How do you think Houston can reign in developers? (Bellaire: homes, neighborhoods)

[Callo]

For what it's worth, I was referring to developers who build section 8 housing and the slumlords who run them. But small poorly built starter homes are just as bad in that department.

[EasilyAmused]

I personally find that whole sales pitch of "Built in under 180 days" a little concerning.

[Malvie]

How do you think Houston can reign in developers?

Never have. Never will.

[hsw]

Let free markets prevail...usually will yield most efficient solution in a competitive world where major companies choose to relocate based upon costs and QOL for desirable employees they hope to attract/retain

Most middle-income buyers have limited money and common sense and will buy whatever crap....same dynamics exist in SF or NYC or Chic or LA suburbs

Takes lots of bucks (i.e., powerful local economy, major employers and high-income jobs) and >1 acre single family-only, no commercial-allowed zoning to "create" elegant suburbs

As it is, RiverOaks/Memorial's best land is more costly than comparable suburbs in NYC or Silicon Valley....any more artificially imposed zoning on middle-income suburbs and Hou quickly loses its cost advantage over CA or NYC, aside from lack of state/city income tax

Any place that lacks a few desirable high-end suburban areas and good private schools will eventually lead to major company HQs leaving region (consider AT&T fleeing SA for Dall)

Because of competition, any major employer/entrepreneur needs to be based in a desirable locale convenient to desirable suburbs and/or yuppie areas if seeks to attract talented, highly educated workers who typically can choose among career opportunities in high-cost Silicon Valley or NYC vs cheaper, lower-tax, but high QOL Hou/Dall/Chic

[desertsun41]

Originally Posted by EasilyAmused

I personally find that whole sales pitch of "Built in under 180 days" a little concerning.

180 days? Geez for at least 5 years during the boom times from 1999 to 2004 in Las Vegas from the day the shovel hit the ground till the customer was moving in was 30 days total. Since things like granite counter tops took 3 weeks lead time we used to hang cabinets on bare stud framed walls. We would use half inch strips of plywood to fur out the cabinets to meet the drywall when it was installed in another week. We had to get the cabinets in that early so the granite could be measured and delivered about a week before the closing.

Here we are driving away from streets of framed homes, looking in our rear view mirrors and seeing cabinets hanging on framed skeleton homes.

In those good times we ate up 5 acres of land every day for new homes. They were squeezing up to 8 and sometimes 10 single family detached homes per acre. Homes were selling 90 days before the builder could even start constuction. And during those 90 days the value of the home increased 20%. Many home buyers just resold the rights to the house just before consruction started and made huge profits.

It was a freaken mad house. Few if any homes were ever inspected by the Code Officials. Nearly all inspections were what they called drive bys. A drive by inspection meant inspecting the home from behind the wheel of his car out in the street. Still many more homes were inspected from city hall meaning no one ever inspected the homes but a stack of green pass stickers were given to the Superintendent to place on at his will.

It might seem so wrong to you but that was life in the fastest growing housing market this world has ever seen and never ever will see again.

[EEstudent]

Although I do believe that at the end of the day Business is business...

I cant help but notice that the newly developed neighborhoods and high rises are too contrived and planned. To me it seems like Kirby Dr. tries too hard to feel like L.A. and there is evidence of it even out here in Sugar Land. I can't comprehend how someone could be so shallow to see the newly developed stripmalls and decide to blow their money within it. The place has no "authenticity" to it, things are so bam new strip mall every 2 months. (I know I'm not describing it well but hopefully you get what I'm saying).

I am so glad that people aren't buying these newly developed highrises and "lofts". UH just put up a HUGE loft apartment contraption to get people to shell out $1,000+ to live there but so far it seems like an epic failure. Lofts to me arent supposed to be built they are supposed to natural and organic(crappy description i know).

Don't get me wrong there are few places that are "organic" like Montrose and a small portion of Rice Village.

[sxrckr]

Originally Posted by EEstudent

I am so glad that people aren't buying these newly developed highrises and "lofts". UH just put up a HUGE loft apartment contraption to get people to shell out $1,000+ to live there but so far it seems like an epic failure. Lofts to me arent supposed to be built they are supposed to natural and organic(crappy description i know).

You think that is bad? Have a look at the Austonian. Tallest building in downtown Austin, ruining the skyline, is not an office building but a CONDO. And the prices are outrageous. I don't know how it will ever work.

This kind of development is ruining parts of our beautiful Texas. Why is this necessary?

And yes, there is too much development at the opposite end of the spectrum too, section 8 and cheap apartments.

[Vicman]

Originally Posted by hsw

Any place that lacks a few desirable high-end suburban areas and good private schools will eventually lead to major company HQs leaving region (consider AT&T fleeing SA for Dall)

Having good zoned public schools will help too; Houston has a much healthier "big city" public school system (which covers most of the city limits) than Detroit (one school system covers the entire city), for instance.

[Callo]

Originally Posted by Vicman

Having good zoned public schools will help too; Houston has a much healthier "big city" public school system (which covers most of the city limits) than Detroit (one school system covers the entire city), for instance.

Huh? I don't know what school system your referring to. Besides some small enclaves like Bellaire, HISD mostly just illegals and anchor babies, with a healthy dose of black thugs and gangsters thrown in for good measure.

Saying it's healthy does a disservice to the word.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by Callo

For what it's worth, I was referring to developers who build section 8 housing and the slumlords who run them.

I would've never guessed that's what this topic was really about.

From where you're talking about it's more in the hands of Harris County rather than the City of Houston. But they're too concerned over girls dancing topless at DB Cooper's Mansion.