• Home
  • popular
  • EVENTS
  • submit-new-event
  • CHARITY GUIDE
  • Children
  • Education
  • Health
  • Veterans
  • Social Services
  • Arts + Culture
  • Animals
  • LGBTQ
  • New Charity
  • TRENDING NEWS
  • News
  • City Life
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Home + Design
  • Travel
  • Real Estate
  • Restaurants + Bars
  • Arts
  • Society
  • Innovation
  • Fashion + Beauty
  • subscribe
  • about
  • series
  • Embracing Your Inner Cowboy
  • Green Living
  • Summer Fun
  • Real Estate Confidential
  • RX In the City
  • State of the Arts
  • Fall For Fashion
  • Cai's Odyssey
  • Comforts of Home
  • Good Eats
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2010
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2
  • Good Eats 2
  • HMNS Pirates
  • The Future of Houston
  • We Heart Hou 2
  • Music Inspires
  • True Grit
  • Hoops City
  • Green Living 2011
  • Cruizin for a Cure
  • Summer Fun 2011
  • Just Beat It
  • Real Estate 2011
  • Shelby on the Seine
  • Rx in the City 2011
  • Entrepreneur Video Series
  • Going Wild Zoo
  • State of the Arts 2011
  • Fall for Fashion 2011
  • Elaine Turner 2011
  • Comforts of Home 2011
  • King Tut
  • Chevy Girls
  • Good Eats 2011
  • Ready to Jingle
  • Houston at 175
  • The Love Month
  • Clifford on The Catwalk Htx
  • Let's Go Rodeo 2012
  • King's Harbor
  • FotoFest 2012
  • City Centre
  • Hidden Houston
  • Green Living 2012
  • Summer Fun 2012
  • Bookmark
  • 1987: The year that changed Houston
  • Best of Everything 2012
  • Real Estate 2012
  • Rx in the City 2012
  • Lost Pines Road Trip Houston
  • London Dreams
  • State of the Arts 2012
  • HTX Fall For Fashion 2012
  • HTX Good Eats 2012
  • HTX Contemporary Arts 2012
  • HCC 2012
  • Dine to Donate
  • Tasting Room
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2012
  • Charming Charlie
  • Asia Society
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2012
  • HTX Mistletoe on the go
  • HTX Sun and Ski
  • HTX Cars in Lifestyle
  • HTX New Beginnings
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013
  • Zadok Sparkle into Spring
  • HTX Let's Go Rodeo 2013
  • HCC Passion for Fashion
  • BCAF 2013
  • HTX Best of 2013
  • HTX City Centre 2013
  • HTX Real Estate 2013
  • HTX France 2013
  • Driving in Style
  • HTX Island Time
  • HTX Super Season 2013
  • HTX Music Scene 2013
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2013 2
  • HTX Baker Institute
  • HTX Comforts of Home 2013
  • Mothers Day Gift Guide 2021 Houston
  • Staying Ahead of the Game
  • Wrangler Houston
  • First-time Homebuyers Guide Houston 2021
  • Visit Frisco Houston
  • promoted
  • eventdetail
  • Greystar Novel River Oaks
  • Thirdhome Go Houston
  • Dogfish Head Houston
  • LovBe Houston
  • Claire St Amant podcast Houston
  • The Listing Firm Houston
  • South Padre Houston
  • NextGen Real Estate Houston
  • Pioneer Houston
  • Collaborative for Children
  • Decorum
  • Bold Rock Cider
  • Nasher Houston
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2021
  • CityNorth
  • Urban Office
  • Villa Cotton
  • Luck Springs Houston
  • EightyTwo
  • Rectanglo.com
  • Silver Eagle Karbach
  • Mirador Group
  • Nirmanz
  • Bandera Houston
  • Milan Laser
  • Lafayette Travel
  • Highland Park Village Houston
  • Proximo Spirits
  • Douglas Elliman Harris Benson
  • Original ChopShop
  • Bordeaux Houston
  • Strike Marketing
  • Rice Village Gift Guide 2021
  • Downtown District
  • Broadstone Memorial Park
  • Gift Guide
  • Music Lane
  • Blue Circle Foods
  • Houston Tastemaker Awards 2022
  • True Rest
  • Lone Star Sports
  • Silver Eagle Hard Soda
  • Modelo recipes
  • Modelo Fighting Spirit
  • Athletic Brewing
  • Rodeo Houston
  • Silver Eagle Bud Light Next
  • Waco CVB
  • EnerGenie
  • HLSR Wine Committee
  • All Hands
  • El Paso
  • Avenida Houston
  • Visit Lubbock Houston
  • JW Marriott San Antonio
  • Silver Eagle Tupps
  • Space Center Houston
  • Central Market Houston
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Travel Texas Houston
  • Alliantgroup
  • Golf Live
  • DC Partners
  • Under the Influencer
  • Blossom Hotel
  • San Marcos Houston
  • Photo Essay: Holiday Gift Guide 2009
  • We Heart Hou
  • Walker House
  • HTX Good Eats 2013
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2013
  • HTX Culture Motive
  • HTX Auto Awards
  • HTX Ski Magic
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2014
  • HTX Texas Traveler
  • HTX Cifford on the Catwalk 2014
  • HTX United Way 2014
  • HTX Up to Speed
  • HTX Rodeo 2014
  • HTX City Centre 2014
  • HTX Dos Equis
  • HTX Tastemakers 2014
  • HTX Reliant
  • HTX Houston Symphony
  • HTX Trailblazers
  • HTX_RealEstateConfidential_2014
  • HTX_IW_Marks_FashionSeries
  • HTX_Green_Street
  • Dating 101
  • HTX_Clifford_on_the_Catwalk_2014
  • FIVE CultureMap 5th Birthday Bash
  • HTX Clifford on the Catwalk 2014 TEST
  • HTX Texans
  • Bergner and Johnson
  • HTX Good Eats 2014
  • United Way 2014-15_Single Promoted Articles
  • Holiday Pop Up Shop Houston
  • Where to Eat Houston
  • Copious Row Single Promoted Articles
  • HTX Ready to Jingle 2014
  • htx woodford reserve manhattans
  • Zadok Swiss Watches
  • HTX Wonderful Weddings 2015
  • HTX Charity Challenge 2015
  • United Way Helpline Promoted Article
  • Boulevard Realty
  • Fusion Academy Promoted Article
  • Clifford on the Catwalk Fall 2015
  • United Way Book Power Promoted Article
  • Jameson HTX
  • Primavera 2015
  • Promenade Place
  • Hotel Galvez
  • Tremont House
  • HTX Tastemakers 2015
  • HTX Digital Graffiti/Alys Beach
  • MD Anderson Breast Cancer Promoted Article
  • HTX RealEstateConfidential 2015
  • HTX Vargos on the Lake
  • Omni Hotel HTX
  • Undies for Everyone
  • Reliant Bright Ideas Houston
  • 2015 Houston Stylemaker
  • HTX Renewable You
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • Urban Flats Builder
  • HTX New York Fashion Week spring 2016
  • Kyrie Massage
  • Red Bull Flying Bach
  • Hotze Health and Wellness
  • ReadFest 2015
  • Alzheimer's Promoted Article
  • Formula 1 Giveaway
  • Professional Skin Treatments by NuMe Express

    Real Estate Intelligence

    The new home dating game: Picking the right production builder for you

    Joel Luks
    Jun 12, 2011 | 4:01 pm
    • Newmark Homes "Merlot" floor plan is a favorite with Mediterranean stuccoexterior and a porte-cochere.
      Photo by Joel Luks
    • Perry Homes "5497" floor plan exemplifies the builder's aesthetic. Texastraditional elevations, ample windows and red bricks exteriors dominate thebuilder's style.
    • Newmark model home at Pine Mill Ranch in Katy. The "Barcelona" combines stucco,brick and stone materials for a contemporary hill country look.
    • As one of the largest national publicly-held homebuilder, Village Buildersoffers features often not included in standard new construction.
    • David Weekley Homes emphasizes green builder, low-cost energy bills, openspaces, smart room placement and careful attention to traffic patterns.

    Looking for a new home in the suburbs?

    Residential construction in Houston's outer sphere is dominated by themed master planned communities with pretty lakes, family amenities and green spaces promising a picture perfect family life. That means fashionable people drinking wine around a fab kitchen while the kids play mischievously outside with the dog.

    Model home "amusement parks" are becoming the norm, where homes of all sizes and price ranges appear one after the other in a row. It's a one-stop-shop for home seekers. But synthesizing the information and differentiating between builders can be daunting and overwhelming, if not outright impossible.

    The scene is mainly dominated by production builders. That means they have a set of plans with included features and also offer optional add ons with set pricing. You pick what you like and they build it for you.

    Below are five of the top Houston builders, ones you will encounter again and again in your suburban adventures. And we've offered some intel to help you tell them apart.

    What is each good at? We have the scoop.

    David Weekley Homes

    David Weekley Homes is the largest privately-held home builder in the United States and it earned a spot on Fortune's100 Best Companies to Work For list. Happy workers usually translates to happy clients.

    The builder's designs excel in soft features as part of its LifeDesign program, maximizing bright open areas with smart room placement while taking into account traffic patterns. David Weekley's kitchens are always stunning and open with oversized islands for entertaining.

    Expect to find plenty of flexible space in their existing floor plans — a bedroom could easily turn into a media room or children's retreat. Though the company's website is atrocious, don't get discouraged during the investigative stage. It's much better to see the homes in person. When it comes to green features, David Weekley promises robust eco-conscious inclusions and low maintenance bills.

    Newmark Homes

    Previously one of the big kahunas of the production building world, private home builder Newmark Homes returned to a local model following the restructuring of its parent company in 2009. The operations are managed by veterans of the industry, including 1983 original founder Lonnie Fedrick.

    What's to love? Flexible floor plans with plenty of options to enlarge, change and optimize space. The cost for some of these may seem high, but when you take into consideration added square footage, the value is worth it if the space is desired. The elevation (facade) choices are great, almost always including one of those delicious Mediterranean designs, stucco and chateau roofs included.

    Newmark will customize structure and move walls to a point — expect to pay a redraw fee though.

    When it comes to interior selections, its design center offers plenty of materials usually only offered in custom homes. The upgrades are reasonably priced and able to cater traditionalists and modernists.

    Perry Homes

    Perry's building aesthetic is as Texas as it gets: Big and traditional. You'll recognize its look quite easily. If it's big and has red brick, it's most likely a Perry.

    Why Perry Homes? You'll find more floor plans than any other builder and the homes often feel larger than their stated square footage, partly due to soaring ceilings and oversized windows. The selection ranges from large one-story homes to huge colonial mansions at upwards of 7,000 square feet. Perry offers some of the largest square footage values, but slightly less standard features, making it a perfect builder for those with big families.

    Don't expect to customize too much. The company's model allows the building of a great number of speculative homes, and deals are ready to be made on completed inventory.

    Trendmaker Homes

    Celebrating 40 years, Trendmaker Homes has earned a great reputation for being an innovator in the real estate world. The look of a Trendmaker is recognizable, though the company's expansion into the custom home market with its brand of Avanti Custom Homes allows for more artistic license. There is also the Texas Casual Cottages, which designs catering country and front porch living.

    What's fabulous? The included features are arguably unbeatable, but that doesn't mean you'll get them for free. You'll find a higher dollar per square foot price here, and justifiably so, especially if you love a bunch of everyday conveniences.

    The SmartDifferences program includes raised dishwashers — a God-send for those with back issues — trash can cabinets, built-in spice racks, dual shower heads in the master bath, built-in work counters in the garage, laundry chutes, backpack racks, keyless entry systems, hidden storage behind a bookcase and computer centers.

    Village Builders

    Village Builders is part of the Lennar empire, a Fortune 500 company with headquarters in Miami. It is one of the largest home builders in the country and ranks as the fifth most admired home builder, according to CNN Money. The Village brand is exclusive to Texas, with a presence in Austin, San Antonio and Houston.

    The powers that be at Village have not been shy to use their enormous purchasing power to give a lot of additional goodies to homebuyers. Features like refrigerators, washer, dryers and blinds — typically not included in new construction — find their way into every home Village builds. Its efficient, volume model doesn't allow for much customization, but the small number of floor plans are very well thought out, especially in the higher price ranges.

    Like Perry, Village Builders likes inventory. You'll be able to walk through completed homes and determine if building or buying ready-to-move-in fits your needs. Do keep in mind that the deals are made on ready-to-move-in specs.

    If you like a home, make a ridiculous offer. The management has been caught pulling their pants down to move a sitting duck.

    unspecifiedseries568663994
    series/real-estate-2011
    news/real-estate

    No Stiffs

    The dead pool: Funeral bars shoot for a swimming time

    Caroline Gallay
    Jun 30, 2011 | 10:55 am
    • A look in at the pool that will be the centerpiece of one of the bars.
      Photo by Caroline Gallay
    • Will the funeral bars really be ready to open by Wednesday as advertised?
      Photo by Caroline Gallay
    • Photo by Caroline Gallay
    • Photo by Caroline Gallay
    • Photo by Caroline Gallay
    • Photo by Caroline Gallay

    We got a tip over the weekend that those bars being constructed on Upper Kirby out of the old Settegast Kopf funeral home had opened.

    Given the mess of the construction site, we had our doubts, but we went by Tuesday afternoon to check things out. What we can tell you is the following: The bars do not appear to be open, but that rumor about the pool in the funeral bar is definitely true.

    As we reported earlier, despite the lawsuit and some serious parking issues, Roak, Twist and Hendrick's Pub have, as a collective, obtained a liquor license from the TABC and all the necessary permits for construction.

    On Friday we noticed that an event on our calendar that's scheduled for Wednesday, July 13 is to be hosted at Roak (and it boasts "sipping specialty cocktails" by that pool we mentioned.)

    By the looks of these pictures we took Tuesday evening, we're not sure what shape it will be in by then — but we've seen crazier stuff happen. What do you think?

    unspecifiedseries568663994
    series/real-estate-2011
    news/real-estate
    CULTUREMAP EMAILS ARE AWESOME
    Get Houston intel delivered daily.
    Loading...