The transformation of the Heights (houses, taxes, prices)

[Lowexpectations]

Originally Posted by Texas Ag 93

Cocktail pools. What a great marketing term

It's because they are only useful for sitting in to have a cocktail as opposed to a swimming pool that you could actually swim in


Part of the reason we are moving from the burbs to the heights is to lose to pool and cut down on maintenance, we can still have cocktails without the pool

[fnh]

Our close friends who bought a Woodland Heights home within the last three years immediately put in a pool. They have a larger corner lot for the area (7500 sq ft) which allowed them to put the pool in the side yard. It isn't very big but it isn't as small as I expected, either.

I think the proliferation of pools reflects more and more families with children (like our friends) moving into that area.

[trbstang]

True about people wanting the amenities from the suburbs. My SR VP moved from the Woodlands into the Heights last year since his kids are now in college, and they had a pool put in right away behind their new construction Victorian house. They had a pool for 10 years in the Woodlands and wanted to continue having one in town. I haven't seen it, but it is smaller than what they had in the other house, all on a 5,500 sqft lot.

[houston-nomad]

I love the idea of a "cocktail" pool. Very cool.

[marksmu]

I built a pool at our house when we lived in the Heights...Built the pool in 2010, later sold the house in late 2012. The pool sold the house. We had a 6600 sqft lot with a detached garage and a driveway. I had very little grass maybe 8x8 in the back, after the pool, but the loss of grass was not much of loss b/c I had some side yard, and a 15x15 front yard.

My pool was 22feet long x 12'6" wide. PERFECT for volleyball....etc...I had a tanning ledge that was 10x10....it was great. I absolutely loved that pool. Looked way better than grass in my yard, and the kids loved it.

Also what you need to remember about that heights that is NOT true for the new suburbs, is that all utilities and everything else run in the alleys or the front right of way...you get 100% use of your owned lot...there are no fenced in 10' deep easements like in the burbs...so your 50x132 lot is really your own 50x132 lot. Add in the fact that the side setback is only 2' and you can see how much more you can do with a smaller yard on a lot that is actually your own rather than a utility companies.

[fnh]

Originally Posted by trbstang

True about people wanting the amenities from the suburbs. My SR VP moved from the Woodlands into the Heights last year since his kids are now in college, and they had a pool put in right away behind their new construction Victorian house. They had a pool for 10 years in the Woodlands and wanted to continue having one in town. I haven't seen it, but it is smaller than what they had in the other house, all on a 5,500 sqft lot.

Well, dang, there goes my theory!

[PedroMartinez]

Originally Posted by marksmu

Also what you need to remember about that heights that is NOT true for the new suburbs, is that all utilities and everything else run in the alleys or the front right of way...you get 100% use of your owned lot...there are no fenced in 10' deep easements like in the burbs...so your 50x132 lot is really your own 50x132 lot. Add in the fact that the side setback is only 2' and you can see how much more you can do with a smaller yard on a lot that is actually your own rather than a utility companies.

That is very interesting. Something I didn't know (which is quite the list).

Very cool pool, btw.

[ToyYot]

Nice pool!!

[trbstang]

Originally Posted by fnh

Well, dang, there goes my theory!

LOL! His move was mostly about cutting down an hour+ commute to the Woodlands, to a 10 min commute and not having to worry about the kids in public or private schools. But it may be on the market soon since they are eliminating our department over the next year or so and he may have to move again to keep a job in our industry.

[diggity101]

Originally Posted by marksmu

I built a pool at our house when we lived in the Heights...Built the pool in 2010, later sold the house in late 2012. The pool sold the house. We had a 6600 sqft lot with a detached garage and a driveway. I had very little grass maybe 8x8 in the back, after the pool, but the loss of grass was not much of loss b/c I had some side yard, and a 15x15 front yard.

My pool was 22feet long x 12'6" wide. PERFECT for volleyball....etc...I had a tanning ledge that was 10x10....it was great. I absolutely loved that pool. Looked way better than grass in my yard, and the kids loved it.

Also what you need to remember about that heights that is NOT true for the new suburbs, is that all utilities and everything else run in the alleys or the front right of way...you get 100% use of your owned lot...there are no fenced in 10' deep easements like in the burbs...so your 50x132 lot is really your own 50x132 lot. Add in the fact that the side setback is only 2' and you can see how much more you can do with a smaller yard on a lot that is actually your own rather than a utility companies.

Hey Mark. Do you mind giving a ballpark of what that cost you to install? My clients ask occasionally. I would guess today it would be $30-40K.