Mulholland works in the Cypress area, mainly catering to master-planned communities such as Bridgeland, Towne Lake, Cypress Creek Lakes and Fairfield. Most of these neighborhoods are located in ZIP codes 77429 and 77433, which are the two most active portions of Cy-Fair when it comes to new home builds and home sales.

These two ZIP codes actually saw an increase in year-over-year homes sales this March, but Mulholland said activity slowed toward the end of March and April before picking up again in May and June. The slowdown had nothing to do with a lack of demand from local buyers but rather a lack of demand from sellers, he said.

“It seemed like the sellers were the ones that were more cautious. A lot of people didn’t want people coming into their house and were holding off on listing their house,” he said. “If you were willing and able to list your house, you were one of the few options a lot of buyers had.”

According to data from Ross & Marshall Realty, home sales overall were up by the end of March, but nearly every ZIP code in Cy-Fair saw fewer homes sold year over year in both April and May.

While data shows Cy-Fair home sales have decreased during the pandemic, homes have not stayed on the market long, and many sellers have had multiple offers to choose from—especially in the popular $250,000 price range, Mulholland said.

Mulholland said he expects the local real estate market will remain strong this summer while inventory and interest rates remain low, but it is difficult to predict what the long-term future may hold.

“I think everything’s shifted because the peak season’s typically March, April and May. I think it shifted to be May, June and—my guess is—July,” Mulholland said. “Right now, everything seems to be pointing upward, but you would think the economy would eventually have some kind of impact.”  Show Less...

North Cypress Medical Center's opening last month of a sports medicine and rehabilitative center in the Towne Lake Boardwalk was the latest in a series of businesses drawn by area population growth to the mixed-use development.

Orangetheory, MOD Pizza, Sam's Boat, Texas Children's Pediatrics, Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee Co. and Copper Creek Orthodontics are already open at the boardwalk, which features boat docks, an office park and a 300-seat music pavilion.

Developed by Caldwell Cos., the boardwalk is by a 300-acre lake within the 2,400-acre master-planned Towne Lake community.

"It's an up-and-coming location," said Jose Malaga, owner of Orangetheory Fitness, about why he and a business partner picked Towne Lake to open their high-intensity fitness-training franchise. "It's just where everyone wants to be - it's surrounded by lakes."

The North Cypress Sports Medicine and Rehab Center opened in early May on the second floor of North Cypress Professional Building Towne Lake, 9645 Barker Cypress Road.

The 4,000-square-foot center offers evaluations and rehabilitation therapy for injuries and conditions. Services include concussion evaluations and rehabilitation, and a private treatment area is dedicated for pelvic floor rehabilitation, which focuses on reducing or eliminating pelvic pain and bladder leakage and incontinence.

"There's a need in this area, because of the growing young population here in Cypress and in Towne Lake," director Ron Simon said. "We are offering physical therapy more closely located to their community - physical therapy is typically done two and three times a week - so our patients won't have to travel as far."

A boutique hotel is proposed for the boardwalk, which includes green space.

Melinda Bodukoglu, who owns Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee Co., which opened in December, lives in Towne Lake and has come to work via boat.

Bodukoglu's coffee shop, a franchise that sells mostly Rwandan coffee with a mission to give back to farmers in that county, offers a drive-through service and a full-service bakery for special orders.

"We are doing amazing," Bodukoglu said. "People are so excited about the boardwalk opening. It's a great location."

Meanwhile Jaxton's, a high end restaurant offering a blend of Italian and French cuisine, and The Cheese Bar, a cheese-focused café selling artisan cheeses, wine and beer, were preparing to open in the center, while Flying Vine, a wine bar and bistro, will open in several months.

About 90 percent of the retail space has been pre-leased, according to leasing agent Sonny Howard.

Realtor Jim Mulholland, owner of Cy-Fair Real Estate in Cypress, which buys and sells homes in the area including Towne Lake, said the boardwalk is attracting regional notice.

"It's very unique to the area," he said. "Caldwell did a good job of making it look nice."  Show Less...

North Cypress Medical Center's opening last month of a sports medicine and rehabilitative center in the Towne Lake Boardwalk was the latest in a series of businesses drawn by area population growth to the mixed-use development.

Orangetheory, MOD Pizza, Sam's Boat, Texas Children's Pediatrics, Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee Co. and Copper Creek Orthodontics are already open at the boardwalk, which features boat docks, an office park and a 300-seat music pavilion.

Developed by Caldwell Cos., the boardwalk is by a 300-acre lake within the 2,400-acre master-planned Towne Lake community.

"It's an up-and-coming location," said Jose Malaga, owner of Orangetheory Fitness, about why he and a business partner picked Towne Lake to open their high-intensity fitness-training franchise. "It's just where everyone wants to be - it's surrounded by lakes."

The North Cypress Sports Medicine and Rehab Center opened in early May on the second floor of North Cypress Professional Building Towne Lake, 9645 Barker Cypress Road.

The 4,000-square-foot center offers evaluations and rehabilitation therapy for injuries and conditions. Services include concussion evaluations and rehabilitation, and a private treatment area is dedicated for pelvic floor rehabilitation, which focuses on reducing or eliminating pelvic pain and bladder leakage and incontinence.

"There's a need in this area, because of the growing young population here in Cypress and in Towne Lake," director Ron Simon said. "We are offering physical therapy more closely located to their community - physical therapy is typically done two and three times a week - so our patients won't have to travel as far."

A boutique hotel is proposed for the boardwalk, which includes green space and a children's play area.

Melinda Bodukoglu, who owns Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee Co., which opened in December, lives in Towne Lake and has come to work via boat.

Bodukoglu's coffee shop, a franchise that sells mostly Rwandan coffee with a mission to give back to farmers in that county, offers a drive-through service and a full-service bakery for special orders.

"We are doing amazing," Bodukoglu said. "People are so excited about the boardwalk opening. It's a great location."

Meanwhile Jaxton's, a high-end restaurant offering a blend of Italian and French cuisine, and The Cheese Bar, a cheese focused café selling artisan cheeses, wine and beer, were preparing to open in the center, while Flying Vine, a wine bar and bistro, will open in several months.

About 90 percent of the retail space has been pre-leased, according to leasing agent Sonny Howard.

Realtor Jim Mulholland, owner of Cy-Fair Real Estate in Cypress, which buys and sells homes in the area including Towne Lake, said the boardwalk is attracting regional notice.

"It's very unique to the area," he said. "Caldwell did a good job of making it look nice. I live in (nearby) Bridgeland, and we have a little neighborhood envy - (Towne Lake) is first class."  Show Less...

"It's just stabilized into a more normal market," said Amy Lippincott, an agent with the Cypress office of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene.

She noted that she recently listed a home for $160,000 and received 10 offers right away.

"It's still a good market if the property's well-priced," she said. "Pricing your house properly is the biggest thing."

Lippincott does believe, however, that the slump in the oil-and-gas industry has made buyers nervous.

"People are scared of what the economy is going to do," she said. "People have lost jobs and people are holding on to their money a little tighter."

Still, she said local job openings are plentiful in other fields, particularly in health care.

"There's still lots of opportunity," Lippincott said. "And there are tons of people still moving here."

Improvements in transportation, such as opening of segments of the Grand Parkway, have been key for the region, she said.

"Grand Parkway has made a huge impact," Lippincott said. "And it's brought a lot of commercial stuff with it - and that brings lots of jobs to the area."

Lippincott said people still want to invest in property instead of renting homes and that new homes in Cypress Creek Lakes and Bridgeland are moving quickly.

"Shiny and new is always appealing to people," she said.

Jim Mulholland, broker and owner of Cy-Fair Real Estate, is following the trend himself, having moved to Bridgeland last year.

"Master-planned communities are where people want to be," he said. "They're doing better, because they have all the amenities."

He said that Bridgeland was up 40 percent in new home sales last quarter. He added that each master-planned community seeks to offer unique features.

"Having all these neighborhoods in one area is a big deal," he said.

Mulholland said the slump in the oil business may have translated to lower home prices but only in comparison to the higher cost for houses last year.

"Pricing has kind of leveled," he said. "But it hasn't dropped a lot, which is amazing. With oil prices being low, people think they're going to get all these great deals, but there still has not been that big of an effect."

Mulholland said that homes are also staying on the market longer than they were a year ago.

"But I'm not seeing an uptick in foreclosures or short sales, which I think shows that the market is still pretty healthy," he said.

He credits quality schools and increased transportation as bolstering Cy-Fair's continued popularity.

"People want to be here," he said.

He still cautions his clients to be prepared to make an offer on a house they like or risk losing it to another homebuyer, especially for properties priced under $200,000.

"Those are going fast," he said. "I have some clients who have learned that the hard way."

Lippincott recommends that all of her clients get pre-qualified before they start shopping around for a new home.

"They need to know that a loan will come through," she said.

And she said that the market is still strong enough that sellers are not budging on asking prices.

"People need to place competitive offers," she said. "It's not like before when you could come in $20,000 under asking price."

For homeowners who are looking to sell, Lippincott recommends staging homes.

"Be patient," she said. "Everyone got used to selling houses in four or five days. It's a time for people to be a little more realistic."

Mulholland said that getting the home in good condition before it goes on the market is a must.

"Pricing right is also important," he said. "There aren't as many multiple offers or people coming in over price."

He cautions homeowners against placing a high price on properties.

"People think they need negotiating room," he said. "The problem is you end up getting less showings. The house stays on the market and then people start thinking there's something wrong with it. Ultimately, you end up selling the house for less than if you had just priced it right in the beginning."

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Not only were he and his wife Jessica able to find a home in today's hot real estate market in Cypress, he also got it at list price.

Restivo's success shopping for a new home depended on two key ingredients. He was prepared for the current pace of the fast-moving market - and he was willing to compromise.

Restivo said he rapidly discovered how quickly homes were selling as soon as he started looking.

When he and Jessica first found a house for sale that popped up on the Houston Association of Realtors' website, the couple contacted real estate agent Mark Dimas.

"The day we contacted the realtor was the day the house went off the market," Restivo recalled. "I knew we had to move fast."

When the couple found a home in Bridgeland soon after, they put in an offer - even though the house was not perfect.

"We found a house we love, but we didn't love the backyard," Restivo said. "We decided it's good enough in this market - and we'll take it."

For the house-hunters who are still struggling to find property in the Cy-Fair area, Restivo offers some advice.

"Be prepared to move really quickly," he said. "Be prepared to spend over list price - and learn to compromise if you want something."

Realtor Mark Dimas with the Professional Group Realty confirms Restivo's advice. He said Cypress has only 1.9 months of inventory, which is even less than Houston's 2.9 months.

"It's even more aggressive out here," Dimas said. "And there's a lot of competition."

He said that most buyers are up against multiple bids.

"A lot of sellers are trying to capitalize on the higher pricing," Dimas said. "It's been a struggle to make sure it appraises for the same amount."

He said during the recent economic recession, several builders slowed down construction projects.

"One thing that's driving the inventory down is that builders have to catch up," he said. "But buyers want to buy now. They want to purchase before they're priced out of the market."

Dimas said these trends will continue for the next few years, thanks to improved mobility and expanded commercial development in the area.

"We have the new Grand Parkway," he said. "We can get to Cinco Ranch in 15 minutes. People can buy in Cypress and commute to The Woodlands."

Dimas said the value homebuyers can get in the Cy-Fair area is also attractive.

"Even at higher prices, we're still less expensive than The Woodlands and Cinco Ranch," he said.

Jim Mulholland, broker and owner of Cy-Fair Real Estate, agreed that the Grand Parkway development has been a game-changer in the area.

"People are coming to Cypress for the schools, communities with all the amenities and the shopping," he said. "The Grand Parkway is definitely a big driver. It's definitely driving sales."

With the high demand, prices have gone up, Mulholland explained.

"Bridgeland used to be in the mid-ground of pricing, now it's definitely in the upper echelon," he said. "The median house is getting higher."

The higher prices, however, have not deterred sales.

In fact, Mulholland said that pocket listings, offerings sold by agents in private transactions before they are entered into the Multiple Listing System, have become increasingly common.

"A lot of neighborhoods have message boards, and homes are sold on those instead of through Realtors," Mulholland added. "That's the type of market we're in. Everyone's trying to get an in."

He said that new construction in the works could help reduce the rush for property. Bridgeland has opened up Hidden Creek; contractors are building new homes in Towne Lake and Cypress Creek Lakes.

"We'll actually get some more inventory with that," Mulholland said. "It will be interesting to see how that affects the market."

New properties are already going fast, he said, which means current trends for fast sales and higher home values are likely to continue in the short-term.

"I don't see any signs of it slowing down," Mulholland said. "I think it's going to stick around, but there is a limit to what the market can support."

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With a low inventory of houses available, builders are working hard to add more offerings.

In the meantime, individuals who are listing properties are rejoicing to be in a seller's market, while homebuyers may find it a struggle to snag the right house.

Still, Realtors say that today's booming market is navigable. As long as buyers and sellers are aware of the trends, they can make the most of the fast-moving market.

Jim Mulholland, broker and owner of Cy-Fair Real Estate, said that now is a time when having a Realtor can truly be an asset.

"A Realtor is more important now than ever," he said.

Realtors can help buyers find "pocket listings," homes sold by agents in private transactions before they are ever entered into the Multiple Listing System.

Agents may also be able to suggest a neighborhood that a buyer has overlooked, Mulholland added.

"A lot of people feel like they've got to be in Bridgeland or Cole's Crossing," he said. "I say, 'What about Fairfield?' "

Fairfield, a 3,200-acre development between U.S. 290 and Mason Road in Cypress, offers new homes by Frontier Custom Builders, Lennar and Trendmaker Homes.

"The pricing is less, the schools are still great, and the commute is the same if not shorter," Mulholland said.

Realtor Mark Dimas with the Professional Group Realty said a Realtor can help homebuyers put together a winning contract, which is especially important considering how common multiple offers have become.

Dimas said that about 25 percent of his listings are receiving cash offers.

"You have to be able to compete against those cash offers and against investors," he said. "Make sure you have a seasoned buyers' agent."

Dimas said that homebuyers should spend time getting to know the market before looking at homes.

Dimas said that buyers should also be prepared to act fast.

"People will be looking at homes and wanting to buy them the same day they come on the market," he said. "You can't think too long."

Dimas said he discusses strategy upfront with his clients.

"The market is just different now," he said. "Advice from a friend who bought three years ago could be wrong. You have to prepare for it. It can be difficult, but it just takes a little more preparation."

He said that some homebuyers have decided to wait, but with home values rising, it may not be a good idea to delay.

"It's a great time to sell a house, but it's also a great time to buy," he said. "Prices have gone up. There are very few foreclosures, distressed sales or short sales. It can be frustrating, but it's better to buy in a climbing market than to buy at the top."

Mulholland also suggests that shoppers consider building instead of buying an existing home.

"Sometimes builders give good incentives," he said. "Talk to a builder about your options. A lot of people who can't find a resale property, end up building."

For those looking to sell a property, Dimas said prices should be within reason.

"Price determines whether a property is going to sell," he said. "They still have to show well. Most of the houses that buyers want are the ones that others want too."  Show Less...

The real estate market is going strong in Houston - and much of that growth is moving northwest.

David Jarvis, regional director for Metrostudy, a research and consulting firm, said the city needs more homes than are available, but the situation should improve in about a year.

"We see more supply coming to the market in 2015 and 2016," he said.

Jarvis said the recession caused a slowdown in the construction business - which means listings are limited today.

Master-planned community developers are picking up the slack, which will enable more families to relocate to the area.

"This has been a long time coming," Jarvis said. "Builders tell us it takes extra time to build a house due to shortage of labor and materials."

He said the Grand Parkway will improve mobility issues and help bring more people to Cy-Fair.

"That's the biggest news for The Woodlands and Cy-Fair," he said. "It opens up a whole lot more land for development."

Jim Mulholland, broker and owner of Mulholland Realty, agreed that Grand Parkway will make a difference in the Cypress area.

"That's huge," he said. "A lot of people are commuting to the Energy Corridor and it should be faster to get there from Cypress now."

Amy Lippincott, an agent with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene, also said the Grand Parkway will draw more people to the area.

"Because it's right here, you can jump on and go downtown in 20 minutes," she said. "It will make everything so much easier and quicker."

She said the outlet mall and quality schools already have attracted more homebuyers over the past year.

"It's been a great year," she said.

Sales are up, supply is low

Mulholland said homebuyers are drawn to Cypress because of the high quality of master-planned communities.

Each has something unique to offer, he added.

"Towne Lake has a lake where you can put in your motor boat and go water-skiing and it's only 20 miles from Houston," Mulholland said. "Bridgeland has 3,000 acres of parks."

Where he lives in Cole's Crossing, sales have been going fast and furious, he said.

"Homes here don't stay on the market - and most homes have multiple offers," Mulholland added.

In general, the prices on homes are increasing, and the days on the market are decreasing.

Mulholland said he expects this trend to continue this year.

"I'd be surprised if prices didn't keep going up and the days on the market didn't keep going down," he said.

Some of his clients have decided to build their own homes now since the inventory for new homes is low.

"Builders are fighting for contract labor," he said. "Homes that used to take 90 to 120 days to construct are taking 50 to 200 days."

Peter Houghton, chairman of the West Houston Association, said the price for labor and cost of materials are going up.

"You're going to see a continued very strong increase in home prices," he said. "We have pretty much a perfect storm for that."

Houghton said the interest rates remain low, the demand is high and the supply of lots is low. Plus, with other areas reaching capacity, more people might be shopping for homes in Cypress - especially with increased mobility afforded by the Grand Parkway.

"Buyers have to go somewhere, and I think a lot of them will go to Cypress," he said. "It's a friendly community. It's pro-growth, pro-business and very family oriented. I think people are attracted to that."

Not a buyer's market

December was one of the Lippincott Team's best months yet for sales.

Lippincott said she had eight closings in the last month - up from around three in December 2012.

"It's been insane," she said. "People are moving to Cy-Fair. People are getting transferred here."

Lippincott added that prices are coming in over asking price.

One recent sale came in for $10,000 over the listing price, and the same week, another buyer offered $5,000 over.

"I think when people see something they want, they know they need to make an offer quickly," she said. "It's not a buyer's market."

Lippincott said that individuals looking to buy should be prepared to move fast on a property and make a strong offer.

"Those people offering $10,000 to $15,000 under asking price are just not going to get a house," she said. "They learn after they lose the first one."

Lippincott said that homes priced between $250,000 and $450,000 are most popular now in the Cy-Fair area.

She added that Blackhorse Ranch, Fairfield, Coles Crossing, Towne Lake and Cypress Creek Lakes are popular neighborhoods, as is Bridgeland, where Lippincott calls home.

New Hidden Creek

Bridgeland is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Howard Hughes Corp., the same development company that owns The Woodlands. The master-planned community recently revealed its latest community, Hidden Creek.

The new section will offer 1,000 homes.

Despite the amount of eager buyers, Lippincott said sellers should still keep homes clean and well-maintained if they are hoping for a quick sale.

"Do the required maintenance, and make a nice presentation," she advised. "Those are the homes that go the quickest."

Lippincott said she expects the market to continue along the same route in 2014.

"We're just hoping for another great year," she said. "I think Cy-Fair will continue to grow. With all the new construction, there's enough room for everyone."  Show Less...

LET’S NOT PRETEND that living in America’s hottest real estate market is a burden; still, the volatility can be maddening. Where else can you find yourself first in line at an open house, only to discover that the place already has three offers from an invitation-only open house the previous day? No place, that’s where. In what other city do they issue 27,000 permits for single-family construction in a single year? No other city. And where else does an oil company’s mass relocation lead to property values changing overnight? (Okay, there’s Fairfax, Va., but we mean change in a good way.) The fact is, knowing what and where to buy has never been trickier in Houston, which is why we polled dozens of real estate professionals for their expert opinions on the matter. Et voilà, the Houstonia guide to the 20 hottest areas of town, along with 5 up-and-coming neighborhoods whose pre-hot days are clearly numbered.

The Woodlands

Where self-sufficiency is the master plan

It used to be, they say, that anytime anybody in The Woodlands ever needed anything, they had to fire up the SUV for the 30-minute trek to Houston: to shop, to dine in a decent restaurant, to … anything. Now, 39 years on, it appears the original master planned community really did have a master plan, so much so that residents these days find it difficult to leave at all.

They don’t just shop and dine there, live and school their kids there. Increasingly, residents of The Woodlands are also working there, worshipping there, going to their own galleries, people-watching on Woodlands piazzas, or taking in La Bohème at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.

“The Woodlands is a complete community where residents can live, work, play, and learn,” insists Susan Vreeland-Wendt, a spokeswoman for The Woodlands Development Co.

Home prices continue to rise here as the community expands westward. That trend will likely continue with the large influx of Exxon employees expected to arrive by the end of the year.

Twenty-eight thousand acres of sprawling neighborhoods long ago decreed that much of The Woodlands would be unavoidably car-dependent, but the Town Center area is pedestrian-friendly, earning it some of the region’s best walkability scores. It’s a bustle of upscale boutiques, sidewalk cafés and open plazas, many near a waterway—teeming with air-conditioned water taxis—that’s drawn favorable comparisons to the San Antonio River Walk.

And The Woodlands’ dense, urban core is well on its way to becoming an island unto itself. Already home to a majority of the area’s 1,755 businesses, Town Center is becoming a residential center too, offering an expanding variety of lofts and townhomes. In addition, construction recently began on the 66-acre mixed-use Hughes Landing; it promises to further urbanize the area, giving Woodlands residents yet another reason to just stay home.

As if they need one.

Galleria / Uptown

Where there’s more than an ice rink generating foot traffic these days

Uptown, dominated by the 400-store Galleria and myriad other shopping opportunities, is many things: a crystal garden of glassy office towers, a magnet for international business, a place where you can drive a neon-green Hummer without arousing contempt.

But is it a neighborhood? Well …

“They’re working on it,” says David Crossley of Houston Tomorrow, a nonprofit that promotes “walkable urbanism.” He notes that a combination of mixed-use high-rises and a fleet of public buses along Post Oak Boulevard promises to take one of Houston’s most diverse locales—Uptown’s nothing if not a luxury microcosm of the city itself—and make it more foot-traffic friendly, which is to say increase population density without further clogging roads. “It might be going too far to say that Uptown will be the center of life in Houston, but certainly it will be one of them,” Crossley notes.

Downtown may have more jobs, but the three-mile radius around Uptown boasts far more residents (about 180,000), who couldn’t possibly fit in the area’s apartments and condos. And they don’t need to, thanks to thousands of townhomes, plus a pocket of ranch-home suburbia in the Del Monte neighborhood, right in the Galleria’s shadow.

Still, there’s no question the future of Uptown is looking up—29 luxurious stories, to be exact. Beginning in 2014, the Hannover Post Oak will offer 355 units in its building at BLVD Place, a 21-acre mixed-use development on the southwest corner of Post Oak and San Felipe that will boast high-end shopping, office space, and a Whole Foods Market. Astoria, a 28-story residential tower with units starting at $1 million, is being built nearby.

“It’s a bona fide sellers’ market and there’s not a lot of inventory,” says Richard Ray of John Daugherty Realtors, who hopes construction will help satisfy the growing demand. “A few years ago you couldn’t give a high-rise apartment away, and now it’s hard to even find one to buy.”

Montrose

Where the bobos really are in paradise

What $$$ will get you:

1614 Driscoll

Montrose

This sleek, four-bedroom, 5,500-square-foot home, built in 2010, features a pool, spa, water wall, and putt-putt golf course, right in Montrose. Price: $1,740,000

No Houston ’hood outside of the Heights inspires as much love and loyalty as Montrose, with its elegantly restored mansions, contemporary condos, and Craftsman bungalows; its walkable streets, nationally acclaimed bars and restaurants, and buzzed-about boutiques; and its history as Houston’s gritty street-culture hub. “Montrose is a lifestyle,” says area native Kevin McCarthy. “Many places try to imitate but nobody duplicates.”

Montrose was born in 1911, a streetcar suburb for wealthy Houstonians, but just 50 years later it became the white-hot center of pretty much every alternative lifestyle Houston has known: beatniks, hippies, gays and lesbians, punks, slackers, and hipsters. The area became one of America’s LGBT hubs beginning in the early 1970s, although now, post-assimilation and post-gentrification, it’s estimated that less than 10 percent is gay. Still, the annual Pride Parade, a huge, family-friendly, summer-evening soiree, remains one of the neighborhood’s red-letter nights.

Of course, the mainstreaming of Montrose has driven up property values. Bungalows and cheap apartment complexes are vanishing faster than bluebonnets in April, overtaken by pricey condos. Between 1994 and 2011, the neighborhood’s square-foot price catapulted from a shade over $75 to a sliver under $250—any house on the market here will likely see multiple offers. Many of the old guard are being priced out of the area.

Yet threads of the bohemian lifestyle remain in Montrose’s tapestry, particularly in the park-like environs of the world-renowned Menil Collection and Rothko Chapel. There, on the thick St. Augustine grass under the live oaks, couples and friends spread blankets, throw Frisbees, and read, before heading out for a beer at West Alabama Ice House. It’s comforting to know that while not everyone can afford a home in this wonderful neighborhood, everyone can afford a Lone Star in the city’s collective backyard.

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The Heights

In which the connection between a neighborhood’s multiple offerings and multiple offers is firmly established

It sounds hokey, but it’s true: for those who call this neighborhood home, nowhere else will do. Heights life isn’t just about architecture; it’s a unique subculture, an artsy little neighborhood that feels like a small town tucked within sprawling Houston. And it seems everyone wants a piece of it.

What $$$ will get you:

408 E. 7th St.

The Heights

This 6,817-square-foot house was built in 2007 and has four bedrooms, a saltwater pool, a wine cellar, and a wraparound porch. Price: $2,245,000

“I have never seen a neighborhood on fire like the Heights area,” says Martha Turner. For the first time in its history, homes here usually get multiple offers. “It’s always happened in a River Oaks or a Tanglewood house, but seeing multiple offers in the Heights is a new phenomenon.”

Ground was broken on the Houston Heights in 1891, with the Woodland Heights added to the east 16 years later. Arts and Crafts bungalows sprouted across a prairie dotted with live oak saplings. Today, those same trees are enormous and iconic, yet miraculously, plenty of the bungalows remain (median mid-2012 price, $347,000, and rising fast in bidding wars). The houses’ front porches foster a friendly atmosphere, and it’s not uncommon to see neighbors having cocktails together after work. This isn’t to say that many of the mansions and bungalows haven’t met their demise in recent years—they have. But what tends to sprout up in their place are modern houses with a similar blueprint.

There’s been an explosion of restaurants in the area lately: Zelko Bistro, Down House, Shade, Liberty Kitchen, and Revival Market have become neighborhood mainstays, dovetailing nicely with the timeless boutiques, galleries and antique shops on West 19th Street, along with the ice houses, oyster bars, and live music venues on funky White Oak Drive. The Heights is also the most bike-friendly neighborhood in the Inner Loop, and the crush of cyclists on a Saturday afternoon adds to a pleasant sense that the place is drifting backwards in time.

Washington Corridor

Where the road goes on forever and the party never ends

What $$$ will get you:

6038 Glen Cove St.

Memorial Park

This modern, 6,144-square foot home, near the edge of the Washington Corridor, has an infinity pool, outdoor patios, a workout room, and a sport court. Price: $3,895,000.

Only a portion of the four-mile-wide section of the city known as the Washington Corridor is an oontz-oontz party zone. Outdoors-loving Houstonians appreciate the Corridor’s proximity to Memorial Park. Just east of the park, an enclave of contemporary mansions makes the area feel almost like an extension of River Oaks. And artists and musicians love the Gulf Coast Colonial / Greek Revival homes in the Old Sixth Ward, Houston’s oldest intact neighborhood at 160 years of age.

But back to that party zone. Martha Turner, CEO and President of Martha Turner Properties, says Rice Military—the gentrifying neighborhood along the Corridor just east of Westcott Street, named after a World War I-era training camp that existed here—blows her mind. In recent years, hordes of upwardly mobile young professionals have descended here, and ramshackle old bungalows have given way to townhomes. “It’s a whole new area,” says Turner. Many of these residents enjoy Washington Avenue nightlife. “It’s a great area for young people and for couples,” Turner says. “They don’t mind the commotion and the lack of parking because they like to walk places and they want to be where the action is.”

Corridor resident Jay Rascoe rides his bike to destinations along Washington as well as the nearby Heights, downtown, and Montrose. “Whether you want to get some groceries, a haircut, or a cold sixer,” he says, “there’s no need to hop in a car and get stuck in traffic.”

Pearland

Where suburban über-diversity meets a relatively quick commute

What $$$ will get you:

2924 Green Tee Dr.

Pearland

This 6,983-square-foot residence has six bedrooms. The property surrounds a pool and sits beside a golf course. Price: $895,000

Not so many decades ago, Pearland was nothing but rice fields and a scattering of roughneck honky-tonks and not a pear orchard in sight (hurricanes and freezes had wiped them all out by 1916). But by offering solid schools, huge houses at budget prices, and a relatively short commute to downtown and the Medical Center, Pearland became a bona fide real estate miracle. Between 2000 and 2013, the city’s population increased from 37,000 to 104,000.

Today’s Pearland is a mighty array of subdivisions and big box retail, quartered by Highway 288 and FM 518. East of 288, a rural feel lingers, while west Pearland is the essence of modern suburbia. Both are more diverse than their lily-white reputations suggest: 62 languages are spoken in the school district, and not every Pearlander is upper-middle-class or wealthy, contrary to opinion. “My kids go to school with a broad socio-economic cross-section,” says Kevin Murphy, an attorney who loves the fact that he lives 20 minutes from the city but can still keep chickens on his acre of land.

Shadow Creek Ranch is the jewel in the crown of west Pearland. New homes start at less than $200,000 and range above $800,000 in this enormous development, where residents can frolic in 700 acres of green space and have access to four community recreation centers; jog, hike, or cycle 22 miles of paths; and shop at the adjacent town center.

Like Sugar Land, Pearland is graduating from bedroom community to job center: Kelsey-Seybold’s 170,000 square-foot, 800-employee administrative office building, for one, will open there later this year.

The Museum District

In which a hot cultural scene begets an equally hot home market

Barbara Jackson admits that for her, the ultimate would be to live on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, a short jaunt from world-class museums and Central Park. But as she gives a tour of her two-story home on a quiet block in Houston’s Museum District, Jackson admits she may have found the next best thing.

What $$$ will get you:

1740 South Blvd

Museum District

This is a 5,919-square-foot, five-bedroom house sits on a 21,125-square-foot lot, right in the middle of town. Attractions include an outdoor kitchen and formal gardens. Price: $3,999,000

“It’s amazing that you can be in downtown Houston in a quiet, residential area and be several blocks from restaurants, galleries, public transportation, and some of the best cultural institutions in the world,” she says.

It was in 2011 that Jackson, an internationally known painter, and her husband, a University of Texas Health Science Center researcher, purchased their contemporary 3,000-square-foot home. Just down the street from both the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and the Medical Center, both Jacksons are within walking distance of their passions.

The couple is part of a new wave of homebuyers who’ve found themselves moving back into the Museum District as the city’s real estate market has heated up. Lured by its parks, jogging trails, and always-interesting, pedestrian-friendly streets, the Jacksons never have a dull evening, what with a steady stream of lectures, exhibits, and cultural offerings at 19 nearby museums.

The blocks near the couple’s home are lined with stately, pricey dwellings that veer from modern to classic, some nearing the century mark. But skip a few blocks east of Main Street and you’ll see prices plummet. Here, on the front lines of a gentrification fueled by first-time buyers, new homes are selling in the high $300s. Each day, it seems, developers are scooping up abandoned lots and sacrificing aging bungalows to make space for contemporary townhomes, all in the name of quick access to the Medical Center and downtown. Needless to say, demand remains high.

“For the Museum District, if a new listing goes live and it looks great, the educated agent and buyer should be prepared to make an immediate offer over list price,” says Southwest Partners & Global’s Laramie Driscoll, who saw the area get hot in 2006, slow during the recession, and rebound last year. “I had 19 showings within the first days of one listing recently.”

Of those, she noted, six prospective buyers stood poised to make an offer if the contract fell through.

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East End

In which an industrial revolution is swiftly on its way

Although Houston’s origins can be traced to the murky waterways on the east side of downtown, the city’s growth has long followed a westward trajectory. 

But driving east from downtown along Harrisburg Blvd. these days—incidentally tracing the new East End Light Rail Line—can leave the impression that the city is returning to its roots. Light rail promises to ferry new residents to nearby downtown Houston and points far distant, like the Galleria. (The nearby Port of Houston celebrates its 100th anniversary next year, as much a part of the city’s future as its past.)

“This really is a booming place right now, and this is just the beginning,” says Frances Castenada Dyess, President of the East End Chamber of Commerce. “When the light rail is completed”—in 2014 —“we hope to see many more companies moving here along with residential growth and more small businesses coming to the area.”

As of now, 24 percent of the land in the greater East End is still covered by industrial smoke stacks and warehouses, but just under $100 million in new loft apartments and townhomes is under construction between US 59 and Dowling Street alone, according to the Greater East End Management District. District leaders say the plan is not to remove the neighborhood’s sharp, industrial edges, but to soften them over time via mixed-use developments, biking paths and a commitment to walkability.

The area is also home to some of the city’s oldest Latino neighborhoods in Second Ward and Magnolia Park. Maybe that’s why residents both old and new consistently champion the cultural, not to mention culinary, opportunities the East End presents—it’s home to some of the city’s best Mexican restaurants and bakeries.

Downtown

In which a city realizes you can have the pedal sans the metal

What $$$ will get you:

914 Main St.

Downtown

This 2,412-square-foot, two-bedroom condo in the Commerce Tower, located near Main and Walker, comes with all the amenities. Price: $525,000

Anthropologists hypothesize that our forebears mastered bipedal locomotion perhaps 4.2 million years ago, a prehistoric practice Houstonians promptly forgot when the car came along. And yet downtown, like some alienated tribe attempting to recreate the ceremonial dances of their long-dead forbears, a growing number of residents are attempting this ancient form of movement.

That fact is not lost on Angie Bertinot of the Downtown Management District, who says that thanks to years of smart planning, residential downtown has at last reached critical mass with the arrival of parks, stadiums, and amenities like Phoenicia’s downtown market. Bertinot is further cheered by the numbers from this year’s Kinder Houston Area Survey, which once again found a strong preference among Houston-area residents for “walkable urbanism.” This year fully half of respondents indicated an interest in living in “an area with a mix of developments, including homes, shops, and restaurants” rather than “a single-family residential area.” 

As of now, only about 3,500 people call downtown home, but Bertinot expects that number to double in five years, with the construction of large residential properties on Main Street, in the old Texaco building, and across from Minute Maid Park. Two new downtown hotels and a new building for the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts are also underway. Meanwhile, an enterprising group of Houston restaurateurs (including the folks behind Anvil, Grand Prize, Oxheart, and Barnaby’s) has turned its attention to the historic district surrounding Market Square Park, driving even more foot traffic to the area.

“What makes downtown stand out from Montrose and even the Heights”—wait for it—“is that it’s really walkable,” Bertinot notes. “The downtown resident is someone who walks to the theater district, the park, Sundance Cinemas, and the Bayou, which has a huge recreational component. Those things are right in your backyard.” Anything else? “You can walk to work!”

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Braes Heights

Where the treetops glisten and home sales have risen

What $$$ will get you:

2522 Blue Bonnet

Braes Heights

Huge windows and natural stone give this house a rustic feel—yet it’s modern at the same time. It’s four bedrooms and 4,481 square feet, with a pool. Price: $1,425,000

There is a lingering perception that the typical Braes Heights buyer has a face of exhausted resignation. He has fled the high prices and low inventories of his homeland like a wanton refugee. A refugee from West University, that is. The truth is a bit more complicated, especially among the latest wave of Braes Heights émigrés, for whom the leafy neighborhood is swiftly becoming the first choice among families graduating to a larger home.

“It’s not nearly as high-density as West U,” says independent realty agent Linda Marshall, who swears she’s not just drawing a smiley face on all those for sale signs. West U has become overcrowded, she says, its beloved treescape threatened. As for Braes Heights, however.…

“I would love to live down there. You get great views, huge trees, and the luxury of space.”

By luxury of space, she means perks that home owners in tonier climes can only dream of: large front- and backyards, a dense canopy, and, it must be admitted, the freedom from restrictions that elsewhere don’t permit the teardown-rebuild ritual that’s become a signature part of the Braes Heights experience.

Ergo, that’s exactly what the area’s newest residents are doing: taking a wrecking ball to the low-slung, 1950s ranch-style homes and replacing them with modern two-story brick-and-stucco models. As expensive and time-consuming a real estate endeavor as that can be, it’s often cheaper than simply buying in a comparable neighborhood.

“If you buy there,” says Marshall, “compared to West U, you’re probably going to see a 30 percent lower price, plus a bigger lot.”

Everyone seems to applaud the active neighborhood association, the nice mix of parks, and the new public library. Parents, in particular, praise the area’s schools, such as newly rebuilt Mark Twain Elementary and Pershing Middle.

Bellaire

Where small town meets big city

What $$$ will get you:

544 Chelsea

Bellaire

The price of admission gets you 7,686 square feet of Bellaire house, including five bedrooms, a media room, and a pool with outdoor kitchen. Price: $1,175,000

Okay, so maybe it’s trite and a little bit of a stretch to use a sports metaphor here, but it’s so perfect we can’t resist. If the city of Bellaire were a player for the Houston Rockets, it wouldn’t be a ball-hungry scoring type who demands attention and plays with panache. (Think James Harden, Jeremy Lin, and Montrose.)

Bellaire would be … Chandler Parsons, a well-rounded glue guy with few great strengths but even fewer weaknesses, who is quietly, if arguably, the most complete player on the team.

Bellaire, known for its City of Homes moniker and rebounding ability, is neither flashy nor exclusive, unlike its Inner Loop rivals, but its mix of location, price, schools, and recreation opportunities make us think it’s still underrated.

“You’re in Houston—a giant city—but you’re living in Bellaire and you have this small-town feeling,” says longtime Bellaire resident and Martha Turner associate, Hedley Karpas. “The local pharmacist knows you. The store and restaurant owners know you. It’s a wonderful little community.”

Thanks to its proximity to 610, the Medical Center, Galleria shopping and downtown, as well as some of the city’s best schools, it’s also an increasingly popular one. Rigid construction standards and 14 parks are big draws for families, and while Bellaire has never been a bargain destination, newly constructed homes often start at about $400,000. Sales lagged during the recession there as elsewhere, but with price points like that, small wonder that demand has now reached levels Karpas says he has never before seen in his 30-year real estate career.

“If you look at what you can buy in Bellaire dollar-wise compared to comparable neighborhoods in the city, you’ll end up with $50,000 to $60,000 more value here,” he noted. “As soon as any decent property comes on the market it’s gone. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

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Sugar Land

Where you’ll find all the glories of Houston, absent big-city grit

With its ethnic diversity—35 percent of its population is Chinese, Indian or Pakistani, while another 18 percent are African American or Latino— Sugar Land is like a mini-Houston, albeit one with less crime, much better schools, and many, many more man-made lakes.

What $$$ will get you:

1305 N. Horseshoe Dr.

Sugar Land

This contemporary, four-bedroom 8,425-square-foot estate in Sugar Land features views of Lake Alkire, ornamental fountains, a gazebo, marble steam room, and a pool. Price $4,500,000.

One of the fastest-growing small cities in America (its population has increased almost tenfold since 1980), Sugar Land is evolving from an amorphous assemblage of gated communities into a true town, complete with a lively mixed-use Town Center, its own minor league baseball team (the Sugar Land Skeeters), and the international headquarters of a growing number of corporations.

Telfair, one of the area’s newer master-planned communities, with most homes ranging from $400,000 to $600,000, has the usual plush amenities—pools, clubhouses, and trails. What sets it apart is the amazing array of social clubs: for seniors who play tennis, women who jog, men who play cricket, the Telugu, Gujarati, and Marathi peoples of India, and the area’s Filipino, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Chinese populations. And that’s one subdivision.

“My kids came to realize that a hajib doesn’t automatically represent terrorism,” says former resident Joanie Maverick. “I strongly feel that a few years of living in Sugar Land did more to prevent that sort of bigotry than any lecture I could have given them.”

Consistently ranking as one of the country’s top 25 safest cities, one of the fittest cities, one of the cleanest cities, and one of the just plain great places to live, Sugar Land is on a roll. Hard to believe that four short decades ago, the place was just a bunch of sugarcane and the prison Leadbelly made famous in “The Midnight Special.”

Unincorporated growth

Roads and tollways are being built, strip centers are expanding and several subdivisions are under construction in Cypress— all more than 30 miles from the core of Houston. From 2000 to 2010, Harris County’s population outside Beltway 8—which includes mostly unincorporated areas—grew by 40 percent, from 1.5 million to about 2 million, according to the county’s 2011 population study. In addition, two of the three fastest growing areas in the county in the past decade include Cy-Fair, according to the study. U.S. Census Bureau data released in April suggests that nationally the outer suburban areas grew faster in 2000 than the urban areas. However, by 2010 they were the slowest growing. That is not the case in Cypress, as more than 250,000 new residents moved into the Cy-Fair ISD boundaries from 2000 to 2010, according to census data. “When you spend $200,000 in Cypress, you’ll get a much larger home than you would in Katy or Sugar Land,” said Kathy Jones, owner of Cypress-based Giraffe Realty. “Katy’s home values have substantially increased with the expansion of I-10 and the Grand Parkway. Cypress hasn’t realized yet that once the Grand Parkway makes its way through here, the values of our homes will explode.” Although there are not yet many restaurant or retail choices in Cypress that are similar to those in areas near the Galleria or downtown Houston, the beginning strides are being made to bring new choices to the area. According to the West Houston Association, the northwest quadrant of Harris County will likely see the most growth in the next few decades, as the area’s population is expected to increase from about 500,000 to more than 1.2 million by 2050. “Growth will occur in proximity to employment, and right now, the northwest quadrant is the place that has the room and opportunity to grow,” said Roger Hord, president of the West Houston Association.

New retail choices

Several new retail outlets are expanding or arriving in Cypress this year to serve the growing population. Construction started in April on a new H-E-B at Mason Road and Hwy. 290 in Fairfield, and it is expected to be complete by the end of the year. “Cypress is an ever-growing community,” said Cyndy Garza-Roberts, director of public affairs for H-E-B. “Density there continues to grow, and we thought there was an opportunity to serve customers in that area.” The store will be about 100,000 square feet, which is comparable to the Cypress Market store at Barker Cypress Road and Hwy. 290. Farther east, one of Cypress’ busiest commercial centers is bracing for an expansion. Located between Spring Cypress and Skinner roads off Hwy. 290, plans call for several new stores at Cypress Towne Center. Charming Charlie, Michael’s and James Avery are under construction and slated to open there later this year.

Sustaining the growth

Although the projected growth appears positive for Cypress, there are transportation and monetary issues involved in maintaining such a highly populated area that has not been annexed. Unincorporated Harris County is growing at a rate more than six times that of the city of Houston, but the county must rely mainly on property taxes to maintain its services. “Unlike the city, which has a sales tax, we don’t have that mechanism for providing some of our services,” said Jack Cagle, Precinct 4 commissioner. “It’s a challenge to be fiscally responsible and get to provide quality services. But as a general rule, most of the folks prefer to live in the county, even though we don’t have that extra penny to tack onto sales tax.” When Hwy. 290 is improved, Mulholland said he expects Cypress will grow even faster. “The Grand Parkway will also help a bit for people commuting to the Energy Corridor and eventually The Woodlands when the next segments are complete,” Mulholland said. “Bridgeland’s Towne Center development was conceptualized around the Grand Parkway, so that will only make things bigger out here.”  Show Less...