2019 Real Estate Focus
BELLAIRE
The City of Bellaire, also referred to as the “City of Homes”, has much to offer with its mostly residential in nature appeal, great public schools, City Government, local Police and Fire Departments and numerous recreational ameni- ties. From Bellaire’s beginnings in 1908, the city has grown from a sleepy little community to a city of over 6600 homes and over 18,000 in population. There are almost 20 Parks that offer an assortment of amenities and vary in sizes, 1 Public Library, 4 Tennis
Courts, Aquatics Center, Evergreen Pool, Recreation Center with basketball and fitness room, multiple base- ball and softball fields. Construction continues to develop in the community! The City of Bellaire has recent- ly finished the construction of the Municipal Complex adding more than 55,000 square feet of flexible space in two new buildings – the Police/ Municipal Courts Building and the City Hall/Civic Center Building.
Neil Silverman, a local neighbor for 25 years, with Bernstein Realtywho lists and sells homes in Bellaire, welcomes the opportunity to be of service, please contact him for all of your real estate needs at 713.725.9750.
BRIARGROVE
Briargrove is a wonderful neighborhood conve- niently located 2 miles west of The Galleria in Houston as far south as Westheimer as far north as Woodway just west of Fountainview, the north section boarders Tanglewood. There are many wonderful local restau- rants and shops within walking distance. Briargrove Elementary is a highly ranked HISD school.
The community has just over 900 homes total with a very strong HOA which provides a 24 hr. Security Patrol. Briargrove has a neighborhood playground with a pool which offers a swim team in the summer months. You can always find neighbors out front hanging in their Adirondack chairs!
Melinda Gordon, a local neighbor, with Bernstein Realty who lists and sells homes in Bri- argrove, welcomes the opportunity to be of service, please contact her for all of your real estate needs at 713.256.9145.
HEIGHTS
The Heights, a diverse small town commu- nity “Inside the Loop” and in the heart of Hous- ton, was developed in the 1890s as a result of electrification of street car lines. With electrifi- cation, real estate developers could expand far- ther from city centers, so a group of midwestern investors banded together to purchase Houston’s street car system to ensure its extension to the Heights. The area became the city’s first large, planned community and existed separate from Houston until it was annexed in 1918. The Heights has much to offer its residents, in- cluding one of Houston’s grandest boulevards, celebrated architecture ranging from Texas Victorians to turn-of-the-century bungalows, ex-emplary schools, acres of parks, miles of trails, countless restaurants, antique stores and offbeat boutiques. In recent years, the area has seen a renewed vitality and interest in preserving the historic fiber of the community; as a result, at- tracting new residents and businesses. If you are thinking or have bought into the Heights you’ve made a wise decision. In fact, a recent CNN study ranked the Heights the #4 big city neighborhood in the country. Single family homes range from $300,000 to close to $2M with standard lot sizes up to 7,500 sf. The amount of single family sales for 2018 was 1300+ with an average price per sq.ft. of $250. Townho- mes mostly exist on the outer boundaries of the Heights and range from the upper $200,000’s to $500,000. There are not as many townho- mes/condos in the Heights with a total of 141 transactions and a price per sq.ft. of $182. Lots are becoming fewer and far between in the Heights with prices from $250,000-$1,500,000 depending on location and lot size with an average price around $64 a sq. ft. In 2018, 54 lots sold in the Heights area. There are also plenty of rental properties to choose from and those range from $850 for garage apartments to $6,500 for single-family homes.
Amanda & Rich Anhorn | Greenwood King Properties | Top Producer 2004-2018
MEMORIAL CLOSE-IN
Memorial Close-In is home to some of Houston’s most exclusive neighborhoods including Sta- blewood, Bayou Woods, Pine Wood Estates and Sherwood Forest. This area has amazing proximity to Memorial Park, Downtown and the Galleria, and is sur- rounded with restaurants, entertainment, access to outdoor activities and shopping. Additionally, many of the neighborhoods are zoned to the Spring Branch school district, making it a highly sought after location. In addition to the neighborhoods that boast an average lot size of over 20,000 square feet, the area also includes access to several luxury high rise buildings and patio home communities. MLS records show 11 single family homes sold in the last 6 months at an average sales price of
$2,267,091 and a record sale of $4,712,500.
As a Native Houstonian and having raised her family in Memorial, Shelly Porter understands the “big picture” of Houston’s real estate market and knows the Neighborhood! Shelly has been a Top Producer at Heritage Texas Properties for five consecutive years. While she specializes in the luxury market, Shelly gives the same unparalleled quality of service regardless of price level and has a soft spot for helping young families and first-time home buyers. Shelly has earned a reputation for excellence among her peers and clientele, handling transac- tions with grace, friendliness, and expertise.
Shelly Porter will be happy to assist you in all your Real Estate needs and can be reached at 713.446.2473 or sporter@ heritagetexas.com. “Serving Families in Memorial and Beyond”
MEMORIAL VILLAGES
Looking to live in the best neighborhood in Houston? Well, look no further than the Me- morial Villages. There are six Memorial Villages-four located south of Interstate-10 (Hunters Creek, Piney Point, Bunker Hill and Hedwig) and two villages located north of Interstate-10 (Spring Valley and Hilshire Village) each with their own city managers but sharing police, fire and water services. These Memorial Villages were first developed in the 1950’s and 1960’s as Houston grew and expanded with many of the original ranch style homes still occupied. There is everything from mid-century archi- tecture to new and recent construction. There is something for everyone with exceptional Spring Branch Independent Schools for all.
The Memorial Villages has maintained its original rural feel with large, heavily wooded lots and commercial properties surrounding the Villages. Many streets have cul-de-sacs with few main travel arteries so most of the traffic in the Villages is local traffic.
The Memorial Villages has always been attractive not only as a wonderful place to live and raise a family, but also as an excellent place to invest in real estate. Many current residents grew up in Me-morial and after college have returned to raise their families there!
Per HAR MLS, there were 114 single family sales in Bunker Hill Village, Hedwig Village, Piney Point Village and Hunters Creek Village in 2018. The prices ranged from a low of $710,000 to a high of $5,200,000 with an average of $1,946,200 and an average price per square foot of $393/SF. There were 32 of the 114 homes built since 2000 (28% of the sales). In Spring Valley Village and Hilshire Village there were 31 single family sales in 2018. The prices ranged from a low of $470,000 to a high of $1,982,500 with an average of $1,049,826 and an average price per square foot of $307/SF. There were 9 of the 31 homes built since 2000 (29% of the sales).
Written by Karen Robinson Harberg with Martha Turner Sotheby’s International Realty. Phone: 713-558-3203 e-MAIL: Karen. Harberg@SothebysHomes.com
MEMORIAL WEST
Memorial West encompasses a wide variety of neighborhoods that are located North of I-10. Some of the most popular neighborhoods inside the Beltway are Frostwood, Memorial Forest, Memorial Bend, Tealwood, Sandalwood and Fonn Villas. The area also extends out- side the Beltway to Memorial Glen, Gay- wood, Nottingham, Nottingham Forest, Wilchester and beyond. It is convenient to City Centre, Town and Country and Me- morial City Mall and a short commute to the Energy Corridor. Memorial West is also home to one of Houston’s largest parks, Terry Hershey Park.
Amy Bernstein, a local neighbor, with Bernstein Realty is a top producing real estate agent who has listed and sold homes in the Memorial West area for more than 30 years. Bernstein Realty welcomes the oppor- tunity to be of service, please contact us for all your real estate needs at 713.932.1032.
RIVER OAKS
River Oaks is 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 River Oaks subdivision of roughly 1,300 homes was primarily built out in the 1920s and 1930s. Most of these homes were de- signed and built by renowned architects and builders, and have been preserved over the years by consecutive owners.
The River Oaks Area would also in- clude the subdivisions of Tall Timbers (acreage lots west of Willowick), Home- wood (acreage lots on Lazy Ln), Royden Oaks (~10,000 SF lots west of River Oaks), Oak Estates just west of that, Ava- lon Place (~10,000 SF lots east of River Oaks), and Glendower Court (<6,000 SF lots east of Avalon Place). These deed restricted subdivisions are served well by the high end retail shops and fine restau- rants in Upper Kirby, the River Oaks Shopping Center and Highland Village. Many of the highest priced homes are not listed in MLS, but according to HARMLS, there were 62 sales of single family homes in the River Oaks Area in 2018, with a low of $970,000, a high of $7,300,000 and an average of $2,969,000 ($556/SF – 12% higher than 2017, but 2017 was 9% lower than 2016).
There are also 5 luxury hi-rise condo- minium towers in the River Oaks Area, including The Huntingdon, The Willowick, Inwood Manor, Chateau Ten and the new Revere at River Oaks. Only 10 condos sold in the area in 2018, ranging
$320,000 to $2,130,000 and averaging $796,000 ($399/SF – a 7.5% increase over the 30 units that sold in 2017 averaging $371/SF).
David Michael Young, Broker Associate John Daugherty, Realtors david@youngrealtyhouston.com | 713.320.6453
TANGLEWOOD
Tanglewood remains one of Houston’s most sought after and affluent neighborhoods. It is home to the Houston Country Club and the Tan- glewood Road Promenade. The Tanglewood subdivision is surrounded with restaurants, education opportunities, entertainment venues, shopping and more. See below for more information on the surrounding resources for the Tanglewood subdivision.
Tanglewood Real Estate Overview:
• Currently there are 51 homes for sale in Tanglewood.
• The average price of the homes for sale in Tanglewood is $ 3,247,470.
• The average square feet of the homes in Tanglewood is 5,125 sqft.
• There are currently 8 homes for lease in Tanglewood subdivision.
• The average rent in Tanglewood is $ 11,406 at an average price of 2 per square foot.
Tanglewood has 1,203 single family properties with 5,125 Median Square Feet. The median year built is 1978. The home values ranges between $980 – $3280 K and you can view the square feed price change data since 1998. The median sold price/sqft is $362.46 while the median appraised value is $ 361.45/ sqft.
Mariana Saldana, Broker & CEO, Uptown Real Estate Group, mariana@uptownhouston.com | 832.338.4040
UPPER KIRBY
In 17 years as an Upper Kirby resi- dent, I have seen the Upper Kirby District transform from a deteriorated cen- tral 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 Hous- ton’s finest shops, restaurants, bars and residences. Power lines have been buried under ground, larger storm drainage pipes have been installed, modern durable pavement has been laid in place of asphalt and walkable sidewalks with lighting now line Kirby and Westheimer.
The new defining characteristic of Upper Kirby is the mixed-use developments along Kirby Drive that are anchored by luxury hi-rise apartments including Arrive River Oaks (formerly West Ave) and the Kirby Collection. In addition to those, we have premier hi-rise condo towers at 2727 Kirby, the new Giorgetti and the venerable Regency House. Walkabili- ty, convenience and luxury are the words that I would use to describe my neighborhood. Learn more about the area www. upperkirbydistrict.org.
Residential real estate in Upper Kirby includes a combination of homes from the 1920s and 1930s, townhomes and patio homes from the 1980s onward, and condo towers. Here are the sales summaries for 2018:
Single Family – 81 sold ranging $500,000 to $2,400,000 | average – $1,000,000 ($321/SF – up 6% from 2017)
Townhomes – 20 sold ranging $320,000 to $965,000 | average – $526,000 ($213/SF – down 3.6% from 2017).
Hi-rise Condos – 27 sold ranging $235,000 to $2,850,000 | average – $751,000 ($347/SF – up 6% from 2017)
David Michael Young, Broker Associate, John Daugherty, Realtors | david@youngrealtyhouston.com | 713.320.6453
WEST UNIVERSITY PLACE
West University’s tree-lined streets and a green enclave within the urban city makes it one of Houston’s most desirable neighborhoods to newcomers and residents alike. West University Place, famed in part for its intense Little League baseball scene, was named the best city to live in all of America, according to 24/7 Wall Street’s new rankings and USA Today. A few of West U’s many virtues include the strong Parks and Recreation Board which offers nine neighborhood parks, outstanding facilities and programs to fit all stages of life. City services from trash and recycling collection to well-maintained infrastructure help West U residents enjoy a peaceful respite from the hustle and bustle of the city just a few miles away. Yet with all of its small-town charm, West University Place is close to the center of everything. The current real estate market is definitely reaching new heights!
New construction starts at $1,500,000 to as high as $5,500,000 based on location, house and lot size. The market conditions in the $1M to $2.5M point to a seller’s market – much more demand than supply. The land values are between $120 to $150 a square foot depending on location, size, and shape of the lot. All signs are pointing towards continued growth in the coming year for West University Place. Given the low levels of inventory, we expect home prices to rise this following year.
Single Family: 261 homes sold in 2018, ranging $410,000 to $5,850,000 and averaging $1,484,000 ($404/SF) | Townhomes: 6 townhomes sold in 2018, ranging from $500,000 to $770,000 averaging $591,000 ($221/SF)
Written by Kasteena Parikh with Keller Williams Metropolitan | 713 581 0677 | kparikh@kw.com | www.kasteena.com