On the Market

House with a history: $3.4 million dollar mansion recalls early development of River Oaks

Editor's Note: Houston, the surrounding areas and beyond are loaded with must-have houses and properties for sale in all shapes, sizes and price ranges. In this continuing series, CultureMap snoops through some of the best and gives you the lowdown on what's hot on the market.

The 79-year-old Hilliard House at 3375 Del Monte Drive still stands as an excellent example of Tudor Revival and is a visual reminder of the initial development of River Oaks. This City of Houston protected landmark is now for sale at $3,395,000.

A bit of background
Contractor J. Leon Osborn built the house in 1935-36 on speculation. The late Harry Hilliard, a prominent Houston businessman and one of the first members of the Houston Country Club, and his wife, the late Susan Hilliard and a founder of the Garden Club of Houston in 1924, purchased the residence in July 1936.

In 1967, the house passed to the current owners, the Hilliards' son and daughter-in-law, and is one of very few homes in River Oaks that remains in the hands of the original family. The facade of the Hilliard House has undergone very little change since its construction.

Walk through
The two-story home sits on a large wooded lot on Del Monte Drive and stands out with its steeply pitched side-gabled roof, chimney with decorative chimney pots and decorated bargeboards over the gabled entryway. Owners walk inside to an elegant foyer flanked by traditional-style formal living room and dining room taking in views of the landscaped grounds through floor-to-ceiling windows. The house includes a window-filled solarium and a handsome library/study complete with corner fireplace.

The kitchen, which features a butler's pantry, opens to the large family room with fireplace. Just steps away is the breakfast room, also welcoming views via a decorative paned floor-to-ceiling window. The manse offers four bedrooms and four full baths, all located on the second floor. The master suite extends into an enclosed sitting area nestled among the tree tops. Two staircases and an elevator take owners from floor to floor.

Step outside
The family room opens to a deck surrounded by the landscaped grounds. A greenhouse is located at the back of the 22,500-square-foot lot. A gated driveway leads to private parking.

Square footage: 5,362

Asking price: $3,395,000

Listing agent: Walter Bering, Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty

The family room is extra large.

7 On the Market 3375 Del Monte Drive February 2015 family room

Photo courtesy of © TK Images

The family room is extra large.

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Rent report

This Houston suburb had the highest apartment rent prices in June

The City of Sugar Land, Texas – City Government/Facebook

The asking rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Sugar Land was $1,450 in June, and two-bedroom units were $1,870.

Apartment rent prices in June were more expensive in Sugar Land than they were anywhere else in Houston, according to the latest monthly rental report from Zumper.

The rent report, which analyzed active listings from the previous month across all cities in the Houston metro, tracks the most and least expensive rent prices for one- and two-bedroom apartments, and determines the cities with the fastest growing rents. Listings were aggregated by city to calculate median asking rents.

Despite having the most expensive rent in the Houston area last month, the asking rent for one--bedroom apartments in Sugar Land was technically lower than it was a year ago. Sugar Land's asking rent for one-bedrooms dropped 0.7 percent year-over-year to $1,450, while asking prices for two-bedroom units grew 3.3 percent to $1,870.

Galveston saw the highest jump in one-bedroom prices year-over-year this past June, with asking rent for single-bedroom units rising 2.7 percent to $1,140. Two-bedroom apartments in Galveston dropped 2 percent year-over-year to $1,450.

One-bedroom rent in Pearland decreased 1.5 percent to $1,340 in June, which Zumper found was the second-highest rent price in Houston. Year-over-year prices for two-bedroom units rose nearly 3 percent to $1,770.

Houston proper had the third most expensive rent in the metro area last month, with prices for one-bedroom units remaining flat year-over-year at $1,280, while two-bedroom units decreased 7.4 percent to $1,500.

Houston-area cities with affordable rent compared to the statewide median
Zumper's report revealed that the median asking rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Texas came out to $1,134 last month, but there was no figure given for two-bedroom units.

Out of the 13 Houston-area cities included in the report, six had affordable asking rent prices lower than the statewide median: Huntsville ($850), Pasadena ($900), Texas City ($910), Lake Jackson ($920), Baytown ($940), and La Porte ($1,100).

Huntsville rent prices were the cheapest in the metro last month, but rent in Baytown decreased the most dramatically since last year with prices plunging 14.5 percent. Huntsville's current asking price is 5.6 percent lower than it was this time last year, which was the second-lowest drop.

These are the June rent prices for one-bedroom apartments in the three remaining Houston-area cities:

League City – $1,200
Spring – $1,180
Conroe – $1,150

rent report rent real estate houston sugar land pearland