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    The Ice Cream Mansion

    The ice cream mansion? A massive luxury "farm house" in Blue Bell country hits the market for $1.49 million

    Barbara Kuntz
    Barbara Kuntz
    Nov 21, 2014 | 12:39 pm

    Editor's Note: Houston, the surrounding areas and beyond are loaded with must-have houses and properties for sale in all shapes, sizes and price ranges. In this continuing series, CultureMap snoops through some of the best and gives you the lowdown on what's hot on the market.

    Experience a gentler, less-hurried way of life at the 10-acre Morning Glory Farm, a serene outpost within the hills and valleys of the historic Texas Independence Trail Region in the Blue Bell Ice Cream haven of Brenham, now for sale at $1,497,500 as a family vacation destination, corporate retreat or even a bed and breakfast.

    A bit of background
    The country estate began more than 35 years ago when previous owners, seeking to create a weekend get-away, moved a historic 1925 Washington County school house onto the land. Renovations followed when the present owners purchased the property in 1997 and added modern plumbing and electricity to the already spacious home.

    Pasture meadows and an organic garden are part of the country experience.

    They crowned the country gem Morning Glory Farm and set about further transforming the house and grounds into the attractive, manicured yet natural multi-structure estate that it is today.

    Walk through
    Native Loblolly pines line the front drive from the gate at FM 390 North to the main house as well as a guest cottage and bunkhouse, now part of the compound and fashioned after the remodeled school house. A meadow of Bahia grass and wildflowers and a constant-level pond with fountain, lighted pier and gazebo also welcome owners to the retreat.

    The main house features a Texas-style front porch, opening to 15-foot ceilings, hand-sawed hardwood floors and a generously sized living and dining area with banks of windows. The updated kitchen includes artisan tile countertops and an island with pull-up seating.

    The master suite extends to a sitting area and an office, with the master bath boasting double sinks, shower, jetted tub and a walk-in closet. Two secondary bedrooms, one with a play loft, share a Hollywood bathroom.

    Perfect for extended family and guests, the guesthouse offers five bedrooms and three bathrooms, an open living and dining area and a fully equipped kitchen. The bunkhouse has an open kitchenette, living and dining rooms and a large dormitory-style bedroom sharing a Hollywood bath with the main living area. Both cozy structures come complete with deep front porches to relax on while catching a country breeze and taking in views of the property.

    Step outside
    Amenities abound in the great out-of-doors, including a grotto pool with a waterfall, wide stone terraces meandering from house to house and a gazebo with school bell to ring to rally guests inside for a hearty, home-cooked meal. Pasture meadows and an organic garden are part of the country experience. Horses are allowed at this leisure ranch. The two-car garage is detached.

    Notes: Morning Glory Farm is only 75 minutes from Houston and 10 minutes from the Brenham airport. The estate includes two irrigation systems and two water wells. An additional adjacent 20 acres at Morning Glory Farm are available and may be purchased separately.

    Square footage: 2,606 (main house)

    Asking price: $1,497,500

    Listing agent: Robert Frank, Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty

    The main house at Morning Glory Farm was once a one-room school house built in 1925. Now it welcomes and invites after complete restoration and refurbishing.

    1 On the Market Morning Glory Farm in Brenham November 2014
    Photo courtesy of © TK Images
    The main house at Morning Glory Farm was once a one-room school house built in 1925. Now it welcomes and invites after complete restoration and refurbishing.
    unspecified
    news/real-estate

    REAL ESTATE NEWS

    More Houston homeowners are becoming 'accidental landlords,' study finds

    Brandon Watson
    Mar 18, 2026 | 10:30 am
    For Lease Real Estate Sign Hangs in Front Yard of House
    Getty Images
    An increasing number of San Antonio homeowners are bcoming "accidental landlords"

    Houston homeowners unable to sell their properties are increasingly becoming “accidental landlords,” according to Zillow. The real estate marketplace’s newest analysis says that 4.2 percent of its local for-sale listings recently converted to rentals, making the Bayou City the second-worst U.S. city for the market trend.

    Only Denver (4.9 percent) ranks higher, with Austin (4.1 percent) and San Antonio (3.9 percent) not far behind. Seven of the top 10 metros are in Texas or Florida.

    Zillow senior economist Kara Ng says today's dynamic is driven by choice rather than panic. Homeowners aren't being forced to sell; they're simply unwilling to accept what the market will actually pay.

    "As the market continues to rebalance, sellers are facing a different reality than they did a few years ago," Ng said in a statement. "Bargaining power is tilting toward buyers, and homes are taking longer to sell, making renting out a property one way to buy time rather than compete aggressively on price. After all, today's sellers are rarely forced to sell, and it appears they are often unwilling to budge off of what their heart says their home is worth."

    Nationally, the trend is nearing a record high. 2.3 percent of all Zillow rental listings were recently for-sale properties, second only to November 2022, when mortgage rates had doubled in a single year, and sellers were scrambling. That spike was shock-driven, but now stubbornness is likely fueling the shift.

    Single-family homes make up the largest share of accidental landlord properties, but condos are seeing the fastest rise. Metros with the hottest buyer competition, including Boston, New York City, and Providence, Rhode Island, have the lowest accidental landlord rates.

    For both local buyers and sellers, Goldilocks thinking is increasingly the norm. Sellers, especially those who bought during the COVID-19 boom, are holding their asking price firm to avoid taking a loss. Buyers, for their part, are refusing to compromise on concessions and repairs.

    Meanwhile, the city's rental market keeps getting larger. In 2025, rental listings website Point2Homes placed the Houston area among the top 10 U.S. metros building the most new homes for rent.

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