And They’re Off … Sort Of

March 12, 2019March 18, 2019Cameron Ansari

Just two months ago, we were trying to catch our breath after the wild record-breaking River Oaks real estate ride of 2018. As we wrote in the River Oaks Market Report ~ 2019 Outlook, 2018 was memorable for the sheer volume of transactions: “more than $300 million of real estate traded...

2018 River Oaks Buyers & Sellers

February 14, 2019February 14, 2019Cameron Ansari

Demographics are a fascinating study, and we always find it satisfying to crunch the data we collect on River Oaks homebuyers and sellers. Some of the results, shown in the pie graphs below, help us to chart the changes in the neighborhood. We run through this exercise every six months and...

2019 Outlook: The Overall Market

January 23, 2019January 23, 2019Cameron Ansari

The Big Picture It was a well-shuffled deck in 2018 River Oaks real estate, layered with the usual life-events of birth, divorce and death, but also including bankruptcies, foreclosures, financial windfalls and some malfeasance. It’s what makes River Oaks the most interesting place to work in Houston real estate. Most remarkable,...

Ask the Agents #11: When Should We Close on Our House?

December 14, 2018December 14, 2018Cameron Ansari & Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Question: Does it make any difference whether we close on our new house before or after January 1? Answer: If this new home will be your primary residence, then, yes, it does make a difference. If you own your house as of January 1, you will qualify for the homestead exemption....

Top 10 River Oaks Sales This Year (So Far)

November 14, 2018November 15, 2018Cameron Ansari

Who doesn’t love a good list? This one – the top 10 property sales in River Oaks so far this year – is one we are often asked for. (Editor’s note: These are MLS transactions only. We have not included private sales.) Click the following link to view the listings: River...

5 Things to Know About Cape Cod

November 2, 2018November 8, 2018Teresa Byrne-Dodge

I say “Cape Cod,” and you think … Patti Page song? Kennedys playing touch football at Hyannis Port? Jaws? Wellfleet oysters? Summer stock theater? Whale-watching? For a small peninsula of just 339 square miles, Cape Cod manages to pack in an immense amount of history, food culture and local color. Cameron...

A Year Ago and Today

September 17, 2018September 18, 2018Cameron Ansari

For all the number nerds out there, here are some statistics showing River Oaks real estate activity August 1 through September 15 this year and last year. A quick glance at the numbers in the table above would suggest that we are in a radically different market as we head into...

Ask the Agents #9: Earnest Money and Option Fees

September 17, 2018September 17, 2018Cameron Ansari & Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Question: What is an option fee? How is it different from earnest money? Answer: Earnest money is an amount agreed on in your home-purchase contract that you pay soon after the contract is signed by all parties. It is typically about one percent of the agreed-upon price, although it can be...

2300 Timber Lane: A Mid-Century Home With Plans to Stay

August 9, 2018August 11, 2018Cameron Ansari & Teresa Byrne-Dodge

River Oaks has always been a daunting real estate market, especially for younger homebuyers. Getting a toe-hold in the neighborhood has been made even more difficult in recent years by builders who have been snapping up older and smaller homes – the fixer-uppers, if you will – and scraping them from...

5 Myths About Flood Insurance

August 9, 2018August 9, 2018Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Along with the rest of greater Houston, the upcoming first anniversary of Hurricane Harvey has us reminiscing. How are our friends recovering? What have we learned? What changes are underway to our region’s infrastructure? One lesson that stands out is the importance of flood insurance. Thousands of Houstonians who had never...