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Meg Zoller Houston Fine Homes

Bellaire, Texas Real Estate, Houston, Texas Real Estate - Market Conditions - February 2008 Report

According to information that Jim Zoller reviewed on Houston Association of REALTORS Multiple Listing Service, there are currently 132 single family residential homes on the market in Bellaire, Texas priced from a low of $235,000 for a "livable condition", 1530 sq. ft., 3 bed/1.5 bath home on a 8228 sq. ft. lot which backs up to a busy street to the high price of $3,200,000. for a 7731 sq. ft., 4 bedroom/ 5 full, 2 half bath planned new construction luxury home on a 18,525 sq. ft. lot. The average list price per sq ft is $247.66. Forty six homes are for sale for over $1,000,000 and 27 homes are priced at $400,000 or less. As of 02/8/2008 there are an additional 24 homes pending under contract priced from $256,900 to $1,795,000.

During the month of December 2007, 12 single family homes closed with sale prices ranging from $232,000. to $1,680,000. The average sales price per average sq. ft. was $207.69/ sq. ft.

In January 2008 12 sales closed with an average sales price per average sq. ft. of $213.24. The low sales price was $239,900 for a home on a 9250 sq. ft. lot which was sold for lot value. The highest reported sales price was $1,864,000 for a 4 bed/5 full, 2 half bath/ 3 car garage home built in 2000 on a 20,475 sq. ft. lot.

There are presently reported to be 5 townhomes active on the market, priced from $199,000 to $299,000. The average list price per sq ft is $140.09. Although none sold in January, 4 are pending sale.

Luxury new construction in Bellaire is still strong and the prices are increasing due to rising building costs and lot prices. For the most part, construction in Bellaire originated in the late 40's and 50's. Many of these original homes have been and are being purchased at lot value with the old homes being replaced with larger, luxury, new construction homes.

ZIP Code: 77401

Location Characteristics: Bellaire, Texas is located on both sides of Interstate Loop 610 West, is surrounded by Houston and many subdivisions including West University Place, Southside Place, Meyerland, Willow Meadows, and Afton Oaks. It's a very short distance to the Galleria, Reliant Stadium, downtown Houston, the Theater District, and the Medical Center.

Bellaire is zoned for residential,commercial, and light industrial sections. Bellaire, Texas is well known as a residential city. The city is well-liked for its police and fire protection, parks and recreation facilities, library, public works department, and recycling center.

Meg and Jim Zoller - The Zoller Group of Keller Williams Realty, The Metropolitan

Please view our website, http://www.finehomeshouston.com/ . Also, feel free to contact us at:

Direct: 713-661-0884

Toll Free: 800-808-6153

E-mail: Meg@FineHomesHouston.com or Jim@FineHomesHouston.com

Cells: Meg - 713-875-4844 Jim - 713-545-6338

West University Place, Houston, Texas Real Estate - Market Condition - February 2008 Report

According to information provided by The Houston Association of Realtors, there are currently 123 single family homes available for sale in West University Place, Houston, Texas. While the majority of these homes are of newer luxury home construction with a minimum of 4 bedrooms and 3000 sq. ft., there are also smaller homes available to home buyers with 2 bedrooms that were originally constructed in the 1920's, 30's and 40's, and some being sold to builders and individuals for lot value.

It was determined from an analysis of information provided by the Multiple Listing Service that for the month of January 2008 home buyers bought 8 properties in West University Place averaging $615,812 or $217.37 per square foot compared to 11 sales in January 2007 averaging $748,545, or $254.00 per square foot.



ZIP Code: 77005

Approximate Location Boundaries:Kirby Drive to the East, Union Pacific Railway railroad track to the West, Bellaire Boulevard/West Holcombe Boulevard to the South, and Bissonnet and Law Streets to the North.


Location Characteristics: Commonly referred to as West University or West U for short, West University Place was developed by former Tennessee Gov. Ben Hooper. His idea for a community of country homes was conceived in 1910 when Governor Hooper bought a tract of land southwest of Houston out of an old Spanish land grant. The Houston West End Realty Company developed today's West University Place First Addition and put the first lots up for sale on April 1, 1917. The name "West University Place" originated from its proximity to Rice Institute (now known as Rice University). The city of West University Place incorporated in 1924 and adopted a formal city charter in 1940.


There are approximately 26 subdivisions in West University Placeto include Rice Court, Pemberton, Colonial Terrace, Sunset Terrace, Cunningham Terrace, Evanston, Matthews Place, Kent Place, Monticello, Virginia Court, Belle Court, College Court Place, Collegeview, Preston Place, Pershing Place, Academy, Quenby Court, Bissonnet Place, Fairhaven, College Park, and Krenzler Courts and some sections simply known as West University Place.

Students who live in West University Place are zoned to West University Elementary, Pershing Middle School in the Braeswood Place neighborhood of Houston, and Lamar High School which is in the Upper Kirby district of Houston.

The city's boundaries are:Kirby Drive to the East, Union Pacific Railway railroad track to the West, Bellaire Boulevard/West Holcombe Boulevard to the South, and Bissonnet and Law Streets to the North.


Meg and Jim Zoller - The Zoller Group of Keller Williams Realty, The Metropolitan

Please view our website, http://www.finehomeshouston.com/ . Also, feel free to contact us at:

Direct: 713-661-0884

Toll Free: 800-808-6153

E-mail: Meg@FineHomesHouston.com or Jim@FineHomesHouston.com

Cells: Meg - 713-875-4844 Jim - 713-545-6338

Houston Heights Real Estate, Houston, Texas - Market Condition - February, 2008

There are approximately 3500 single family homes in the Houston Heights with an average sales price per sq. ft. of $164 in 2006. Since 1994, this figure has increased every year. The values were $150/sq ft.in 2004 and 156 in 2005. These figures were obtained from the Houston Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service, as are the others cited in this article.

Meg and Jim Zollerof The Zoller Group of Keller Williams Realty report that there are currently 147 single family homes for sale in the Houston Heights ranging from a 3 bed/ 2.5 bath, 1406 sq. ft. home on a 3040 sq. ft. lot listed for $129,900 to a 1925 property currently configured as an inn with 5600 sq. ft. and a 2600 sq. ft. carriage house on a 11,250 sq. ft lot and priced at $1,575,000. The average list price per sq. ft. is $191.44. Many of the homes for sale are new construction ones on small lots but there are a good selection of older homes. Another 36 homes are under contract as of 2/12/2008 but haven't closed yet.

In December 2008 there were 25 single family homes sold at prices ranging from $166,800 to $1,075,000 with an overall average sales price per sq. ft. value of $173.70.

In January 2008, 18 single family homes sold at prices from a low of $94,000
for a foreclosed 3 bed/ 1 bath,977 sq. ft. home on a 4978 sq. ft.lot to a high of $1,677,000 for a yet to be built, 4000 sq. ft., 4 bed/ 4 bath home on a 6600 sq. ft. lot. The overall average sales price per sq. ft. was $187.06.


ZIP Code: 77008

Approximate Location Boundaries: Downtown Houston, Memorial Park, Oak Forest

Location Characteristics: This historical Houston Heights neighborhood, with a mixture of bungalow, Victorian homes, and new construction (as well as some industrial and commercial property) was originally established as a planned community in the late 1890s. The location was partially chosen because it was 23 feet higher than downtown Houston, located 4 miles away. In 1918, Houston Heights residents voted for annexation by the city of Houston, Texas.

The single family home market in the Houston Heights consists of older Victorian era homes, older bungalows, and new construction. Many of the older homes have been remodeled and over 100 Houston Heights structures are registered in the National Register of Historical Places. The newer construction consists of everything from contemporary designs to Victorian style homes.

Meyerland Real Estate, Houston, Texas - January 2008 - Market Condition

Meyerland is a residential neighborhood located in Houston, Texas. It is located on the banks of Brays Bayou at the outermost southwest corner of Loop 610 . . .immediately south of Bellaire. Approximately a 15 minute drive to downtown Houston, the Texas Medical Center, the Galleria and the Reliant Park complex, the Meyerland real estate community boasts excellent accessibility, strong community leaders, an active homeowner's association and beautiful parks. Single family residential homes range in price from the mid $100,000's to the $1,000,000's. Some of the homes are the original bungalows, contemporary homes or traditional/ranch style homes built in the 50's and 60's . . .while others are new construction homes occupied by homeowners who like Meyerland's location and convenience.

Meyerland is the concept of three generations of the Meyer family. Joseph F. Meyer began buying land in the southwest portion of the area surrounding Houston in the late 1800's. He paid less than $5 per acre for the 6000 acres that he eventually accumulated. In the mid-1950's Joseph's son, George, saw the possibilities of build a prestigious neighborhood subdivision. George took the 1200 acres he inherited from his father after his death and created the neighborhood subdivision of Meyerland. There were 2700 lots and an 80 acre reserve for a shopping center.George Meyer proceeded to develop homes that were affordable enough to attract middle America home buyers. Look magazine called Meyerland "state-of-the-art neighborhood" while House and Home magazine claimed it to be the "ideal plan for a subdivision". You might say that Meyerland could be named as Houston's first planned community due to the fact that George Meyer held to strong architectural controls and stringent deed restrictions during the course of its development. Brick, contemporary style homes offering three to four bedrooms with two bathrooms, which was uncommon feature for homes built in the 50's, was characteristic at the time they were built.

In 1957 Meyerland Plaza Shopping Center was opened as Houston's second regional mall. It was managed by George Meyer's oldest daughter, Leota Meyer Hess. In 1984 the center was sold by the third generation family. The center was neglected for many years and finally in the mid-90's it was purchased by it's new owner and completely renovated. The renovation of Meyerland Plaza brought over 927,000 square feet of new shopping space to the Meyerland community in Houston, Texas. The plaza includes over 50 shops and restaurants today.

The Meyerland real estate community is in the Houston Independent School District. It touts Exemplary schools and is zoned to the nationally acclaimed Bellaire High School. The zoned neighborhood elementary schools are Kolter Elementary School and Lovett Elementary School, which are both located in Meyerland. The neighborhood is also served by Johnston Middle School (located in Meyerland), Pershing Middle School (located in Braeswood Place) and Pin Oak Middle School (located in Bellaire). Pupils zoned to Johnston or Pershing have the option to attend Pin Oak. Bellaire High School is located in the southern portion of the city of Bellaire.

The Houston Public Library system operates the Meyer Branch Library located at 5005 W. Belfort. It serves the Meyerland community.

Meyerland homeowners reaped the benefits of a good year in 2006 as they saw 109 properties sold ranging in price from $197,000 up to $1,150,000 with an average sales price of $368,966 or $133.73 per square foot. This showed a definite upward trend. These figures are based on data collected from the Houston Association of REALTORS.

As reflected in the following data provided by the Houston Association of REALTORS, the Meyerland real estate community continues to enjoy increased property values. In 2007 there were 89 single family homes sold with prices ranging from $200,000 to $1,000,000 . . . averaging $144.73 per square foot. The wide range reflects the new construction. However, the majority of the homes that home buyers bought offer 3 to 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and are between 2000 and 3000 square feet.

There are currently 45 active homes for sale in Meyerland with list prices ranging from $239,900 to $1,150,000. Home buyers have placed 8 homes under contract that are waiting to close. The asking price on them ranged from $288,000 to $925,000.

Meg and Jim Zoller - The Zoller Group of Keller Williams Realty, The Metropolitan

Please view our website, http://www.finehomeshouston.com/ . Also, feel free to contact us at:

Direct: 713-661-0884

Toll Free: 800-808-6153

E-mail: Meg@FineHomesHouston.com or Jim@FineHomesHouston.com

Cells: Meg - 713-875-4844 Jim - 713-545-6338

Houston Real Estate, Houston, Texas - January 2008 - Market Conditions

Houston, Texas was founded in 1836 and named after General Sam Houston. It is often referred to as the Bayou City or Space City. It is reported to be the 4th largest city in the United States with a population close to 2 million. The city has been a dynamic business center since the early 1900's. Being home to NASA and the Johnson Space Center, it is also the leader in space technology. The Port of Houston is thriving and connected to the city by the Houston Ship Channel. Other well known areas of the city are Interstate 10's Energy Corridor, the Houston Galleria and the world class and much recognised Texas Medical Center. Houston's feel is very diverse with both a high rise skyline and waterways such as Buffalo Bayou which wind through the city.

Downtown Houston has recently been transformed into a dynamic area of the city known for both residential living and entertainment. Many new townhomes and lofts have been built in and near downtown in recent years. Many other buildings have been converted from commercial to residential use.

Houston has major baseball, football, basketball (women and men), soccer teams and AHL hockey. It also has separate greyhound and horse racing.

For theater lovers, Houston is one of the few cities that offers people permanent ballet, opera, orchestra and theater companies.

Houston real estate offers you most everything you could imagine or desire.

Note: Due to the large volume of homes sold, we usually need about two months to compile the data. Therefore, in January we will be using November data which has been obtained from the Houston Association of Realtors.

To date, the mortgage company and loan problems you have heard about have affected Houston housing much less than most areas of the country. Total homes sales decreased in November by 10.2%. However the average sales prices increased over the last year. The median price was $150,000 which is a 1.7% increase from November 2006. The average sales price was $205,815. This number reflects a 6.4% increase over last year's value.

Townhome and condo sales were up in price, but lower in number over the last year. 489 units were sold at an average sales price of $162,371 in November, 2007. This fact indicates a 10.8% decrease in number sold . . .but an increase in price over November 2006.

In summary . . .the Houston, Texas real estate market is still stronger in pricing than other areas of the country. However, the foreclosures and sub prime lend problems apparently have affected everyone. In recent years home buyers have been able to purchase a home for less in Houston than in comparison to many other cities . . . and still the value has continued to increase. Houston's current median sales price for a single family home is 27.1% less than the national average according to the National Association of REALTORS. Houston real estate is on pace for the second best year on record. Obviously, this indicates the great value of living in Houston, Texas.

Meg and Jim Zoller - The Zoller Group of Keller Williams Realty, The Metropolitan

Please visit our website, http://www.finehomeshouston.com/ . Also, feel free to contact us at:

Direct: 713-661-0884

Toll Free: 800-808-6153

E-mail: Meg@FineHomesHouston.com or Jim@FineHomesHouston.com

Cells: Meg - 713-875-4844 Jim - 713-545-6338