Your Expert Guide

Braeswood Place: A warm and welcoming hidden gem inside the Loop

There are so many great places to live in Houston that it helps to have an expert on your side. The Neighborhood Guide presented by Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty gives you insider access from the agents who live and work there, providing in-the-know info about your possible new community.

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Real estate agent Stormy Hayes-Knipe calls Braeswood Place a “hidden gem inside the Loop.” This neighborhood is "very peaceful and relaxed with super friendly residents" while also maintaining easy access to everything a big city has to offer. From boasting great parks, excellent schools, a library, and prime walkability to close proximity to the Medical Center, you get the best of both worlds.

“Always expect a ‘hi’ or 'good morning' when you’re walking in the area,” says Stormy.

Originally from El Paso, Stormy has called Houston home for more than 30 years and has lived in the Braeswood Place area for more than 20 of them.

Her comprehensive market knowledge, combined with her energy, dedication, and unwavering positive attitude, means she always goes the extra mile for her clients.

She services multiple neighborhoods across the Houston area, but has a special affinity for her own ’hood. “I love my neighborhood and community and it just makes sense to focus my efforts and work here,” she says.

Stormy is also heavily invested in her neighborhood associations and her two children’s alma maters (Twain, Pershing, Lamar, LSU and Rice University), as well as the greater Houston community, and has served on local committees, advisory boards, and clubs.

She offered up a few of her personal favorites about life in Braeswood Place. Here's her guide to the area:

Where to eat & drink
A favorite of Stormy's, Molina’s Cantina is recognized as the oldest (since 1941!) and one of the best locally owned and operated Tex-Mex restaurants in Houston.

She also recommends Dish Society and Slowpokes or Leven, which are great places to gather for coffee after a neighborhood walk or to meet and hang out with family and friends.

Where to play
Karl Young Park is a beautiful place to get outside with the family, with its shaded playground, walking path, and tennis and pickleball courts.

Twain Spark Park is in the neighborhood, too, says Stormy, and Helen’s Park is picturesque and tranquil.

Stormy also suggests the YMCA, The Little Gym, and Stella Link Library for family-friendly fun along with Palace Social, which is the newly revitalized Palace Bowling Lanes. People familiar with the area may remember this long-time, beloved destination where decades of memories were made.

For our furry four-legged pups there is a small dog park on the north side of Gramercy between Braes and Edloe.

Tons of healthy living options are close by, including Avenu Fitness, iCryo, Orange Theory, Body 20, Pure Body Studio, Ride, and F45. After working out, get a smoothie at Dan’s Vitamin House or Sustain Juicery.

Where to live
The style of homes in the beautiful tree-lined Braeswood Place ranges from traditional to modern, 1950s ranch homes to new construction, and everything in between.

“Most homes have backyards suitable for both play and pools, as well as larger front yards to sit and wave at neighbors or to let the neighborhood kids run around,” says Stormy. "Braeswood Place really does have it all."

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Stormy Hayes-Knipe works and plays in Braeswood Place. For more information on buying and selling a home in the area, click here, email stormy.hayesknipe@sir.com, or call 713-417-0099.

Agent Stormy Hayes-Knipe.

Photo courtesy of Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty

Real estate agent Stormy Hayes-Knipe.

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THE AMERICAN DREAM

How long it takes to save for a home down payment in Houston

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Houstonians don't have to save long to afford a down payment.

Saving for a down payment remains one of the biggest barriers to homeownership nationwide, but a new report from Realtor.com shows San Antonio area buyers face a far shorter wait than most Americans.

According to the real estate site’s 2025 analysis, the typical U.S. household needs seven years to save for a standard down payment, a notable improvement from the 12-year peak in 2022. Still, the timeline remains roughly double the pre-pandemic norm, reflecting higher home prices, larger down payments, and lower household savings rates.

Houston, however, stood out as one of the most accessible major metros in the nation. The Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro boasted one of the shortest time sto save for a down payment among the nation’s 50 largest markets, with households needing just 3.5 years to reach a typical down payment, according to the study.

The report found that Houston’s median down payment from January through November was $14,927. A median household income of $83,452 was estimated to produce an annual savings of $4,228. Notably, San Antonio, the only other Texas city included in the report, had the shortest time to save for a down payment at just 1.3 years.

Nationally, the time needed to save has shortened as home price growth cooled and affordability modestly improved. Still, saving for a down payment takes significantly longer than it did before the pandemic.

“Higher home prices and intensified competition have pushed typical down payments higher, at the same time that inflation and rising household expenses have reduced savings rates,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com, in a release. “Although conditions have improved since 2022, today’s timeline shows that saving for a home takes meaningfully longer than it did before the pandemic, especially in high-cost markets.”

Lower savings rates have played a key role. The U.S. personal savings rate has averaged 5.1 percent of income so far in 2025, down from the pre-pandemic norm of 6.5 percent, limiting how quickly households can build funds for upfront housing costs. Meanwhile, the typical down payment has more than doubled over the past six years — rising from about $13,900 in the third quarter of 2019 to $30,400 in the third quarter of 2025.

In high-cost coastal metros, the impact is far more severe. Saving for a down payment can take 20 to more than 35 years in California cities like San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, and San Diego, effectively sidelining many first-time and moderate-income buyers.

“In high-cost markets, the typical down payment alone exceeds a full year of household income,” said Hannah Jones, Realtor.com senior economic research analyst. “That reality makes homeownership feel unattainable for many buyers, particularly younger households trying to enter the market for the first time.”

Despite those challenges, the report notes that roughly three-quarters of Americans still consider homeownership part of the American dream. Realtor.com says easing rents could help first-time buyers save more, while repeat buyers may use accumulated savings to reduce loan balances and manage higher monthly payments.

“Saving consistently, even in small amounts, is a meaningful first step toward homeownership,” Jones said. “In today’s market, building that financial cushion can make a real difference when buyers are ready to act.”

home market economy down payments home ownership real estate