Paying For It

January 12, 2018February 19, 2018Cameron Ansari

How buyers pay for their home purchases in River Oaks is always interesting to watch, since it is an indicator of trends in the neighborhood. This time we have dug deeper than usual to shed some light on the details. And what’s clear is that there are more ways of paying...

Ask the Agents #5: Installing a Pool, Loans & More

January 12, 2018August 14, 2018Cameron Ansari & Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Question: We’re thinking of adding a swimming pool to our backyard. Will that add to or detract from its appeal when we sell the house? Answer: It depends on the market. If half or more of the homes in the neighborhood have a pool, then it’s a positive thing. And for...

2017’s Top Real Estate Story

December 18, 2017December 19, 2017Cameron Ansari

Houston’s biggest story of 2017, real estate or otherwise, was Hurricane Harvey. It brought everything to a screeching halt. Even in neighborhoods relatively unaffected by flood waters, the buying and selling of real estate paused as though in sympathy with the hard-hit areas of our city. There was a distinct four-...

Gifts of River Oaks

December 11, 2017December 11, 2017Taylor Byrne Dodge

We know you’re hustling to cross people off your gift-giving list, and time is ticking. Fortunately, you don’t need to go to a mall or pay high shipping costs for just the right gift. Below, we’ve broken out a selection of possible recipients you might be shopping for, and our picks...

Contemporary Houses Here and Now

November 14, 2017November 15, 2017Cameron Ansari

The appetite for contemporary architecture in the upscale markets we serve here in Houston has been growing. Ever more buyers are looking for homes that boast sustainable elements (e.g. bamboo floors, stone countertops), are designed with entertaining in mind and are full of natural daylight. They want a flow between indoor...

DIY Home-Renovation Projects: What Should You Tackle Yourself

November 10, 2017November 10, 2017Paul Denikin

Nearly every homeowner has a streak of DIY spirit in them. Indeed, one of the joys of home ownership is making changes so your house better suits you and your family. For some, that might be as simple as painting the powder room. But what about the bigger jobs? Sure, you...

Nosy Questions for Gil Schafer

November 1, 2017January 8, 2018Teresa Byrne-Dodge

American architect Gil Schafer is known for creating personal and timeless homes that celebrate the lives of their owners. They are spaces intended for making and keeping memories. To that end, Schafer’s brand-new book, A Place to Call Home: Tradition, Style, and Memory in the New American House (Rizzoli, $55) pulls...

Post-Harvey: 9 Questions for Leash Yu

October 27, 2017October 31, 2017Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Since Hurricane Harvey, Houstonians have had hundreds of questions about flood claims, building codes and buying up water-damaged properties as future investments. Li-Hsi “Leash” Yu, president of Agency Yu, Inc.* in West University, recently came to the Greenwood King office on Kirby Drive to talk about flooding (and its aftermath) from...

See You at the Polo Club

October 17, 2017October 20, 2017Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Back in the 1980s, while on a travel-writing assignment for Ultra magazine, I attended an elephant polo match near Tiger Tops in Nepal. The so-called “biggest sport in the world” has two men on each lumbering beast – the mahout (or elephant driver) and the player, who leans wa-a-ay out to...

Ask the Agents #3: Surveys, Spec Homes, Exclusions & More

October 17, 2017August 14, 2018Cameron Ansari & Teresa Byrne-Dodge

Question: We are looking at an older home in The Heights. The owner has a survey, but it’s more than 20 years old. Do we need to spend money on a new survey before closing? Answer: Yes. In Texas, buyers should always pay to have a new survey of their own...