Comments on: Small, Stylish, and Already Sold: Design-y Inner Loop Home Bargains You Missed

By: Philip Alter

Philip Alter — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:23:06 +0000

Thank you Harold and Joni for the comments on my listing at 2214 South Boulevard. I had to pillage my own home and hire C&M Movers to haul stuff over for staging the home. We have just reduced it to $499,000. I am ready for it to sell. I miss my things…

By: iMidget

iMidget — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:03:53 +0000

Great. Thanks. Post the house that I stupidly missed on Norfolk (Upper Kirby). I’ll go beat my head against my same-area, rented, late 90’s apartment wall. Unfortunately, me head is probably mightier.

By: joni webb

joni webb — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 06:52:17 +0000

omg - 18 comments on my little story! wow! thank you. ok - first off, I DID consider the Alter house for sure, but cut it for length consideration - it’s darling. And yes - most of these houses are white slipcovered and seagrass - that’s what I like, not you!!! But truly- good luck finding other houses that are cuter inside. AND remember please, that I am really talking ONLY about interior design here, not the house per se. There are tons of darling houses out there - just like the ones I showed, they just weren’t “decorated” so I didn’t chose them. You MUST understand the difference, it’s very important if you are currently house hunting. I was ONLY judging interior decoration. ok? And the Academy house is a house, not a townhouse that I could tell. And it’s a terrible location - I said that!!!!! It backs up onto Bissonnet. One day a car is going to go right through that house!!!!!! But it sure was decorated cute, don’t you think? ha!!!!
Thank you all so much - if you are interested in interior design - please join me at my blog - http://www.cotedetexas.blogspot.com

thank you Gus, as always!!!!!!!!!!!!! maybe one day I will post without the exclamation marks because they are so obnoxious. sorry about that.
Joni

By: Art Vandelay

Art Vandelay — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:00:40 +0000

I’m with LT; the interiors of of these houses look like a Pottery Barn catalog. There’s too much faux-authentic crap for my taste, and there are too many design mistakes that the decorators probably justified by describing them as “fun”.

By: markd

markd — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 23:39:57 +0000

I’m with Shakes.

I cringe at having to deal with interior decorators, but sometimes the job requires it.

They often think of themselves as “designers”, but in reality they just decorate.

By: LT

LT — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 21:24:16 +0000

Hold on - she calls most of the houses on HAR “boring” when every house she showed is predominately neutral with over-use of seagrass carpeting? The houses she showed are perfectly fine, inoffensive, and pretty dull. While I agree that a lot of the houses on HAR could use a jolt of style, I don’t think copycatting the same Texas Pine-Seagrass-white bedding look adds that much excitement. I’d rather see some diversity in my decorating.

By: Shakes the Clown

Shakes the Clown — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:23:55 +0000

That’s nice and all, but if I’m shopping for an ‘affordable,’ older, inner loop place, I’m interested in how they did the wiring updates, what the insulation situation is like, is it going to cost me thousands to make the windows operable, etc. Not really interested in if the seller’s stylish art is flanked by lamps from Kuhl Linscomb.

I wonder how many of those sellers are secretly dying to move into a big new house with a two- story entry and a chandelier the size of a Smart Car.

By: marmer

marmer — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:32:51 +0000

Just to be clear. $300K to $500K is not affordable for the great majority of people. Even double-income professionals.

By: Drew

Drew — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:44:15 +0000

Amanda, bought a 1944, totally renovated bungalow in Lindale Park for 150k. The nicest part of Lindale, at that.

But, that was two and a half years ago, and prices in my neighborhood have skyrocketed, even more so recently with the rail approval. Getting something in decent shape for $150k is impossible. But 200k is still doable.

By: CK

CK — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:44:53 +0000

Amanda and Lauren,

At the risk of letting the cat outta the bag on this one…. I met a woman at my weekly networking meeting and had discussion with her about my Rice Military neighborhood. She said one of her best friends lived there and they both love the neighborhood. She would love to move here from her east side neighborhood, but couldn’t afford the prices. I responded that there are several older 80’s cedar sided duplexes, of which a number of them are in disrepair, that might be able to be snatched up for a very reasonable price. She was rather shocked and immediately gave me my card saying if I stumbled across one to let her know immediately. She went on to opine that to her it seemed that whenever the realtors found a bargain like what I was describing, they snatched it up and remarketed it.

By: Random Poster

Random Poster — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:17:59 +0000

The “Upper Kirby” home is charming.

The Montrose one is so-so, and would be if it was about $100K cheaper.

The Southhampton one is way overpriced. I sure hope that a live-in landscaper was included with the sale.

By: finness

finness — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:41:16 +0000

Amanda - Look at Lindale, Idylwood and Eastwood.