1. Location
One of the best things about this great neighborhood called Timbergrove is the location. Just look at the map below. Located just west of Historic Houston Heights. A couple of miles from the Galleria. An easy commute to Downtown. And a short bike or car ride to Memorial Park. Whether your interested in eating at great restaurants, shopping in boutiques or malls, or jogging along Houston’s great jogging trails, Timbergrove could be a great fit for you.
2. Community
Homeowners in Timbergrove really have formed a great community of people and organizations. The Friends of 11th Street Park, the Timbergrove Manor Civic Club, Timbergrove Manor Neighborhood Association, and the Friends of Jaycee Park are all organizations that are committed to the welfare of Timbergrove and the amenities that make it great. Thanks to the efforts of organizations like these, Jaycee Park has secured a commitment for $1.165 million in funding for upgrades. These upgrades will include Tennis Court renovations, new playgrounds for kids, a Water splash pad, and many other fabulous upgrades. Only the efforts of a thriving community could facilitate positive initiatives such as these.
3. Homes and Affordability
Obviously if you are going to buy a home in a particular neighborhood, the actual home itself is a pretty important part of the puzzle. First of all, there are few neighborhoods inside Houston’s inner loop that are priced as well as Timbergrove. Ranging in price from approximately $225,000 to $450,000. No other neighborhood with the combination of yard size, quality of homes, age of construction, security, and location to the city’s core is as affordable Timbergrove.
As for the homes themselves, the majority of the homes in Timbergrove are single story, ranch-style homes. Most of the properties are of brick construction, which adds greater insulation and a sturdy frame. Most of the properties have two car garages and have good-sized yards. Although most of the properties were built in the early 1960s, many of the homes have undergone extensive renovations in the past few years. You will find some that have all of the amenities that you might find in a new home, such as master suites, whirlpool tubs, center island kitchens, open floor plans, and more. The extent of renovations can vary greatly from home to home, which can present an opportunity to invest in greater renovations that might add further value to the home. However, make sure you get your home inspected, some of these homes may have some deferred maintenance that needs to be addressed.
Also, when buying a house in Timbergrove, make sure to check to see if the home is in the 100 year flood plain. A small number of homes are located within those boundaries and flood insurance would be mandatory in those cases.
4. Restaurants/Retail
You are not going to go hungry in Timbergrove. Great local spots like the Rainbow Lodge, Cedar Creek, Tony’s Mexican Restaurant, Kojak’s cafe, Pappa Geno’s Steak and Cheese. You’ll find many of these eateries in Houston’s “Best of” lists.
It is definitely not going to be hard to find a place to pick up your groceries either. Timbergrove is home to 2 fantastic grocery stores, HEB and Kroger. The Kroger at 11th street and Shepherd is the largest Kroger in the inner loop. It has many organic and specialty foods to choose from.
Timbergrove is surrounded by great restaurants and retail options just outside its borders. The neighborhood is in close proximity to the historic 19th street shopping strip in Houston Heights. Along this strip, you will find some of the best boutiques in Houston, such as Eclectic Home, Harold’s in the Heights, Jubilee, and Retropolis. The retail options don’t stop there. You are also short drive to Houston’s premier shopping district, the Galleria. The Galleria is the largest shopping mall in Texas and has over 375 stores to choose from.
5. Deed Restrictions
With respect to real estate, Houston is the wild west. It is the only large city in the country that does not allow zoning. In a lot of ways, this is great for homeowners. First, it helps to keep home prices low, which lowers the cost of living. Through zoning, many big cities limit the land that you can build residential homes on. This limits the supply of land availabe for new residential construction, which helps to raise the cost. Houston doesn’t work that way. We can build residential homes on almost any vacant piece of land. This lowers the price of available land across the board, which pushes the prices of homes down. Second, it provides an eclectic feel to many of Houston’s neighborhoods. In many neighborhoods, you can find a restaurant next to an office, next to a townhomes or a bungalow. It makes for a wonderfully diverse urban landscape.
The diversity that is created through Houston’s no zoning rules also can cause problems from a homeowners perspective. In many cases, you just don’t know what is going to be built next to you, a multi-unit townhome development might go up next door or a commercial office building. In place of zoning, developers created deed restricted communities. Timbergrove is one of these communities. These deed restrictions limit the use of the property within the borders of our community. In Timbergrove’s case, you can only tear down and build on a piece of land and rebuild with residential construction. The deed restrictions also require that the new construction remains consistent with the look and feel of the neighborhood. These restrictions provide a greater security for the homeowners. It ensures that Timbergrove will remain a neighborhood filled with residential, single-family homes. It will continue to be a neighborhood that will keep its current look and feel. All of this help the neighborhood hold its value. For more information about Timbergrove deed restrictions, visit Timbergrove Manor Civic Club and Timbergrove Manor Neighborhood Association websites.
Article source: http://blog.norhillrealty.com/2011/10/11/5-things-to-know-when-buying-in-timbergrove/
