Nosy Questions for David Bush

February 1, 2024February 1, 2024Teresa Byrne-Dodge

David Bush has been executive director of Preservation Houston since 2015. Founded in 1978, Preservation Houston is the only citywide, public service, historic preservation organization in Houston.* It is best known for a its lush architectural books, walking tours of historic neighborhoods and the annual Good Brick Awards program that honors...

2023 Mid-Year Market Report: Sales Under $2 Million

July 19, 2023July 19, 2023Cameron Ansari

Much of the activity in the low-end “under $2 million” category so far this year has been for lot sales. It’s not so much that speculative builders are buying up all those cute old houses in need of TLC. Rather, private individuals are buying lots for custom home construction. But be...

Nosy Questions for Lynette Hawkins

July 19, 2023July 19, 2023Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Is there anything more deliciously satisfying than a casual neighborhood trattoria and wine bar where the owner is also the chef, and she’s always – always! – on the premises? Lynette Hawkins opened Giacomo’s Cibo e Vino in 2009, and since then she has cooked her way into our hearts with...

Take a Look at Two New Listings

June 15, 2023June 15, 2023Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Attention, lovers of fab architecture: We have two new listings, and they are both outstanding examples of their styles. One is a Prairie home with a strong Mid-Century Modern accent. It whispers Frank Lloyd Wright, but without his leaky roofs, itty-bitty closets and wretched kitchens. The other is an exuberant homage...

A Dozen Things to Know about the Gardens at Bayou Bend

October 18, 2022October 20, 2022Teresa Byrne-Dodge

As I’ve mentioned before in this blog, I am now a proud docent at Bayou Bend,* class of 2020. Almost all of our docent education centers on the house and its collection of American decorative arts. But recently I presented a paper on the history of the gardens at Bayou Bend....

Nosy Questions for Tyler Horne

August 8, 2022October 3, 2022Teresa Byrne-Dodge

If you’ve been to the farmers market on Saturday mornings at the St. John parking lot on Westheimer at Buffalo Speedway, you have surely noticed its director, Tyler Horne. He’s the unflappable boyish-looking guy with answers to a constant stream of questions from shoppers, staff and vendors. Horne left a job...

Who Pays for What?

April 21, 2022April 21, 2022Teresa Byrne-Dodge

It’s exhilarating to buy – or sell – a home. But sometimes that excitement is mitigated by the slew of closing costs added to the transaction. By the time you’re at the closing table, they can really add up. This is true for both sellers and buyers. The good news is...

Secrets of Glenwood Cemetery

January 13, 2022January 20, 2022Teresa Byrne-Dodge

In Houston’s fervent embrace of the new and shiny, there’s not much in our city that dates from 1871. A notable exception is Glenwood Cemetery, which last year celebrated 150 years of providing a burial place for Houstonians. Located at 2525 Washington Avenue just west of Sawyer Street, Glenwood is an...

5 Changes for Your Garden

March 21, 2021August 16, 2021Teresa Byrne-Dodge

It was just four weekends ago that we all emerged, kind of numb, from the mid-February deep freeze and took a look around. Even if you were among the fortunate who did not have damage to your pipes and home, you surely were disheartened to view our Houston landscape … the...

What’s New in Your Real Estate Contract?

February 15, 2021February 15, 2021Cameron Ansari & Teresa Byrne-Dodge

The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) regularly tweaks the various contracts, agreements, notices and addenda that home buyers and sellers and their agents use. The common One to Four Family Residential Contract – that is, the contract typically used to resell a home – has had a number of changes that...