ON THE MARKET

A beautiful townhome benefits from the artful touch of the interior designerowner

The dining room benefits from the full-length windows overlooking thetree-shrouded drive.
Photo by Jeff Myers
The intimate living room enjoys 14 foot ceilings and loads of light from highwindows and French doors at the entry.
Photo by Jeff Myers
The romantic wine room at ground level features an attractive wine storage nook.
Photo by Jeff Myers
We fell in love with the kitchen/family room that is ideal for entertainingwhether formally or for just family.
Photo by Jeff Myers
The opposite side of the kitchen/family room is warm and inviting.
Photo by Jeff Myers
The simple exterior offers a promise of great things.
Photo by Jeff Myers
On the fourth floor, the focus is on a large flat-screen TV that is to the rightof the sitting area.
Photo by Jeff Myers

Editor's Note: Houston is loaded with must-have houses for sale in all shapes, sizes and price ranges. Throughout the month of June, CultureMap editor-at-large Shelby Hodge snoops through some of our faves and gives you the lowdown on what's hot on the market.

1602 Potomac

Walk through: Up the tile stairs we go to the second floor, not knowing what quite to expect, though the clean lines of the townhouse exteriors offer a promise of good things to come. The first peek inside the slick contemporary Mediterranean dwelling gives me goose bumps. Literally. I think I could live here.

Love the intimate living room that feels much more spacious than reality due to its 14-foot ceilings and the abundance of light flooding in from tall windows. Love the next door dining room as well.

Moving beyond, into the kitchen and family room, I'm ready to put up the earnest money. The large, livable space reads warmth and homey pleasures from the six-burner gas stove to the ample marble countertops, to the fireplace, the soaring coffered ceiling and the wall of windows. It doesn't hurt that this is home to an interior designer and she has kept the place in mint condition since moving in several years ago.

We could take the stairs but we opt for the elevator up to the third floor where three bedrooms and three baths make this level all about sleeping and privacy. A balcony off the master overlooks the quaint interior garden where a tree and shrubs offer a verdant tableau. The fourth floor is the media room, perfect for football afternoons. And don't miss the views north across the trees and rooftops.

Heading down to the ground floor, we find access to the little garden, a guest bedroom and bath and what the owner refers to as a wine room — large enough to seat a bunch for dinner and charming with its interior wine cellar. The ground floor hall opens into the spacious two-car garage.

Wow factors: Heavy molding, serene paint colors and hardwood floors combined with the owners spectacular furnishings make this a grand showplace. And the abundance of windows, a rarity in the townhouse arena, makes this home very appealing.

Good news, not so good news: On another street, this beautiful home would fetch quite a bit more than the friendly asking price. The value is exceptional. The drawback could be that this block of Potomac is in transition and the properties across the street are in need of a facelift at the least.

Bonus: The townhouse is flanked by driveways on both the north and south sides, meaning that there is breathing room. Trees grow along the drives providing views of greenery and sky as opposed to up-close brick walls that are often the townhouse view.

Square footage: 4,297

Asking price: $995,000

Listing agent:Linda Ledbetter of Heritage Texas Properties

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bang for your buck

These are the 6 most affordable ZIP codes for Houston renters

Facebook / City of Bellaire, Texas

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Trying to afford buying a home in Houston is difficult enough with current mortgage rates, and doubly so if you're already paying high rent on an apartment or a house. But there are six Houston ZIP codes where renters can get the most bang for their buck, according to a new study by financial services company CashNetUSA.

To find the most affordable ZIP codes to rent in the U.S., analysts compared median household incomes by ZIP code to the average annual rent costs using the Zillow Observed Rent Index. ZIP codes where the average annual rental costs required the lowest percentage of median household income were considered the "most affordable."

Two Houston-area ZIP codes specifically stood out in CashNetUSA's ranking of the most affordable ZIP codes for renters in America: 77401 in Bellaire (No. 9) and 77094 in the Energy Corridor (No. 12).

According to the study's findings, the average monthly cost of a rental in Bellaire comes out to $2,401.25, and the median annual income of a Bellaire household is $210,577. Analysts then calculated that the annual rent of a home in the Bellaire ZIP code only takes up 13.68 percent of a household's median income, which is the ninth-lowest in the nation.

But as Houstonians know all too well, Bellaire residents aren't exactly struggling to pay their rent, seeing as they live in one of the wealthiest places in America.

Meanwhile in Houston's 77094 ZIP, annual rent costs only represent 13.88 percent of a household's median annual income. The area – which encompasses the Kingsland Estates, Green Trails, Green Trails Oaks, Windsor Park Estates, Windsor Park Lakes, and Barker neighborhoods – has a median household income of over $168,000, and average rent costs add up to $1,944.58, according to the study.

CashNetUSA found the No. 1 most affordable ZIP code for renters nationwide is 66224 in Leawood, Kansas, where annual rent only takes a 10.57 percent cut out of a household's median annual income.

Elsewhere in Texas, San Antonio's 78248 ZIP ranked as the No. 4 most affordable ZIP code for renters in the U.S., and the No. 1 most affordable ZIP code statewide. The North Texas ZIP code 75013 in Allen ranked two spots behind Houston to claim the No. 14 spot nationally.

The most affordable Houston ZIP codes for renters
CashNetUSA further unveiled the five most affordable ZIP codes across major U.S. cities, including in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio.

Following 77094 (which took the No. 1 spot citywide) is 77008 (No. 2), which spans Greater Heights, Houston Heights, Shady Acres, and Lazybrook/Timbergrove. Rent costs in this ZIP code averaged out to $1,856 per month, the report found.

Landing in the No. 3 spot is 77024, which includes four of Houston's historic Memorial Villages, including Hedwig, Bunker Hill, Hunters Creek, and Piney Point. The report said average rent in the area comes out to $1,730 per month, which takes up 16.88 percent of a household's median annual income.

The remaining top two most affordable ZIP codes for Houston renters are located in 77007 (Washington Avenue Coalition/Memorial Park, Rice Military, and Crestwood/Glen Cove) and 77345 in Kingwood, which is about 30 miles north of downtown Houston.

ON THE MARKET

A beautiful townhome benefits from the artful touch of the interior designerowner

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bang for your buck

These are the 6 most affordable ZIP codes for Houston renters

CultureMap Emails Are Awesome
Get Houston intel delivered daily.