Tag Archives: apartments

Republicans finally agree on a property tax cut

Our moderate-length semi-statewide bit of unpleasantness is coming to an end. Probably. The $18 billion compromise between the Texas House and Senate — which includes more than $5 billion approved for relief in 2021 — would give increased tax relief … Continue reading

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Coliving

I’m fascinated by this. In one of Montrose’s newest residential projects opening next year, renters will be able to walk into fully furnished spaces stocked with basic supplies, paying rents below market rate in one of Houston’s trendiest neighborhoods. Rent … Continue reading

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Converting empty downtown office space into residences

Something to think about. Across the country, office-to-housing conversions are being pursued as a potential lifeline for struggling downtown business districts that emptied out during the coronavirus pandemic and may never fully recover. The conversion push is marked by an emphasis on affordability. Multiple … Continue reading

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Justice Department probing RealPage

Possibly good news for renters. The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division has opened an investigation into whether rent-setting software made by Richardson-based tech company RealPage is facilitating collusion among landlords, ProPublica reported. The inquiry is being launched as questions have … Continue reading

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From the department of “The rent is too damn high”

A lawsuit to watch. Renters are suing Richardson-based RealPage and some of the largest property management firms in the nation for allegedly forming what they call a “cartel” to artificially inflate apartment prices above competitive levels. Five renters are challenging … Continue reading

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Assistance for renters coming

Good, but of course much more is needed. Houston officials expect to get up to $70 million in federal stimulus funds to help renters in the city make their monthly payments and use toward other housing expenses. The $900 billion … Continue reading

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“Bad, but not awful”

Your Houston economy, folks. As Houston enters the second year of the worst oil downturn in decades, its once-booming economy has sputtered, and the strain finally is starting to show. Houston could flirt with recession in 2016 as the oil … Continue reading

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The rent is too damn high

The Houston area isn’t such a cheap place to live any more. A job boom bringing highly paid energy workers to Houston and a pronounced decline in the percentage of people buying houses have combined to drive up the cost … Continue reading

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Livin’ small

Kids today and their crazy ideas about how to live. The modern apartment is increasingly likely to look like this: a 380-square-foot space with a separate bedroom; a kitchen with fewer cabinets and more shelves; and a place in the … Continue reading

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So long, Skylane Apartments

This is happening in my neighborhood, and it’s already generated a lot of interest from the locals. The aging Skylane Central apartments, perched near the entrance of the Woodland Heights neighborhood, are headed for demolition as a developer makes plans … Continue reading

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Don’t forget about apartments

On the subject of how Battleground Texas can achieve its aims, Greg adds a note and some numbers about apartment complexes. I opted to look at one of the most GOP-friendly places in Harris County: HD130 in the northwestern corner … Continue reading

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Your other one-minute real estate update

Basically, real estate good in Houston. Inventory of homes for sale has fallen to a level not seen in more than a decade. Builders are trying to keep up with a growing demand from buyers relocating here for jobs. Realtors … Continue reading

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Sugar Land has its own Ashby

The unhappy dissenters part of it, anyway. The planned development of the city’s last piece of open land would turn the abandoned Imperial Sugar site – the very genesis of the city – into an $800 million urban space with … Continue reading

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A deluxe efficiency in the sky

The hot trend in real estate is small apartments. Apartments in Houston are shrinking. As rents have gone up, developers have been building smaller units and a lot more of them to meet growing demand from apartment dwellers who want … Continue reading

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The Bellaire “urban transit village”

Very interesting. Nearly a year in the drafting, a sweeping change to Bellaire’s zoning laws creating an “urban transit village” where there is now a collection of nondescript warehouses will soon be before City Council. On Nov. 1, the city’s … Continue reading

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Apartment boom coming

I have many things to say about this. High occupancies and rising rents for apartments are driving a new wave of development in Houston’s high-end urban neighborhoods. More than 3,500 units in a dozen complexes are under construction primarily inside … Continue reading

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Recycling for apartments coming to Houston

Last December I noted a program in San Antonio to expand recycling to apartment complexes. I said at the time that I hoped Houston would do the same as it broadens its recycling capabilities. I’m glad to say that late … Continue reading

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RIP, Arabia Shrine Center

Swamplot noted that a demolition permit had been pulled for the Arabia Shrine Center on Braeswood near Kirby. Nancy Sarnoff tells us what is to come once the buildings have been razed. Three years after an apartment developer bought the … Continue reading

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Recycling for apartments

The city of San Antonio is taking a big step forward in expanding its recycling program. The new amendment ensures that all families and individuals living in apartments, condominiums, townhomes, high rise condominiums and San Antonio Housing Authority properties have … Continue reading

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Water rate rebate passes Council

Back in April, Council approved a water rate hike. There were some complaints from apartment owners at the time about the size of the rate increase that would apply to them, and the city agreed to make some changes to … Continue reading

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Farmers Branch prepares to waste more money

It sure must be nice to have all these taxpayer dollars to spend on such frivolities. [Farmers Branch] plans to appeal a court ruling against its ordinance, which would prevent landlords from renting houses or apartments to illegal immigrants — … Continue reading

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Council may consider higher water rate hikes

As we know, a water rate hike of about 12 percent was proposed by Mayor Parker earlier this month. That ran into some resistance from apartment dwellers, since the hike would be higher for multi-family residences than it would be … Continue reading

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Apartment dwellers push back on water rate hike

From Prime Property: The Houston Apartment Association is urging its members to resist the city’s proposed water and sewer rate hikes that, in their current form, would hit apartment tenants much harder than single-family homeowners. In a blog entry on … Continue reading

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Water rate hike coming

We knew this was coming, and now here it is. Mayor Annise Parker’s administration is proposing drastic water and sewer rate increases to shore up Houston’s Combined Utility System, which has operated with multimillion-dollar budget deficits for several years. The … Continue reading

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