Shaun Vembutty | The Houston Heights

The Houston Heights was of the first communities to actually be planned for in advance by developers in the state of Texas. Shaun Vembutty notices how it is dotted with odd idiosyncrasies in landscape and what it offers as a community compared to other outlying cities from the Downtown area in the Houston sprawl. According to Shaun Vembutty, it has been referred to by a local Houston editor as “Houston’s own mini Austin” with its vast assortment of restaurants known for their chill atmosphere and the thickly canopied tree cover that splashes the walk-able streets in a deep plush of green. Some of the after hours dining spots also include tastefully trendy beer gardens, such as Coltivare Pizza and Garden on White Oak Drive, where fresh produce from their property garden is included in Italian inspired menu items.

Much of the nightlife in the Heights is characterized by the growing population of young business professionals, which necessitates the likes of Sonoma Wine Bar & Restaurant on Studewood Street that boasts an eclecticly delicious Sunday Brunch. One of the more casual favorites is the Lei Low Bar, a tiki-inspired decore that features Caribbean style cocktails with a Polynesian theme. Interestingly enough, the Heights has a long history of banning alcohol to be sold in stores or establishments since Prohibition in 1912.

It was only recently lifted by a Proposition vote in 2016 that allowed alcohol to be sold in stores so long as it was not consumed on the premises. It became legal for restaurants and bars to have typical liquor licenses to serve customers provided they met the Federal age of 21. Local restaurants and bars previously skirted this outdated law by way of having their customers sign up with them as club members so they could consume alcohol on their property. However, the recent lift on this ban has significantly reshaped the economic and entertainment landscape of the Heights in Houston. Shaun Vembutty believes one of the iconic focal points of the Heights nightlife is located at 339 W 19th St.

The original HEIGHTS THEATER that has been restored from the early 1900s has charming curb appeal with its vertical street sign illuminated for all of to see. It is now available for private events and hosts many modern day concerts where yelp users rave about every seat in the house providing an up close and personal experience that is simply not found in more modernly constructed concert venues.

Much of the alluring aspect of the Heights is the quaintly obscure variety of properties, both residential and commercial, that together mosaic-ally comprises the overall atmosphere of the general community as a whole. Associates at Ashton Gray Development recognize that a ready to live in home in the Heights for less than $200K is becoming a difficult find, as property values between the years of 2002 and 2003 increased by almost 9%. Cross examine this to an article published in 1976, where words such as “seedy” and “middle-class” were used to describe a district once deemed to have fashionable housing, but at the time was known as the area of town you didn’t want to be caught alone on foot once the sun goes down.

Shaun Vembutty | Houston – Zones With Reasonable Living Costs VI

Shaun Vembutty | Houston — Zones With Reasonable Living Costs V

 This article is continued from the above blog link in a series and is a running ranking of affordable cities in the Houston area based on a compilation of factors considered by future homeowners.

10) Stafford, TX

With most of its land area lying within the triangulation between the roadways of Alt 90, Interstate 69 and the Sam Houston Tollway, the serene little city of Stafford sits between Missouri City and Sugar Land, and is home to fewer than 19 thousand residents. Shaun Vembutty claims that single-family homes here are known for their large lot sizes with spacious lawns, many with mature trees. It is home to Houston Community College note associates of Ashton Gray Development, and it boasts on its website that it is a city with no city property taxes, which is certainly a plus for the budget hunter. Despite the lack of revenue from property taxes, the city of Stafford manages to hold some of the highest ratings on greatschools.org compared to other cities in the Houston area. The parks of Stafford are comprised of 30 acres between 6 different sites, says Shaun Vembutty, and a city pool and civic center are also enjoyable amenities available to residents. 

Stafford, TX

11) Humble, TX

According to associates at Ashton Gray Development, Humble has a higher cost of living than all cities aforementioned, and home values are on average lower in comparison. But the overall cost of living here and the price of homes are still considerably cheaper than other communities located within the Beltway 8 loop. It sits a mere mile north of Beltway 8 up Interstate 69, which makes it less isolated than its neighbor to the East, Atascocita. Family fun spots in town include Old MacDonald’s Farm, Lindsay/Lyons Park and Sports Complex, and the Humble Museum. Ashton Gray Development associates researched school quality to range from middle to high ratings on GreatSchools.org. The Tour 18 Golf Course is beautifully landscaped and attracts many residents from the senior citizen demographic that are looking to leave the city without leaving behind recreation in their golden years. Nearby Deerbrook Mall provides a wide selection of retail stores for shopping needs, and a straight shot south on highway 69 will get a commuter to Houston in less than half an hour during good travel times. 

Humble, TX

12) Meadows Place, TX

Just north of Sugar Land on Highway 69 sits the tiny city of Meadows Place with a population of less than 7 thousand. However, despite its size, it has some of the highest rankings for school districts on GreatSchools.org and home prices are very affordable in the low to mid 200s range. According to Shaun Vembutty, there is not much in the town itself but nearby is Eldridge Park to the West and Sky Zone Trampoline Park 2 miles south on Beltway 8, which is close in proximity to the community. Its nearness to both Sugarland and Missouri City give residents access to larger city amenities, and it is only a 30-minute commute to downtown Houston.

Meadows Place, TX

 

Shaun Vembutty | Houston – Zones With Reasonable Living Costs VI

 

Houston – Zones With Reasonable Living Costs VI

 

Shaun Vembutty | Houston  -  Zones With Reasonable Living Costs V

This article is continued from the above blog link in a series and is a running ranking of affordable cities in the Houston area based on a compilation of factors considered by future homeowners.

10) Stafford, TX

With most of its land area lying within the triangulation between the roadways of Alt 90, Interstate 69 and the Sam Houston Tollway, the serene little city of Stafford sits between Missouri City and Sugar Land, and is home to fewer than 19 thousand residents. Shaun Vembutty claims that single-family homes here are known for their large lot sizes with spacious lawns, many with mature trees. It is home to Houston Community College note associates of Ashton Gray Development, and it boasts on its website that it is a city with no city property taxes, which is certainly a plus for the budget hunter. Despite the lack of revenue from property taxes, the city of Stafford manages to hold some of the highest ratings on greatschools.org compared to other cities in the Houston area. The parks of Stafford are comprised of 30 acres between 6 different sites, says Shaun Vembutty, and a city pool and civic center are also enjoyable amenities available to residents. 

11) Humble, TX

According to associates at Ashton Gray Development, Humble has a higher cost of living than all cities aforementioned, and home values are on average lower in comparison. But the overall cost of living here and the price of homes are still considerably cheaper than other communities located within the Beltway 8 loop. It sits a mere mile north of Beltway 8 up Interstate 69, which makes it less isolated than its neighbor to the East, Atascocita. Family fun spots in town include Old MacDonald’s Farm, Lindsay/Lyons Park and Sports Complex, and the Humble Museum. Ashton Gray Development associates researched school quality to range from middle to high ratings on GreatSchools.org. The Tour 18 Golf Course is beautifully landscaped and attracts many residents from the senior citizen demographic that are looking to leave the city without leaving behind recreation in their golden years. Nearby Deerbrook Mall provides a wide selection of retail stores for shopping needs, and a straight shot south on highway 69 will get a commuter to Houston in less than half an hour during good travel times.

12) Meadows Place, TX

Just north of Sugar Land on Highway 69 sits the tiny city of Meadows Place with a population of less than 7 thousand. However, despite its size, it has some of the highest rankings for school districts on GreatSchools.org and home prices are very affordable in the low to mid 200s range. According to Shaun Vembutty, there is not much in the town itself but nearby is Eldridge Park to the West and Sky Zone Trampoline Park 2 miles south on Beltway 8, which is close in proximity to the community. Its nearness to both Sugarland and Missouri City give residents access to larger city amenities, and it is only a 30-minute commute to downtown Houston.

Shaun Vembutty | Fla. health care campus earns LEED gold | Ashton Gray Development

Lakeland Regional Health’s recently opened Grasslands campus has earned LEED gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, which recognizes buildings that are designed and built and operated “for improved environmental and human health performance.“
Construction of the Grasslands campus in Florida started in early 2015 and was completed in June 2016. It houses physician offices and a physical rehabilitation program, reports The Ledger.
“The design of the building was created with the concepts of ‘body, mind and soul’ as part of the patient healing experience,” according to a news release from Lakeland Regional Health.
Examples of what earned the certification for Grasslands Campus include:
- Reduction of total building energy use of 39 percent over the calculated baseline building.
- 76 percent of construction waste was recycled and kept out of the landfill.
- 28 percent of building materials were manufactured using recycled materials.
- 33 percent of the building materials were extracted and manufactured within 500 miles of the building site.
- All adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings, flooring and composite wood meet the LEED standard for low-emitting materials.
- Preferred parking spaces for low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles and preferred parking spaces for carpool and vanpool vehicles to encourage ride-sharing among team members.
- Reduction of potable water use at flush and flow fixtures by 34 percent and reduction of potable water use for irrigation by 68 percent.
“The Grasslands Campus serves as a prime example of how the work of innovative building projects can use local solutions to make a global impact on the environment,” Mahesh Ramanujam, U.S. Green Building Council president and CEO, said in a news release.

Shaun Vembutty | Expanded laptop ban could cover half a million travelers a day

Thousands of flights and hundreds of thousands of passengers will be affected every day if the United States extends its so-called laptop ban to all international flights.

For now, electronic devices larger than a cellphone are banned from the cabin on flights bound for the United States from 10 airports in the Middle East and Africa.

But Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said Sunday he might expand the ban to all international flights entering or leaving the country.

About 4,300 international flights take off and land in the United States each day, carrying 560,000 passengers, according to the International Air Transport Association, an industry association for the world's airlines.

That works out to more than 200 million passengers a year.

U.S. authorities have said the laptop ban for the 10 Middle Eastern and African airports was put in place because of intelligence suggesting terrorists could hide explosives in larger electronic devices.

Kelly acknowledged the possible expansion in an interview on "Fox News Sunday."

Terrorists are "obsessed" with "knocking down an airplane in flight, particularly a U.S. carrier, if it's full of mostly U.S. folks," he said in the interview.

An expanded ban would threaten to damage both U.S. tourism and the world aviation industry.

Foreign visitors spent $246 billion in the United States last year, supporting 8.6 million employees in the American tourism industry. Those jobs would be at risk if international travelers opted for other destinations because they didn't want the inconvenience of checking a laptop.

Emirates, which was directly affected by the smaller electronics ban, said last month it was cutting some flights to the United States because of weak demand.

Earlier this month, when reports circulated that the U.S. would expand the ban to European flights, IATA called on the Trump administration to find alternatives.

"The responses of Canada, the EU and Australia to the same intelligence demonstrate that a ban on large electronic devices in the cabin is not the only way forward," the association's CEO, Alexandre de Juniac, said in a statement. "Indeed we believe that it is not sustainable in the long run."

The U.S. Travel Association warned that authorities would have to be clear about why an expansion is necessary.

"If there is a legitimate terror threat, the flying public needs to take it seriously and adjust to the new protocols as best they can," said Jonathan Grella, an executive vice president at the organization. "It is critical that the U.S. government clearly communicate the details of this new policy and the reasons why it's needed [and] continually reassess it to ensure it remains relevant and effective."

Shaun Vembutty | Meet NikeLab, the new limited-edition Apple Watch

Apple and Nike are working to expand their smartwatch series partnership for the Apple Watch 2 with a new limited edition NikeLab offering.

"NikeLab will feature a simple face to focus on fitness and will go on sale April 27, but will only be available through Nike's website and at an Apple pop up shop in Tokyo," US-based new service thestreet.com reported on Friday.

Last year, Apple released Apple Watch Nike+ that features built-in GPS to track users' pace, distance and route -- even if they don't have iPhone with them.

Shaun Vembutty | Luxury housing marks the latest trend in stadium amenities around the country

By the time it’s completed in 2019, the new stadium complex for the National Football League’s Los Angeles Rams will span almost 300 acres with free-standing concession stands encased in glass and a 50-foot-tall video board covering the length of the playing field.

Premium suites inside the 70,000-plus seat facility will include up to 20,000 club seats and loge boxes, including Lux Cabanas, a beach-themed club at field level hovering above one of the end zones.

Yet the $2.6 billion project just south of L.A. in the city of Inglewood will also include another coveted amenity for any die-hard sports fan: luxury homes.

In addition to a hotel, casino and 620,000 square feet of retail space, the new stadium complex will include Hollywood Park, a residential property development with up to 3,000 homes.

While some of the new dwellings are aimed at middle-income residents who have been increasingly squeezed by L.A.’s soaring real estate market, most will target the luxury sector with sprawling apartments overlooking the stadium outfitted with wedge hardwood flooring, sliding glass doors and soaring beamed ceilings. The project’s developers, Wilson Meany and Stockbridge Capital Group, have yet to reveal prices.

“We’re building a year-round community, not just a sports stadium,” says Gerard McCallum II, project manager for Wilson Meany who is overseeing Hollywood Park. “This will give fans and Los Angeles residents a great opportunity to be a part of the sports environment and connect with a real community.”

[High-rise luxury apartments near Nationals Park in D.C.’s Navy Yard ready for move in]

As more cities across the United States break ground on expensive new sports stadiums and arenas, some are including real estate components either directly on the complex grounds or nearby. From Atlanta to Minneapolis, Sacramento to Miami, developers are rushing to add condominiums and rental apartments to the long list of amenities available to ardent sports fans.

The move to add real estate is fueled, in part, by wanting to bolster the fan experience, but it is also an attempt to offset the soaring price tags to build new stadiums in some cities, say real estate experts.

In some cases, developers are also being pressured by city governments and local residents to add affordable housing to these massive stadium projects.

Residents have begun moving into First, a 325-unit apartment building at 1263 First St. SE in the District near Nationals Park. The mixed-use project is being developed jointly by Grosvenor Americas and McCaffery Interests and will include more than 24,000 square feet of retail space and a Residence Inn by Marriott.

Rents for the studio, one- and two-bedroom units range from $1,815 to $4,520.

The new property includes a swimming pool, a hot tub and a key selling point — stadium-style seating on the roof with views into Nationals Park.

“I can watch batting practice from my apartment. I make something to eat and go on the roof and watch the game,” said Bob Lind, 52, a software developer, who moved into First in early April.

“There’s stadium seating with a big screen,” added Lind, who also goes to the games. There’s also a “panoramic view of the city — there’s the [Washington] Monument, the [National] Cathedral, the Capitol and the Anacostia River. You see everyone partying in the bullpen — it’s pretty cool.”

After more than a decade of delays and lawsuits, a major development around Barclays Center in Brooklyn — the home of the Nets and Islanders that opened in 2012 — is finally accelerating construction of affordable housing.

[Near Nationals Park, a neighborhood of many names is emerging]

While the $1 billion arena is the centerpiece of the Pacific Park project, thousands of apartments are also being built aimed at working- and middle-class families who are shut out of a rapidly gentrifying area near downtown Brooklyn.

Nina Maluenda says being close to Barclays Center was only part of the reason she and her husband, Mehdi, moved into 461 Dean Street, one of several new towers in Brooklyn overlooking the sports complex.

Developed by Forest City Ratner Cos., the 32-story building has 363 rental units that are designated as 50 percent affordable, 50 percent market rate. “It’s nice to be so close to the sports arena, but we really liked being in the center of culture and the arts in Brooklyn,” says Maluenda, a marketing associate. “The building is right next to a lot of art and performance spaces in this part of Brooklyn, and that really appealed to us.”

But the push in Brooklyn to build affordable housing as part of a sports complex is largely an exception rather than the rule.

“Some developers see a real financial upside to adding middle- and upper-income housing to these projects,” says Selma Hepp, chief economist at San Francisco-based Pacific Union. “They are creating communities that they think will deliver financial reward in the long term.”

In Sacramento, the new state-of-the-art home of the National Basketball Association’s Kings cost nearly $600 million to build. The 17,608-seat arena opened last fall and includes 82 luxury suites and year-round access for its owners. An in-arena app also allows fans to help control the temperature in their section.

But developers of the Golden 1 Center are also set to open a 16-story mixed-use office tower including a 250-room hotel in the summer and residence on the complex grounds later this fall. The Sawyer overlooks the new arena and includes 45 condominiums with some of the highest prices in the city.

The Atlanta Braves moved into their new $672 million ballpark this season. Yet beyond the 4,000 premium seats and 18,000-square-foot hospitality club, the project at SunTrust Park also includes Home at the Battery Atlanta, three new residential communities under construction on the complex grounds.

Totaling 531 units, the three rental properties will feature one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with amenities ranging from exclusive clubhouse access to rooftop bars and lounges with wraparound balconies with ballpark views. Developer Pollack Shores says one of the three communities, Residences, was ready Opening Day on April 14 when the Braves hosted the San Diego Padres. The other two communities, Parkside and Flats, will open in May and July, respectively. Rental prices range from $1,225 to $4,505.

“We’ve created this unique opportunity to not only tailgate from your patio but also to enjoy other qualities residents look for like walking and biking trails and easy access to major highways,” says Steven Shores, president and co-founder of Pollack Shores.

The new residential developments arrive amid another boom in stadium and arena construction around the United States. At least a dozen new professional sports complexes are under some form of development, with twice as many in the planning stages, according to the CoStar Group, an online marketplace for commercial real estate. This is on top of the dozens of professional ballparks and stadiums erected during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Despite putting up with the noise, crowds and traffic (to say nothing of losing seasons), adding residential property near or on a sports complex can add value to a home, housing data indicates.

According to real estate website Trulia, the areas around major league baseball stadiums saw home values rise 15 percent higher than the greater metropolitan areas in which they were located. While those values vary widely based on stadium location, Trulia data showed that the areas around 18 of the 29 stadiums had higher median home values compared with the cities in which they are located. Rents in those 18 neighborhoods were either higher or equal to those in the surrounding towns, Trulia says.

Homes around newer baseball stadiums — which tend to be in pricier neighborhoods — fared better, Trulia notes. Of the 14 stadiums built since 1999, only two neighborhoods — around Marlins Park in Miami and Miller Park in Milwaukee — had home values lower than the metros in which they were located.

Opened in 2008, Nationals Park in Washington is perhaps a prime example of a ballpark fueling residential development and lifting home values. Once home to one of the District’s grittier neighborhoods, the area around the ballpark is today booming with new construction, including upscale apartments, restaurants and bars.

Since 2012, more than 2,300 residential units have been added to the area around Nationals Park, and 3,727 are in the pipeline, according to RealPage, a maker of property management software. The influx of development makes the area the fifth-busiest submarket in the United States for apartment construction, RealPage says.

And the area is getting more property development. Construction is expected to begin soon in the nearby Buzzard Point neighborhood on a new D.C. United soccer stadium and two apartment projects with a combined 869 rentals and condos.

“The Nationals’ stadium has been an absolute property boon to that area,” says Michael Rankin, managing partner of TTR Sotheby’s International Realty in the District. “The city hasn’t seen anything like it in decades.”

The Baltimore Orioles helped usher in the stadium-building boom in 1992 when they opened Camden Yards. But Trulia found that home values around that ballpark were 16 percent lower than the greater metro area: $211,724 near the stadium vs. $251,724 for the city.

But Seema Iyer, an assistant professor of real estate at the University of Baltimore, says the Trulia data doesn’t consider the longer view of housing around Camden Yards.

“If you look at what home prices were like in that area of Baltimore before the park was built and compare that to today, you’ll see fairly sharp housing appreciation,” Iyer says. “Camden Yards was a pretty depressed area before the park arrived, but since then it’s seen a tremendous level of commercial and retail activity, so the park literally created a housing community that didn’t exist before.”