HEIGHTS
New to Houston or living in the outer “Burbs” & tired of the commute & looking for a HOME to buy or lease? Look no further than “THE HOUSTON HEIGHTS” often described as eclectic is found inside Loop 610, a short distance from downtown Houston and north of I-10 and encompassing zip codes 77007, 77008, & 77009 with most properties located in 77008. It’s a vintage area and like fine wine has aged well since the 1890’s inception. It’s “Close In” where you’ll find many of the oldest Houston residences & businesses. Schools include Houston Heights H. S., Goddard School, Hamilton Middle, Helms & Sinclair Elem. & more. There’s a large variety of great restaurants, grocery stores, fine hospitals, dentists, veterinarians & retailers. Public parks, biking & walking trails abound. “The Houston Heights” is 23 feet higher in elevation than downtown Houston – that’s what attracted founder & developer O. M. Carter in the 1890s and now many impacted by Harvey are looking to make a move here. Heights Boulevard is the main street running N. and S. with many stately Victorian homes lining the corridor. Selection, Location and Affordability is the triple play that will get you “Home”. New Construction and Resale choices include single family homes ranging in price from $129K to $1.8 million with lot sizes from 1500 to 15,000 sq. ft. -$150-$554 per sq. ft. There is a healthy selection of Townhomes & Condos for sale ranging in price from $114,000 to $750,000 -$125-$302 per sq. ft. Residential Rental Properties abound in all categories ranging from $1.00-$2.81 per sq. ft. per month. Lot Properties currently listed in zip code 77008 range in size from 1600 sq. ft. to 35,700 sq. ft. – Lots range in price $49,000 – $2,300,000 or an average of $64.00 per sq. ft. By Ross Dunn, REALTOR and President of Ross Dunn Realty, Inc. – “ServingHouston Since ’99”.
MEMORIAL VILLAGES
Idyllic Memorial has been, and probably always will be a great place to invest in real estate, but it’s an even better place to live – just ask the kids who grew up here, went off to premier universities, traveled the world and then returned to raise their families here. The Memorial Villages – Hunters Creek, Piney Point, Hedwig and Bunker Hill – each have their own city management, but share water, police and fire services. These neighborhoods were carved out of family farms that were sold to developers in the 1950s and 1960s to accommodate the need for suburban living in an expanding Houston. Despite the urban sprawl surrounding the Villages, they have been able to retain their rural feel with large wooded lots, good old fashioned ditches for rain drainage and minimal commercial properties on the perimeter. Hunters Creek and Piney Point have the larger 1+ acre lots with many of those backing to Buffalo Bayou along the southern border to the Memorial Area.
According to HARMLS, there were 141 sales of single family homes in 2017 throughout the 4 villages, with a low of $615,000, a high of $2,388,381 and an average of $1,529,536 ($358/SF). Only 40 of these homes were built since 2000. Although new construction is rampant in these areas, there are still many ranch, traditional, colonial and contemporary style homes that have been or will be remodeled by their new owners. Hurricane Harvey ravaged many homes along the bayou, but most of the homes are being rebuilt, as the post-Harvey reservoir release was the first time that a vast majority of these homes ever flooded.
RIVER OAKS MARKET
There are many neighborhoods considered to be within the River Oaks area (Royden Oaks, Oak Estates, Avalon Place, Glendower Court, The Huntingdon, Upper Kirby), but there is only one true River Oaks – undisputedly Houston’s premier subdivision. With a buy-in price of $1 million and previous non-MLS sales in excess of $30 million, this genteel neighborhood is home to many of Houston’s wealthiest families.
Established in the 1920s by Houston’s famous Hogg family and anchored by the exclusive River Oaks Country Club, the neighborhood was primarily built out in the 1920s and 1930s. Most of these homes were designed and built by renowned architects and builders, and have been preserved over the years by consecutive owners. With about 1,300 homes, the subdivision is roughly bound by Willowick, Buffalo Bayou, Westheimer and Shepherd.
The magnificent four acre Rienzi on Kirby Dr, which is part of the Museum of Fine Arts, is an annual stop on the popular Azalea Trail sponsored every March by the River Oaks Garden Club. There are no commercial properties in this deed restricted subdivision, but the area is served well by the high end retail shops and fine restaurants in Upper Kirby and in the River Oaks Shopping Center along West Gray.
Many of the highest priced homes are not listed in MLS, but according to HARMLS, there were 53 sales of single family homes in 2017, with a low of $833,000, a high of $7,500,000 and an average of $2,767,000 ($531/SF).
UPPER KIRBY
The Upper Kirby District has transformed in the past 20 years from a deteriorated central area that wasn’t sure if it was part of Montrose or River Oaks, to the hottest zip code in Houston (77098) with its own identity, marked by Olde English style red telephone booths. Where there were once gas stations, old retail strip centers and open land, there are now some of Houston’s finest restaurants and bars, as well as mixed use centers like West Ave and the Kirby Collection, providing high end retail, class A offices and luxury apartments at the same location, with many more new real estate projects in the works. Upper Kirby is undergoing continual changes, with a focus now on the taming of Westheimer and Shepherd to bring those roads up to the standard set by Kirby Drive. Power and phone lines have been buried under ground, larger storm drainage pipes have been installed, modern durable pavement is being laid and truly walkable sidewalks with lighting are underway. Learn more about the area and ongoing projects at www.upperkirbydistrict.org.