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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08/26/08 11:54am

Neighborhood Guessing Game 22: Living Room and Kitchen

Are you ready for this week’s round of the Neighborhood Guessing Game? We’re playing it anyway.

You pore over the photos. You gather the clues. You decide what neighborhood this place is in. You enter your brilliant thoughts in the comments below this entry. (And if you’re new to the game, you read the rules first.)

You figure it all out? You win!

More photos of this lovely abode lie below. Go get ’em!

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08/22/08 7:51pm

Neighborhood Guessing Game 21: Porch

This week’s Neighborhood Guessing Game sent readers guessing all over town! In our first round we had 3 votes for Clear Lake and 2 for Galveston, plus guesses of Hudson on Memorial, “behind Second Baptist Church,” Bering or Potomac between Woodway and Westheimer, Montrose, just west of Kirby and south of 59, Friendswood, a suburb “out 59,” Newcastle or Bissonnet in West U, Southampton, Brook Forest, El Lago, Pasadena, the Galleria, Lake Conroe, Clear Lake Shores, Rice Military, Cypress Creek near Kuykendahl, The Woodlands, and Seabrook.

After a hint and an extension, we had more guesses: Copperfield, Fondren Southwest, Bear Creek, “around Lawndale and Wayside,” Port Arthur, “off 290 and Mangum/40th,” off 290 just outside the Loop, Tomball, Kingwood, Lakeside Forest, Walnut Bend, Briarcroft, Baytown, Spring Branch near Memorial and Dairy Ashford, the Medical Center, Spring Branch near I-10 and Gessner, Deer Park, and off Memorial near the Buffalo Bayou.

And we have a winner! Well, close enough. It’s Lyn, who waited to see Jessica‘s reasonable-sounding guess, then refined it and pounced:

“perhaps it’s one of the 60s/70s era neighborhoods in Spring Branch, say, near Memorial/Dairy Ashford?”

This.

Spring Branch but I’m guessing near I-10/Gessner.

Something like . . . Spring Shadows?

An honorable mention goes to karen, who walked us through decades of real-estate logic:

Low ceilings = either revolutionary war era or after 1945.

No moldings = 60’s thru 80’s

Paneling, fake marble countertops, wrought iron = focusing like a laser on the 70’s, man!

Kitchen, fireplace surround = renovations done about 10 years ago

new master bathroom cabinets, real granite countertop = renovations finished this year to prep this baby for sale

fish bathroom = clearly a redo circa ‘00 – love that sink – but why? why? why?

House plants, clutter, more clutter = older homeowners who remember the 70’s really, really well

The big seventies reveal — after the jump!

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08/21/08 11:58pm

Neighborhood Guessing Game 21: Porch

Sure, this week’s Neighborhood Guessing Game is a tough one. But none of you have come anywhere close to the right answer. By one calculation, the closest guess anyone has made is almost 10 miles away.

So we’re gonna blow past our regular Thursday deadline — and give you just a little more time to guess. If you’ve been holding back because you thought someone else had maybe already figured it out, take a stab at it yourself. If you’ve already made a guess . . . try another one!

Here’s a hint . . . but it’s one you probably know already: Try to ignore all that decor. Just strip this house naked . . . in your mind. Where could this naked house be?

Photo: HAR

08/19/08 3:48pm

Neighborhood Guessing Game 21: Porch

And now it’s time to take a break from Houston’s continuing real-estate train wrecks to bring you the week’s Neighborhood Guessing Game. If the home portrayed in this post were a residence somewhere in or around Houston (and it is), where would it be?

Care to guess? Just look through the photos below and add your comment. If it’s your first time playing, read the rules first.

Ready?

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08/14/08 2:24pm

Neighborhood Guessing Game 20: Living Room

The house with the red carpet prompted a wide range of neighborhood guesses this week: 2 each for Willowbend, Lindale Park, and Spring Branch (one of them specifying the area near Long Point or Gessner). Plus: River Oaks, Afton Village, Champion Forest, Oak Forest, Pasadena, Irvington, Meyerland, Sharpstown, Houston Country Club Place, Simms Woods, Hampshire Oaks, Mason Park Terrace, Glenbrook Valley, the East Side, the near East Side, the North Side, the near South Side, and Briarcroft.

But that wasn’t all. A larger number of you this week provided longer descriptions for the neighborhoods. Are we running out of names? These included the I-45/Tidwell/Airline area, the Tidwell/I-45 area close to Luna St., “the cultural cavity that is bounded by I-45/59/I10/610″ (??), the North Side near the Hardy Toll Road, East Westbury off Bellfort, “north of 610 N between the toll road and 45,” the Gulfgate area “east around the brewery or on the other side of the east loop,” “the post-oak so main area in the netherworld between the loop and the beltway,” “Stella Link/Willowbend – to the east of Post Oak and South of the Loop,” off Irvington Park Blvd. just north of 610, “East Side, south of the Lawndale/Telephone nexus but well inside the South Loop,” Riverside (Terrace)/MacGregor, OST/Griggs/South Loop area, “Mykawa/South Acres/Bellfort/Almeda Genoa-kind-of-area,” Mangum/290, and Westbury Sq./W. Airport.

Whew. Those Willowbend guesses . . . so close! The winner was tcpIV, who impressed the judges with this more specific entry:

Poor Granny. We loved her so. I’m hoping for the Stella Link/Willowbend area – to the east of Post Oak and South of the Loop. She was quite a housekeeper though. Gosh I miss her.

tcpIV edged out Chuckles, who drew a slightly larger boundary around

the post-oak so main area in the netherworld between the loop and the beltway

and went home with the Silver. Actual subdivision name: Westwood.

An honorable mention goes to marmer, who wrote:

This looks a lot like my mom’s house, which was built in 1952. The attic fan switch and heater filter detail are identical. Lots of other bathroom elements and little architectural touches are similar. Unfortunately for this particular Guessing Game, she doesn’t live in Houston. Fortunately for me, she’s still alive and has neither the money nor the bad taste to do this to her house. Mid-to-low priced postwar tract house. Not a bungalow. Pre-MCM. Could be almost anywhere.

After the jump: The gory details.

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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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08/12/08 1:11pm

Neighborhood Guessing Game 20: Living Room

Here we go with that Neighborhood Guessing Game again! All that distracting furniture’s been cleared out, so you can focus on the house itself this time. Just one question: Where is this place?

Take a look at all the photos below, then let us know what neighborhood you think it’s in . . . and why. If you’ve never played before, please take a look at the rules before you post. There are a few twists!

Ready for more?

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08/07/08 2:25pm

Neighborhood Guessing Game 19: Parlor

Looks like this week’s game was a bust. Did we even get any real guesses?

Oh, a few. Your comments mentioned Beaumont, River Oaks, the Westside Tennis Club, Hooks Airport, Waller County, Riverside (Terrace?), the Third Ward, Sharpstown, Fondren, Harwin, and Downtown.

No bluffers showed up.

So no winner this time. But a bunch of you sure had some fun with it! An honorable mention goes to Brad, for this first-rate snark:

The drop ceilings, the steel beam kickouts on the walls, the plastic chandeliers, the ‘media’ room with microwave stand and cafe-style seating, the fantasy executive boardroom with ‘conference’ table, and the executive exercise pool…

This is the Corporate Crimes wing of the Federal Prison near Beaumont where they sent Andy Fastow. The drapes and mini-blinds are covering the bars.

Bravo. And thanks again to the tipster who provided this ripe subject. What are its actual coordinates?

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08/05/08 2:03pm

Neighborhood Guessing Game 19: Parlor

The reader who suggested the subject of this week’s Neighborhood Guessing Game warned that the property may be “too obvious.” Do you recognize this home? If you do, please read the rules carefully before you write any comments!

If you haven’t seen this place before, study the photos below. Then send us your guess! Where is it?

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07/31/08 6:39pm

Neighborhood Guessing Game 18: Entry

There was no furniture to ogle, but a lot of you liked this week’s contest!

Sugarland led the guesses with 5. Bellaire had 4, Katy had 3 (including one specifying Kelliwood), and so did the Energy Corridor. Champion Forest and Kingwood each had 2. The rest: West University, Mid Lane, Bay Oaks, Camp Logan, Sugar Creek, “south-ish and west-ish of the Galleria,” Jersey Village, “off Bering/Augusta between San Felipe and Woodway,” Clear Lake, Conroe, the Woodlands, “a suburb out 59 south,” Briarcroft, Champions, and Mission Bend.

The winner is karen, who pooled the helpful comments of many of you into this enthusiastic entry:

Well, you all have been very helpful! I definitely think this is a vintage ’80s home that has had a kitchen remodel and new floors put down on the first floor. I like that library upstairs, too. Too bad they couldn’t spring for a new master bath.

This home has got to be in the outer reaches and I’m guessing that they’re at the top of the market in their area. I still like Sugarland, but now we’ve got to add Katy and Jersey Village to mix as well. In fact, I like Jersey Village a lot.

Jersey Village to karen: You like us. You really, really like us! Hey, didn’t karen win an earlier match too?

So what helpful comments was karen referring to? Perhaps this Houston real-estate maxim spouted by kjb434:

If all of the first floor is non-carpeted, then I’ll say it’s in a flood-proned area!

. . . and this comment by David W:

Looks like late 80’s/early 90’s to me but with only a light cosmetic update. It still has corian counters and that cultured marble vanity in the bathroom but they added the kooky fans and plantation shutters. It must have been pretty expensive when new to have a Sub-Zero, but I bet it is not in a hot neighborhood or they would have invested in more updates.

. . . both of which win honorable mentions!

After the jump: the full Jersey Village reveal!

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07/29/08 12:42pm

Neighborhood Guessing Game 18: Entry

Where, oh where could this little house be?

Good question. And just in time for this week’s Neighborhood Guessing Game!

If you’ve got an answer, add it to the comments section below this post. If you’ve never played our game before, please join the fun . . . but check out the rules first. And if you’d like to see a few more photos before you hazard a guess, see below:

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07/28/08 11:41am

Granite Countertops

Weary of so many drab and formulaic new kitchens boasting granite countertops and stainless-steel appliances? Thanks to a miracle of modern science journalism, design help is on the way. The tyranny of the knee-jerk Kitchen redo formula may soon be over!

The “Your Granite Countertop May Be Radioactive or Emit Radon” meme got a major boost in the media last week, as an article in the New York Times and separate reports from a Rice University nuclear physicist spawned fears among consumers — and dismissive retorts from industry spokespersons.

No need to panic: Your countertop may not be emitting enough radiation to cook the food you put on it. But hey, maybe you should have your surface tested? The idea of bringing a Geiger counter along on your Home Depot shopping trips conjures up so many exciting possibilities!

Whether the latest concerns indicate a pointless consumer scare or an actual health hazard, the writing is on the wall for the granite-countertop trend, which jumped the shark long ago. In Houston — which has no stone naturally, but where builders love to follow design trends long abandoned elsewhere — they were always a strange import. Cliche-weary designers will likely promote radon-and-radiation fears just to get fashion-handicapped clients to try something else. And solid-surface competitors will only be too happy to take advantage of the situation. But if the 2-decades-long granite-surface craze finally ends, how long will their “Looks Just Like Granite” surfaces be attractive to buyers?

Photo: A2D Construction

07/25/08 12:48pm

Joel and Victoria Osteen in Their Home

From a profile of Lakewood Church pastor Joel Osteen by Karl Taro Greenfeld in next month’s Portfolio magazine:

The Osteens, like so many American families during the recent real estate boom, spent the better part of the past decade buying, renovating, and selling homes, and became so proficient in the process that Osteen and his wife were able to skip hiring a contractor for their last renovation and go directly to the subcontractors to complete their mansion. Coming off the boom, during which the average American dwelling doubled in size, the Osteens’ digs are more modest than one might guess. The house is decorated in a rococo style that Victoria has called “French” and Osteen calls “fancy.”

Photo of Joel and Victoria Osteen at home: Randal Ford, Portfolio

07/24/08 11:49pm

Neighborhood Guessing Game 17: Bedroom

Good work this week! Four of you guessed Briargrove. Meyerland, Tanglewood, and Old Braeswood attracted two guesses each. Fall Creek, Memorial outside the Beltway, the Elkins Lake Country Club area in Huntsville, Fonn Villas, Tealwood, West Grove Court, Buffalo Speedway & Braeswood, Shepherd Park Plaza, and Afton Oaks attracted guesses as well.

And Briargrove it was! The winner was tcpIV, the first to stake that claim in our comments section — with this pithy entry:

Briargrove?

Yes!

An honorable mention goes to a later Briargrove guesser, BJ, who came up with plenty of story:

The front room with the big window screams ranch. That cavernous master bedroom looks big enough to pull in mom’s Chevy Suburban LT-1 and dad’s 5-series, so it is likely a converted garage. It also looks like the owner dropped a small fortune on antiques in Round Top, white-slip covered furniture and big fancy flat-screens. I also see an orange blanket on one of the kid’s beds–probably Longhorn fans. Lastly, several kids clearly inhabit those rooms–they’re likely playing out front while mom and her friends sip martinis, or at soccer practice at Kinkaid. I say Briargrove all the way!

Special recognition this week for the bamboozling skills of David W, who emailed us the actual listing but whose attempt to throw other players off the scent ended up sounding rather plausible:

Looks like a 60’s subdivision house to me – maybe Fonn Villas? Tealwood? Those aluminum framed bay windows and shiny brass chandelier scream Kickerillo circa mid 60’s. I’m guessing the master bedroom is an add on as well as the breakfast room with skylights. Those rooms almost look like they are from a different house.

Want the scoop on this place?

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