Magnolia City

Adding On

2011-10-10T22:25:00.002-05:00

For the greater part of this year, I was busy working on a home remodeling project. It took a lot of time and energy, but I really enjoyed the process and learning about how homes are built.

We tore down a much-loved covered porch and built a den in its place. This addition expanded our home's square footage by about a third, which when starting at 1,200 square feet may not seem like much, but it has done wonders!

Our goals were to:

Create a new laundry space, which would free up the former laundry space for much needed closet space
Create a space for brooms, instead of having them permanently on display in the kitchen
Create a space for our cat's litter box, previously located in the guest bathroom, which was less than attractive when entertaining, especially for the feline-averse
Create a coat/storage closet
Create a dedicated home office space, so as not to take over the kitchen table
Create an additional place for watching TV and doing yoga/exercise videos
Keep the feeling of the outdoors, since we would be losing the majority of what we had
Create a covered walkway from the garage to the house
Reuse our French doors
Respect the style and character of our 1920s bungalow, including matching the trim work and using reclaimed hardwood flooring, antique doors and hardware

All in all, I would say that we were successful, not only in meeting all of these goals, but also in keeping to our budget and timing. We owe many thanks to my sister, a talented interior designer, and to our builders, Steve, Marvin and Trey, of Morris Hullinger Design Build (MHDB).

The idea started with some plans that the former owners gave us when we bought the house, although we did not end up doing what they had planned exactly. From there, I began to visualize the space with our needs in mind using a nifty website called floorplanner.com. (Online, you can see the designs in 3D, which is really fun, but they don't copy well to the blog.)

Below is the concept design, the one that I showed the builders when we first met in February, followed by two more as needs changed and ideas solidified. (The backyard is still a work-in-progress, however.)


Floorplan 2-20-11

Floorplan 3-24-11

Floorplan 7-20-11

While we have been enjoying our new space since Labor Day, this blog post is actually well timed. Why? Because in sharing this addition with you, we are now also able to share with you that we will be welcoming another new addition to our family in the spring. A baby!

Expected completion date: 4.15.12. We are thrilled!

My Top Ten Magnolia City Happiness Hotspots Now!

2011-10-02T22:00:00.002-05:00

My husband, Chad, has been in London on business for the past week. Given enough notice, I would have tagged along for my dream trip of antiquing and flea marketing between London and Paris. Ahhh, next time, I am hoping... What with hearing about all the city things he is doing in his free time, I don't blame myself for longing to be in a city myself.

You might say to me, "Houston is a city, the fourth largest in the U.S., in fact!?"

But to me, being big doesn't make you a city. A city has:

A public transit system worthy of getting you places you want to go.
The ability to walk out your front door (whether you live there or are visiting) and walk a couple of doors down or--at most--a few blocks to a coffee shop, food market or book store and not fear for your life when crossing the street.
More Mom-and-Pop stores and restaurants than Big-Box stores and chain restaurants.
The freedom to explore by foot for as long as you desire, always returning having discovered something interesting that you had never seen before.

By no means does this mean that I do not like Houston. I do! And there's much to discover here. It just takes a little more work and usually [grunt] getting into your car.

Below is a list of 10 places that--right now--make me happy in Houston, all of which you might find something similar in a great city, a few of which I patronized this weekend in Chad's absence, and all of which I try to frequent to bring me the happiness that I find in cities. In no particular order...

1. The Menil Collection and grounds
Just the exterior of the museum brings me a zen-like sense of peace. I don't know if it's the horizontal siding or the grey color or the perfectly green lawns. I consider myself lucky to be within walking distance of it. I often just make a loop around it by foot or on my bike for a quick exercise fix or sense of calm. Today there was a bevy of hippies dancing around a bongo-playing fellow. I was glad to catch it at that moment. And you can't beat a world-class art museum that does not charge an entry fee!

Photo: George Hixson

2. Memorial Park jogging trail
I rented a dog (one of my mom and stepdad's three) and took her with me there yesterday. I usually go with Chad, a friend or alone. Having a dog makes it a bit of a different experience because everyone seems to acknowledge its cuteness. Plus it's added work. But with canine or not, going to the Park to exercise is always invigorating. People are out and about being healthy. The state of the trees right now is really sad though. It looks like fall, but they are just dying--literally--of thirst.

Photo: Wikipedia

3. Brasil
It just smells good (because it smells like coffee)! There are a few other coffee shops I frequent and one in particular that my husband is obsessed with (I'll let him tell you about it), but for me, Brasil is yummy and close (Remember, walkability is key to my happiness hotspots.). There's always a good crowd of people in there and sometimes live music, too. I got more reading done there this morning than I had in many nights before falling asleep. Coffee shops are just better places for me to read.

Photo: Katrina Kelly

4. 19th Street in the Heights
If you read my blog with any regularity, which isn't much because my blog isn't very regular, you will know that I have a penchant for antiquing and old buildings. 19th Street has both. It is a place in Houston where you do not feel like you are in Houston at all. I can spend an entire afternoon walking in and out of all its little stores and cafes. There's even an animal shelter to visit.

Photo: Vintage Modern Quilts

5. Tiny Boxwood's/Indulge
As far as I know, they are not related, but you can walk to and fro. The ambiance of this restaurant is just as perfect as the food is delicious. And next door at Indulge, my "wanter" tends to turn on as all the home decor merchandise is, well, wantable! And I noticed the most beautiful birds there the other day that I really wanted, but I don't think our cat, Luci, would be the best companion for them. They were Blue-Capped Cordon Bleu finches.

Photo: Vintage Modern Quilts

6. River Oaks Theatre
This isn't the first time I've mentioned my preference for this architecturally significant theater. It's small [read: easy to get in and out of] and the movies are always good. Plus, you can enjoy a glass of wine while watching!

Photo: Jim Parsons

7. Eastside Farmers Market
Urban Harvest has a good thing going. I've blogged about it before as well. There's not a better place to get your produce for the week than a farmers' market. I wish I went every weekend, not just to buy fresh food, but to enjoy the healthy environment. Plus, now they have fun food trucks there, too!

Photo: Loop Hole

8. Brazos Bookstore
Today I finished reading Tina Fey's Bossypants. The book was a birthday gift, and I was glad to see the Brazos Bookstore bookmark tucked inside. Hands down it's Houston's best bookstore. I've seen a few readings by authors there, including one by a college friend, which of course was fun. Although I admittedly rely heavily on the Kindle app these days, whenever I need to buy a book or more often than that, want to peruse a bookstore, this is the go-to place.

Photo: Houston Chronicle, Karen Warren

9. Rice University and its jogging loop
The old oaks that make a canopy around Rice University provide a serene place to jog or walk. And gazing in at the school's architecture is always easy on the eyes. I especially enjoy seeing the light rail whiz by on the Med Center side. It gives me hope for that transit system I mentioned earlier.

Photo: Houston Under $25

10. Ecclesia/Xnihilo Gallery/Taft St. Coffee
This is a new one on my list to frequent. It's the church that we've been attending for the past few months. To describe it in one word: unique. In another: convenient, which is key for me on a Sunday morning as I am notoriously slow! Located in East Montrose (for now), this church/art gallery/coffee shop is diverse, creative and comfortable. Chad learned about it when he heard the pastor, Chris Seay, speak at TEDx Houston. It's definitely a city church. We're happy to have found it and that it found Houston.

Photo: Ecclesia

I'd love to hear from my readers about places that make them happy here in Houston. Please share in the comments section so that others may enjoy as well!

Fancying the Flea Market

2011-05-22T13:10:00.001-05:00

A child watches the traffic on Elgin from inside the Urban Market.

Flea markets have been one of my favorite pastimes for some time now, at least all of my adult life. Chad sent me this New York Times article last weekend about the explosion of flea markets in New York City. I love this line: "In a city that thrums with opportunity and a veritable buffet of wonderful things to do--theaters! museums! parks!--flea markets have somehow emerged as many people's first choice of a way to spend the weekend." When I lived in New York, there weren't as many as there are now, but I visited the ones in Chelsea and on the Upper West Side as often as I could. I almost always found myself coming home with some thing that I didn't know I needed.

A dream of mine is to travel to London and take the Chunnel to Paris with the sole purpose of shopping all the flea markets. I walked down Portobello Road when I was in London once before, but unfortunately I wasn't there on a Saturday for the big market, so will have to go back. For now, my flea market passion is satiated with Houston's Urban Market and when I can swing it, Round Top, just an hour away.

While technically an antiques market and not a flea market per se, the Urban Market is held three times a year. Last weekend, the weather could not have been more ideal for it. Now in its new location in Midtown, it truly is more of an "urban" market. Before it was in the grassy fields north of the Heights, which was fun, but probably a pain for the vendors in inclement weather. I wish we had a market that was every weekend though, or at least once a month.

Last weekend I was on the hunt for an old wine bottle, and as is usually the case when you have a goal in mind at these markets, I successfully found my treasure--an old Bordeaux wine bottle circa 1886. I learned that these old blown glass bottles are referred to as "carboys." My plan is to make mine into a lamp for the new room we are currently adding on to our house. (More on that in a later post.)

My carboy, ca. 1886

There is a mini-farmers market also happening at Urban Market. A friend from my Houston Magazine days, Janice, of Words & Food, was offering a special "Urban Market Sandwich," which my mom and I split after tasting many samples of olive oil and balsamic at the booth next door. The sandwich was delicious with Janice's famous pimento cheese, plus turkey, bacon and cole slaw, if I remember correctly.

I ran into a lot of people whom I knew. Funny enough, almost every single one of them was in the real estate business. Must have something to do with our mutual interest in homes.

The next Urban Market will take place October 22-23. I have already marked my calendar and am looking forward to it. Maybe I will even see you there!

A Win-Win at the River Oaks

2011-04-23T13:15:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I read that Mark Cuban of Dallas Mavericks fame would be putting up his Landmark Theatres company for auction. What exactly does that mean for us Houstonians? I think it means that the River Oaks Theatre is threatened--yet again.

Courtesy txnco38 on Flickr

Coincidentally, my husband Chad and I had planned to go there last night to see Win Win. (We tried to see it last weekend, but it was sold out--for good reason.)

Win Win

Making a night out of going to the River Oaks, the last historic movie theater in Houston that is still used for its original purpose, to me, is always a treat. I won't argue that the smaller upstairs theaters could use some retrofitting, especially now that we Americans are not only super-sized but also accustomed to either the recliners in our home media rooms or the cush seats with cupholders at our more recently built multiplexes. Hands down and blind-folded though--on any night, Chad and I would choose two hours of feeling a bit squeezed to watch a grade-A film (with a glass of wine, if so inclined) over the crowds, pay-for-parking and often so-so selections at our local megaplex.

Courtesy Houston Deco

We had dinner before the movie and decided on visiting Tony Mandola's in its Miracle Location on Westheimer. While we would normally have chosen somewhere walkable in the River Oaks Shopping Center, we wanted to patronize the former tenant in its temporary locale. We're looking forward to Brasserie 19 opening in its old place and, of course, to Mandola's returning nearby on Waugh. Often overlooked, and with less fanfare, Epicure Café is a such a gem. We enjoyed a fresh mint tea and shared a slice of cheesecake there after the movie. I always feel like I'm in a European café there, which is an accomplishment worth noting in our sprawling city.

Epicure's pastry display courtesy www.julieheinrich.com

Call me a "Preservation-preferring sentimentalist," but if the River Oaks Theatre is ever demolished, it will be such a shame for the Magnolia City. I so respect Bryan Caswell for making El Real happen in the old Tower Theater on Westheimer. (If you haven't been yet, it is scrumptious, no-frills Tex-Mex and a great use of the space.) And hopefully something good will become of the Alabama Theater. But with what Weingarten did on the northwestern corner of the River Oaks Shopping Center, where Three Brothers Bakery used to be, not to mention putting in a third Starbucks within a baseball's throw (two visibly located across the street from one another and the third inside Barnes & Noble), I can't help but fear the future of the theatre and our city's oldest auto-oriented retail center. If we're going to be a city made up of strip malls, at the very least, shouldn't we protect our first?

El Real in the old Tower Theater

But I'll climb off of my soapbox and give two thumbs up to Win Win, a terrific movie starring Paul Giamatti and showing now at the River Oaks. Whatever ends up happening to the venue, I'm thrilled to know that indie films will be available Downtown soon, when my first movie star crush Robert Redford's Sundance Cinemas takes the place of the old Angelika. There's a bevy of great stuff happening Downtown, and this will most certainly be a strong addition. They signed something like a 50-year lease, so no endangerment in my lifetime at least! But for the River Oaks, it will take more than that for our future generations to enjoy it.

Bettering Our Bayou Trails

2011-01-28T09:00:00.006-06:00

Lady Bird Lake Hike & Bike Trail

I have an affair with Lady Bird Lake (formerly Town Lake) in Austin. Don't worry, my husband Chad knows! We both love Austin, but it's the lake and its hike and bike trail that get me every time. I love watching the kayaking, rowing and stand-up paddlers, the dogs, the strollers and exercisers, the soccer players at adjacent Zilker Park, the bats at Congress Avenue and the Austin skyline, ever-changing. While we both wouldn't mind living in that great city again one day (We both lived there for college.), for now we will just be visiting. While Houston has no Colorado River running through it, we do have a very prominent bayou: Buffalo Bayou. Sadly, we have not given it the attention it deserves.

So, what is a bayou? According to dictionary.com, a bayou is:

–noun, plural -ous. Chiefly Lower Mississippi Valley and Gulf States.
1. a marshy arm, inlet, or outlet of a lake, river, etc., usually sluggish or stagnant.
2. any of various other often boggy and slow-moving or still bodies of water.

I strongly believe that our marshy arm and the hike and bike trail around it could be so much better than it is today. Maybe it will never be the caliber of Lady Bird Lake, but it can most certainly be better than it is today. After all, we have the skyline, the bats, the exercisers, the dogs and the occasional strollers.

While Houston gets a bad rap for its hot, humid weather, just this week we have had some bluebird days. Perfect days for a bike ride, wouldn't you say? There aren't many cities where you can go on a pleasant bike ride this time of year. New York City, for instance, received 19 inches of snow yesterday, God bless it.

Last month we had some similar beautiful days, so Chad and I decided to go on a bike ride around Buffalo Bayou along Allen Parkway and down Memorial Drive. I brought my camera to document the ride. I felt a bit like Aron Ralston in 127 Hours. (Great movie, by the way!) Look at these photos--the sad trails and happy improvements--and imagine the possibilities.

Sad trail

Happy! A new pedestrian bridge at Montrose

Sad trail along Memorial Drive, great skyline

Sad trail under Memorial Drive nearing Downtown

Happy! Improvements underway, connecting to the Heights

Happy! Sabine-to-Bagby Promenade

Sad trails headed west toward Waugh

Oh-so-sad trail at Montrose and Allen Parkway

Sad trail along Allen Parkway and by the Wortham Fountain

Close-up of the Wortham Fountain and a happy, hopefully inspiring, image to leave with you

While the Buffalo Bayou Partnership has made tremendous strides the last several years in improvements, there is still a long, long way to go. Think about Austin's Town Lake. I know we can get there. While this blog's namesake harks back to an old Houston nickname unbeknownst to many today, the "Bayou City" is not. Let's own up to it!

Plant a Tree!

2011-01-14T09:15:00.095-06:00

Budding lemon, May 30, 2010

It is often suggested that one should plant a tree before they die. I remember helping my sister and mom plant one on the Briargrove Elementary grounds. When I drive by, I always wonder if that little tree is still there, what with all the changes that have been made to that campus since the early 80s.

My husband Chad and I would like to plant a tree of our own. While we haven't scratched it off our list yet, a previous owner of our home did. Fruit trees! And we are lucky to be enjoying the fruits of their labor.

They are both still young--one Lisbon Lemon and the other a small orange variety called Dwarf Calamondin. When we first moved in, the calamondin orange tree had much fruit on it. We plucked them all off, and sadly it did not bear any fruit last year. However, this year the fruit is back, but still teeny tiny.

Teeny tiny calamondin oranges

On the other hand, the lemon tree was bare when we moved in and has remained so until this past May. One day I walked outside and was amazed by the little bitty bud on it. (See the opening photo above.)

Lemon tree before we bought the house, November 2008

Lemon tree this week, January 2011

Is that amazing growth or what?! We have no idea how big and fruitful these trees will get, but are excited to watch them grow and enjoy their fruit.

Close up of growing lemon, September 11, 2010

Close up of ripe lemon, January 11, 2011

While I did use a lemon a month or two ago to freshen up our garbage disposal, we had not tasted one until the other night. It was delish in our peppermint tea! A fresh batch of lemonade would be in order...if only it were summer.

Peppermint tea with fresh lemon juice

So, hopefully now I have you wishing you were growing your own fruit in your backyard. If so, lucky for you, tomorrow is Urban Harvest's annual Fruit Tree Sale! It will take place at the University of Houston Robertson Football Stadium from 9AM-1PM or until sold out. They will have a host of fruit trees, from Darlene sweet domestic muscadines to Bloomsweet Asian grapefruits. I cannot advise you on what to grow in our climate, but the good people of Urban Harvest should be of help.

Personally, I would not mind adding an avocado (mmmmm!) or fig tree to our yard, but I am just not sure where they would go...unless we unearthed our Cycas revoluta, which would be fine by me since they are toxic to pets. But, even if we don't make room this weekend, there are several organizations in Houston that provide opportunities to plant trees, like Trees for Houston and the Buffalo Bayou Partnership.

So in closing I will leave you, my beloved reader, with a Chinese Proverb: The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now.

Merry Christmas Lights!

2010-12-24T12:37:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite things to do at this magical time of year is to drive around at night listening to Christmas carols and admiring Christmas lights. I have to say that this year in particular the Magnolia City has done an impressive and inspiring job. The Woodland Heights neighborhood, who hosted Lights in the Heights a couple weekends ago for the 24th year, was quite a sight. Unfortunately, I did not have my camera with me then. But, I did take a spin the other night with my camera and snapped a few beauties in Montrose, Boulevard Oaks, Southampton and River Oaks. Enjoy! And from our house to yours, Merry Christmas!

Montrose

Boulevard Oaks

Southampton

River Oaks

Easy As Pie

2010-11-23T19:30:00.001-06:00

With Thanksgiving only a day away, many are surely gearing their appetites for a feast. From turkey to mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce to pumpkin pie, this is by far my favorite meal of the year, and I know I am not alone. I always love an excuse to bake, and Thanksgiving is one of them. I tore out a recipe for Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Meringue from Southern Living recently. I consider myself a baker, famous among friends for duplicating Magnolia Bakery's delicious cupcakes, but I had never baked a pie before the one in this here post. Additionally a fan of sweet potatoes, I had never had a Sweet Potato Pie. So, I thought I'd make things right and document the effort here. After all, the magazine called the recipe "Easy As Pie," how hard could it be?

Doesn't that marshmallow meringue just look divine?

The instructions say it will take 20 minutes ("hands-on") and 2 hours, 30 minutes ("total") to prepare this. While I had never baked a pie before, the experience I did have baking gave me doubts. Twenty minutes just seemed awfully quick...but I forged ahead with high hopes.

I tried to make the ingredients look pretty here for a photo, like my friend's professional cooking blog, NotThatMartha. How did I do? I think I managed to squeeze everything in but the corn syrup (more on that later).

Here I am preparing the crust. Yes, those are black-eyed peas in the parchment paper. They are used to weigh the crust down--to mold it--and then are tossed.

There she is baking in the oven. I covered only the sides with foil, a tip from one of my cookbooks. (The recipe at hand actually suggested covering it entirely.)

I bought all the ingredients at Whole Foods, and they did not have marshmallow creme (likely because it is full of unwholesome stuff). I improvised by making my own marshmallow creme with 16 marshmallows and 2 teaspoons of corn syrup over a make-shift double-boiler.

Here she is after the bake. So far, so good...

Now it was time to add the marshmallow meringue and bake it for 6 more minutes. It sure didn't appear to have the fluff from the magazine. I gave myself the benefit of the doubt though, thinking maybe the fluff will happen in the oven. I'd peek, and still no fluff. A few more minutes. A few more. And a few more. Finally, after at least 3 times the amount suggested, I pulled her out.

And, voilà...

So maybe it didn't turn out quite as fluffy or mouth-watering as the Southern Living one. It took me a "total" of six and half hours (not including the trip to Whole Foods), so beware of magazine recipe timelines! Admittedly, I was in uncharted territory.

I think it tasted pretty good. Different, but good nonetheless. The pie was my contribution to John Daugherty, Realtors' annual Thanksgiving lunch. I didn't come away with the accolades my cupcakes bring, but at least I had some leftover pie to share with others. My mom politely said it wasn't my best. Luckily for the Covey side of the family, I will be bringing mashed potatoes and a green salad this Thursday.

With so much to be thankful for, I want to say that I am thankful for you, my beloved reader. I wish you much success in your kitchen this week. Happy Thanksgiving!

The Anthropologie in Real Estate

2010-11-06T09:00:00.001-05:00

This is a test.

Rorschach Card 1

It is intended to be like the Rorschach inkblot test. Remember that from Psych 101?

I am asking that you look at the following five spreads from the new Anthropologie catalog. You may look at each spread as long as you like.

Print it,

rotate it,

look at it however you wish!

What do you see?

Did you see what I saw? The paper doll cat dressed in Victorian clothes wearing a bonnet? (Because I love cats and old stuff, I cut this out of the real catalog and put it on my fridge!) Did you see the black-and-white spotted llama? Did you see the owl? The cat wearing a dog sweater?

I thought this catalog was so creative. But, I missed the clothes! I missed the boots on the sheep. I missed the Christmas ornaments hanging from the white parrot's beak. And I missed the feather-boa pillows under the Papillion.

I bring this up because Anthropologie is only trying to do what home sellers everywhere are trying to do: move product. If you can't see the product, it makes it quite a bit harder to sell.

Eliminating clutter is so important in getting a house ready to sell. If you are selling, remember that buyers are there to look at the house, not your wedding photos, your kid's honor roll ribbons or your rare collection of ostrich eggs. For a quicker sale, clean out 2/3 of your belongings. You will be amazed at the difference it will make!

Greetings from the Magnolia City!

2010-10-31T22:31:00.032-05:00

Many of my beloved readers and clients might not know that before I became a REALTOR®, I was employed in the publishing industry for a number of years. I majored in Advertising at the University of Texas and was part of the creative sequence. While I complemented my major with a concentration in Business Foundations, my heart leans to the creative. My first "real" job was as an advertising sales assistant in San Francisco for a premier West Coast publishers’ representative firm. While it put me in the magazine business, it was not what I was seeking to do. I wanted to write and be on the creative side of the business, not in sales. To get more relevant experience, I wrote copy for a start-up website delivering online content until finally landing the job I wanted--an editorial position at a magazine. I worked as an editorial assistant at Golf Magazine in New York, mostly doing research, copy editing and small writing assignments but occasionally getting to interview famous PGA players and actors with a penchant for golf. It was great! But after two-and-a-half years I decided I'd had enough of the long New York winters. When I moved back to Texas, I helped launch Houston Magazine. I wrote articles and eventually became the associate editor doing a number of things, but mostly writing and editing. It was a fun job with good people and was a great way to reconnect with my hometown. I just didn't feel that Houston offered the progressive career in magazines like New York did, and I knew I would not be moving back to New York soon. Don't get me wrong: I heart New York! But my roots were planted in Texas, and that's where I saw them growing old.

My roots also have so much real estate in them, from my grandmother to my mom and now almost everyone related to us! So my blog is a way for me to merge that creativity that I enjoy with my real estate career. But sometimes I feel stifled by the fact that my blog is about real estate. I want to blog about real estate, home maintenance and the like, but I don't want to feel boxed in anymore. Real estate is my career now, but it is not everything I am. I like photography, eating out, bookstores, interior design, window shopping, antiquing, old buildings, baking, etc., etc.

So, much like the Future Mayor of Cherryhurst's blog post, "We Need to Change," I hereby declare that H-Town w/Emily Covey will from this day forward be called Magnolia City.

Magnolia City? Yes. It is one of the earliest of Houston’s many nicknames. The Texas World, a newspaper first published in 1900, is said to have labeled Houston "the Magnolia City," but the nickname had been in use among the locals since the 1870s. Areas of east Houston, particularly Harrisburg and Magnolia Park, were once natural magnolia forests that were wiped out by urban sprawl by the 1920s.

To me, the title represents not just where I am writing from and where I am working, but what Houston once was, what it is now, and what it can be. I am hoping that this change will allow me to blog in a more free-wheeling style--and more often. I'm not sure exactly what this means yet, but I hope it works out better for all of us. I feel better already!

Tour de H-town

2010-07-11T23:56:00.004-05:00

Again I've found myself dormant in the blogosphere. I missed the month of June entirely. Woops! I think it was the Houston heat suffocating my will to write. All summer long I've been wanting to revert to my childhood and go to summer camp! Well, this past week my wish came somewhat true. I spent the week in Colorado celebrating the Fourth of July, my birthday and summer in general--sprinkled in the mix was a little bit of remote real estate business. What a beautiful place Colorado is to be in the summer!

Just before the trip, my husband Chad and I gave each other bikes for or second anniversary. While we haven't even had a chance to use them yet, we were able to ride bikes quite a bit in Colorado. We rode to a Farmers' Market, lunch spots and also just for exercise. The longest we rode was about 25 miles to Glenwood Springs to visit a brewpub. All the bike riding got me to thinking about how Colorado does such a better job of incorporating fitness into their everyday lives be it through hiking, biking, golfing and even using bikes to get to work. A lady we met at the brewpub in Glenwood Springs had biked uphill all the way from Vail with her husband and son. She said Colorado is the "fittest" state. I believe it! I recently read that Texas ranks as the #13 "most obese" state.

2nd anniversary bikes!

Now I don't plan to take my real estate business to the bike, as I don't think my clients would like to ride on my handlebars. However, I would like to challenge myself to find opportunities to ride my new bike here in Houston, despite its not being known for being too pedestrian- or biker-friendly. I would like to help foster a change in that direction though.

Riding along the Roaring Fork River in Colorado

While I don't live there, I know the Heights has a new hike and bike trail, which would make living there great. Other designated biking areas around town are Terry Hershey Park Hike & Bike Trail and the trails at Memorial Park and along Buffalo Bayou. But I'm hoping to use my bike to ride to some of the Farmers' Markets here, to restaurants and just to ride around my neighborhood and the environs.

Well, joke's on me! As I am finishing this post, my husband informs me that my car is dead as a doornail. It has been parked in the garage since the torrential rainstorm before our trip. I must have left on the headlights or something. Woops, again! Looks like my only transportation options tomorrow will be my two feet or my new bike! Anyone want to go see a house?

John A. Daugherty, Jr., Vintage Boats and "No"

2010-05-01T09:00:00.004-05:00

My broker, John Daugherty, was featured on PBS Thursday night. Here are a few clips from the show, where he talks about how he got into the residential real estate business in Houston, his passion for vintage boats and ink wells and how he deals with the word "no."

Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick

2010-04-30T09:44:00.001-05:00

Well the day that many first-time homebuyers have been waiting for is here: April 30, 2010. If you fit the bill for the first-time homebuyer's tax credit, you must have a property under contract my midnight tonight to qualify.

Separately, if you live in Houston and purchased a home in 2009, today is also the last day for you to file your homestead exemption for 2010. You may only have one homestead and you must have lived in the property on January 1. It's easy to fill out this form online.

And while homeowners still have through June 1 to file a protest on their property taxes, you might as well do it while you are on the Harris County Appraisal District website. It's simple to use the district's online iFile and iSettle systems. Here's a video to show you how. According to the district, 70% of homes were worth the same on January 1 of this year that they were last year, 30% declined and only 1% increased in value. Because not as many homeowners will protest this year, my guess is that those who do are more likely to be called in for a formal hearing, even if using iSettle. That's what has happened with my protest, but let me know how it goes for you!

Spring Squeaky Clean

2010-04-25T13:55:00.002-05:00

We've been experiencing some glorious days here in Houston this spring, including today. I don't even have to set my alarm clock this time of year because there is a bird's nest positioned just outside my bedroom window, and the little chicks alert me with their tweets each morning to the new day. This gentle reminder of spring also reminds me of the things that need to be attended to around the house aside from switching out my winter coats and boots for tank tops and sandals. Below are 5 simple steps to take around your home this spring:

1. Have your A/C coils cleaned and your freon levels checked by a certified HVAC technician.

2. Clean out your gutters so they will flow during those spring and summer showers.

3. Check for wood rot and repair it so it doesn't get worse with rain.

4. Remove firewood stored near your home.

5. Powerwash your sidewalk and driveway.

My driveway getting a good spring cleaning from Jarrin's Pressure Washing Service.

Most importantly, don't forget to stop and smell the honeysuckle!

To Stage or Not to Stage?

2010-02-19T17:37:00.006-06:00

In December of last year, I earned my first designation: Certified Home Marketing Specialist (CHMS) created by Martha Webb. This designation means that I now have the tools of knowledge to stage a home and get it ready to sell. I am more prepared to advise sellers on how to de-clutter and de-personalize their homes. I can tell them about sight lines and the rule of three. The designation doesn't, however, make me a professional home stager with an inventory of furniture and props.

One of my listings, 6017 Riverview Way in Tanglewood, which is vacant, needed more than my designation to get it staged. My client called on Staged Right, and I think they did a great job making the home more appealing to the masses. Having been vacant for a while, it was lacking the warmth of home. Below are the Before and After shots. Truly transforming!

The Family Room before...

and after...

The Dining Room before...

and after...

The Master Bedroom before...

and after...

One of the secondary Bedrooms before...

and after...

Last but not least, the Kitchen before...

and after...

The difference is amazing both in pictures and in person. I invite anyone who has seen this listing before to come back and take a look at it again. With the furniture in place, and the palette neutralized, it is much easier to picture oneself living here. And that is the point of staging. Plus, it has just been reduced $25K!

6017 Riverview Way will be held open during John Daugherty, Realtors' annual Spring Celebration of Homes (March 7, 2-5PM), held simultaneously with the Azalea Trail, a home and garden tour put on by the River Oaks Garden Club when the azaleas in Houston are at their very best. Hope to see you then!

["After" photos by Jaron Hall]

This Old House: Leveling Out

2010-02-01T16:00:00.004-06:00

When we bought our house, it was evidenced in our inspection report that the foundation needed to be shimmed. The listing agent said the sellers did not ever do this because they didn't want to deal with the aesthetic damage that might result (namely cracks in the sheetrock). So, I negotiated the needed repair into our sales price, but we did not take care of it until we had to: today, just more than a year after we took possession of our home.

Our front door was sticking ever so slightly when we moved in, so my carpenter sanded the bottom of it. But it progressively worsened. A crack appeared in the corner of the door frame toward the ceiling and worsened every time we had to forcefully open or close the door. By the end of the summer, our door was inoperable.

Per a contractor's suggestion, we had a "door pro" help us to get it functioning again. He shaved the bottom of the door at an angle, realigned the hinges and added some pretty serious weather stripping. As he shaved it, I fearfully watched every millimeter of that original 1920 door come off. He almost quit due to my micromanagement, but he completed the job thanks to my begging.

I added gutter to the front of the house where water pooled in heavy rains. It could be argued that this water was causing some of the front door issues. This should, in fact, help us going forward.

Well, about a month after the "door pro" fixed the door, it was sticking again. And soon after that, it was inoperable...basically all winter long. Theories existed that the wood was expanding and contracting with the weather. Perhaps some, but the root of the issue--I finally found out--was the foundation.

I had three foundation companies who specialize in pier and beam foundations come out, all highly recommended by other agents in my office. I ended up going with the quickest to respond, Golden Construction, a family-run business where all in the fam seem to know a lot about foundation, old houses, construction and even politics.

Lois Golden and son, JJ, of Golden Construction Company stand at our storied front door with their level.

I learned a lot from them, including the fact that a pier and beam house needs to be adjusted every once in a while, whereas a house on a slab shouldn't. The warranty on foundation adjustment for pier and beam is only good for a few years, whereas the slab warranties are usually transferable and sometimes good for life. In fact, Golden had a whole file on my house--records of times they had come out to give a bid and records of the work they'd actually done. They knew more about my house than I did! They explained that Houston experienced a major drought last summer, causing movement in most all pier and beam homes.

I am glad to report that we are back on level ground. Granted there are a couple cracks that need patching and touch-up paint, but our furniture is no longer shaking and the front door works. The groundhog will tell us for sure tomorrow, but my guess is we will soon be able to enjoy the Troutman rocking chairs we received for Christmas. If business this past week is any indication, I'd say the promise of spring is just around the corner because the spring selling season has definitely sprung!

The Taxman Cometh

2010-01-13T16:44:00.002-06:00

[Disclaimer: While you might be tempted to quit reading mid-post, you'll get the most bang for your buck if you read through to the end.]

This morning I attended a class at First American Title Company called Tax Strategies for the Self-Employed. As a Realtor, I am an independent contractor in the eyes of the IRS. On top of the income taxes that everyone pays, we self-employed pay an additional 15.3%, meaning our income taxes can add up to almost half of what we earn! So it behooves me to take such a class and learn as much as I can about the tax laws and how to deduct expenses related to my business. I found it useful, yet still daunting, even though the instructor said the laws were written to be understood by 4th-8th grade readers.

So with taxes on the brain, and the impending deadline of April 15 to file on time, I bring you this post, which I'm excited to report is being posted from the River Oaks Coffee House, a local coffee shop I've been supporting with a cup of coffee or Chai every two weeks or so since it opened. (I realize that's not much, but it is more support than I give the 7 Starbucks located within a mile or so of my house.)

Back to taxes, if you purchased a home between January 1 and November 6, 2009 for the first time (or haven't owned a home in the last three years and purchased one during that time), you may be eligible for the First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit, which could help lower your income taxes for 2009. (If you purchased it after November 6, click here for information on the Extended Home Buyer Tax Credit, which is in effect until April 30, 2010.)

Here's a video from the IRS:

Another important thing to remember as you prepare your income taxes this year is that the interest on your mortgage is tax-deductible. IRS Publication 936 goes into detail about the what's and how's of home mortgage interest deduction. My broker, John A. Daugherty, Jr., stands by the idea that you cannot get a better deal renting than you can buying after deducting the interest on a mortgage. (For a more detailed look at Renting vs. Buying, click here.)

We're not done talking taxes. If you bought a home last year in the great state of Texas, it is time to apply for your Homestead Exemption. Taking advantage of this exemption will save you 20% in property taxes annually. There are a few requirements: You must own your home on January 1 of the tax year. You must have occupied it as your principal residence on January 1. You or your spouse must not have claimed this exemption on any other property for the tax year. Click here for a link to the form and don't forget to get it turned in by April 30.

Well that about sums it up. I hope that this post was not too taxing. Here's to a prosperous 2010!

Home for the Holidays

2009-12-10T15:36:00.001-06:00

While people may think that home sales slow down during the holidays, it is not the truth. Many homes sell (or go sale pending) between Thanksgiving and Christmas. John Daugherty, Realtors sold some $60 million in December two years ago. (Last year sales were down due to Hurricane Ike.)

Riding on the tails of a successful October and November this year, where we [JDR] have sold well over our monthly goals set at this time last year, we are expecting another active December to close out 2009. So 'tis the season for home shopping, and Bah, humbug, to the naysayers!

To anyone thinking of relocating to Houston from a snowy city like Syracuse, New York, know this: While Houston does not often enjoy white Christmases, we do get snow on occasion (roughly every four years). Below are some photos that I took last Friday at home and in the neighborhood, when Houston's earliest snowfall on record made national news. Enjoy, and happy holidays!

Bottlebrush under the snow

Roof collecting snow

Backyard bench

Snow in motion

A car parked at Cherryhurst Park covered in snow

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

This Old House: Knob and Tube Wiring

2009-11-20T08:30:00.010-06:00

After a brief hiatus from the blogosphere, in what I will call blogger’s block, I am back with a new collection of posts named This Old House. While the moniker obviously comes from the well known fix-it magazine, I have chosen it to dedicate posts that show my passion for old houses—selling them (or wanting to), living in them, and just generally appreciating their existence. From the gas cook-tops and the worn wood floors to the wood-burning fireplaces and the wavy glass of the original wood windows, I just love old houses. One day, I will fix one up myself. But for now…

It has been one year since my husband Chad and I put an offer on the place we now call home. How time flies. The house was built in 1920, but someone--Leonard Rutan we later found out--put some real TLC into our old new home, adding granite countertops, recessed lights, a built-in speaker system and plantation shutters, among other modern amenities. [Leonard Rutan owns a women's clothing store in the River Oaks area.] The house is charming, yet still very functional, almost 90 years later.

What we didn’t know when we fell in love with what we saw was that some of the internal aspects of the house were not as updated as the external ones. Our house had an unidentifiable amount of still-active old wiring, called Knob and Tube, which was common in houses built before 1930. While there are houses that still fully operate with this type of electrical system and minds that think the system is--in some ways--superior to current ones, the powers that be say it’s just not safe.

One of my go-to inspection companies, introduced to me by the late, great Realtor Warren Strauss, is Fox Inspection Group. Here’s what inspector Mark Chalmers of Fox has to say about Knob and Tube: “When electrical wiring gets old, the insulation can become brittle and fall off. If that uninsulated area comes in contact with something flammable, it can start a fire. For this reason, homeowners insurance is difficult to obtain and is priced higher than it is for newer homes.”

While Chalmers says he would live in a home with active Knob and Tube--depending on its condition, what my husband and I found out was that it was more than difficult to obtain the required homeowners insurance on a home with active K&T wiring--whatever its condition. If it’s active, it’s a no-go.

Due to time, heat and possibly hungry critters, a home inspector on oldhouseweb.com says, “This [K&T] system is rarely intact after 80 or so years of use.”

While Steve Hartwig of John R. Ray & Sons worked tirelessly to find us insurance to cover it, after hearing “no” from about nine companies to finally hear “yes” from one, we questioned its safety ourselves.

Though it was not cheap to do (about $6/square-foot), we had our entire new old house rewired by a licensed electrician and his team before moving in. They had to get permits from the City of Houston, and their work had to be inspected. It was a week-long project, but the headache was worth it. We feel comfortable living in an old house with all new wiring that stands up to 2009 code.

As a Realtor, my reader is probably questioning why I didn’t know more about Knob & Tube than I did. Our inspection report (not performed by Fox) briefly mentioned it, but did not call great attention to it. As Realtors, we are not experts on electricity or home building. We are experts in negotiation, the real estate market and servicing our clients. We learn with experience about the other things, but will direct a buyer or seller to the appropriate expert.

So with the above in mind, I plan to send this post to the Texas Real Estate Commission in hopes that they will add “Presence of Active Knob & Tube Wiring” to the Seller’s Disclosure form, just as “Previous Use of Premises for Manufacture of Methamphetamine” was added in 2007. I have no doubt that this would help all parties involved in a real estate transaction of an old house.

Photo: OldHouseWeb.com

Round Top Round Up

2009-10-07T11:16:00.003-05:00

Last Friday, on my way from Houston to Austin, I made a detour through Round Top, Texas, a town with a population of 77 located smack dab in the middle of my points A and B. I didn't go for the pie at Royers, but for the antiquities which draw in the masses from all over the country during the area's bi-annual antiques fair.

While many people lean toward new home decor items that are crisp and clean, I tend toward those with a little history. Our house, to begin with, was built in 1920, which is about as old of a home you will find in this country. As a child, I always loved going to my grandmother's house and seeing all the things from the olden days, like the butter churn and wooden wall phone. Reminders of a simpler time, I guess.

I can effectively call myself an avid antiques market goer, having regularly visited them in the places I have lived, including the monthly Alameda Point Antiques and Collectibles Faire outside of San Francisco. (Best buys are just as the day breaks there. My friend Kirsten used to remind me to bring a flashlight!) In New York City, I loved to hit the West 25th Street Market, open every Saturday and Sunday. But Round Top takes antiques markets to a new level. However, I have never been to the markets in London or Paris, but hear they are the best. One day...

While it is fun to peruse the markets in a carefree manner, it's better to have in mind what you are looking for. This lets your eyes and mind work coherently, as these markets can be quite overwhelming. A few tips before you go: take measurements of the space you have to fill, bring a tape measure with you and don't forget your checkbook or wads of cash.

So, last Friday, I knew the general lay of the land, having been to Round Top once before for the fair and another time for the pie! But, on this day I only had two hours to kill before I was needed in Austin. Two hours is not nearly enough time to cover but a small fraction of the approximately 300 acres of tents and tables.

My goal was to find a container for an herb garden. I had watched this video on YouTube earlier in the week, so was looking for something that was 1. "pretty" and 2. had "good drainage." I happened upon a Hungarian baby bath early in my two hours. I wasn't convinced on the initial price I was quoted, so decided to move on down the road.

I spent most of my time at Marburger Farm looking inside the tents. I loved this circus tent, but knew I needed nothing from there.

The clock was ticking. I was beginning to kick myself for not having purchased it at the first place because I didn't want to back-track and be late. So, I narrowed in on the garden items, which are mostly kept just outside of the tents for a garden-like effect.

And then, lo and behold, at literally the last booth, 10 minutes past my departure time, I came across another Hungarian baby bath! But, uh-oh, the price was higher. I explained my situation to the dealer, my time crunch and the fact that there was an exact item up the road for less. As it turned out, that booth up the road happened to be his son's. He knew I wasn't making up the price, and he honored it. (He said he had just raised the price to compensate for the fact that they only had two left.)

So there she is, my Hungarian baby bath, formerly used in an orphanage or hospital to wash babies and now the future home of my herb garden. I will save my attempt at following Rita's how-to steps for a later post, but instead will put in a plug for one of my John Daugherty, Realtors colleague's listings. This farm in Round Top would be a serene second home for any flea market junkie. If interested, please feel free to contact me for more information.

Perhaps the simpler times are just an hour and a half outside of Houston.

Welcome, Fall!

2009-09-22T16:18:00.060-05:00

If you've been following my blog, you'll know what I mean when I say: Today should be the day that I pop in You've Got Mail and get excited for the new season. (Interested? Click here.) You might also know what I mean when I say: Today, summer is officially-officially over. At the exact moment this entry posts, fall will have begun : September 22, 2009, 5:18 pm EDT.

So, below, find 10 things for you to do in and around your home this fall:

1. Rake the leaves.
2. Clean gutters and drains; be sure downspouts direct water away from your home's foundation.
3. Have your HVAC system serviced.
4. Clean and vacuum dust from any vents or return air grilles.
5. Attend a football game.
6. Caulk exterior joints around windows and doors; add weatherstripping where you can see daylight from inside your home.
7. Carve a pumpkin.
8. Get your chimney inspected and cleaned by a chimney sweep.
9. Check chimney and outdoor electrical fixtures for bird nests needing to be removed.
10. Enjoy the cooler weather!

Should you need names of technicians to do any of these jobs, send me an email at emilyc@johndaugherty.com. Most importantly, have a wonderful fall!

CLASSIFIEDS: That 70s Shop

2009-09-14T08:30:00.000-05:00

FOR SALE: Location! Location! Location! Cherryhurst residents [my husband, Chad, and I] seeking quality, new owner for That 70s Shop. Price: $1,500,000.00, which includes more than the 4,136-square-foot (per owner) retail space that is That 70s Shop. (Click here for more details.) Suggested use: coffee shop serving Fairtrade coffee, tea, wine, craft beer, fresh juice, creative sandwiches and tasty pastries with free Wi-Fi...or...fine restaurant, à la across-the-street neighbor, Da Marco...or...something more affordable, like Empire Cafe up Westheimer.

Lunchtime in H-town

2009-09-08T10:00:00.021-05:00

Tuesdays through Thursdays for Realtors are "broker open house" days, for Houston at least. When I am not holding a listing open myself, showing property or scheduled to answer the phones on prime duty at the office, I do my best to hit a few open houses in the neighborhoods I service. It is a good way to preview what is on the market and also a good way to meet other Realtors. Houses are held open from noon to two, and although I rarely partake, lunch is often served—a tactic used to draw more eyes to the house. So, to keep this post real-estate related, I am breaking down my favorite places for lunch in H-town according to open house days. If you are a buyer, keep in mind that these broker open houses are also open to the public. So don't be shy if you see a sign or balloons on a Wednesday during your lunch break!

Tuesdays, Areas 16 & 9: Afton Oaks, The Heights, Hyde Park, Lynn Park/Highland Village, Memorial Park, Midtown, Montrose, Oak Estates, Rice Military, River Oaks, Upper Kirby

Let's start in the heart of River Oaks, where on the bustling corner of Kirby and Westheimer Stone Mill Bakers is serving up creamy chicken salad on Dakota bread with avocado and lettuce. Their new granola cookie is addictive! Zoe's Kitchen, on Shepherd, also has a great chicken salad. I add a few dashes of pepper to it to make it even better. Their coleslaw is also tasty, and my sister, Laura, loves their chocolate sheet cake, which always looks tempting but I’ve never fallen prey. (Though I haven't been yet, Zoe's just opened a new outpost on the hip and happening Washington Avenue, also in Area 16). If I’m meeting a friend, Barnaby's on Kirby does the trick. They have a delicious chicken salad sandwich with artichoke hearts and basil mayo. It comes with fries, which I substitute for the sweet-potato variety. Their portions are extra-large, so I try to split. At its sister restaurant, Brown Bag Deli (pictured), I get roast turkey, Monterrey Jack cheese, lettuce, tomato and honey mustard on their warm Honey Whole Wheat bread. Another few spots to meet a friend: Paulie's, Tiny Boxwood's or Ruggles Green. Paulie’s is famous for its iced sugar cookies. For lunch, I usually get the Mediterranean Pasta Salad. At Tiny Boxwood’s, Tiny’s Trio has a perfect mix of green salad, chicken salad and fresh fruit, set in the pristine garden of Thompson+Hanson. Their just-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies are to die for! At "Houston's First Certified Green Restaurant," Ruggles Green, the Goat Cheese Salad is a satisfying choice for lunch, served with Texas goat cheese. Near Memorial Park, Shandy's has a good chicken salad sandwich that comes with a cup of cubed tropical fruit salad. I’m beginning to think I should have named this post “Chicken Salad in Houston.” But, at Neilsen's Delicatessen, I go for the tuna salad sandwich—junior size. I add Baked Lays between the bread for crunch and saltiness. I also get the tuna salad—the one with the cranberries mixed in—at Whole Foods Market, on Kirby. And at Kraftsmen Baking on Montrose (slated to be at West Ave soon), I opt for the Green Gobbler, a turkey sandwich with provolone cheese, alfalfa sprouts, green apple slices and apple butter on Biologique bread. Last but not least is Epicure Café on West Gray. This is a good place to go alone or with friends. Truthfully, I go for the alfajor (an Argentine cookie), but their tomato basil soup and fresh mint tea are both worth the stop as well. While Area 16 has so many wonderful options, I still have to say: I miss Mom's Kitchen.

Wednesdays, Area 17: Bellaire, Boulevard Oaks, Braes Heights, Medical Center, Museum District, Rice, Southampton, Southgate, Sunset Terrace, West University, Woodside

My list is much slimmer in this locale, most likely because I am obsessed with Picnic's chicken salad with sun-dried tomatoes (pictured). The little side of fruit is accented with mint, making it quite the refreshing side dish. Though I can never pass up their cookies, usually going for the Peanut Butter, they aren't as sweet as I'd like them to be. Edloe Street Cafe & Deli is good for lunch, but doesn't ever really call to me like Picnic does. A little French place called Croissant Brioche, in Rice Village, is also a good spot. There's another Brown Bag Deli in the Village, too, but I always forget it's there and have actually never been, because who am I kidding? If I'm going to Area 17 for open houses, I'm going to Picnic.

Thursdays, Areas 22 & 23: Briarbend/Charnwood, Briarcroft, Briargrove, Brairgrove Park, Briarmeadow, Galleria, Larchmont, Memorial Villages, Sandalwood, Tanglewood

I can get in a rut in Areas 22 and 23, but there really are some fine lunch establishments. I love the little side salad that comes with all of the sandwiches at the Argentine Deli, although it is actually called Yorktown Deli. Like Epicure, I really go there for their alfajor—and I actually like it better than Epicure’s. The deli’s walls are covered in snapshots from their patrons’ travels, all featuring their yellow menu. As seen in the photo above, my husband and I took the menu with us to Africa this summer and shot it in a Maasai village. Look for it on their wall soon! Nearby, Jersey Mike's sub shop is pretty good. I like it "Mike's Way," with Italian seasonings and oil. I get the same treatment to the Skinny TKY at Potbelly in Uptown Park. But beware: Potbelly is dangerously close to Crave, a cupcake shop with every flavor cupcake imaginable. Also in Uptown Park is Andre’s, which I failed to mention is also in Area 16 (but I rarely go to that one). It’s a good spot to meet a friend. I order the tuna salad on croissant "portion-size;" the menu can be confusing. A few doors down, Café Express is a sure bet, but never gets me very excited since Wendy’s bought it. I know the Del Grandes bought it back, but still... I love Neiman Marcus' Mariposa, but it doesn’t leave you much time for open houses when you are in a department store! In Memorial, I like A Moveable Feast. It's a health food store and restaurant. They have a crunchy Apple Pecan Tuna Salad, and you just feel healthy eating there. There’s another outpost of Stone Mill on Voss, although I don’t think it’s as good as the one on Kirby. Occasionally, I will go to Dessert Gallery, which is not just dessert! I like the California Dreamin' sandwich, but sometimes their bread is stale and they are not shy with the Chipotle mayo. Although always crowded at lunch, Barnaby's new-ish Tanglewood spot is, of course, good. I’m also très excited that Zoe's is opening on San Felipe and Bering soon! The French House: duh. I get the chicken salad plate that is served on a bed of lettuce with avocados. Delish! In the Briargrove Shopping Center, Cafe Mezza starts off every table with pita chips and an addicting olive oil-based dipping sauce. I like to follow it with their yummy—and quite interesting—chicken salad sandwich. Lastly, at Smoothie Island, aka Island Grill, I order the "Eric the Homebuilder Pita," a wonderful medley of roasted veggies and hummus on warm pita bread. And being that a homebuilder dreamed it up, I'll say it’s an appropo way to end this post.

If I have missed any obvious lunch spots in any of the aforementioned areas, do tell me in the comments section. It was either an oversight, we like different foods at lunchtime or I am missing out. Happy lunching!

Back to School

2009-08-21T12:00:00.007-05:00

While many Americans spend this tax-free weekend stocking up on school supplies and new clothes, I will be mourning the passing of the summer of '09. Not once did I wear a swimsuit! What is summer without a swimsuit? What ever happened to my float trip down the Guadalupe River that I planned in June? I suppose since it's still 100 degrees outside in H'town, there could be time for a quick dip. But schools are in session; summer is officially over.

Although most of Houston will begin this Monday, many private schools started this past week. My cousin's kids, who live in Phoenix, actually started school August 10! As house-hunting and school choice often go hand in hand, I thought it would be an appropriate time to blog about schools in Houston. So, below is a round-up of resources that I find useful for buyers to use in their home search.

If you've found a house located within the Houston Independent School District (HISD), click here for a tool that will show you what schools are associated with that particular address. HISD also offers some flexibility through School Choice Options, including Magnet, Montessori and technical alternatives.

Are you looking in the Spring Branch Independent School District (SBISD)? The house you've fallen in love with might be in Hunters Creek Village, but it is not necessarily zoned to Hunters Creek Elementary. To be sure, click here to enter the address of the house and find the corresponding schools.

Below is the feeder pattern for Memorial High School. You can find other feeder patterns for SBISD here.
Many families struggle with the public versus private school debate. The Buzz, a local magazine that is distributed to Bellaire, West U, Memorial and Tanglewood, did an informative article on it in their current issue. A good resource for private schools is Houston Area Independent Schools (HAIS), which currently has 68 member schools. For Montessori schools in Houston, click here. If you decide to go the private school route, read D Magazine's How to Pick a Private School for some good tips.

While these are all good resources, if school is important to your home-buying decision, be sure to independently verify what school your potential new home is zoned to by contacting the school district directly.

If you have other good sources for information on our schools, I'd appreciate your comments to this post. Here's to all A+'s in '09-'10!

Getting Personal

2009-08-05T09:00:00.013-05:00

Last weekend I watched You've Got Mail with my 10-year-old niece. I watch this movie every fall, or just before fall hits. I used to live in New York City, and the scenery and weather is the perfect entrée into the new season. I admit that watching it last weekend was a little premature weather-wise, seeing as it was during the dead heat of a Houston summer, but it was one of the only PG selections in my library.

In the movie, Joe Fox (Tom Hanks) uses a quote from The Godfather to defend the opening of his super-sized bookstore, which will in turn force Kathleen Kelly's (Meg Ryan) mom-and-pop bookshop to close. The quote, "It's not personal...it's business," struck a chord with me, as I find the real estate business to get personal often.

The sale or purchase of a home in itself is nothing but personal, investment properties aside. People live their lives and make their memories in their homes. It can be hard for some sellers to even attend closing. Some cope with this by distancing themselves and closing separately from the buyers. Then others want to become friends with the new homeowners to retain that connection to their soon-to-be former home.

Agent-to-agent negotiations can get personal. They shouldn't, but sometimes agents get emotionally involved and do or say things they regret later. The point is to be the voice of the client, whether the agent's counsel is represented in that voice or not. But attacking the other agent on a personal level is not the fastest way to gain their respect.

Now where the Godfather quote bests comes into play is when buyers or sellers choose their Realtor. "It's not personal, Sally Jo Realtor, it's business."

There have been times when I've wished a buyer or seller would just say this to me. At least it would give me the opportunity to respond by saying, "I understand. Hopefully, I can earn your business in the future."

In Houston, social circles are really small. The city is comprised of 2.2 million people within 600 square miles (and 5.7 million people in the entire metropolitan area). 25,000-plus members of HAR makes 1 Realtor for every 88 Houston residents, not including those that are non-MLS agents (a lot of folks on the commercial side). Point being, people are not only bound to know more than one Realtor, but they're also bound to be good friends with more than one Realtor. Now some buyers or sellers don't even want to work with their friends. But at the end of the day, wouldn't it be comforting to know that your friend, the professional representing you, is looking out for your best interests?

In my three years of experience as a Realtor, I can already count a number of occasions where friends have been too timid to admit they've chosen another Realtor friend over me, or they prefer to use a Realtor they don't know socially. They've avoided the subject entirely and made some awkward moments for themselves. I've even had a friend flat out lie that they were not selling their house. (Hello!? I see your house online.) Ben Franklin gave good advice when he said: "Honesty is the best policy."

If any of you are out there reading this now, know this: It's okay. I promise I'm not going to egg your house! But I would like to earn your business next time. Tell me how. It's not personal... it's business.

Green Hills of Africa

2009-07-20T21:07:00.052-05:00

It's been more than a month since my last post. There's reason for this: I've been on vacation! That's what people do in the summer, right?

Well, residential real estate and time off is, for lack of a more creative metaphor, like oil and water. It ain't no Bayou Breeze! Choosing to be a residential Realtor means subjecting your time to the mercy of your clients' time, or other Realtors' clients' time. Just when you were about to walk out the door to go for a jog in the park, you have a showing on your listing in 30 minutes. Or, just when you've settled onto the couch to decompress and watch a movie after a long day, you get a call that an offer on your listing is awaiting you in your email inbox. This is something that, hopefully, with time, I'll be able to manage better. But it makes taking a vacation really hard.

I did it though! No complaints. Two and a half weeks across the pond whiling away the hot Houston summer on a continent I'd never stepped foot on before: Africa.

But what with Blackberries, iPhones and the Internet, you can't escape knowing what is going on back home. It's almost impossible not to be connected. You have to try to not be.

My sweet husband Chad cherry-picked two chapters of Tim Ferriss' 4-Hour Work Week for me to read, one of which was "The Low-Information Diet," which actually teaches you how to disconnect. But it's a real struggle.

"Let me just see if I can get a connection here in the middle of the Serengeti in Tanzania...wa-la!" The best signal of the vacation. I knew that if I wasn't able to disconnect there, I had a problem. But, hey, I haven't finished the book yet...?

"We found a home," my client of a year and a half says via email.

It's Murphy's Law. Not that his finding a house was a bad thing, it's just that I wanted to be there when he found it. It happens to all of us Realtors, so I am learning. What's the fastest way to get your listing sold? Go on vacation!

I am fortunate to have my mother as my working partner, a true shepherd for me in learning the business, not to mention garnering clients. But the mother-daughter business relationship fails when you and your mother go on the same vacation.

It worked out, thanks to some of my colleagues at John Daugherty, Realtors. I am grateful and indebted to them for their willingness to help cover my business while I was away enjoying those green hills.

Two interesting things--among a hundred--that I learned on my vacation:

Even Maasai have cell phones.
Even Maasai aren't afraid to take calls in the middle of a ceremonial dance.

It's a testament to technology, I guess. A little sad, but an unstoppable force.

At this one amazing lodge where we stayed in Kenya, there was an Ernest Hemingway quote painted on the wall. "All I wanted to do now was to get back to Africa. We had not left it, yet, but when I would wake in the night I would lie, listening, homesick for it already." Lovely, as was the whole vacation. But now it's back to business.

I ♥ Cherryhurst

2009-06-11T13:00:00.011-05:00

Amongst my colleagues at John Daugherty, Realtors, I am considered young in the business. Maybe so, but there's an opportunity being young did afford me recently: stepping into the shoes of a first-time homebuyer. This, my husband Chad and I accomplished at the end of last year, when we stumbled upon and purchased our first home in Cherryhurst, an adorable subdivision tucked quietly inside of Montrose.

It was an uncertain time in the economy. Houston was just starting to feel what we did of the recession, which they say has maybe turned a corner now. If it is in fact turning a corner, Houston did not experience it like the rest of the country did. We had a mild case of the recession. But at the time, interest rates were low--not as low as they got, the house fit the bill and we were eager to become homeowners. Fortunately, we were eligible for the $7,500 first-time homebuyer tax credit that is paid back over the course of 15 years. Unfortunately, we missed the cut--by seven days--for the new-and-improved $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit that never has to be repaid!

We already knew we liked Cherryhurst. Its location cannot be beat. It has culture and an urban vibe with a twist of traditional neighborhood feel. Cherryhurst is about four streets wide by five streets tall with Cherryhurst Park at its center, offering tennis, a community center, a field to throw a football or run the dog (future dog for us...one day!?) and a playground. While we haven't made use of the park on a regular basis yet, we have enjoyed walking to nearby restaurants (our favorite: Hugo's), shops and bars--something you can't often do in Houston, whose walk score is the definition of average at 51/100. Montrose ranks second within Houston for walkabilty, with Downtown ahead at numero uno.

While I could go on about how I ♥ Cherryhurst, learning a few things about the home-buying process would probably be more worthwhile to my loyal readership. So, here are a few tips:

Get organized with your lender sooner than later. You don't want to fall in love with a home you can't afford. You also don't want to drag on getting your loan approval and have your earnest money up for grabs if you don't end up getting the loan approved in the time prescribed.
Don't worry about bothering the sellers during the option period. The option period is your time to bring in all kinds of specialists, not just the inspector himself. Get everything suspect checked out and know what you are buying.
Try to keep it friendly with the sellers. You never know when you'll need to ask them a question about the house down the road.

Buying your first home is both exciting and scary. Trust your instincts and you will make the right the decisions. And expect to keep learning about home ownership every day.

Gruene Opportunity

2009-06-01T12:00:00.011-05:00

June 1. Summer is here in my book. I love summer!

Two weeks ago I went to an information session about a new development in the Gruene Historic District of New Braunfels, one of my favorite places to visit during the summer as a kid. Although I haven't been to Gruene in probably 12 years, I can picture it pretty well from my memories: The Gristmill, Gruene Hall, that little ice cream shop, the General Store where they sell delicious homemade fudge and, of course, Hunter Junction with the hilarious t-shirts. It's one of those treasured Texas towns where time seems to have stopped just enough. My favorite thing to do in Gruene--hands down--was (and is) to float the river in an inner tube: hours of relaxation, Vitamin D and good times with friends and family. I may just have to schedule a float trip this summer. But, back to the real estate relevancy of this post...the Van Horn River Lodge.

The Lodge is going to be a "boutique condo-hotel" with only 40 units. It will rise three stories over the banks of the Guadalupe River, just a four-minute walk away from the slow bustle of the town. The great thing about the condos is that you can rent them out when you are not using them. The Lodge doubles as a hotel with a great room anchoring the condominiums. Services will include a reception desk, housekeeping, conference space, maintenance and more. The terraced pool, decks, nature trails and a riverfront park (almost 200 yards long) will all be "common" property of the owners. Owners and guests can rent "play" items for the river and town, like tubes, kayaks and bicycles, and the operations will be run by an on-site general manager.

The look and feel will be "mountain lodge" with all units enjoying a riverfront view. Prices start in the upper $300s. There are 2 floorplans, the "Encino" and the "Cypress," both two bedrooms with around 1,200 square feet of living space plus balconies.

You can reserve a unit now with an initial deposit of around $10K. When 80% has been reserved, construction will begin. At the info session two weeks ago, 12 units had already been reserved. If you're interested in learning more, feel free to send me a line at emilyc@johndaugherty.com.

Here's to a great Summer of '09!

It's Property Tax Protest Time!

2009-05-18T14:03:00.012-05:00

It's a busy, busy time at the Harris County Appraisal District. The June 1 deadline to file property tax protests is fast approaching. Commercials by property tax consulting companies, like O'Connor & Associates, are proliferating in local news breaks. If you haven't done so, be sure to register your protest by sending in a Notice of Protest form. Better yet, protest online! Through HCAD's new iFile and iSettle systems, you can save time and money. All you do is take the iFile number from your Notice of Appraised Value, which you should have received in the mail, and enter it and your HCAD account number. It will prompt you through some pretty simple questions about the value of your home. I found it to be quite painless (better than spending a day in the courthouse) and was pleased to have lowered our appraised value for 2009 myself. Of course it helps that being a Realtor®, I have access to recent sales data. Should you need any for your neighborhood, I would be happy to assist you. Good luck!