I remember the very early days of my career in Real Estate. Karen Derr and Associates was a prominent Real Estate Office in the Heights. She rose to fame when she coined the phrase "People Love Porches". I later discovered this phrase was the brainchild of Bill Baldwin, who bought her company and renamed it Boulevard Realty. Every Sunday, on Sunny 99.1, Houston's favorite radio station, she would run her ads from noon to about 4 - during the time people were driving neighborhoods in search of open houses. And at the end of every commercial she would enthusiastically declare, "People Love Porches". So many homes in the Heights have porches. And Bill and Karen quickly understood, in thes
It looks like West U, in an effort to protect structures from future flooding, is taking action and creating flood guidelines for residential building within its city. Looking at the frequency of our floods, Houston, and Harris County anticipate it to continue. In addition, the Gulf has very warm water, so Hurricanes are expected to be more frequent. Both Harris County and the City of Houston aren't wasting any time and have already written and adopted their own guidelines. According to an article in the Houston Chronicle, 116 homes in West U took on water during Hurricane Harvey. He didn't specify how much water. Obviously it would be best if none of the homes flooded but that number r
I am of the opinion, that when juggling your budget and assessing your finishes, don't skimp on floors and windows. Floors have so much magic in them. I love mine. Every time someone comes to my home the very first thing they notice when they walk in the door are my floors. "Oh, I LOVE these floors", they say. And so do I. I didn't go crazy on the cost but I got something I really loved and of good quality. These days, you have a ton of good options available to you from from laminate to hardwood. Even tile companies, feeling the competition to hardwood floors have cleverly designed ceramic and porcelain tiles to mimic hardwood floors. These prove to be a very economical option and so
Now it's time for your finishes. If you've stayed true to your budget and you have more money you can spend, you can upgrade your finishes here. Your counter tops will go in first, then your sinks, back-splash and plumbing and light fixtures. Make sure you clear any plumbing fixture with your plumber before purchasing. If he uses a specific valve in your shower, for example, you'll need a plumbing fixture that's compatible. As well, you want to make sure that what you choose will pass inspections. Some people like the look of a bottle trap, especially if the plumbing is going to be exposed, but only a p-trap will pass inspection. You can go back later and change it. I had a claw foot tu
