10/10/08 11:33pm

The northerly stretches of Boulevard Oaks, where the call of the Southwest Freeway is clear and constant! Four lovely homes await your visit:

1336 Vassar St., Vassar Place, Boulevard Oaks, Houston

Location: 1336 Vassar St.
Details: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths; 2,398 sq. ft.
Price: $749,000
The Scoop: Recently remodeled 1935 bungalow in Vassar Place, with arched doorways, plantation shutters, mustard and seagrass interiors. Kitchen has built-in desk, Breakfast Nook, arched faux-finish vent hood. Ceiling-mounted sound system in both bathrooms. On the market for 3 months already.
Open House: Sunday, 2-4 pm

More this way:

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10/10/08 12:12pm

5607 Whitehaven St., Bellaire

From the website of Top View Builder — builders of this 6,017-sq.-ft. home at 5607 Whitehaven St. in Bellaire — under “Company History”:

Founded in 2007 by four well-rounded partners, the company is desitned to set the benchmark of excellence.

Maybe helps explain the bloated look, too.

10/09/08 11:33pm

Neighborhood Guessing Game 27: Closet

The guesses are in for this week’s mystery pad! We heard West University twice, the Augusta-Bering area twice, plus Bellaire, Southgate, South Post Oak Lane, Tanglewood, Missouri City, Mid Lane, Bay Glen or Bay Oaks in Clear Lake, West Bellfort/Fondren, Kingwood, “west of Weslayan between Bissonnet and 59,” Pearland, Woodlake, Memorial Club, Briar Hollow, off Memorial between Voss and 610, and North Post Oak.

The winner this week is David W, who was wrong at least about the neighborhood and housing type . . . but still came closer than any other contestant!

I agree with those who think it is a townhouse – but I think it might be farther out in the burbs. Maybe Woodlake or Memorial Club? It has to be pretty old – when is the last time you saw a sliding glass door in a bedroom? I think it must be near water, too with all the tile and no rugs (or the resident has allergies) so I am leaning more towards Woodlake or maybe it is closer in around Briar Hollow. It can’t be too expensive or they would have gone the granite/stainless steel kitchen route. Maybe just outside the loop around North Post Oak north of Memorial? Tough to tell.

An honorable mention goes to Starkeshia, who didn’t even bother to guess a neighborhood, but did pick the correct decade — and didn’t call it a townhouse. The kindest portion of Starkeshia’s comments:

More than likely this is just some house out in suburbia built in the late 70s or 80s that has had some remuddling done.

Okay, 1970s . . . not a townhouse . . . but where?

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09/24/08 6:45pm

Upstairs Screened Porch, 5306 Institute Ln., Jandor Gardens, Houston

5306 Institute Ln., Jandor Gardens, HoustonIf you’re looking for some hot deck-on-deck action, look no further than this little 1968 number on Institute Ln., just north of Rice. Sure, the house looks like a tight little box — what self-respecting Mod pod from the swingin’ sixties didn’t? — but it’s . . . full of decks!

Check out the deck choreography in the photo above, taken from the upstairs screen porch. You’re looking onto a slightly lowered deck that’s open to the sky. Beyond and below the screens is a two-story courtyard — with a covered patio beyond.

Uh . . . where’s the indoors? Through the sliding door on the right. The red chair is in the upstairs Den.

After the jump: decks, decks, and more decks!

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09/12/08 3:49pm

18224 Lakeside Ln., Bal Harbour Cove, Nassau Bay, Clear Lake, Houston

That Sunday open house scheduled for this townhome at 18224 Lakeside Ln. in Bal Harbour Cove on Clear Lake? Probably not going to happen. Sadly, it may be that the only open houses taking place in the Houston area this weekend will be unscheduled ones.

If you find any impromptu open houses taking place in Hurricane Ike’s wake, how about adding them to this weekend’s Open House Tour? Send pix to the Swamplot tip line, or add your comments or directions below. Have any other Hurricane Ike photos, videos, or stories you’d like to share?

09/09/08 10:37am

Flowers on the Dining Room Table, 6023 Rose St., Glen Cove, Houston

Lou Minatti finds a very lush garden in back of the house at 6023 Rose St. in Glen Cove, featured in this past weekend’s open house tour:

This house built in 1948 features a koi pond. I am not impressed with the interior staging, but I will say the outdoor landscaping is beautiful. In fact, the landscaping is the best part of of property. What the current owner has done outside is gorgeous. Go look at the gallery.

But what about the Dining Room?

Update: It just occurred to me. Do these people eat flowers for dinner?

09/09/08 9:03am

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Pf-c5jVm1g 400 330]

Pay no attention to that dying possum by the side of the road! Lou Minatti takes a bike ride through a neighborhood of new Royce and Centex homes in Katy and finds lots of building going on — and plenty of “sold” signs!!! But . . . is anybody actually living here? And uh, some of those signs look awfully familiar — from a ride through this same area back in May.

After the jump: some of the same scenes, 4 months ago!

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09/08/08 8:22am

Painview Sign at 2420 Hazard St., South of Fairview, Houston

Is this art too? Plainview’s townhouse transition spreads south of Fairview. Here’s a plain view of the soon-to-be-former duplex at 2420 Hazard. It’ll hurt — just a little bit.

After the jump: more photos spell out the story for you. Plus: A new back patio!

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09/05/08 8:38pm

Something old, something new; some styles borrowed, some rather expensive houses sitting on the market for quite a while! Yes, it’s time to tour a few open houses in Glen Cove, tucked just under Memorial Park’s right wing. Here’s what you’ll find if you venture out this weekend:

6023 Rose St., Glen Cove, Houston

Location: 6023 Rose St.
Details: 3 bedrooms, 3 baths; 1,885 sq. ft.
Price: $619,000
The Scoop: Lushly landscaped 1947 bungalow with small freestanding guest house in back but no garage. Remodeled Kitchen; lots of diagonally placed slate tiles. Window wall overlooks back yard with koi pond. On the market for 3 weeks.
Open House: Sunday, 2-5 pm

Wanna see more?

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08/29/08 12:41pm

Should your Labor Day weekend — or relocation — plans bring you to Seabrook and Lake Cove, you might want to take a peek at these open houses:

2330 Pin Hook Ct., Lake Cove, Seabrook, Texas

Location: 2330 Pin Hook Ct.
Details: 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths; 2,484 sq. ft.
Price: $215,900
The Scoop: Brick 2-story home from 1992 in Lake Cove. New granite countertops and appliances in the Kitchen; Downstairs Master Bedroom. Mirrored Dining Room; sprinkler system. On the market for more than 100 days. Price dropped 3 times, $9K total.
Open House: Sunday, 1:30-5 pm

Four more coastal casas to check out, below:

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08/28/08 4:59pm

Neighborhood Guessing Game 22: Living Room and Kitchen

Here’s where some of you thought this house might be: Boulevard Oaks, S. Post Oak/Westbury, Tanglewilde (or “near the Beltway and Richmond”), Bellaire, “around Pinemont,” Highway 6 and FM 1960, Willowbend, Garden Oaks, Afton Village, Spring Branch, Braeswood, the larger “Braeswood area” between Buffalo Speedway and 610, Maplewood South, “outside the Loop off Ella and east of 290,” Bellfort/Fondren, Ella Lee Forest, and the Museum District off Banks or Milford.

The pileups were in Oak Forest (4 guesses), Sharpstown (3 guesses), and Timbergrove (2). We also had two “ish” votes: a “Westburyish” and a “Meyerland-ish.”

The winner this week was That Girl, who was first to name Westbury — and wasn’t ishy-washy about it!

An honorable mention goes to MariaO, one of several participants who did a good job figuring the home’s approximate age and some likely locations. But Maria also ID’d the wall art:

Definitely built in the 1950s, and could feasibly be located in many near-loop neighborhoods of that era. . .  .

fyi, the “stencil” in the front entry is actually wall stickers from http://www.whatisblik.com (Flock model)– so they’ll come off easily for the next owner.

More home details . . . after the jump!

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08/20/08 11:22am

Lakes of Avalon Village Subdivision, Spring, Texas

Some brand-new houses sold by Lennar Homes will be very convenient to the new Grand Parkway!

Robert A. Hudson, a Spring developer who partnered with Lennar on the project, said builders knew the highway might come through the subdivision.

“We are not up there on a daily basis to make sure that the builders make it clear to everybody else,” he said.

Plans for the Grand Parkway have been on the books for 25 years, but only 28 of its proposed 185 miles have been built. Environmental and neighborhood groups have opposed the project.

It would include 11 segments traversing seven counties. The 12.1-mile Segment F2 would cut directly through the Lakes of Avalon Village, a subdivision with several hundred homes located on FM 2920 just west of Kuykendahl Road.

About 60 homes are in the right-of-way and would have to be demolished to make way for the parkway once construction began, [executive director of the Grand Parkway Association David] Gornet said.

Talk about offering transportation options! But it’s not just Lennar . . . J. Patrick Homes also is selling models in the Lakes of Avalon Village subdivision.

But hurry! The subdivision is in “close out”!

After the jump: pics of a Lennar Homes model for sale in this quaint little village in Spring!

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08/15/08 11:51pm

This weekend: Hunters Creek Village, up and down Voss. Big lots! Big prices! And the new construction is bigger too! Here’s a tour of what you’ll find open if you visit this Sunday:

7623 River Point Dr., Riverbend, Hunters Creek Village

Location: 7623 River Point Dr.
Details: 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths; 2,035 sq. ft.
Price: $999,000
The Scoop: Multi-bay Midcentury Modern classic in Riverbend, designed in 1955 by Preston Bolton and Howard Barnstone, altered in the late ’90s. Courtyard entry, vaulted ceilings. Extensive enclosed back porch overlooks Buffalo Bayou. Houston Mod’s “Mod of the Month” (along with the Tanglewood home on Huckleberry Ln. by Arne Engberg described here). On the market for 3 weeks.
Open House: Sunday, 2-5 pm

Wanna see more?

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08/13/08 10:25am

Den, 1317 Sue Barnett Dr., Garden Oaks, Houston

This home on Sue Barnett went on the market in early February for $410,000, but it’s only been downhill since. It’s been listed since July at $375K.

The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths and claims 1,872 sq. ft. The lot, however, is more than 17,000 sq. ft. How many prospective buyers in Garden Oaks will be looking long or hard at the home’s 1950 Ranch pedigree — or the singular collection of dolls and figurines inside?

More pics of the Sue Barnett Doll Ranch, after the jump!

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