- 16043 Fawn Vista [HAR]
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Tag: 77068
- 2819 Cedar Woods Pl. [HAR]
- 3507 Tierwood Ct. [HAR]
- 2726 Southern Oaks Dr. [HAR]
PANHANDLERS IN NORTHWEST HOUSTON MIGHT HAVE TO APPLY FOR PERMITS 
A group of residents led by Larry Lipton, public safety chair of the chamber of commerce in Northwest Houston near Cypress Creek Pkwy., is looking to implement a permit system that would require panhandlers to apply to solicit in intersections and medians, reports KHOU’s Jeremy Desel: “Many of them are criminals,” Lipton tells Desel. And a permit system, Lipton explains, “will first limit the number of people that will even do it. That will even go through it.” Desel adds that one of these solicitation permits would likely “require a fee and some form of safety training.” [KHOU] Photo of panhandler David the Sailor at Chimney Rock and Richmond: Bill Bradford
- 2819 Cedar Woods Pl. [HAR]
Great guesses, everyone! We have a winner for this week’s game — and a prize sponsored by the Rice Design Alliance.
Many of you favored Forest neighborhoods. There were 3 votes each for Greenwood Forest and Champion Forest, 2 each for Prestonwood Forest and Lakewood Forest, and singles for Ponderosa Forest, Nottingham Forest, Briar Forest, Briar Forest at Kirkwood, Oak Forest, Ella Lee Forest, and Huntwick Forest The rest: Spring Shadows (2 guesses), off Mason Rd. south of I-10 near Kingsland and Highland Knolls in Katy, Nottingham Country (2 guesses), Humble, Inwood North, the northern part of Alief “bounded by HW6, Westheimer, Old Westheimer, and the Westpark Tollroad,” Fountainhead Village, Pasadena (2), Clear Lake, League City, Ashford Hollow, Ashford Village, “Ashford-ish,” Kingwood, Dairy Ashford and Memorial, Quail Valley (2), Richmond, Rosenberg, Williamsburg Settlement, Wilchester (2), Northampton in the Spring/Klein area, Lakewood Glen, Seabrook, Kemah, “right off of Memorial, just past Kirkwood,” Sugar Creek, Memorial, Friendswood, “one of the Fleetwood neighborhoods (Highway 6 and Memorial),” Grogan’s Mill, Olde Oaks, Copperfield, and the Galleria.
The prize this week is a one-year individual membership in the Rice Design Alliance. And the winner is . . . Harold Mandell, for this maybe-spot-on entry:
You guys,that parquet EVERYWHERE is a major clue. This is a late 70’s house from the floody part of Olde Oaks.
A hard working family, not born here, but grabbing the dream real fast, bought this big house to live in. But the schools were a disapointment, so they moved to a better school district for their 3 kids (2 spelling bee champs and a valedictorian). Now they are renting the house to newly arrived members of their large family, helpfully furnishing it with leftovers from the couple of budget motels they operate out on 290.
Several other players were very close!
This week’s honorable mentions go to a few players who veered off course, but offered entertaining fiction and commentary: biggerintexas for the compelling if unflattering Pasadena ballad of Stanley and Linda Morris, aurelia_eyre for a sharp account of “the worst house party I was ever forced to attend,” and movocelot, for this contribution:
I think this home DOES, in fact, show how the rich folks lived back in the day (@ jgclark), but why knock it? Today’s French-mediterranean manses will seem ridiculous pretty soon, with their giant cooking hoods & pot-fillers, media rooms nobody uses, and dust-collecting plaster-effects on the walls.
This home’s got a bunch of upgrades… I think the parquet is lovely, the cabinets useful… is that travertine tiles in the Master Bath? And the window in the water-closet is very posh!
There’s a lot of potential here, though still 8’ ceilings…
HO did a tasteful, if DULL, update to their “built-to-survive-WW3†ash-plywood, built-on-site kitchen-cabinets. Personally, I hate granite for c-tops, but I think the color scheme is everything their Realtor told them to shoot for: Blend, baby, blend.For these reasons I’m supporting this house and vote it should continue on into the Elimination Round!
Okay, show us the house!
OAK CREEK VILLAGE METH LAB: STRONG ENOUGH TO KILL PLANTS “The first firefighter who went inside had to be carried out by two others because he was overcome by the fumes. Investigators say something was so strong that it killed trees and grass adjacent to the garage.” Following the strange but apparently contradictory laws of TeeVee and web journalism, the print version of the report removes all references to the name of the neighborhood and the street address. (It’s 15022 Falling Creek Dr., Oak Creek Village, just north of FM 1960). [abc13]
Mattress Mack’s home in Northgate Forest sold back in April for $815,000, reports Jennifer Dawson in the Houston Business Journal. That’s more than a 50 percent discount off the home’s original asking price.
The McIngvales’ 7-bedroom, 6,840-sq.-ft. home at 3002 Pine Lake Trail originally went on the market in May of 2007 for $1.75 million. Three months and a $250K price cut later, John Daugherty Realtors decided that marketing the pad as “The Home of Mattress Mack” might help. But it didn’t, apparently. The price cuts spiraled from there.
Jim and Linda McIngvale’s new home is a 2,000-sq.-ft. apartment on the grounds of their Westside Tennis Club on Wilcrest near Briar Forest, but that’s not necessarily a step down, says Dawson:
While the couple may have a lot less house, right outside the door is a resort-styled pool, family fitness center, lighted soccer field and one of the city’s largest yoga facilities.
- ‘Mattress Mack’ joins neighborhood club [Houston Business Journal]
- Westside Tennis and Fitness
- Previously in Swamplot: Mattress Mack: A Consistent Record of Slashing Prices, Mattress Mack Saves You Money, Mattress Mack Pad Available . . . Today!
Photo of 3002 Pine Lake Trail: HAR
We now have the scoop and an update on Gallery Furniture owner Jim McIngvale’s mansion in Northgate Forest, and it’s a doozy. Yes, it’s still on the market. Yes, the price has been cut. But didja know the extent of the damage?
When last we left the Mattress Mack Pad, it was still soaring at $1.25 million. Well, now it’s down to . . . $885,000. Here’s the timeline:
- May 5, 2007: 3002 Pine Lake Trail goes on market for $1,750,000
- July 5, 2007: Price reduced to $1,499,000 — saving you 14%!
- September 4, 2007: Price reduced to $1,250,000 — saving you 17%!
- October 15, 2007: Price reduced to $975,000 — saving you 22%!
- November 13, 2007: Price reduced to $885,000 — saving you 9%!
Total savings overall: Almost 50% . . . if you buy now!
And here comes the Houston real estate cliche: You can take the mansion way out of the Loop, but you can’t take the “way out of the Loop” out of the mansion.
Or something like that.
- 3002 Pine Lake Trail [HAR]
- Mattress Mack Saves You Money [Swamplot]
- Mattress Mack Pad Available . . . Today! [Swamplot]
Speaking of fame and real-estate listings, we may have an answer to our earlier question about the power of endorsements by celebrities—or local celebrities—to sell houses quickly and at a premium price.
The Northgate Forest estate of Gallery Furniture owner Jim McIngvale—written up here a month ago—is still listed for sale! And the asking price has dropped a quarter of a million dollars.
- 3002 Pine Lake Trail [HAR]
- Mattress Mack Pad Available . . . Today! [Swamplot]
Do celebrity endorsements move real estate? Okay, what about local-celebrity name-dropping, plus a few personal appearances?
This 6,840-square-foot, seven-bedroom Northgate Forest estate has been languishing on the market for almost three months, even though John Daugherty Realtors has been advertising it as the actual home of Gallery Furniture and Westside Tennis & Fitness owner Jim McIngvale—in full-page ads in luxury-home mags. And the Houston Business Journal reports that Mattress Mack himself has been mingling with visiting homegawkers at his own open houses.
Hand the downsizing McIngvales a mere $1.499 mil, and you get:
a dramatic two-story entry with winding staircase; a two-story living room with two-story fireplace, hardwoods and adjacent sunroom; gourmet kitchen with built-ins and quality appliances; breakfast room with built-ins; dining room with hardwoods; and Swarovski crystal chandeliers. Media room, den, weight room, reflection room, game room, extra room and more. Master suite with two-sided fireplace and amazing bath. Olympic-style pool, spa and pool house. Additional five-car garage with apartment above.
What about the furniture?
After the jump, more pics from the McIngvale Mansion.
