Looped In: Recent Episodes
Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle reporters Marissa Luck and Rebecca Schuetz talk to the region's developers, deal makers and dreamers about all things Houston and real estate.
Office buildings in the South can be notoriously cold in the summer months – or at least that’s what a majority of women would say who jokingly refer to offices in the summer as “women’s winter.” This year as more companies return to the office amid record heatwaves and requests by ERCOT for Texans to reduce electricity usage, we ask why office buildings temperatures can feel out of line with the outside temperatures. We talk to Stefano Schiavon, professor at UC Berkley’s Center for the Built Environment, about his research into gender disparities in thermal comfort in the office and what can be done to make more employees feel comfortable. Later in the episode interview John Myers of the real estate firm JLL who oversees a property management platform in Dallas about what Texas building owners do to try to balance tenant and employee comfort while reducing energy use.
Links: Related stories: Meet the man everyone’s call in a heatwave Houston’s public housing residents react to news that AC is on the way Texas Power Outage Tracker
More reading: Study: Overcooling of offices reveals gender inequity in thermal comfort JLL: Why office buildings are so cold (or hot) Study: Energy savings and thermal comfort in a zero energy office building with fans in Singapore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A group of volunteers that, for nearly two decades, has offered free meals four evenings a week outside Central Library has recently started getting fined for breaking city law. The 2012 law, which limits giving free meals to those in need, has been deeply controversial and had gone largely unenforced for over a decade. Food Not Bombs volunteers say the ordinance goes against their morals and hope it will be deemed unconstitutional in federal courts. Mayor Sylvester Turner says giving free meals outside Central Library is problematic because it leads to those without homes lingering outside, which he believes deters other members of the public from using the resource. Marissa Luck and R.A. Schuetz discuss the history of the group, the law, and the area where the battle is taking place. They also take a look at how the cases are unfolding in court and what might happen after a new mayor is elected this November. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Description: The recent demolition of a $24 million historic home by Astros owner Jim Crane renewed conversations about the preservation of the iconic River Oaks neighborhood. Since its founding in the 1920s, the high-income Houston enclave became a quiet retreat from the rest of the city where the wealthy invested in building beautiful, architecturally significant homes. One by one though, many of these historic mansions are getting demolished and replaced with more modern designs. A handful of owners have renovated and preserved some vintage houses, but at great cost and effort. In this episode of Looped In, co-hosts Marissa Luck and Rebecca Schuetz talk with architectural reporter Diane Cowen about Crane’s home, another $13.5 million mansion previously owned by billionaire Fayez Sarofim and why some preservationists are wary about changes underway in River Oaks.
Related stories: History of Houston’s iconic River Oaks is disappearing with tear downs Astros owner Jim Crane demolishes $24 million historic River Oaks homes 1937 River Oaks home owned by late billionaire Fayez Sarofim hits the market for $13.5M Renovation of River Oaks home that others owners gave up on Related podcasts: Could Turner's plan for conservation districts give residents more say in a city famous for no zoning? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After much political wrangling and not one, but two special legislative sessions, the Texas legislature has finally agreed on a property tax relief bill. It has something in it for all property owners -- not only homeowners, but also investors and businesses -- and legislators argue that it will trickle down to renters. Austin bureau reporter Jasper Scherer unpacks the bill and what comes next to Marissa Luck and R.A. Schuetz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Master-planned communities are playing an increasingly important role in housing families priced out of urban cores. How do designers and developers go about planning the future of these massive mini cities to respond to the growing risk of climate change and housing affordability concerns – while also making these communities pleasant places to live? In this episode of Looped In, host Marissa Luck interviewed John Saxon of Howard Hughes, Robert Acuña -Pilgrim of TBG Partners and Nate Cherry of Gensler at the National Association of Real Estate (NAREE) conference in Las Vegas in June 2023. Experts discussed major demographic shifts and migration are driving changes in these communities, how remote work patterns are altering how residents interact with these communities and even how a herd of goats is helping with trail management in a development near Dallas.
Related stories: Houston’s top-selling master-planned communities https://www.houstonchronicle.com/projects/2022/houston-top-selling-master-planned-2022/ Mass timber office, H-E-B planned in Bridgeland https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/real-estate/article/Cypress-project-will-have-new-H-E-B-store-and-one-17538557.php Gensler marks 50 years of making Houston architecture more ‘human’ https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/real-estate/article/gensler-architecture-design-houston-anniversary-17729027.php New Houston master-planned community to have ‘car free’ zones https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/real-estate/article/agrihood-indigo-17804425.php
More about NAREE: NAREE Las Vegas 2023 video recordings: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLijDb4rxgzdMOznJt_Oe9ZwHTpvlc1puQ National Association of Real Estate Editors https://www.naree.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Living with roommates has long been a way to save money on housing. In the past decade or so though, a new class of professionally managed roommate housing has emerged called coliving – think of -up version of college dorms. Coliving providers take the typical hassles out of roommate living while giving residents a quick way to meet new people and save on rent. While coliving in the U.S. emerged first in pricey real estate markets in Los Angeles, San Francisco and the Bay Area, coliving providers have been expanding in the South as way to diversify their portfolios and fulfill a demand for more affordable housing. In Houston, a couple of upscale coliving providers are adding new communities, alongside Atlanta housing startup PadSplit that uses coliving as a way to increase the supply of affordable homes. In this episode of Looped In, hosts Marissa Luck and R.A. Schuetz talk about the rise of coliving in the Houston, with insight from coliving expert Susan Tjarksen of Cushman and Wakefield as well as the founder of PadSplit, Atticus LeBlanc about the future of the growing niche housing sector.
Related stories: Communal living is on the rise in Houston as coliving residents embrace flexible, cheaper leases New cohousing development in Houston aims to turn neighbors into extended families PadSplit launches shared housing option in Houston From Looped In’s archives: Texas’ first cohousing community is coming to the East End. Here’s what it’s about. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the country with a large population of Chinese residents who have helped to contribute to thriving commercial corridors such as Asiatown near Bellaire and Asiantown near Katy. How would SB 147 -- a proposed law barring citizens and companies from China, Russia, North Korea and Iran from buying real estate in Texas-- impact the Chinese population in Houston? What effects might we see on residential and commercial real estate? Looped In co-hosts Marissa Luck and R.A. Schuetz discuss the proposed law and other related legislation with investigative reporter Mike Morris.
Proposed Texas law could drive away Chinese immigrants who thrive in southwest Houston, Katy https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/real-estate/article/chinese-investor-ban-ding-texas-business-17744879.php
Houston leaders, Asian groups decry Abbot plan to ban Chinese others from buying land in Texas https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/real-estate/article/chinese-investor-ban-ding-texas-business-17744879.php
Amid protest, senator promises change to bill banning Chinese land in Texas https://pluribusnews.com/news-and-events/states-renew-push-to-ban-foreign-ownership-of-farmland-other-property/
Texas Take Podcast: Who are they coming for next? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/who-are-they-coming-for-next/id1122884023?i=1000596997544
Forbes: Why a secretive Chinese billionaire bough 140,000 acres in Texas https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnhyatt/2021/08/09/why-a-secretive-chinese-billionaire-bought-140000-acres-of-land-in-texas/?sh=79a2972b78c3
Pluribus News: Restriction on foreign ownership of farmland gets renewed push https://pluribusnews.com/news-and-events/states-renew-push-to-ban-foreign-ownership-of-farmland-other-property/
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Nearly five months after a Houston Chronicle story about a retired couple's battle with their HOA over feeding the ducks gets picked up by outlets around the globe, the reporter gets a call from the couple's daughter. While Mrs. Rowe and her lawyer said that they had begun feeding the ducks after the loss of their daughter, the Rowe's daughter is in fact alive. How to correct a story that's gone viral, and the surprising prevalence of family estrangement.
Cypress couple was sued for up to $250K by their HOA for feeding ducks. Now they could lose their home:
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/A-Cypress-HOA-sued-a-couple-250K-for-feeding-17292935.php
Daily Mail UK’s version: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11002295/Texas-couple-began-feeding-neighborhood-ducks-sued-250k-HOA.html
Washington Post’s version: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/07/09/hoa-ducks-foreclosure/
Business Insider India’s version: https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/a-texas-couple-could-lose-their-home-after-feeding-ducks-in-their-yard-thanks-to-a-lawsuit-from-their-hoa/articleshow/92764108.cms
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A nationwide, $47 billion effortto prevent evictions during the pandemic is winding down, leaving tenants to cope with higher rents amid inflation. How well did emergency rental assistance, which funneled aid through local and state programs, work? Looped In hosts R.A. Schuetz and Marissa Luck interview Erin Hahn, a researcher from a tenant advocacy group called Texas Housers, who compared Houston's local rental assistance programs with several others across Texas, and then they talk to Stephanie Graves, president of the Houston Apartment Association to get a landlord's perspective on how the program went.
Houston-Harris County rental assistance program to suspend new applications indefinitely Nov. 1:https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/housing/article/Harris-County-rental-assistance-status-closing-17541457.php
Texas Housers report comparing how Emergency Rental Assistance rolled out in Texas: https://texashousers.org/2022/12/06/emergency-rental-assistance-in-texas-report/
Montgomery County gives up $7.1 million of its rent relief funds: “There’s just not that many people needing assistance”:https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Montgomery-County-gives-up-7-1-million-of-its-16630147.php
County approves $4 million to help renters facing evictions access legal help: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/housing/article/County-approves-4-million-to-help-renters-facing-17470895.php
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Some homeowners in Houston are dealing with a host of unexpected environmental issues - from discovering years after purchasing their homes that their land was sinking underneath them to learning there are still cancer risks tied to old school industrial developments nearby. As Houston Chronicle’s environmental reporter Emily Foxhall departs, we sit down to discuss a few of her biggest stories impacting Houston real estate.
Neighbors contend with rail yard after decades of contamination
Fifth Ward residents insulted by EPA tips to avoid rail yard contamination: ‘What’s in us is in us’
Homes in The Woodlands could sink by more than a foot over decades under new groundwater guidelines
BRACE FOR THE STORM: The Ike Dike will transform Galveston. See how in a fly-through tour.
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An ambitious $310 million transformation of the eastern side of Buffalo Bayou gets underway this week as Buffalo Bayou Partnership -- which developed the 160-acre Buffalo Bayou Park between Allen Parkway and Memorial Drive -- breaks ground on the first piece of its decade-long plan to transform the stretch of the bayou east of downtown.
But the groundbreaking isn't for a project normally associated with parks and trails, for which the Buffalo Bayou Partnership is best known. The partnership on Saturday will begin the construction of an affordable housing development, called Lockwood on Buffalo Bayou. In this episode of Looped In, Rebecca Schuetz interviews Buffalo Bayou Partnership's president Anne Olson about the nonprofit's transformative plan and talks with Marissa Luck about the broader changes taking place in the East End.
Read more:
Buffalo Bayou East breaks ground with affordable housing project.
Kinder Foundation gives $100 million to fast track Buffalo Bayou East.
Concept Neighborhood’s 17-acre East End project could make cars obsolete with walkable, ‘micro’ living
Midway’s non-fussy take on golf gives Houstonians first glimpse of game-changing East End project.
Triten Partners’ trendy 6-acre mixed-use project could transform key entrance to East End
After years of attempts, redevelopment of former St. Elizabeth’s Hospital begins
More on Community Land Trusts in Houston
Whether Fifth Ward residents want it or not, East River is coming
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Houston’s East End is in the midst of massive change as the neighborhood once dominated by industrial buildings and small bungalows is turning into a hub for mixed-use developments, apartments and adaptive reuse projects. A major catalyst of the East End’s transformation was sparked by East River, the 150-acre mixed-use development by Midway rising along Buffalo Bayou waterway. We sit down with Midway vice president Anna Deans to discuss how Midway’s game-changing project will start to transform how Houstonians interact with this part of Buffalo Bayou and how the project could spark further changes in the East End. Deans also gives us all the updates and details on what’s next for East River, one of the most highly anticipated real estate developments underway in Houston now.
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Meyerland, built on former rice fields in southwest Houston, was one of Houston’s earliest master-planned communities promising to bring suburban life relatively close to the city. But the neighborhood has been repeatedly ravaged by floods, with some of the worst damage occurring in Hurricane Harvey five years ago. Even though Meyerland shows us the repercussions of building in the floodplain and many communities throughout Houston are still recovering from Harvey, real estate developers continue to build in floodprone areas with nearly 1 in 8 houses built in the floodplain in Houston now. Development continues to blossom in West Houston throughout the floodplain in areas like Katy Prairie, but this time with newer, better building standards than what was required 50 years ago when Meyerland was constructed. But are the new standards enough to protect homeowners? Looped In hosts R.A. Schuetz and Marissa Luck sit down with Houston Chronicle’s county reporter Jen Rice to discuss how Houston’s development standards could potentially be putting property owners in flood-prone areas at risk.
Read more about it:
Houston keeps paving over rain-absorbent Katy prairie, even after devastating Harvey impacts
How Harvey transformed resilient Meyerland from modest 1950s homes to raised mini-mansions
Post Harvey, 1 in 8 homes permitted are in floodplains
Harvey cost many their homes and their peace of mind. 5 years later, the damage lingers.
After 3 inches of rain shut down a Katy community, residents want to know what went wrong
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In a city with virtually no official zoning, the ability to create a historic district over a particular neighborhood is supposed to be a key tool Houstonians can use to preserve the character of a place. But in the case of one historically Black community in Houston’s Third Ward, called Riverside Terrace, residents were convinced a proposed historic district would actually lead to more unwanted change – gentrification – not less of it. In this episode, Rebecca and Marissa talk to reporter Nora Mishanec about the controversy sparked by the now failed Riverside Terrace historic district proposal and how it shines a light on situations when these special designations may actually become instruments of exclusion rather than inclusion.
Read more on HoustonChronicle.com:
18 Houston homes could become a historic district. Some residents fear they're losing control.
Proposed Riverside Terrace historic district has longtime residents fighting for their neighborhood
Turner pulls plan for Riverside Terrace historic district amid opposition from Third Ward residents
A 2-year journey to remove racist deed language was finally solved thanks to new Texas law
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A federal program is meant to give low-income families the freedom to choose where they live. But most landlords are not interested in participating, put off by requirements such as lengthy inspection periods and the prospect that the voucher might not meet them where the market is, relegating families with vouchers to the few properties that accept the housing subsidy. The Houston nonprofit NestQuest has set out to change that.
READ: Houston nonprofit tackles headaches with rent voucher program
Connect with Rebecca
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More than two years after lockdowns turned downtown into an apocalyptic landscape of darkened towers and deserted streets, downtown Houston is coming back to life. While it hasn’t completely recovered yet, people are once again crowding into Astro’s games, catching concerts at Jones Hall, cruising through Discovery Green Park and converging at large events and conferences. Their return has boosted sales for hotels and some restaurants. But there’s a critical element missing: the 168,600 office workers that used to flow into the central business district every weekday. With hybrid work here to stay, the downtown economy is undergoing a fundamental shift. We sit down with Kris Larson and Angie Bertinot of Central Houston, a nonprofit focused on economic development in downtown, to discuss where the downtown is going post pandemic.
CONNECT with Marissa Luck and Rebecca Schuetz. MORE: The 5-day, in-person workweek is mostly dead. What does that mean for downtown Houston?
Houstonians are out to play, fueling a revival for downtown's hotels and venues
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A new paper by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas warns we may be in a housing bubble, driven by fear of missing out (FOMO) in the market as prices surge and mortgage rates rise. But it’s a tricky thing defining a bubble, and even then, bubbles don't necessarily pop — Rebecca Schuetz and Marissa Luck talk to Enrique Martinez-Garcia and Laila Assani, Dallas Fed economists, about how home prices are outstripping wages and rents and what that means for Texans.
Read the Dallas Fed paper: Real-Time Market Monitoring Finds Signs of Brewing U.S. Housing Bubble
Read the story by Marissa Luck and Katherine Feser: Houston homebuyers grasping for any deal in red-hot market may get shut out by higher mortgages
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A hybrid workplace is emerging as the new normal for office workers post pandemic. But how will splitting their time between their pajamas and their pumps impact the way employees work? Can cubicles cut it anymore now that employees have grown accustomed to lounging on their patio or taking a walk on a lunch break? We talk with two thought leaders at global architecture firm Gensler’s Houston office – Dean Strombom and Vince Flickinger – about how companies are rethinking their physical space in the pandemic. Hint: It’s not just about reducing real estate footprints.
READ:Shell’s pilot office design in Houston offers a peek at the hybrid workplace of the future
More stories by Marissa Luck and Rebecca Schuetz on HoustonChronicle.com.
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Luby’s, a cafeteria-style restaurant, is so ingrained in Texas culture that the TV series “King of the Hill” has a character named after its signature platter. So when Luby’s board voted to liquidate the brand, many were shocked. But — as Amanda Drane, who formerly covered retail for the Houston Chronicle, tells Rebecca Schuetz — liquidating Luby’s is different than Luby’s disappearing.
READ: A Chicago catering entrepreneur bought Luby's. Here's what happens next for the Houston brand.
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When Exxon built its big campus north of Houston back in 2014-2015 it set off a wave of real estate development nearby in what many called 'the Exxon effect.' Now that the company is officially relocating to Houston what can we expect? Looped In co-hosts Marissa Luck and Rebecca Schuetz speak with Paul Takahashi, former energy reporter at Houston Chronicle, and Jacob Sudoff, CEO of real estate firm Douglas Elliman, about the dynamics shaping Exxon's move and what it could mean for real estate around Spring and The Woodlands.
Read about it on HoustonChronicle.com:
Exxon to move HQ to The Woodlands
Exxon has deep roots in the Houston area
From the archives: Here’s a look at the impact Exxon had on the Spring area in 2014-2015
More on the residential changes at CityPlace, where Exxon’s campus is located.
More on Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s new corporate headquarters opening in CityPlace.
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Meet Marissa and 2022's housing market
Things have been on the move at the Houston Chronicle. Rebecca Schuetz has switched to focus on housing, and we're welcoming a new real estate reporter to the team: Marissa Luck! Marissa answers some tough questions -- like which pet is really her favorite -- and talks about what the upcoming year has in store for the Houston housing market. Hint: It won't be a buyer’s market anytime soon.
READ:Houston's housing market soared to new heights in 2021. Will 2022 be the same?
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Mayor Sylvester Turner's decision to go against staff recommendations and instead direct millions of city money to a project with ties to his longtime law partner is attracting national scrutiny. City hall reporter Dylan McGuinness and investigative reporter Mike Morris talk about how the news broke and the potential implications.
Connect with Rebecca, Dylan and Mike.
READ: Turner fires Houston housing director who accused him of 'charade' bid process to benefit developer
Turner orders review of deal at center of 'charade' claims by fired housing director
In defense of project at center of allegations, Turner goes on offense against former housing director
Harris County DA investigating deal at center of allegations against Turner
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Jackie Cooper, the first female president of the Houston Black Real Estate association, has had a lot of doors slammed in her face. That didn’t prevent her from convincing homesellers, homebuilders and even Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to give Black real estate agents in Houston their business. She shares some memories after HBREA created an award in her honor.
Connect with Rebecca Schuetz.
Read: Houston Black Real Estate Association recognizes members, continues COVID aid
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Believe it or not, Texas real estate is being shaped by outer space. As billionaires bent on commercializing travel to the heavens base their operations in remote parts of Texas, those areas are seeing a huge influx of employees and investors. Andrea Leinfelder, the Chronicle’s space reporter, joins Looped In to discuss the impact on the local real estate market.
Tweet at Rebecca Schuetz and read her real estate reporting at HoustonChronicle.com.
Read Andrea's series Battle of the Billionaires:
Part 1)Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos' space race is heating up, and Texas gets a front-row seat
Part 2)Elon Musk brings exploding rockets and real estate to South Texas. Not everyone is happy.
Part 3)How Jeff Bezos and Blue Origin changed the small West Texas town of Van Horn
Reporter's Notebook:A squished tarantula and being followed by a Tesla: How we got the story on SpaceX and Blue Origin
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Right now, there is a fight that could change how commissions work that is winding its way through the court system. In it, the defendant, who thinks that real estate commissions are too high, is pointing to the United Kingdom as an example of how things could work. So we spoke to real estate agents in different countries to see how real estate commissions – and the home selling process -- work in their corner of the world.
Connect with Rebecca Schuetz.
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When asked about the future of real estate -- are we in a home price bubble? will offices fully recover -- real estate economist Jim Gaines is quick to caution that "there isn't an economist in the world that really knows what the heck he's talking about." We’ve never gone through anything like this before, so modeling it is a difficult endeavor. But here is his take on what a recovery may look like for real estate and what normal might look like in the future.
READ: Where Texas A&M real estate economist Jim Gaines sees ups - and downs - in the year ahead
Connect with Rebecca Schuetz.
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Many neighborhoods throughout Houston, Texas and the United States have shocking language in documents restricting how the land can be used. “None of the lots… shall be used, owned or occupied by any person other than of the Caucasian Race," reads one example, the deed restrictions of Oak Forest.
Making it easier to remove racist language from deed restrictions has been one of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s legislative priorities. It passed unanimously in the state Senate in a rare display of bipartisan support. But the bill has yet to be voted on in the House, and time is running out.
Residents of Oak Forest, a Houston neighborhood working through the labor-intensive process of removing the language, are watching nervously — whether the bill passes will determine how they’ll spend their next two years before the next legislative session has a chance to examine the issue again.
Connect with Rebecca Schuetz.
READ: 'It's so damn offensive': More Houston neighborhoods push to remove racist deed language
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Rebecca visits her dad and share news on her refinance. But a lot has changed since she was shopping for a new mortgage. She chats with Frank Nothaft, chief economist for the real estate analytics company CoreLogic, about what is causing rates to go back up and what he thinks the impact will be on affordability, home prices and home sales, then touches base with loan officer Jennifer Hernandez about how things are looking on the ground for mortgage originators.
Connect with Rebecca Schuetz. Read the story: Mortgage rates are on the rise. What does that mean for the housing market?
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In the aftermath of Houston's litany of hurricanes, floods and storms, renters are realizing that renter protections in Texas are anemic at best. If the apartment's condition has deteriorated to the point where it impacts physical health or safety and the landlord does not make timely repairs — usually defined as seven days — renters are supposed to be able to move out. But if tenants and landlords disagree on whether a home is livable or whether reasonable repair efforts are being made, tenants find themselves with few practical options.
Connect with Rebecca Schuetz.
READ: 'It is a disaster': Renters demand repairs after weeks without water
'Stuck in this netherworld': Deadly freeze exposes Texas' renter protections as anemic at best
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The commission a buyer's agent earns is in the spotlight because of how they're set up. While the buyer's agent has a fiduciary responsibility to the homebuyer, their commissions is largely set by the homeseller before the property is listed on an agent-to-agent database known as the multiple listing service. Even though this is the setup, buyers' agents are required to work in the homebuyers' best interest, which means they should not steer buyers to one house or another just because of how much they'll be paid. However, phone calls recorded by the brokerage Rex seem to show real estate agents doing just that. Rex credits the calls with a Department of Justice suit against the National Association of Realtors. Jack Ryan, Rex's chief executive, talks about what life is like for a brokerage that decides to circumvent the traditional commission structure by staying off the multiple listing service and what he believes will change as a result of the suit.
Connect with Rebecca Schuetz.
READ: Houston real estate agents caught on tape steering buyers away from homes with less commission
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Even as Rebecca interviewed people who had shaved hundreds off their monthly mortgage payments — giving them increased financial security in the midst of a recession — and spoke to coworkers and friends about how the historically low rates had benefited them, she put off doing one of her own. After low mortgage rates won a 2020 Loopie Award for Brightest Glimmer of Hope (Besides the Vaccine), her podcast editor suggested to stop dilly dallying and to document her journey so listeners might learn from her experience. So she did.
Connect with Rebecca Schuetz.
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Every year, Looped In celebrates by recognizing the best and worst of Houston real estate. In 2020, there was a lot to choose from. The pandemic and the need to socially distance has shaped the way we interact, which has shaped the spaces we interact in. Home sales and renovations boomed, while offices were thrown into uncertainty and hotels and small retailers floundered. Some have closed for good. As Looped In looked back on last year, we asked your thoughts on what stood out. And the people have spoken: Most Controversial Controversy 34 percent: The National Association of Realtor's new social media policy 32 percent: How the attempted Daugherty-Elliman merger panned out 26 percent: Al Hartman's handling of masks in the workplace 8 percent: The proposal to turn Sharpstown into a homeowners' association
Buzziest Buzzword 56 percent: Unprecedented 22 percent: WFH 16 percent: Uncertainty 6 percent: De-densification
Trendiest Development Trend 48 percent: Home office 27 percent: Plexiglass partitions 16 percent: Touchless (fill in the blank) 9 percent: Swimming pools
Saddest Demise 62 percent: Luby's 15 percent: Bernie's Burger Bus 15 percent: Barry's Pizza 4 percent: Morningstar Write ins: Benjy's, Sweet Tomatoes, Wendy's
Biggest Work-from-Home Perk 43 percent: Less time commuting 28 percent: More time with pets 16 percent: More time with family 13 percent: Kitchen access for lunch and snacks
Brightest Glimmer of Hope (Besides the Vaccine) 49 percent: Low mortgage rates 28 percent: Escapes to nature 11 percent: Empty commercial space repurposed into housing 9 percent: Road trips Write ins: Vacation homes, freedom
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Houston real estate agents have been recorded saying they will not show certain homes to their clients — even though the houses meet all the buyers’ desires. This is one of the conversations. Read the story: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/houston-real-estate-agents-less-commission-records-15857087.php
REX: And you don’t think they’d compensate you after everything you’ve done for them? I mean, if you’re working so much for them. Agent: Not as far as what my compensation should be, no. I wouldn’t even feel comfortable asking them for that. And I know it’s not you. Unless you’re the owner of this company. The real estate game is changing. And I’m not -- I mean, it’s putting away my profession. And I’m not in favor of it. So I can’t help you to sell something that’s wiping out my profession.
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Houston real estate agents have been recorded saying they will not show certain homes to their clients — even though the houses meet all the buyers’ desires. This is one of the conversations. Read the story: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/houston-real-estate-agents-less-commission-records-15857087.php
REX: How our properties work is we list our properties at 2 percent. And we don’t use the MLS so how that works is our sellers are not obligated to pay a buy-side commission. However, we do want you guys to get paid, so how you do that is place your commission on top of the offer price, and you’d get that from your buyer, so it’d be a discussion between you and the buyer on compensation. Agent: Okay, well, I’m not doing that. Thank you.
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Houston real estate agents have been recorded saying they will not show certain homes to their clients — even though the houses meet all the buyers’ desires. This is one of the conversations. Read the story: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/houston-real-estate-agents-less-commission-records-15857087.php
Agent: So if I were to bring you a client to purchase this property, do you guys pay me the three percent commission, or how does that work? REX: That’s a good question. So the seller does not pay a fee -- or not pay a commission to neither the listing agent nor the buyer side agent. So if your client comes to the home and says they like the home, most agents will either have their client place the commission on top of the offering on the home, offer price on the home, or -- Agent: Yeah, that’s not going to work. Okay. Thank you. We can stop right there. Because I know they’re not going to do that. I know they’re capped at a certain amount, so I know they’re not going to want to pay me my commission. And I’m going to bring you a buyer and you’re going to get the property sold and you don’t even pay a commission. So that’s just not how I operate. I really do appreciate your time though, have a good day sir.
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Looped In host Nancy Sarnoff packs up her bags and moves to Canada, with a detour down memory lane.
Connect with Rebecca Schuetz and Nancy Sarnoff.
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Realtors banned from racist postsThe National Association of Realtors tackled racist social media posts at their annual conference. On this episode of Looped In, Nancy Sarnoff and R.A. Schuetz discuss the background leading up to the vote.
Connect with Nancy Sarnoff and Rebecca Schuetz.
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We’ve all heard of coworking. But cohousing? Not so much. That’s because there are no cohousing communities in Texas, something a group of Houstonians in the East End are planning to change. They’re designing a 33-unit condominium where a sense of community will be the key amenity, a need for which they believe the pandemic has underscored. Think shared meals (or, during socially distant times, outdoor happy hours) and decision-making that revolves around consensus, not votes.
Read: In this housing development, community is the keystone
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Kirby Liu of Lovett Commercial and Jason Long, a partner with architecture firm OMA in New York, discuss POST Houston, the redevelopment of the 16-acre downtown post office property. They highlight some of the architectural oddities they unearthed from the midcentury structures on the site and discuss the challenges of leasing, designing and developing a mixed-use project for a post-pandemic world.
Related reading: ‘No plan B’ as downtown Houston’s POST redevelopment plows ahead
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Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo has been quietly postponing real estate foreclosures through executive orders, shutting down the facility where those auctions are held and providing relief to struggling homeowners and landlords.
Connect with Nancy Sarnoff and Rebecca Schuetz.
Read: Lina Hidalgo quietly postponing Harris County foreclosures with executive orders
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Convenience store owner Charlie Patel has spent the past two decades selling birthday cards, candy bars and small gifts to urban office workers. With most of his customers still working from home, he's had to find ways to adapt to the current reality. Patel explains how he's surviving.
Read: 'Downtown is dead.' How COVID-19 turned Houston into a ghost town
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The late Gerald D. Hines adopted Houston as his hometown in 1957 and became one of the world's foremost property developers. Hines -- the man and the company -- was the subject of one of Looped In's earliest episodes. It’s time for another listen.
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Virtual tours and contactless showings. For those on the hunt for a new apartment in the midst of a pandemic, seeing the place before signing a lease involves navigating a series of precautions put in place to protect leasing staff and renters. Looped In hits the road to see how things have changed.
Connect with Rebecca Schuetz and Nancy Sarnoff.
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The office is about to undergo its biggest change since the cubicle. Thanks to the pandemic, companies are rethinking the amount of space they occupy and the role it plays in their corporate culture. Lauri Goodman Lampson, who has designed workplaces for some of the world's biggest energy firms, reveals what some of them are planning for a post-COVID world.
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Nancy and Rebecca talk to housing consultant Scott Davis about how the new coronavirus is informing the way builders design homes and how past pandemics led to lasting changes in the way we live.
Connect with Nancy and Rebecca
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Charlie Kuntz's job at Hines is all about making office buildings run better by identifying new technologies like touchless elevators, occupancy sensors and air-quality systems. When COVID-19 hit, that work suddenly took on an even deeper sense of urgency. On the newest episode of Looped In, he discusses the concepts of returning to work during a pandemic and how it's being done in China where the company has several offices. And it's not how you might expect.
Connect with Nancy Sarnoff and Rebecca Schuetz
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The sudden drop in sales Chinatown experienced at the end of January as those worried about the novel coronavirus began to social distance were a precursor to what would soon happen across the country. So how are Chinatown restaurants faring now, as the Texas economy is poised to reopen? R.A. Schuetz and Nancy Sarnoff revisit with the owners of Mala Sichuan Bistro to hear about new cleaning protocols and delivery strategies, snags receiving funds from the federal stimulus bill and whether business owners are willing to bet on the area's real estate as the economy sinks.
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From office space to urban land sites, demand for commercial real estate faces uncertainty as Houston begins what’s expected to be a lengthy and uneven process of reopening stores and returning to work. Nancy and Rebecca talk to two of the founders of Dosch Marshall Real Estate about which sectors of the commercial property market are poised for growth and which will have a harder time recovering.
Read stories by Nancy Sarnoff and Rebecca Schuetz
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Nancy and Rebecca discuss their recent reporting on the challenges of buying and selling homes during the coronavirus pandemic. They're joined by appraiser Mike Taylor who explains how he values homes when he can’t go inside.
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A chocolate maker famous for its truffles and toffees, is now making face guards meant to protect medical workers. It’s one of many companies around the state that has shifted to meet the demands created by the novel coronavirus. Michael Moss, owner of Sweet Shop USA, discusses how his business has mobilized to keep workers employed and contribute much-needed personal protective equipment during the crisis.
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We hope you have found the series of Coronavirus Chronicle bonus episodes informative and entertaining. Follow the show on Apple Podcasts. Click subscribe — it's free — to receive fresh episodes daily.
The Rev. Hannah Atkins Romero, rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Midtown, talks about the sense of loss experienced by Houston’s faith communities as an Easter Sunday without church services approaches. Plus: a special performance by April Sloan-Hubert and the Trinity Jazz Ensemble.
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The CEO of Landry’s has furloughed tens of thousands of employees. He’s closed hundreds of restaurant dining rooms and each of his Golden Nugget casinos. Nancy and Rebecca discuss the struggles of this larger-than-life Houston figure.
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Today, we're sharing an episode of "Coronavirus Chronicle" with Looped In listeners. Previous episodes at available on Apple Podcasts.
Houston Chronicle photojournalist Marie De Jesús illuminates the balancing act between keeping a safe distance and capturing the intimate, human moments that reveal just how profoundly life in Houston has changed.
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Today, we're sharing an episode of "Coronavirus Chronicle" with Looped In listeners. Previous episodes at available on Apple Podcasts.
Houstonians know all about hurricanes: Wind speed, the dirty side, the European models. But what do we need to track the coronavirus? Angela Blanchard discusses that and more with the Houston Chronicle’s Lisa Gray.
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As March turned into April and the Houston stay-at-home order was extended to the start of May, renters who found themselves suddenly unemployed by the coronavirus outbreak have been left to wonder how they will pay for housing. Landlords have their own concerns: without the expected rent revenue, how will they be able to pay their own bills? Some states — including Texas — have temporarily stopped evictions from going forward in court. But what does that order really mean? Reporter Sarah Smith, who covers housing, homelessness and poverty for the Houston Chronicle, joins host Ferrill Gibbs to discuss the dilemma facing tenants and property owners alike.
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As Houston Chronicle executive editor Steve Riley said recently in a letter to readers: Quite suddenly, your lives have changed. Your health, or the health of someone you love, could be at risk. Your job seems shakier than just days ago. Your church isn’t having services, your favorite bar has closed, and the gym has locked its doors. And there’s no baseball, no March Madness. At the Houston Chronicle, we feel it, too. So as an introduction to our new daily podcast, host Ferrill Gibbs talks to Riley about the differences between the coronavirus crisis and other recent catastrophes, and about the unique challenge that covering it presents to local newsrooms.
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Listen to the Houston Chronicle Editorial Board's impassioned plea to Houstonians coping with the coronavirus -- "Stay home!" -- as expressed by editorial board member Monica Rohr.
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/coronavirus/
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In many ways, Houston’s Chinatown — with its restaurants, hotels, grocery stores, banks and travel agencies — is a microcosm of the city as a whole. So when foot traffic suddenly diminished at the end of January following false rumors of coronavirus in the neighborhood, the economic strain felt by Chinatown businesses foreshadowed some of the tough decisions restaurants, bars, hotels and other businesses are now facing throughout the city.
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iBuyers are gaining market share, but are they making money? And John Daugherty has been a fixture in Houston’s high-end housing market. His real estate company is now in bankruptcy. Nancy and Rebecca explain.
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Houston Chronicle retail reporter, Paul Takahashi, is moving on to cover the energy industry. But first, he is covering how the coronavirus is impacting retailers, from pharmacies to grocery stores. He also discusses the major trends he has seen in the retail industry, from experience-based shopping to what’s up with Houston malls.
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The embrace of online shipping has driven a rush of warehouse space and logistics services. One Houston Chronicle employee ordered upwards of 800 packages in 2019 alone. But one link of the e-commerce supply chain remains in short supply: temperature-controlled warehouses, known as cold storage, necessary for storing and shipping groceries, meal prep kits, cold-pressed juice cleanses, dog stem cells — the list goes on.
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Ding ding ding! The votes have been tallied and the winners are in! For Looped In's third-annual Loopie Awards for the best and worst of Houston real estate, the Chronicle's real estate editor reveals his picks for eight categories, including "Trendiest Development Trend," "Saddest Demise" and "Highest Gentrification Threat." The episode is part game show, part Rotten Tomatoes review. Listen along and congrats to all the winners!
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The Houston Housing Authority’s new approach to affordable housing involves building complexes with units reserved for families of different incomes.
These new apartments aim to both attract those who can afford the rising costs of living and protect low-earners in danger of being pushed out of their longtime neighborhoods, while also providing space for people who earn something in between. However, not everyone is on board, especially as many fear affordable housing could strain their neighborhood’s infrastructure and discourage investment in the neighborhood.
Erin Douglas, who reports on the economy for the Houston Chronicle, joins real estate reporters R.A. Schuetz and Nancy Sarnoff to discuss mixed-use housing planned for the Fifth Ward, East End and Near Northside.
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A new study from the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University reveals how development and land use patterns have changed over time in neighborhoods near transit centers, park and ride lots and light rail stations. Kyle Shelton, the report's author, joins Nancy and Rebecca to talk about the benefits and the challenges of transit-oriented growth and the tools that could help prevent unintended consequences.
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Everything's bigger in Texas. Even tiny homes. Texas is the top market in the nation for a type of tiny home known as a park model RV, and developers are building communities specifically for these dwellings outside of Houston.
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Tony Buzbee, who's headed to a runoff Saturday in the 2019 race for Houston mayor, sat down with Nancy Sarnoff and Chronicle City Hall reporter Jasper Scherer to talk about his rise from small-town kid to millionaire lawyer and mayoral hopeful. This a one of two episodes featuring the candidates for mayor.
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Mayor Sylvester Turner decided what he wanted his future to look like after watching the Kennedy/Nixon debate in 1960. That determination propelled him through school, where he graduated as valedictorian, all the way through Harvard Law, which was not his first choice. Turner sat down with Nancy Sarnoff and Chronicle City Hall reporter Jasper Scherer to reflect on his life in politics and the struggles he faced along the way. This is one of two episodes featuring the candidates for mayor.
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NAR’s new policy on pocket listings is expected to result in a more transparent housing market, but there are loopholes, Nancy and Rebecca explain. They also talk about a recent luxury real estate event where agents learned about condo amenities for the ultra-rich.
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For a long time, the phrase "man camp" evoked images of tents and mobile homes, but many have received a makeover. Large energy companies clamoring for safe housing — where their employees can get food and rest without any of the late-night carousing that can lead to trouble in the oil fields the next morning — has led companies like The Woodlands-based Target Hospitality to specialize in temporary housing. Perks include pools, basketball courts, fresh-squeezed orange juice and wood-fired pizzas.
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Matt Zeve delivers a lot of bad news as deputy executive director of the Harris County Flood Control District. In the coming years, he'll be delivering a lot more. Potentially thousands of Harris County homeowners have fences, sheds and even swimming pools that encroach onto land the district owns or has the right to access. With the district now embarking on hundreds of flood mitigation projects, Zeve and his staff have started enforcing the encroachments. Nancy and Rebecca talk to Zeve about how the enforcement process works and what can happen when a property owner doesn’t comply.
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After Harvey came the crisis investors, who bought hundreds of homes to flip. In places, they snapped up entire blocks. What do those communities look like two years later? Vacant and abandoned homes, as well as impromptu rentals, dot the landscape. Real estate agent Ace Tejada and home appraiser Mike Taylor take Looped In on a tour.
Read the story:
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/Investors-promised-revival-after-Harvey-It-14473105.php
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In Independence Heights, developers are tearing down the original bungalows and replacing them with skinny townhomes with six-foot fences. Whole Foods, often a harbinger of gentrification, has opened a store there. Like in other neighborhoods under a similar threat, there's been a growing movement toward preserving what's left -- even if it's just memories. The Chronicle's Sarah Smith joins Nancy and Rebecca to talk about her recent reporting on the community and what residents are doing to retain its historical character.
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Late billionaire George Mitchell was a Galveston-born wildcatter who became widely known for being the father of the modern process of fracking. Yet as a young executive, Mitchell became fixated with the idea of creating a healthy, sustainable community at a time when many American cities were experiencing urban decay. Author and former Chronicle Business Columnist Loren Steffy explores Mitchell's paradoxical life in a new book titled “George P. Mitchell: Fracking, Sustainability and an Unorthodox Quest to Save the Planet.” He joins Nancy to talk about the legendary Houstonian.
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The number of craft breweries in Houston has grown by more than 250 percent since 2013 when there were only 18. The industry explosion (there are now 64) helped pave the way for new legislation that allows breweries to sell beer to go. Beer aficionado Ronnie Crocker and Chronicle business reporter Paul Takahashi join Nancy to talk about what the new law means for Houston's brewers and how the rise of craft breweries has come at the expense of the home brew market and the small retailers that cater to it.
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A ceremony celebrating the life of the late Ed Wulfe revealed a different side to the gregarious real estate developer and civic leader.
For almost two hours, family members and friends, including Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner shared stories highlighting Wulfe's civic involvement and work ethic. His grandchildren told of his affinity for inspirational sayings and practical jokes. All their stories elicited more laughter than tears.
After attending the service, Nancy recounts some of the memorable moments.
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New lawsuits challenging how real estate commissions are structured could lead to a number of possible outcomes, including changes in how much home sellers pay in fees and how agents who represent buyers are compensated. Plaintiffs in the case want to see more transparency in the real estate transaction. The defendants, including the National Association of Realtors, warn of potential dangers to the consumer if the system is drastically altered. The Chronicle's Rebecca Schuetz recently spoke on a panel with NAR's legal counsel and a lawyer/real estate broker from Washington at the annual Inman Connect conference. On the newest episode of Looped In, Schuetz discusses potential outcomes should the case be settled or even go to trial.
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In a fancy white tent in the parking lot of the former Sears department store in Midtown, officials from the city, county and Rice University hosted a groundbreaking ceremony and press conference for the new Ion innovation hub.
Across the street, Rice students held a press conference of their own. Worried about gentrification and a host of other issues, they stood outside with a microphone and a speaker urging Rice to be a force for good in the neighborhood.
Nancy and Chronicle technology reporter Andrea Leinfelder recap the events.
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L.A.-based Architect James Richards was living in Houston in 2015 when he heard the Astrodome was going to be open to the public for a 50th anniversary celebration. He figured it would draw a small crowd of nerdy architect and engineer types, so he decided to go. That experience was the inspiration for what Richards and his collaborator, Ben Olschner, have spent the past several years on: a proposal to turn the dome into an active urban park. Their project would strip the exterior skin off the domed structure, exposing the steel beneath it. It would be programmed with activities and eventually have a two-mile spiral track that gradually slopes from the ground level to the top of the dome. On the newest episode of Looped In, Richards describes his vision and how he thinks A-Dome Park could become a reality one day.
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Is it “Montrose” or “the Montrose?” What’s “the 44?” And where in the world are the falls in Cypress? On the newest episode of Looped In, we explore the origins Houston neighborhoods names and highlight examples of real estate developments that have appropriated the names of their fancier, hipper neighbors. (with James Glassman, the “Houstorian”)
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A mile from Houston’s bustling business district, the historic Glenwood Cemetery is a respite from the bars, townhomes and apartment buildings that surround it. With gently rolling hills, wildlife and all manner of vegetation, the 19th century park-style cemetery holds as much Houston history as it does beauty. Looped In hits the road again to tour the property with Dick Ambrus, its longtime executive director, and Jim Parsons of Preservation Houston.
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A lawsuit filed in Illinois earlier this year was the latest attempt to upend the current system of how real estate commissions are structured. The case argues that if not for rules put in place by the National Association of Realtors, consumers would pay far less in commissions and that the system would look more like it does in the United Kingdom, where listing agents earn a much smaller commission and buyers’ agents are rare.
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TMC3, a biomedical research campus planned for 37 acres between Old Spanish Trail and Brays Bayou, aims to take Houston’s powerhouse medical center in a bold, new direction. Plans call for the land to house medical and commercial space, a hotel, apartments and a collection of research facilities that could amount to more than $1 billion worth of development and 5 million square feet of space. Bill McKeon, Chief Executive of the Texas Medical Center, discusses how the project could introduce a standard of collaboration and architecture the TMC has never before seen.
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Ralph Bivins has been covering the real estate market in Houston since the late 1980s when he started as a reporter with the Houston Chronicle. He now runs Realty News Report and has just published his first book: "Houston 2020: America's Boom Town - An extreme close up." He talks to Nancy about the projects and personalities that shaped the city's built environment and the challenges that stand to hold it back.
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Looped In collaborator Allyn West recently left the Chronicle for a new job. But before going, he spent some time in the podcast studio to talk about his favorite -- and least favorite -- things about Houston. In an extended lightning round, Nancy and Lisa Gray, the editor and writer who recruited Allyn to the Chronicle, peppered their departing colleague with questions about the city’s architecture, streets, playgrounds and much more. Their conversation revealed some of Houston's little known gems, from real estate to writers.
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For 12 years, Larry Albert, a.k.a. Gus Allen, published Swamplot, the news and gossip website that highlighted the absurdities of Houston's homes, gas stations, streets, parks, buildings and everything in between. On March 7, the site stopped publishing. "Swamplot was a side project that kind of got out of hand," said Albert, who joins Nancy and Allyn (a former Swamplot editor) to talk about why he started the site, how it evolved and which posts resonated with readers the most.
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There are more than 100 opportunity zones throughout Harris County, and At-Large City Councilwoman Amanda Edwards has been meeting with residents to explain how this federal program works and how it stands to affect investment and development in these areas. The program is expected to be a boon to investors, but Edwards worries that a lack of planning on the front end could lead to unintended consequences. She joins Nancy and Rebecca to talk about how the city can help influence investment and development in opportunity zones in a way that benefits all stakeholders.
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For the first time in his 40-year legal career John Ransom, has been getting cold calls from people with technical tax questions. Specifically, they're asking about Opportunity Zones, a program created in the 2017 tax overhaul to spur economic development in low-income neighborhoods while offering investors potentially large tax breaks. John Ransom, a partner and tax specialist with the Jackson Walker law firm, joins Nancy and Rebecca to talk about how Opportunity Zones could boost real estate values and improve struggling neighborhoods. Though there may be unexpected consequences, as well.
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One of the barriers to building affordable housing often comes in the form of NIMBYism. Take the recent project proposed on Columbia Street in the Heights. The neighbors got wind of the proposal, swiftly launched a campaign to oppose it, and ultimately the developer walked away. It isn't always this way and it shouldn't be, said Joy Horak-Brown, president and CEO of New Hope Housing, a nonprofit developer that builds and runs housing and support services for low-income individuals. Horak-Brown joins Nancy and Allyn to dispel some of the myths about affordable housing and discuss how such developments can actually improve a neighborhood.
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Nancy and Allyn talk to Rice Management Co.’s Alan Arnold about plans for the former Sears building in Midtown. The property, now called The Ion, is being redeveloped as part of Rice’s broader plan to create an innovation district on 16 acres
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About six months after Hurricane Harvey ripped through southeast Texas, Chronicle editor Dianna Hunt, who helped guide the paper’s coverage of the storm, took some family members visiting from Massachusetts on a driving tour to show them some of the places most affected by the hurricane. Her tour has become somewhat of a regular activity for Hunt when visitors come to town. She talks to Nancy and Allyn about where she goes – and why she goes there – on her Harvey tours.
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A few years ago Houston preservationist James Glassman began posting each day on his Twitter feed about important events that happened on any given day in Houston history. Those tweets inspired a new book, "The Houstorian Calendar: Today in Houston History," Glassman's latest project in a string of artistic endeavors meant to change the way Houstonians think about their city. He joins Nancy and Allyn to talk about the most memorable moments in Houston history.
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For Looped In's second-annual Loopie Awards, Nancy asked listeners to vote for their favorite real estate deals and developments of the past year. She gets help revealing the winners from none other than Looped In co-founder Erin Mulvaney.
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Nancy and Allyn bring back former guest (and Chronicle tech writer) Dwight Silverman to talk about his adventures in the Houston housing market. Silverman, a baby boomer who for years owned a townhouse in Montrose, decided to see what renting was like. After a couple years of that, he decided to buy again. But in a hot neighborhood like Montrose – and with a limited budget – it wasn’t easy. He tells listeners how he found his new home and what he gave up to get there.
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As promised, Looped In hit the road to visit a house listed for sale by an iBuyer, a company that uses data and technology to make fast offers on homes, close on them quickly and then turn around and resell them. After downloading an app and answering a few questions, Nancy and Rebecca were able to get into the house and take themselves on a tour. No agent needed. Coincidentally, their journey took them to one of Houston’s most beloved treasures.
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ibuyers, these new data-driven real estate companies that buy properties directly from homeowners, are battling for market share in Houston and across the country. Nancy and her colleague Rebecca Schuetz are joined by industry analyst Daren Blomquist of Attom Data Services, to talk about how this new breed of companies is shaking up the residential real estate industry.
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In the second part of Looped In's discussion with Houston real estate veterans Joe Colaco, Marvy Finger, Ed Wulfe and Welcome Wilson Sr., we talk about what it was like to work with the legendary architects Philip Johnson and Cesar Pelli; what transit solutions would work best for Houston; and why the Kirby Mansion is worth saving.
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For Looped In's 100th episode, we sat down with some of the city's most prominent figures in real estate and development. Joe Colaco, Marvy Finger, Ed Wulfe and Welcome Wilson Sr. have spent a collective 230 years shaping our skyline and our suburbs. They debated such charged topics as mass transit, historic preservation and zoning, and shared the high points of their careers and the lessons they learned working in a city whose economic success is inextricably linked to the price of oil.
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Looped In has been on a mini break gearing up for a new year and new episodes, so enjoy this rerun from November 2016 on the history of Houston neighborhoods. (Incidentally, we recorded this episode right after real estate developer Donald Trump was elected president.) Stay tuned for a fresh episode of Looped In (our 100th!) next week.
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Nearly 1,800 households in East Texas are still living in trailers provided by FEMA more than a year after Hurricane Harvey. Now, many are at risk of losing their temporary shelters.
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More than a year after Hurricane Harvey, developers continue to build in parts of Houston that flood, and it's not expected to stop anytime soon. After all, one-third of the city is covered by flood plains. On the newest episode of Looped In, Nancy is joined by the Chronicle's Mike Morris, who explains his recent reporting that found one in five homes permitted in Houston in the year after the hurricane is in a flood plain.
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After years of catering to move-up buyers with big housing budgets, builders in Houston are introducing new models with lower price tags and smaller footprints. One company is marketing a 1,000-square-foot model with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a one-car garage for under $92,000. Lawrence Dean, regional director of home building consulting firm Metrostudy, talks with Nancy about the growing market for small homes.
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Nancy and Chronicle retail reporter Paul Takahashi deep dive into Mattress Firm’s strategy of “over-storing” and talk about where the company – now in Chapter 11 – goes from here. Houston retail expert Jason Gaines of NAI Partners joins them to discuss the real estate implications.
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In her attempts to bring a communal-style pocket neighborhood to Acres Homes, Heidi Eagleton discovered another way she could build in the underserved area: affordable housing. But her homes don't fit the typical image of affordable. They have exposed beams, screened-in porches and fenced yards. They are designed to meet energy efficiency standards. Eagleton joins Nancy and Allyn to discuss her new homes and the challenges building affordable housing in Houston.
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Whenever Houston finds itself in competition with another city, it’s usually about the food, the fashion or the attitudes of the people – and it’s usually Dallas that we’re defending ourselves against. Houston recently found itself fending off another big-city rival, but for a very different reason: a giant silver bean. Nancy is joined by the Chronicle’s Allyn West and Lisa Gray, who go into it with a Chicago Tribune columnist who wrote a scathing piece on Houston and our newly installed Anish Kapoor “bean” sculpture. Plus, Looped In’s former co-host Erin Mulvaney brings her own hot take to the discussion.
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Perhaps unlike any other time in history, immigrant labor is playing a critical role in getting Houston back on track, a theme highlighted in a new documentary called "Immigration's crossroad, rebuilding after Hurricane Harvey." Director Gregory Kallenberg and producer (and former Chronicle columnist) Loren Steffy discuss the film, which is part of a series of short documentaries that attempt to bridge the two sides of the immigration debate by framing the issues in a historical context and through personal stories.
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Hurricane Harvey destroyed the lower portions of Buffalo Bayou Park, devastating the beloved dog park and causing the loss of some 400 trees. After hauling off 30,000 cubic yards of sediment -- at a cost of more than $1 million -- the Buffalo Bayou Partnership continues its costly efforts to repair what's become Houston's central park. President Anne Olson joins the Chronicle's Nancy Sarnoff and Allyn West to discuss the park's future and the long-term plan for the bayou's eastern stretch.
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Ryan Walsh, one of the county officials guiding the redevelopment of the Astrodome, and local preservationist James Glassman join Nancy and Harris County reporter Mihir Zaveri to discuss the plans, the funding and the ethos of the project, which aims to transform the Houston’s most legendary landmark into what officials hope will be a coveted event space.
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Nancy and Allyn talk to Chronicle writer Molly Glentzer about her story on dismantling the 18th century ballroom at La Colombe d’Or, the boutique hotel on Montrose Boulevard, to make way for a luxury residential tower.
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Houston native and L.A.-based filmmaker Jon Schwartz talks about his 1987 documentary This is our home, it is not for sale. The film explores integration, real estate blockbusting and white flight in Riverside, a historic Houston neighborhood along Brays Bayou.
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In its failed bid for Amazon’s second headquarters, Houston offered up three urban sites with tremendous potential: a vacant downtown skyscraper, a sprawling property along Buffalo Bayou and an aging department store in the center of urban life. Nancy and Allyn talk with Chronicle reporter Katherine Blunt about her recent story on the snub, the sites and the silver lining.
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Nancy gets a look behind the curtain on an industry that’s playing a key role in Houston’s post-Hurricane Harvey real estate market: investing in flooded homes. She and her Chronicle colleague David Hunn talk to Brian Spitz, a local investor who’s bought hundreds of inundated properties, about the local investment ecosystem and how it influences the market.
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For the first episode of 2018, Nancy and Allyn asked their social media followers to cast their votes for some of 2017's most outstanding real estate deals and developments in the inaugural Loopie Awards. They, along with the help of some of their Chronicle colleagues who have been covering many of the projects, discuss the winners of "the Loopies."
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Scott McClelland, the newly minted president of H-E-B, will open nine stores in and around Houston in 2018 and will begin building what could be H-E-B’s most anticipated store yet: Meyerland. McClelland joins Nancy to talk Meyerland, kosher tortillas and how H-E-B competes in such a crowded grocery market.
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Houston architect Brett Zamore earned high praise more than a decade ago for his modern reinvention of the shotgun house. His next move was designing and building kit houses in the urban core. Zamore joins Nancy and Allyn to discuss his latest design: the “zFab,” a tiny pre-fabricated dwelling he sees as a counterpoint to the city’s hulking townhomes and out-of-scale McMansions.
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New storm data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, or NOAA, could lead to sweeping changes in the way real estate is developed in the Houston area.
The research shows the amount of rain typical of a 100-year storm has risen by as much as 5 inches. That means the Houstonians could expect up to 18 inches of rain in a single day compared with the previous estimate of 12 to 14 inches.
Harris County government reporter Mihir Zaveri joins Nancy Sarnoff to explain how developers, home owners and businesses could be affected by the new data, which is used to determine floodplain regulations, map flood zones and design food control projects.
The data, which is preliminary and subject to change, is expected to be finalized and published in May. It will be the first statewide update to NOAA's rainfall estimates in 50 years.
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A world where a self-driving car is a common mode of transportation is not that far away. Such a scenario has implications for real estate development. Take office buildings, which in Houston are required to have 2 1/2 parking spaces for every 1,000 square feet of space. Will today's newest buildings be obsolete by 2040 when fewer people drive to work – or at least park there? Hal Sharp, a principal with the Houston office of Gensler, joins Nancy and Allyn to talk about how buildings can be developed to accommodate cars today and people in those spaces a couple decades from now.
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Two decades from now, downtown Houston could be a be a thriving neighborhood where the streets teem with life seven days a week. In this future world, start-ups in modern offices would create the latest technological advances in the fields of energy and health care. Streets would be filled with driverless cars and a 5-mile pedestrian and bike loop would connect downtown with surrounding neighborhoods. Central Houston’s Bob Eury recently presented this ambitious proposal to a group of downtown stakeholders. He joins Nancy and Allyn to talk in more detail about the plan and why it could work.
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A pair of developers from Montreal join Nancy and Allyn to talk urban housing trends from around the world and their newest Houston project: an upscale development in Midtown with 14 pint-sized condominiums.
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Before the storm hit, Amber and Lenny Ambrose packed up their two young kids and small dog and drove to Amber's parent's house in Nederland, outside of Beaumont. The Ambrose's house in Candlelight Forest flooded during the Tax Day storm in 2016, and they didn't want a repeat of what happened then when they woke up the morning after the storm to soggy floors and confused kiddos. They made some important preparations and left town. Their flood insurance policy renewed Aug. 27, the night Harvey flooded their house. It was a good thing they didn't let their policy lapse, even though they could have. They were told in 2015 they were no longer required to carry it. Amber tells their story in the final episode of this Harvey series.
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From episode 23, Nancy and Erin talk to Chronicle journalists Mike Morris (City Hall) and Mihir Zaveri (Harris County) about their reporting on floods and development after two major flooding events two years in a row.
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Residents of Canyon Gate say they were never told about the warning that said their neighborhood could be subject to severe flooding because it was built in a so-called flood pool behind Barker Reservoir. Investors who bought millions in bonds that financed the subdivision weren't told either. Houston Chronicle's James Drew talks to Nancy about his investigation into Canyon Gate and what was and wasn't disclosed.
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