Comments on: Redo, Rinse, Repeat: Brun Bungalow, Makeover Magnet

By: JPSivco

JPSivco — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:37:12 +0000

the lot is not worth $500,000. it is on brun street. brun street is in montrose. it is not even a full size 6,250 sf montrose lot. it is a 5000 sf lot. the house is amazing. it is listed at what the owner thinks is land+structure and is probably too high. again, amazing house and the incremental buyer who wants style might overbid someday. i know it will create wails of protest but i bet the lot is worth well less than $400,000.

By: Jon & Sara

Jon & Sara — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 14:46:45 +0000

Charlie sounds a lot like a builder, I’m beginning to get the picture of what is actually going on over there. Builders are buying up properties like this for less than they are worth, demolishing them and building Mcmansions. That’s plain fact! The land in this case (I’m guessing the plot is much the same size as others that the older houses sit on) is worth around $500,000, which is contrary to charlie’s downplaying of it. Builders simply cannot buy ENOUGH land in that area of Houston, and only a fool would let his home AND LAND go for less than its worth. There are huge profits for the builders in the properties that replace this and properties like it. Typically down comes the house and up go two 3 story abominations. The builder easily profits at least half a million in the end. The owner should either hold out until the economy recovers and sell it then, or just live in it. It’s a lovely part of town, and if you sell it you will probably never be able to buy there again. It is a sad fact that the BUYERS over there happen to be THE BUILDERS. I say hold out and don’t play their game…

By: charlie

charlie — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:28:48 +0000

It didn’t sell is my understanding. It was taken off the market. It was way over listed. I looked at it and it was a very well done house but very small. The 1,435 sf number included a 1 bedroom apartment in the garage. The main house was no more than 1,100 sf.

I have a friend that made an offer, was countered at full price and told that full price was the only amount the seller would accept. He walked and I suspect that no one else came along.

This was just too much money for too little house and, regardless of posts to the contrary, the land is not worth $525,000; not today anyway. The land value is closer to $400,000 in this market where builders are mostly on the sidelines.

By: MStark

MStark — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 21:40:44 +0000

So….what did this house sell for? Its not on HAR anymore.

And David – if you’re going to live in the house for a few years – it IS very hard to put a value on what renovations would mean for you in terms of comfort and enjoyment. If you’re going to live there, make sure any improvements you make enable you to be comfortable and happy for a long while and keep in mind, not everyone wants to live in a McMansion or Patio Home. If your renovations are good, someone will buy the house because its still intact, not in spite of it.

By: MStark

MStark — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 21:40:25 +0000

So….what did this house sell for? Its not on HAR anymore.

And David – if you’re going to live in the house for a few years – it IS very hard to put a value on what renovations would mean for you in terms of comfort and enjoyment. If you’re going to live there, make sure any improvements you make enable you to be comfortable and happy for a long while and keep in mind, not everyone wants to live in a McMansion or Patio Home. If your renovations are good, someone will by the house because its still intact, not in spite of it.

By: Kathleen Cash

Kathleen Cash — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:58:19 +0000

I would never put a mirror where the sun could shine on it – the reflection of the sun coming off the mirror could start a fire! I left one on my kitchen table once, and my husband came home to a house full of smoke. The mirror bounced the reflection back onto a chair under the window, and had 6 inch by 1 inch burned spot on it. We were just lucky he got home before it burst into flames!

By: David

David — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:39:59 +0000

I have a property in the 77019 area. I am undecided on what to do with it. I expect the property value is in the land rather then house in this instance above. $525K sounds about the going rate in that area for the house above. For the land alone my house sits on I could easily take half a million for it. It raises real questions, since anything I did to the property would not add to its value, if that makes sense. Just recently for instance I noticed that Croix are building on a lot which previously had a fabulous little bungalow on, which was in excellent condition and well restored, sadly Croix demolished it because the value was in the land itself. Sadly also the seller looks to have let it go for less than the land was worth. The house value becomes confusing in the whole value thing. I’ve noticed that builders even the ‘build on your own lot’ people are reluctant to help, give any advice, or take on the work – they want the land, it’s as simple as that. Rather than give it to those people I will probably end up restoring the property and living in it, but whatever is spent on it, it will not add anything to the value of the property which is a sad thing.

By: jim

jim — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:33:15 +0000

Who sweeps up the dead birds that smash into the mirror?

By: Sergio

Sergio — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 04:14:38 +0000

i LOVE this house… im new to houses and want to know what i should ask for when i ask for something like this.

is it a bungalow? fixer upper? im not sure what these are referred to as… also, is this REALLY a 525k home? is that what i should expect?

i think that if i got a home with same style,location but more fixer upper id b happy.

By: charlie

charlie — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:45:55 +0000

Love the house too but the price seems about $80,000 out of whack…

It is unfortunate that the owner may have overimproved it but at the end of the day this is a 1,450 sf house.

By: HarbengerDuo

HarbengerDuo — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 20:46:25 +0000

love the house!

By: flake

flake — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 16:00:31 +0000

Wow! How do they keep the mirrored fence clean? The lot behind us is empty now but when the economy picks up it will be a 3-story StuccoTuscadeEspanya monstrosity that I’d like to hide. Show me to the mirrors please.