Keeping It Together

January 13, 2016October 20, 2017Cameron Ansari

While the obvious function of cufflinks is to hold your cuffs together on shirts that have no cuff buttons, the more important purpose is to provide an opportunity for a man to wear jewelry without having to appear vulgar. However, it’s not enough to simply rush out and buy expensive cufflinks...

“Why hasn’t that house sold?”

December 7, 2015October 20, 2017Cameron Ansari

This is the question posed repeatedly of late by one of our favorite buyer clients. The cheeky and obvious answer is, “Because you didn’t buy it.” It is a relevant question in our current River Oaks market where many delightful homes are not selling, and a challenging one to answer –...

“All Cuffs and Collar”

November 30, 2015October 20, 2017Cameron Ansari

It’s a fairly obscure and sarcastic English observation, with a meaning similar to the sardonic Texan expression, “All hat and no cattle.” Finding common sentiments between English and Texan culture has become a labor of love late in my life. Refreshingly, Google was of little help in finding examples, meaning and...

Leading Indicators: A Change in Tone

November 5, 2015October 20, 2017Cameron Ansari

SALES With four houses scheduled to close in November and one in December, total sales for 2015 are expected to be on par with 2014. Those sales in the pipeline for the final weeks of the year include two houses in the mid-$2 millions, two priced below $1.5 million, and an...

Three Dogs Good … Three Heads Better?

October 28, 2015October 20, 2017Cameron Ansari

Photos by Cameron Ansari & Safa Ansari-Bayegan The trip to Rome was ostensibly for a family reunion, but I went to see Bernini in the Galleria Borghese. While Proserpina struggled with Pluto above, I was focused on the three-headed dog below that propped up the sculpture. Which made me wonder: Instead...

A Stroll Down Jermyn Street, London

October 21, 2015October 20, 2017Cameron Ansari

I slipped off the leash on the eve of our departure from London for a pilgrimage down Jermyn Street. It’s the real reason we stay in Mayfair on recent visits. In the Thatcher years Jermyn (pronounced “german”) used to be a mere cross street for me, a LSE student on his...

Focus on the High End

October 5, 2015October 20, 2017Cameron Ansari

Photos by TK Images © In past editions of River Oaks Market Report we have described how the high end of the River Oaks real estate market is the most unpredictable because it is the least driven by the economic factors that affect the majority of buyers and sellers. At the high end,...

The River Oaks Market Report: 2015 Mid-Year Report

August 31, 2015October 20, 2017Cameron Ansari

The 2015 mid-year edition of the River Oaks Market Report, published by Cameron Ansari and Teresa Byrne-Dodge, has just been released.