On the Market

This Victorian in Sunset Heights is a lady deserving of our attention

A gem of a Victorian style home lights up the street in Sunset Heights.
The family room with gas log fireplace is airy and spacious.
The dining room leads to the kitchen and family room.
The master bedroom has his and hers walk-in closets and a front porch perchoverlooking the neighborhood.
The galley-style kitchen is accented with heaps of granite.
Fourteen-foot ceilings and reclaimed hardwood floors are bonus attractions.
Leaded-glass double doors in the entrance are just some of the upgrades theowners added.

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.

414 E. 28th Street

This charming Victorian-style home reminds me of the great old houses of New Orleans' Garden District, though on a somewhat smaller scale and with much better closet space and bathrooms.

Walk through: Upgrades set this gem apart from the pack as you see from the moment you enter through the leaded glass double-doors and walk across reclaimed hardwood floors. It's somewhat of a shotgun style house, again reminiscent of New Orleans charm, that works surprisingly well. From the living/dining area, a rather cozy space, you move into the kitchen (granite counter tops) that is open to a spacious family room with a gas log fireplace.

That area overlooks a back porch, small garden and on to the garage, where there is an unfinished apartment on the second level.

Three bedrooms, baths and walk-in closets on the second floor belie what might seem a small place from the street view. The front porch off the master offers a treehouse perch overlooking the neighborhood.

Love it: The detached garage is accessed through a back alley which means no obtrusive driveways blocking the front entrance.

Wow factor: Fourteen-foot high ceilings give this totally charming dwelling a spacious feel. In addition, the old-style front and back porch areas, accessed by glass doors, deliver excellent light and and airiness.

Not so wow: The street, a few blocks from 610, is clearly in transition and it could be a while before the nearby properties are razed to make way for higher quality residences.

Square footage: 2,300 in the house, add the garage apartment for more breathing room.

Taxes: $7,975

Asking price: $427,900

Listing agent: Moni Bohnisch with John Daugherty Realtors.

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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

This Victorian in Sunset Heights is a lady deserving of our attention

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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.