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...

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...

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...

Recipes for Winter Wild Game

January 6, 2018January 8, 2018Teresa Byrne-Dodge

photos by Taylor Byrne Dodge My daughter and I often cook together, so naturally we like to attend cooking classes together as well. Here in Houston we are fans of Central Market’s cooking school where we take a class every six months or so. A few weeks ago we learned to...