Ask the Agents #8: Short Sales, Setbacks, Home Inspections & More

July 30, 2018August 14, 2018Cameron Ansari & Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Last year we began a new feature on our blog called Ask the Agents. It’s proven to be one of the most popular features on the website. Here is the current batch of questions – most of them from our clients – and answers. Question: What does “short sale” mean? Answer:...

At the Half-Way Mark: River Oaks Update

July 10, 2018July 11, 2018Teresa Byrne-Dodge

We are preparing the mid-year print edition of the River Oaks Market Report even as I write. But as a little appetizer before we dig into Cameron’s meaty main course, we have some figures for you on what has been happening in the River Oaks real estate market since January 1. (Please...

Five Things to Know About the River Oaks Real Estate Market Right Now

June 17, 2018June 17, 2018Cameron Ansari

A preview of some of the trends we will examine in greater depth in our upcoming semi-annual River Oaks Market Report We’re going to keep it simple and skim over the highlights of what we’ve noted in the market since January. We will drill down deep next month in the print publication...

7 Nosy Questions with John Mixon, owner of Blast Trash Can Cleaners

June 5, 2018January 3, 2023Teresa Byrne-Dodge

What’s the single grossest thing at your home? Chances are it’s your garbage bin, the nasty outdoor one with the cruddy food spills, dripped paint and who knows what else in there. If you’re like me, my daily deposit of kitchen refuse into the outdoor bin is usually accomplished by lifting...

The More Things Change …

May 18, 2018May 18, 2018Cameron Ansari

We recently dusted off last year’s River Oaks Market Report updates to see any patterns with late Spring 2017 and, more important, to tease out any significant differences. The first few paragraphs of our June 2017 report could be used verbatim for where we stand right now: … mixed signals …...

Ask the Agents #7: Bye-Bye, Old Swimming Pool

May 10, 2018August 14, 2018Cameron Ansari & Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Question: Our kids are grown and have moved away, and we no longer have any use for our backyard pool. We’d prefer to stop paying for its upkeep and get rid of it altogether. Do people do that? Answer: Yes, they do. But just filling the pool with a couple dump-truck...

River Oaks’ Lot Market & New Construction

March 20, 2018March 20, 2018Cameron Ansari

Pricing of lots in River Oaks The pricing of different lot types in River Oaks follows a distinct trend over time. We track all lot sales in River Oaks, in six categories, with a database going back to 1988. We observe that even the deviations from trend show consistent patterns. We...

River Oaks Market Demographics

February 15, 2018February 19, 2018Cameron Ansari

We always enjoy crunching the numbers to see what kind of trends ooze out. Here we’ve tracked eight sets of the market demographics for 2017 River Oaks home sales and purchases. (Like numbers? To read more of this kind of thing, order a copy of our just-released River Oaks Market Report...

Ask the Agents #6: Curb Appeal & Bee-friendly Gardens

February 15, 2018August 14, 2018Cameron Ansari & Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Question: I understand the concept of curb appeal, but I don’t want to spend the money to have my house entirely repainted. What else can I do to make it look good? Answer: You know what they say about getting just one chance to make a first impression, right? Curb appeal...

Nosy Questions with Greg Schenck

January 26, 2018January 26, 2018Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Houston’s go-to floor company – for both exquisite new floors and the restoration of old floors – is Schenck & Company. Owner/namesake Greg Schenck (photo at right) bought the fledgling company from a buddy more than 35 years ago. He had no background installing floors or woodworking, but that did not...