Swinging From the Chandeliers

April 4, 2016October 20, 2017Cameron Ansari

I was never particularly good at sports at school. Except perhaps swimming, which the English boys had few opportunities to practice back then. Prep school colors at rugby were cut short suddenly when it became rudely apparent that the other boys had matured more quickly than me. Despite spending so much...

5 Ways to Make Your Yard Bee-Friendly

April 1, 2016November 2, 2017Nicole Buergers

Click images for source Maybe you aren’t ready or able to keep bees on your own – beekeeping requires a significant initial investment of money, plus you need upper-body strength to lift out hive sections – but you’d like to provide a haven for the honeybees, butterflies and other pollinators in...

The Holy Sale: Fresh Paint and the Right Saint

March 14, 2016October 20, 2017Teresa Byrne-Dodge

You’ve fluffed your house to within an inch of its life: painting, decluttering, staging and even planting a couple dozen Knock Out roses. And your house still has not sold. A savvy listing agent who truly understands the market is always your best resource, of course. But, just for fun, we...

Lows and Highs

March 14, 2016October 20, 2017Cameron Ansari

The street talk has been of how low oil prices may negatively affect the real estate market in River Oaks, especially at the high-end. There was even an alarmist article with that implication in late-February published by Reuters and since then picked up by other media. However, the article was lazily...

Nosy Questions for Charlotte Moss

March 7, 2016October 20, 2017Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Photos courtesy Charlotte Moss Interior designer and author Charlotte Moss, who has written nine books and is a frequent contributor to The Wall Street Journal, has spent more than 30 years decorating beautiful homes for private clients. As a furniture and upholstery designer she collaborated with Century Furniture on a collection....

Buildings We Have a Crush On

February 10, 2016October 20, 2017Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Let’s say you have an architecture-loving friend coming to Houston for the weekend. You want our hometown to be seen in the best possible light. What buildings would you choose to represent Houston? Would you do a Heights crawl, street by street? Include the Astrodome? Visit the Beer Can House? Drive...

River Oaks Market Report 2016 Outlook

February 5, 2016October 20, 2017Cameron Ansari

The 2016 outlook and year-end review edition of the River Oaks Market Report, published by Cameron Ansari and Teresa Byrne-Dodge, has just been released.

Winter Dreams

January 26, 2016October 20, 2017Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Come winter, there’s a little less to do in the garden. This is the time I walk around, notepad in hand, planning ambitious beds and making lists, even while taking a break from the actual digging and planting. It’s time to daydream and, yes, even pre-order some strange and ugly bits...

Looking Back at 2015

January 13, 2016October 20, 2017Cameron Ansari

If you examine the charts showing available inventory and overall sales of houses in River Oaks, you will note that the years 2015 and 2014 look remarkably similar.

Gearing Up for Our 2016 Goals

January 13, 2016October 20, 2017River Oaks Houston Staff

Is 2016 the year you’re finally going to restore the fireplace? Or maybe you’ll finish installing gutters on the back of the house. Will you get that home office set up? Paint the front door? Repair the dripping bathroom sink faucet? Install a doggy door for the family pooch? Sometimes it...