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HOA Reform Means Changes for Houston Texas Homeowners
Monday, January 2nd, 2012 at 4:14pm. 2849 Views, 0 Comments.
When I was shopping for my first house, my dad pulled me aside for a bit of fatherly wisdom. "Find a place with a strong Homeowners' Association and plenty of deed restrictions. Trust me, you want a lot of deed restrictions." And to a point, he was right. It's those HOA rules which ensure that the neighbors all maintain their homes at a consistent level. HOAs can help ensure the neighbors don't let the yard get full of weeds, park junked-out cars in the driveway and generally let their homes get run-down, taking our property values with them.
But as many homeowners can attest, being part of an HOA isn't aways an easy experience. A quick survey of the Internet reveals story after story of ordeals and horrors homeowner's have endured at the hands of…
New Ways Houston Home Builders are Selling Houses
Wednesday, December 28th, 2011 at 5:21pm. 1164 Views, 0 Comments.
No one can dispute the buying power of the Internet. All we have to do is enter a credit card number and boom, we're the proud owner of shoes, books, music, clothes, toys and … houses?
"The latest trend," says one of the 567 million Google hits I found on this very topic, "is to buy a house online."
You can't really buy a house online. But you can look at photos, watch video, print listings – or simply scan a QR barcode while out and about – to help narrow down the choices.
"Baby boomers want a lot of information and it's up to us to get it to them in a way they want it," said Rosemary Bickford, vice president of sales and marketing at Brickland Homes. "Buyers want to know almost everything before they even pick up the phone."
And hopefully from there, they…
Mortgages Underwater, Housing Recovery Stalled: Bring Out the Bulldozer
Friday, September 23rd, 2011 at 1:46am. 8507 Views, 0 Comments.
In recent months, discussions on the economy have been dominated by two topics: the national deficit and jobs. And rightly so. Mushrooming debt casts a pall on our long-term financial outlook and unemployment is a singular focus for anyone looking for a job. As the economy continues to sputter, though, many economists and analysts are reaching the conclusion that, just as the housing market was at the core of the economic crisis, it is also the key to recovery.
Currently, 1 in 5 mortgages is underwater; with these homeowners often pouring all of their resources into just keeping their homes, they often have little money left to put back into the economy. Foreclosed homes, which in some areas sit in limbo for months or even years, often fall into…
Making Your Houston Home Energy-Efficient can be Easy Peasy Money Squeezy
Friday, September 23rd, 2011 at 1:03am. 1901 Views, 0 Comments.
This is the time of year that makes even seasoned Houstonians want to hide from the heat in an air conditioned cocoon; and as temperatures soar, our electric bills do, too. In fact, thanks to our sultry summers, Houstonians have among the highest utility bills in the country.
Luckily, there are things you can do to ease the pain - and that doesn't mean packing up to move north. (You don't want to live there come winter anyway.) With changes to your home big and small, you can slash your energy bills, help the environment - and use local and federal rebates to help pick up the tab.
Fix Those Leaks and Insulate
Regardless of what new, energy-saving technology might be out there, much of our home's energy efficiency comes down to simple and low-tech - how…
Glenbrook Valley In Houston Texas Gets Groundbreaking Historic Designation
Wednesday, August 17th, 2011 at 10:59am. 5263 Views, 0 Comments.
In 1956 Glenbrook Valley was just hitting its stride. The Parade of Homes had singled out the residential area, exclusively featuring Glenbrook Valley for all 30 homes on their annual tour. The development had previously been included in a citywide Parade of Homes in 1954, but not for the entire event.
Nestled along Sims Bayou between I45 and Telephone Rd., Glenbrook Valley originally opened in 1953 with a lot of fanfare. It was designed by the renowned Kansas City landscape architecture firm Hare and Hare, which was known for many Houston layouts, including River Oaks. The subdivision also received a lot of interest when Better Homes and Gardens featured 7923 Glenview on the September 1954 cover for an article titled “The Home for All America” and was the…
Montrose - One Funky Neighborhood in Houston Texas
Sunday, August 7th, 2011 at 1:42pm. 2951 Views, 0 Comments.
Look at an early picture of Montrose Blvd., circa 1911, and you'll see a grand avenue complete with wide, treed esplanade and sidewalks, freshly carved out of Houston dairy farmland. You'll also see echoes, however faint, of the Montrose we know and (mostly) love today.
When the area we now call Montrose was still being grazed by cows, in the late 19th century, suburbs were starting to come into favor in other cities around the country. New York City, in fact, had had commuters traveling to and from Brooklyn by ferry since the 1850s. But for a young, inland city like Houston - bayous and ship channels notwithstanding - it would take an entirely different mode of transportation to make the suburbs take off. And that happened in 1891, when the electric…
The Montrose Area Whole Foods in Houston Texas - Built to Suit
Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011 at 11:06pm. 2905 Views, 0 Comments.
Judging by all the press the new Whole Foods at 701 Waugh has received, you’d think that the natural and organic foods store has revolutionized grocery shopping. The store not only offers its standard wholesome selections of foods, but its building design and functionality sets it apart from all of its utilitarian carbon-copy counterparts.
Whole Foods broke ground April 2010. After three years of various construction and placement changes, the Austin-based company celebrated with the grand opening of its sixth Houston location on June 22, 2011.
Stone Soup 6 Architecture, which has partnered with Whole Foods on many projects, was the architect. Cleveland Construction, headquartered in Ohio, was the general contractor for the project.
Many green features have…
Divorce Can Lead to Two Homes - Or Living with Your Ex and their Spouse and more Kids and Step-Pets
Sunday, June 26th, 2011 at 10:03am. 2798 Views, 0 Comments.
I know! How about you, me, stepdad, dad, stepmom, sibling, half-sibling, step-sibling and the dogs all live together in one big house?
There's probably not a divorced parent out there who hasn't heard their kids ask for something like this.
They're not too far off.
Whether it's financially-driven or a unique take on "staying together for the sake of the children," some reports claim that more and more divorced couples are choosing to live together, yet separately, under one roof.
That certainly gives new meaning to the oft-quoted real estate mantra "location, location, location."
Too close for comfort
Spring resident James Wilson, a 38-year-old divorced father of two kids, ages 9 and 10, is somewhere in the middle. Not too close but not too far, he lives just…
Hurricanes, Fires and Floods - Review Home Insurance Before an Emergency Hits
Friday, June 24th, 2011 at 10:15am. 2544 Views, 0 Comments.
Hurricanes, Fires and Floods ...OMG!
This stuff happens in Houston, Texas. Get an Insurance Check-up Before an Emergency Hits.
When was the last time you looked at your homeowners’ insurance policy? Was it, say, around the time you purchased your home? If so, you’re not alone. Many homeowners take a “buy it and forget it” attitude when it comes to their insurance, and for good reason - it’s not fun to think about all the calamities that could befall your home.
But, as the recent outbreak of floods, tornadoes and wildfires across the country reminds us, disasters can strike whether we’re ready or not. And in the middle of a crisis is not the time to find out whether your policy will fully take care of any damage to your home.
So, below are several steps…
Green Grass in Houston - Extreme Makeover Sod Addition
Tuesday, June 14th, 2011 at 12:46am. 2353 Views, 0 Comments.
It happens... Maybe you forgot to water the yard during last summer's vacation, or your kids have played "buried pirate's treasure" one too many times. Now you have a major case of Lawn Pattern Baldness, and trying to patch it here and there isn't cutting it anymore. When it gets to this point, it's very possible you need to bite the bullet...and re-sod your yard.
You can do it - the keys are simply preparing properly, and not cutting corners.
Seeking: The Perfect Grass for Houston, Texas
The first step is choosing the proper grass, which will vary depending on your specific lawn needs and lifestyle. The top three most often seen in Houston lawns are bermuda, zoysia and St. Augustine.
Bermuda grass is what you often see on playgrounds and athletic fields;…
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