As we prepare to release our River Oaks Market Report for the first half of 2017, clients and colleagues are bombarded by mixed signals. Real estate agents inside The Loop, especially those working at the higher price points, complain of the eerie quiet since mid-April. And, given the sudden spike of LinkedIn requests landing in
Earlier this month we attended the spring edition of Dr. Robert Gilmer’s twice-a-year regional forecasting luncheon sponsored by the University of Houston’s Bauer College of Business. The past two years have not been kind to Houston, as the city has slowed to no-growth for two years. Other details gleaned from Dr. Gilmer’s talk: • We
There has been a clear sense that market activity in River Oaks in the first quarter of 2017 has been the expression of pent-up energy from the second half of 2016. Buyers and sellers had held back since the summer of 2016. There was then a tangible change of mood in December, followed by a
After a year-long hiatus speculative builders are back in River Oaks with a good selection of new houses in the pipeline. And, if you’re in the market, you will find it refreshing that you won’t have to settle for a huge white box with a pastiche of neoclassical details affixed to the front. It is
We regularly tour new construction in River Oaks, West University, Memorial, Tanglewood and other upscale Houston neighborhoods, and we have noted several trends. Among them:
But, as the adage goes, it’s not just about size. The most particular characteristic of the large-lot market in River Oaks is that, in addition to the absolute size of any given lot, other qualities of the property are critically important to a prospective buyer. Buyers willing to pay $4 million or more for a
It’s been a contrary 12 months in the River Oaks real estate market. Here’s a quick recap in advance of our twice-yearly print publication, the River Oaks Market Report that will be published in January. January The price of a barrel of oil dips below $30. Only the bold are buying real estate in River
With Thanksgiving out of the way one might assume it would be appropriate seasonal behavior to wind real estate business down for December and jump ahead to thinking about the new year. Nothing could be further from the truth for those of us working in the River Oaks market. In past years, especially before 2008,
One could be forgiven for assuming that it’s a time bomb you hear, but, thankfully, it’s the early telegraph quietly signaling that there is life in the River Oaks real estate market as we approach November 2016. And it’s not a moment too soon, for it has been rather gloomy of late. As showing activity
Inventory at the high end of the market in River Oaks, which we define as properties priced at $4 million or higher, has climbed steadily since summer began. As of mid-September, the inventory is at its highest level ever. Most strikingly, much of the inventory is top-heavy – that is, well above $6 million – and