after I made my very declaritory statement in my earlier comment that you won't see much of any of this inside Loop 610, I started paying more attention to my inner loop and just outside the loop surroundings, and wow was I ever wrong! I totally overestimated the creditworthiness of smaller luxury custom builders and their buyers! There is indeed a lot of Tyvek flying around on some pretty premium dirt. Another one I just saw is the former Waterhill Homes development on the crook of Kingsbrook near I-10@Chimney Rock, behind the old Fox Hall apartments. Jeez - after I made my very declaritory statement in my earlier comment that you won’t see much of any of this inside Loop 610, I started paying more attention to my inner loop and just outside the loop surroundings, and wow was I ever wrong! I totally overestimated the creditworthiness of smaller luxury custom builders and their buyers! There is indeed a lot of Tyvek flying around on some pretty premium dirt. Another one I just saw is the former Waterhill Homes development on the crook of Kingsbrook near I-10@Chimney Rock, behind the old Fox Hall apartments.

]]> By: Jesse http://swamplot.com/half-off-new-construction-where/2009-01-12/#comment-16831 Jesse Thu, 15 Jan 2009 04:06:44 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=5486#comment-16831 Here's another in the Sawyer heights area: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1510+crockett+st,+houston,+texas&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=33.572881,56.601563&ie=UTF8&ll=29.771511,-95.373387&spn=0.004489,0.013819&z=16&iwloc=addr&layer=c&cbll=29.771507,-95.373231&panoid=ZxjzgLfLl7u8ly3qDB6zfw&cbp=12,352.1687020630491,,0,-4.6232932081156095 Looks under construction in the picture, but it has been sitting in its flapping Tyvek glory for about a year now. Unless the floorplans are utterly horrid, I don't see how someone couldn't turn this one around in no time. You could even market it through Urban Living!! Here’s another in the Sawyer heights area:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=.....2081156095

Looks under construction in the picture, but it has been sitting in its flapping Tyvek glory for about a year now. Unless the floorplans are utterly horrid, I don’t see how someone couldn’t turn this one around in no time. You could even market it through Urban Living!!

]]> By: Doris Murdock http://swamplot.com/half-off-new-construction-where/2009-01-12/#comment-16799 Doris Murdock Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:41:41 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=5486#comment-16799 Above writers have covered many locations, and there are many more, and more to come! RE the 2203,2205,2207 Rutland--a group of neighbors submitted a lengthy complaint with photos and violations to City Council, Mayor, Neighborhood Protection. Neighborhood Protection has followed through with at least 15 citations, requiring the buildings to be boarded up, trash to be picked up. As of today there is a pile of trash in front of 2205 which is owned by someone besides Choice Devel. The 2 end ones are in arrears on taxes. Anyone want a really ughly house that has has windows & doors open to the elements, critters, and vagrants for almost 2 years? Above writers have covered many locations, and there are many more, and more to come! RE the 2203,2205,2207 Rutland–a group of neighbors submitted a lengthy complaint with photos and violations to City Council, Mayor, Neighborhood Protection. Neighborhood Protection has followed through with at least 15 citations, requiring the buildings to be boarded up, trash to be picked up. As of today there is a pile of trash in front of 2205 which is owned by someone besides Choice Devel. The 2 end ones are in arrears on taxes. Anyone want a really ughly house that has has windows & doors open to the elements, critters, and vagrants for almost 2 years?

]]> By: Emme http://swamplot.com/half-off-new-construction-where/2009-01-12/#comment-16746 Emme Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:49:29 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=5486#comment-16746 Info on Jared: http://swamplot.com/a-sunset-heights-lot-size-turf-war/2008-03-13/ Info on Jared:
http://swamplot.com/a-sunset-h.....008-03-13/

]]> By: JCT http://swamplot.com/half-off-new-construction-where/2009-01-12/#comment-16740 JCT Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:29:35 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=5486#comment-16740 Waterhill Homes started a project on the corner of McGowen and Jackson in Midtown before they went out of business. These have become homes for the homeless. Great for the neighborhood....and so pretty. Waterhill Homes started a project on the corner of McGowen and Jackson in Midtown before they went out of business. These have become homes for the homeless. Great for the neighborhood….and so pretty.

]]> By: MDT http://swamplot.com/half-off-new-construction-where/2009-01-12/#comment-16730 MDT Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:13:56 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=5486#comment-16730 Who is this "Jared"? Please enlighten me. Who is this “Jared”? Please enlighten me.

]]> By: EMME http://swamplot.com/half-off-new-construction-where/2009-01-12/#comment-16729 EMME Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:07:35 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=5486#comment-16729 I don't think Jared's house counts. It has never been demo'd and he never decided what to build. I don’t think Jared’s house counts. It has never been demo’d and he never decided what to build.

]]> By: Jesse http://swamplot.com/half-off-new-construction-where/2009-01-12/#comment-16725 Jesse Tue, 13 Jan 2009 13:26:10 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=5486#comment-16725 There are two nearly built townhomes at Spring and Sabine in Sawyer Heights. They look like they were once a part of a 9-10 townhome project with poured driveways and all! I haven't been able to find any information on the builder or project, but the signs out front show them listed under City Life Brokers. On a side note, there are also some Featherston Homes ( http://featherston.therideahead.org/shearn/shearn.htm ) off of both Shearn and Houston that have yet to sell in at least 2 years. The quality is quite poor and they seem to be significantly overpriced for the up and coming Sawyer Heights area. The two homes on Shearn are about 60% completed -- I'm assuming they're waiting for the 4 on Houston Ave to sell before they have the financing? There are two nearly built townhomes at Spring and Sabine in Sawyer Heights. They look like they were once a part of a 9-10 townhome project with poured driveways and all! I haven’t been able to find any information on the builder or project, but the signs out front show them listed under City Life Brokers.

On a side note, there are also some Featherston Homes ( http://featherston.therideahea.....shearn.htm ) off of both Shearn and Houston that have yet to sell in at least 2 years. The quality is quite poor and they seem to be significantly overpriced for the up and coming Sawyer Heights area. The two homes on Shearn are about 60% completed — I’m assuming they’re waiting for the 4 on Houston Ave to sell before they have the financing?

]]> By: biggerintexas http://swamplot.com/half-off-new-construction-where/2009-01-12/#comment-16713 biggerintexas Tue, 13 Jan 2009 05:18:56 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=5486#comment-16713 Does Jared's house in Sunset Heights count? Does Jared’s house in Sunset Heights count?

]]> By: Miz Brooke Smith http://swamplot.com/half-off-new-construction-where/2009-01-12/#comment-16705 Miz Brooke Smith Tue, 13 Jan 2009 02:22:41 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=5486#comment-16705 Good evening, Howard Hughes. Yes, the ugly trio of unfinished enormous spec boxes in the 500 block of Cordell still stand, one with a fresh red tag this morning. These see some construction action for a while, then the money dries up and there is nothing, then another flurry of activity, then doldrums again. Rinse and repeat. To make matters worse, the two most recent ones are painted nauseatingly organic shades of puke tan and puke mustard. They can be viewed -- and perhaps purchased at a bargain and finished out the way the buyer wants -- just up the street from the Shipping Container House, which got a fancy new permeable glass driveway today. Good evening, Howard Hughes. Yes, the ugly trio of unfinished enormous spec boxes in the 500 block of Cordell still stand, one with a fresh red tag this morning. These see some construction action for a while, then the money dries up and there is nothing, then another flurry of activity, then doldrums again. Rinse and repeat. To make matters worse, the two most recent ones are painted nauseatingly organic shades of puke tan and puke mustard. They can be viewed — and perhaps purchased at a bargain and finished out the way the buyer wants — just up the street from the Shipping Container House, which got a fancy new permeable glass driveway today.

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