Comments on: Neighborhood Guessing Game: Biased

By: Pat

Pat — Thu, 15 May 2008 21:24:14 +0000

Well said, Karen. As housing prices soften a little, the nicely improved original houses in some of the transitional neighborhoods tend to be valued close to the new crap, primarily because they still have yards, trees, and a little bit of mid-century personality.

By: karen

karen — Thu, 15 May 2008 20:53:55 +0000

You-there, I don’t know that I would say this is overimprovement. I see new floors, a nice paint job, and new appliances & backsplash in the kitchen. I’ll bet the plate glass front window was done a while back (in fact I wonder if that was the location of the original entry to this home). There’s no addition or bump-out, no ceilings raised, no new lighting except for under the kitchen cabinets. I’d guess this home is in a transitional neighborhood, where it is not yet clear that land value exceeds home value. That’s why I like the Willows and the Astrodome neighborhoods (Knollwood Village, Timberside).

By: me-here

me-here — Thu, 15 May 2008 20:23:17 +0000

There are only so many places that would justify this kind of over-improvement. I am sure that some of these neigbborhoods have been mentioned, but my guesses are Afton Oaks, Woodside, Woodshire, Ayrshire, Braes Heights, Piney Point area, Hedwig Village, Bunker Hill Village, Briargrove, Tanglewood.

By: CK

CK — Thu, 15 May 2008 18:32:44 +0000

I agree that just about any 50 or so yr old neighborhood, like the aforementioned Timbergrove, Oak Forest, Mangum Manor, Lazybrook, Garden Oaks, Shepherd Forest, etc. or further south like in the Meyerland area, Sharpstown or Stella Link/Med Center area as well.

By: karen

karen — Thu, 15 May 2008 18:07:37 +0000

hang in there, pat. the answer will appear tonight at the top of the blog.

By: Pat

Pat — Thu, 15 May 2008 17:34:27 +0000

It’s Thursday. Where’s the answer posted? The site is confusing, to say the least.

By: Ashley

Ashley — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:24:35 +0000

The windows aren’t consistent with a bungalow style — that’s a ranch style house. I’m guessing Timbergrove, Garden Oaks or Oak Forest.

By: ERM

ERM — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:19:16 +0000

I agree this one looks like a post WWII rancher for all the reasons stated above. As to location, its style makes it tough to call because, like Auntie Em’s house, this one could’ve been plucked out of Kansas and landed almost anywhere. Someone put some money into the place and I’m guessing it is whoever is living in it now (looks staged) and the market didn’t make it a teardown nor did he/she have the bucks to do the kind of things, like change out windows, add on, etc. for one of our pricier old neighborhoods. I’m guessing Oak Forest or Garden Oaks.

By: markd

markd — Thu, 15 May 2008 03:19:50 +0000

I guess the neighborhood behind(southside) Highland Village.

By: marmer

marmer — Wed, 14 May 2008 22:12:13 +0000

Looks old to me — a post WWII tract rancher. Old windows, tiny kitchen and bathroom, dated bathroom layout, skimpy closet, weird front door location, picture window. But someone’s thrown some bucks at it, so there must be some land value there. I’m guessing one of the Mandell/Montrose ranchers still remaining on Banks or Milford in between the big new mod houses.

By: Pat

Pat — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:40:18 +0000

Knollwood Village

By: karen

karen — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:33:34 +0000

Margo, I thought the bathroom window had mullions (ACK!), but you must be right about the burglar bars. But no other window has them, which is strange to me.

Another weird thing is that the front of the house has no door. Perhaps it’s a corner lot, but I think it’s odd that the front door is in such a tight corner of the house.