Comments on: Houston Home Listing Photo of the Day: Tidy Whities http://swamplot.com/houston-home-listing-photo-of-the-day-tidy-whities/2012-09-25/ Houston, Texas real estate development, home buying, landscape, and design Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:47:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Sihaya http://swamplot.com/houston-home-listing-photo-of-the-day-tidy-whities/2012-09-25/#comment-284663 Sihaya Wed, 26 Sep 2012 17:47:55 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47749#comment-284663 The older homes in Bellaire and West U. were selling like hotcakes during the county's mild real estate downturn, whereas the expensive, newer homes sat for a few months before they moved. That 'affordability' factor was extremely important. I have known more than one physician or tenure-track professor who buys the older home because that's what he's got the money for. The values of the cheaper homes rose, because even at $50k-$100K more, those homes were more affordable than the mini mansions. Very often those are starter homes within the neighborhood, and the owners move on to a more expensive home in the same city, or else rebuild on their own property. Rather than drag values down, these homes keep property moving within the neighborhood and help create longterm monetary relationships between new citizens and the towns. Some properties, like those near the water plant or the freeway, stay old, and their owners might not move 'up'. As properties near the freeway or water treatment plants, they're doing the best that any PU-adjacent home could do. A mini mansion on the same property might langush until it is sold at foreclosure prices, and *that* would definitely drag overall property values down. Your evaluation of the 'riffraff' on places like West U. and Bellaire is extremely oversimplified, Commonsense. The older homes in Bellaire and West U. were selling like hotcakes during the county’s mild real estate downturn, whereas the expensive, newer homes sat for a few months before they moved. That ‘affordability’ factor was extremely important. I have known more than one physician or tenure-track professor who buys the older home because that’s what he’s got the money for. The values of the cheaper homes rose, because even at $50k-$100K more, those homes were more affordable than the mini mansions. Very often those are starter homes within the neighborhood, and the owners move on to a more expensive home in the same city, or else rebuild on their own property. Rather than drag values down, these homes keep property moving within the neighborhood and help create longterm monetary relationships between new citizens and the towns.

Some properties, like those near the water plant or the freeway, stay old, and their owners might not move ‘up’. As properties near the freeway or water treatment plants, they’re doing the best that any PU-adjacent home could do. A mini mansion on the same property might langush until it is sold at foreclosure prices, and *that* would definitely drag overall property values down. Your evaluation of the ‘riffraff’ on places like West U. and Bellaire is extremely oversimplified, Commonsense.

]]> By: Nearby http://swamplot.com/houston-home-listing-photo-of-the-day-tidy-whities/2012-09-25/#comment-284252 Nearby Tue, 25 Sep 2012 20:13:30 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47749#comment-284252 As a neighbor who walks the west u area everyday I personally enjoy the variety of homes in the area. As long as a bungalow is well kept )as this one appears to be) it is alright by me. Most of them have more charm than my out of the box McMansion I live in. As a neighbor who walks the west u area everyday I personally enjoy the variety of homes in the area. As long as a bungalow is well kept )as this one appears to be) it is alright by me. Most of them have more charm than my out of the box McMansion I live in.

]]> By: Houston Native http://swamplot.com/houston-home-listing-photo-of-the-day-tidy-whities/2012-09-25/#comment-284242 Houston Native Tue, 25 Sep 2012 19:54:48 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47749#comment-284242 I actually like the kitchen without wall cabinets - it's a unique look. It really unclutters a small space. I actually like the kitchen without wall cabinets – it’s a unique look. It really unclutters a small space.

]]> By: commonsense http://swamplot.com/houston-home-listing-photo-of-the-day-tidy-whities/2012-09-25/#comment-284241 commonsense Tue, 25 Sep 2012 19:53:27 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47749#comment-284241 If I'm buying a house for $1.5 mln, the guy who buys and keeps a house for 500k too close to me IS riff raff. Naturally, I am riff raff if I buy a $1.5 mln house on the street of $3 mln homes. -- @Shady, the difference is I'm not making anyone by law do what I would like them to do. -- @Doofus, even if what you're saying is true, a 1 in a 1mln anomaly does not an argument make. If I’m buying a house for $1.5 mln, the guy who buys and keeps a house for 500k too close to me IS riff raff. Naturally, I am riff raff if I buy a $1.5 mln house on the street of $3 mln homes.
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@Shady, the difference is I’m not making anyone by law do what I would like them to do.
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@Doofus, even if what you’re saying is true, a 1 in a 1mln anomaly does not an argument make.

]]> By: doofus http://swamplot.com/houston-home-listing-photo-of-the-day-tidy-whities/2012-09-25/#comment-284233 doofus Tue, 25 Sep 2012 19:24:15 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47749#comment-284233 Blanket statements are for blankets. Signed, the owner of a 1928 restored brick beauty worth more than 99% of the same sized new builds in the neighborhood Blanket statements are for blankets.

Signed,

the owner of a 1928 restored brick beauty worth more than 99% of the same sized new builds in the neighborhood

]]> By: ShadyHeightster http://swamplot.com/houston-home-listing-photo-of-the-day-tidy-whities/2012-09-25/#comment-284231 ShadyHeightster Tue, 25 Sep 2012 19:19:54 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47749#comment-284231 Commonsense, your argument about "obsolete" homes is just the flipside to the argument pro-development people make about preservationists in the Heights. You prefer to tell people to raise old homes so neighborhood property values rise, while the new development types say that those who want historic preservation codes strengthened want to tell others what to do with their property. Fortunately, with over 600 square miles just within the Houston city limits, I think both sides should be able to find a place to call their own. Commonsense, your argument about “obsolete” homes is just the flipside to the argument pro-development people make about preservationists in the Heights. You prefer to tell people to raise old homes so neighborhood property values rise, while the new development types say that those who want historic preservation codes strengthened want to tell others what to do with their property.
Fortunately, with over 600 square miles just within the Houston city limits, I think both sides should be able to find a place to call their own.

]]> By: J. http://swamplot.com/houston-home-listing-photo-of-the-day-tidy-whities/2012-09-25/#comment-284225 J. Tue, 25 Sep 2012 19:09:37 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47749#comment-284225 Yes, I've been concerned about the riff raff in West U. Yes, I’ve been concerned about the riff raff in West U.

]]> By: BC http://swamplot.com/houston-home-listing-photo-of-the-day-tidy-whities/2012-09-25/#comment-284224 BC Tue, 25 Sep 2012 19:07:23 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47749#comment-284224 commonsense: just what kind of riff raff do you think is going to buy a 539K house? commonsense: just what kind of riff raff do you think is going to buy a 539K house?

]]> By: commonsense http://swamplot.com/houston-home-listing-photo-of-the-day-tidy-whities/2012-09-25/#comment-284208 commonsense Tue, 25 Sep 2012 18:21:25 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47749#comment-284208 I'm not sure the location is all that great. If you look on Google maps you can see a large parking lot behind the home and what seems like a trash truck repair facility. Beyond that, within an earshot is a water facility for city of West U. -- On a separate note, people who buy obsolete houses like this and actually live in them are dragging down property values for everyone else. It's a tug of war... One side buys old obsolescence to keep affordability down, the other side builds bigger and better to pull up values (and taxes)and keep riff raff out. I’m not sure the location is all that great. If you look on Google maps you can see a large parking lot behind the home and what seems like a trash truck repair facility. Beyond that, within an earshot is a water facility for city of West U.
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On a separate note, people who buy obsolete houses like this and actually live in them are dragging down property values for everyone else. It’s a tug of war… One side buys old obsolescence to keep affordability down, the other side builds bigger and better to pull up values (and taxes)and keep riff raff out.

]]> By: Random Poster http://swamplot.com/houston-home-listing-photo-of-the-day-tidy-whities/2012-09-25/#comment-284193 Random Poster Tue, 25 Sep 2012 17:40:23 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47749#comment-284193 From the photos, the (only) bathroom does not look to be particularly functional. It appears that one of the bedrooms used to be the garage. And is the power meter embedded in the backyard hedges? If there was (or is) a way to squeeze another bathroom in, I could probably live without the garage, it gets hot in Houston and that sun can be intense. Still, the house photographs well, seems very well located, and the price appears, on its face, to be reasonable. I'd buy it if I were in the market, subject to the bathroom issue. From the photos, the (only) bathroom does not look to be particularly functional.

It appears that one of the bedrooms used to be the garage.

And is the power meter embedded in the backyard hedges?

If there was (or is) a way to squeeze another bathroom in, I could probably live without the garage, it gets hot in Houston and that sun can be intense.

Still, the house photographs well, seems very well located, and the price appears, on its face, to be reasonable. I’d buy it if I were in the market, subject to the bathroom issue.

]]> By: Nearby http://swamplot.com/houston-home-listing-photo-of-the-day-tidy-whities/2012-09-25/#comment-284188 Nearby Tue, 25 Sep 2012 17:09:27 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47749#comment-284188 There is NOTHING in West U for that price range. It is well kept, and priced just above lot value (I would guess $450k just in land) I bet it sells fairly quickly. I walk past this house every day on the way to the school. It's proximity to the grade school is another huge plus.] There is NOTHING in West U for that price range. It is well kept, and priced just above lot value (I would guess $450k just in land) I bet it sells fairly quickly.

I walk past this house every day on the way to the school. It’s proximity to the grade school is another huge plus.]

]]> By: commonsense http://swamplot.com/houston-home-listing-photo-of-the-day-tidy-whities/2012-09-25/#comment-284183 commonsense Tue, 25 Sep 2012 16:53:36 +0000 http://swamplot.com/?p=47749#comment-284183 Lot value, I surely hope. Lot value, I surely hope.

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