02/27/13 11:00am

What’s a brick bungalow like this doing in a neighborhood of homes dressed mostly in T117 siding? Renovating, apparently. This 1920 property in North Norhill recently buffed itself up for a brand-new listing, with an initial asking price of $382,500. Refurbishments include new stuff in the kitchen, refinished original floors, and fresh paint inside and out. The corner-lot home, east of Studewood St. at W. Temple, backs up to one of the homes facing one of the Norhill esplanades.

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02/26/13 4:30pm

This remodded 1966 Mod in Charnwood was once featured in Southern Living magazine, its listing declares. The furnishings from that photo shoot are long gone, but a boatload of built-ins and some ravine views remain. Appearing in the market mid-month, the 4,077-sq.-ft. home has staked out an initial asking price of $939,000.

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02/15/13 4:30pm

Before this pedigreed property in Shadyside had air conditioning, the breeze sometimes carried the sound of lions roaring at Houston Zoo. And when some monkeys escaped from there decades ago, they apparently found temporary amusement in some of the trees on this 1926 estate. Or so goes some of the lore shared (and overheard) by those touring the home’s brief transformation into the Villa de Luxe designer showcase, a 17-day fundraising event benefiting Preservation Houston — and ending this weekend. For those who miss that rare opportunity to get behind the gates of the just-north-of-Rice gracious-living neighborhood, this mansion’s re-listing today extends its appearance in the limelight. Access to it, though, jumps from the tour’s $30 entry ticket, which includes lectures and presentations, to the far loftier asking price: $8,390,000.

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02/15/13 1:30pm

Note: Photos from the listing have been removed at the request of the seller and the listing agent.

There’s no getting around the power lines, but there’s still a relatively unimpeded look to the south from the viewing deck of this 4-bedroom, 3-story house at 1322 Dart St. in the First Ward. Designer Charles Tibbits — working with architect Robert Hoover — alerts Swamplot to the house a block east of Houston Ave. and two north of Washington, near the Amtrak Station and the old Jefferson Davis Hospital. It’s listed at $1.5 million.

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02/14/13 1:05pm

COMMENT OF THE DAY: HOW THEY COVERED UP THE GARAGE DOOR MECHANISM IN THE EXERCISE AND TAXIDERMY ROOM “When you look at the other listing photos there is one that shows the ‘trophy’ room. This room has a two level ceiling, and you will notice a hogs head and a fish on the wall. The overhead door backs into the space that is above the lower ceiling section.” [Bill, commenting on Spring Home Listing Photo of the Day: Easy Access]

02/14/13 10:30am

Earth tones are easy in this 1970 classic over in the Pasadena area’s South Houston Gardens. Beams, bricks, dark woodwork, patterns, and juxtaposed floor and wall treatments (above) help carbon date this February re-re-listing. There’s decorative nostalgia aplenty to be found within the Midcentury but not-entirely-modern home; the property has a current asking price of $159,000. A previous listing by a different agency had started the ball rolling in June 2012 at $180,000; $10K was soon whittled away for the rest of the run as well as last month’s brief retry.

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