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    Tricked Out Living

    $3.8 million mega "palace" penthouse emerges as the showpiece of a new condo development near River Oaks

    Barbara Kuntz
    Barbara Kuntz
    Mar 31, 2015 | 10:41 am

    The Monroe at Bayou Park, a new $20 million, six-story, luxury mid-rise planned between River Oaks and downtown, promises eight spacious units and a 7,000-square-foot penthouse that marketing materials breathlessly proclaim is "destined to become the single most desirable residence in the storied neighborhood."

    An Al Ross Luxury Homes project with Masa Studio as architect, the complex 1034 Rochow St., is set to include five floors of 3,400- to 4,000 square-foot condominiums available in two floor plans: Three bedrooms and three and one-half baths or two bedrooms, two and one-half baths and a study.

    The six 3,400-square-foot homes are to extend to 468-square-foot balconies, while the two 4,000-square-foot homes will have 1,000-square-foot terraces.

    The mega-penthouse, which is priced at $3.8 million, occupies the entire sixth floor and is designed as a "tricked-out show palace."

    Ten-foot ceilings are planned for all eight residences, as are as hardwood floors, Miele appliances and Eggersmann cabinets in the kitchens and balconies. Prices are expected to range from $1.3 million to $1.5 million.

    The mega-penthouse, which is priced at $3.8 million, occupies the entire sixth floor and is designed as a "tricked-out show palace" with such highlights as 12-foot ceilings, exercise room, game room, spacious master suite, Eggersman cabinets in the kitchen and baths and four parking spaces. A a 963-square-foot terrace will offer an outdoor living space.

    The penthouse will come with the services of a full-time housekeeper five days a week for the first year of ownership. The owner will have the opportunity to design and select all finishes. Two floor-plan options are a three-bedroom, four and one-half bath configuration or an arrangement of three bedrooms, two and a half-baths plus a study and exercise room.

    Building plans also include a private ground-floor motorcourt and 2,000-square-foot-rooftop with a state-of-the-art summer kitchen and dining terrace, in addition to a fully equipped fitness room on the rooftop with skyline views.

    Sales offices on site open April 8, and a groundbreaking is scheduled for Oct. 1. The plan calls for the first residents to begin moving into their homes in December 2016.

    In addition, Al Ross Luxury Homes is donating $10,000 for every one of his homes sold between now and the end of May to Buffalo Bayou Partnership, the public-private partnership spearheading the park’s $58 million upgrade.

    Ross, who has built and sold several upscale spec homes in River Oaks, was born and raised in Iran as RealtyNewsReport.com details. His parents sent him to the United States when he was 13 in search of a better life. He started a business, National Signs, with $200 in his pocket at age 28 and was very successful before selling it in 2011 and launching Al Ross Luxury Homes in 2012.

    Map of The Monroe at Bayou Park with number of steps to arrive at nearby locations.

    The Monroe at Bayou Park map
    TheMonroe.com
    Map of The Monroe at Bayou Park with number of steps to arrive at nearby locations.
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    housing affordability news

    This is how much Houston home prices have fallen since 2024

    Amber Heckler
    Jan 16, 2026 | 4:30 pm
    16403 Sheffield Run Drive, Houston home for sale
    Estately.com/
    This home at 16403 Sheffield Run Dr. in Houston's Berkshire Oaks neighborhood is on the market for $309,900.

    A new real estate analysis has revealed housing prices across the Southern United States have seen a major large-scale decline from 2024-2025, with Houston homebuyers experiencing the 11th-steepest "price correction" in the region.

    Houston-area buyers have a better chance of purchasing an affordable home this year after prices cooled 1.5 percent from 2024-2025, the study found.

    Online real estate marketplace Zoocasa compared year-over-year median price changes for single-family homes across 20 cities in the South based on local real estate data. The study also looked at housing affordability in the American West, Midwest, and Northeast.

    In Zoocasa's ranking of the Southern cities where affordability is improving the most, Houston ranked No. 11.

    In 2024, the median price for a single-family home in Houston was nearly $340,000, which has since dropped to $335,000 in 2025. Local sellers may not be happy about cooling prices, but it does make housing more attainable for first-time homebuyers.

    Better housing prices will surely attract even more new residents to the area, especially since Houston was the second-hottest destination for movers in 2025, and its suburbs are still booming in popularity.

    "Affordability is on the rise across Texas, with major cities seeing significant price corrections," the report said. "Most importantly for buyers, the median home price in each of these cities remains more affordable than the national median."

    The national median price of a home in the third quarter of 2025 was $426,800, according to the latest information from the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

    Housing affordability elsewhere in Texas
    Dallas was the No. 2 Southern city where housing is becoming more affordable. Dallas-Fort Worth's housing prices fell 5.71 percent from 2024-2025. The median price of a single-family home in North Texas fell from $397,700 to $375,000 during the one-year span.

    In Beaumont-Port Arthur (a metro area east of Houston), housing prices have fallen 4.62 percent year-over-year, making it the metro with the No. 5 steepest price correction in the South. Median home prices dropped to $217,000 in 2025, or $10,500 lower than the year before, the report found.

    Austin's housing prices fell 2.04 percent during the same time span, landing the Capital City in the No. 9 spot. The median price of a single-family home in Austin fell from $437,925 in 2024 to $429,000 last year.

    Surprisingly, San Antonio ranked near the bottom of the list with housing prices increasing by five percent year-over-year. Single-family homes in the Alamo City had a median price just under $300,000 in 2024, which spiked to $315,000 in 2025.

    Housing market predictions in 2026
    Zoocasa predicts the 2026 U.S. housing market is "poised for a steady revival" since mortgage rates have dipped nearly a full percentage point since this time last year. Current interest rates for a a 30-year mortgage are sitting at 6.16 percent, the study said.

    The NAR report additionally found that pending home sales have grown by 2.6 percent year-over-year from 2024.

    "Homebuyer momentum is building," said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. "The data shows the strongest performance of the year after accounting for seasonal factors, and the best performance in nearly three years, dating back to February 2023."

    The top 10 Southern cities where housing affordability is improving the most in 2026 are:

    • No. 1 – Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, Florida
    • No. 2 – Dallas, Texas
    • No. 3 – Durham, North Carolina
    • No. 4 – Ocala, Florida
    • No. 5 – Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas
    • No. 6 – Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida
    • No. 7 – Jacksonville, Florida
    • No. 8 – Atlanta, Georgia
    • No. 9 – Austin, Texas
    • No. 10 – Raleigh, North Carolina
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