As recently as last Friday, the home owned by State Rep. Hubert Vo and his wife in Memorial’s Rivercrest subdivision was listed on HAR as “Option Pending.” Then — by yesterday — it was back on the market. Did something happen to disrupt a potential sale?
The new, 23,000-sq.-ft. “awesome Mediterranean estate” at 31 W. Rivercrest has been listed at the same price for 21 months.
What’s the story? A comment posted to HAIF last November offers some clues:
That house is a disaster. I believe, it was, initially being built for Rep. Vo, but when the budget quickly ran out and then they realized it wasn’t worth what was spent on it, it has been a mess trying to get rid of the thing.
I met with an agent that was showing the house privately about a year and a half ago just before I started a project down the street and she eluded that it was initially being offered, still incomplete, for 7.5mm. So far as I know, it is STILL incomplete and has dropped a lot. Eventually, they will have to liquidate it. I wouldn’t be surprised if it is a tear down with as hideous as the house is.
The actual $4.7 million asking price has in fact held steady. For $200K less than Vo’s other real-estate offering, you get a 2.66-acre lot, an enormous brick home with 5 stairways, 2 attached garages holding a total of 8 cars, plus a separate guest house. And it’s all almost complete!
But this isn’t just your typical Memorial mansion for column-and-arch-crazed empty-nesters! Everything about this home — from its 8 bedrooms, 9 full baths, and 2 half baths, to its dual Master Bedroom suites — is tailor made for occupancy by large numbers of people!
See what we mean below the fold, in a few choice scenes from inside.
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The entrance foyer has separate stairs for left- and right-handed family members!
Here’s a view of the Dining Room:
And the Kitchen features two islands!
One of the two Master Bedrooms:
One of the two Master Baths:
From the Realtor-narrated virtual tour: “The shower is to die for: You can probably fit 10 people in there!”
This bedroom features its own loft and veranda:
And the Theater Room, which also features its own bath, wet bar, and veranda:
- 31 W. Rivercrest Dr. [HAR]
- State Rep’s Mansion [HAIF]
- Hubert Vo’s East End Complex: For Sale! [Swamplot]
This is just a typical politician; no class, full of lies, and terrible taste. The man should be ejected from office, just for being the slumlord that he is. He made no effort to fix the problems with his apartments, until the press made an issue of it, and exposed him. He’d fit right in with Mayor White and City Council.
I drive by this eyesore all the time. I never new it belonged to Hubert Vo. I wish I could see him in person to laugh in his face at his terrible taste and judgement in building this thing.
It looks like an apartment complex from the street. Maybe he should move the occupants of one of his complexes into this thing.
The funny thing about that house is that another one of equal size is going up right across the street.
“Tacky” doesn’t even begin to address this house… Oh, my.
Why do people from the homeland have to be so ostentatious. This looks worse than a Kim Son Palace. Just goes to show that moeny doesn’t buy class.
@H Nguyen
I completely agree. It would have no doubt been filled with overly designed and ridiculously priced furniture from *shudder* Cantoni and equivalent. I’m uncertain as to why, to some, having money means spending as much of it as possible (usually tastelessly) and making sure people are aware that you can.
I had to do a house like this recently.. It was so mindless and I never want to do it again!!
There are a couple of these “incomplete” superswankiendas listed as “pocket listings” as in “not on MLS” in Los Angeles. Many listed for close to lot value at this point. And they are sitting there. It’s not that they’re not a good buy it’s that you’d have to spend a fortune completing the house and part of the fortune you would spend completing the house would be correcting the disaster of an owner who decided to play architect/interior designer. And who wants to bother?
Many sellers in Houston are discovering what Candy Spelling and Suzanne Saperstein are discovering in Los Angeles. Not everyone wants a superswankienda that reminds everyone of a hotel or a museum.
Personally I think there’s something “pathological” about eight staircases. But then I think there’s something “pathological” about Hubert Vo.
Oops. I meant 5 staircases. Of course who knows. There may actually be 8. The other 3 may be hidden away somewhere.
Usually hidden in the master bed and off the kitchen or the theatre with 6 flat screen tv’s on one wall.
I used to live in the Rivercrest area and would go by this pile. I took the HAR video tour. This wreck of a house needs to be knocked down. The asking price will drop further. I would tear it down and build post-modern. And rip out most of the driveways. Its horrendous and ghastly.And 23000sq.ft is too much house.The property taxes,insurance and electric bills are unjustifiable. Ask the owners of the 23000 sq.ft+ home on Arrowood Circle in 77024 ZIP Code.They’re dropped their asking price from 16.9mil to about 12mil or its for lease.Thank Goodness for smaller homes.Ostentatious consumption is over.
I believe this house has been sold! I had it saved on Shad Bogany website since 2008, and I received an e-mail about a week ago, saying it was “off the market” so I don’t know if it’s been sold, or just taken off the market by the bank, perhaps to be sold at auction? If anyone has any information regarding this home, please post it on this site. I could NEVER afford this house, but I find it “interesting” I live in Michigan..
Still listed and still just as ridiculous:
http://search.har.com/engine/31-W-Rivercrest-Houston-TX-77042_HAR7338334.htm
Rivercrest is not Memorial, not even close. Rivercrest is Westchase.
This home is still on the market! The listing agent is also involved with Vo’s campaign office. It has dropped to lot value, but no one has bought it yet.
When it gets down to 2 million, someone let me know! I would buy it at that price!LOL!!!
Okay! Here we go again! Is this home still for sale or not? Realestateone, realtor and trulia say it isn’t.. Is it???LOL
still for sale, 2.5 million as of mid 2012.
Haha! Over 2000 cumulative days on market with the same listing agent! To his credit, he acknowledges “Never lived in” and “Year Built: 2002 / Appraisal District”.
Well!!! Looks like 31 W. Rivercrest is under contract, AGAIN!!!!!!!LOL!! Any one have any information on this mansion, that’s current?
The second picture always makes me laugh… all I see are green upside down happy faces… . There’s enough upside down happy faces in this place for everyone, y’all!
Well this house has FINALLY been sold! It closed on 3/25/2012! No mention of the selling price…I bet it was lower than the 2.5 they were asking…I’ve been following this house for 5 years, when it was at 4.7 million! Oh well…
@ FRANKIE LOVE, you should have offered the 2 million, because that’s what it sold for.
http://www.besthoustoncondos.com/for-sale/31-W-Rivercrest-Dr-Houston-TX-77042#morephotos
Am I crazy, or is this house BACK ON THE MARKET, FOR 3.5? Or is this just an old listing. Really?