On the Market

Massive tree-filled lot is prime selling point for renovated Tanglewood home

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.

Secure that prestigious Tanglewood address with an attractively updated four-bedroom house sitting back on a 21,000-square-foot lot with mature trees. The one-story home, built in 1952, is now for sale at $1,375,000.

Walk through
Located at 5688 Green Tree Road, the traditional style one-story residence now boasts renovations such as soaring entry ceilings with porcelain tile flooring, open-concept living and kitchen areas and large formal rooms with custom shutters. A kitchen makeover includes quartz countertops, mother-of-pearl backsplash, abundant storage, undercounter lighting and stainless steel appliances. A breakfast nook, wet bar and wine storage are located just off the family room.

Here, the original wooden floors are restained and refinished, and exposed beams are painted in a complementary accent color. A wood-burning fireplace anchors the large room, which enjoys views of the back yard with brick patio and courtyard via double French doors. A nearby powder room is redone with gold-hued appointments.

The master suite has private access to the courtyard, and the master bath, also a re-do, features marble countertops with dual sinks and a center vanity space. A oversized oval tub and separate enclosed seamless shower are arranged on the other side of the room.

Shuttered windows bring natural light into the other three bedrooms, all complete with refurbished hard wood flooring. The house has two full baths and two half-baths.

Step outside
A wrought iron fence built this year designates the brick courtyard with fountain, part of the landscaping designed by William Glauser of Glauser & Company. An 8-foot wooden fence, also a recent addition, creates privacy in the adjoining green space, with plenty of room for a swimming pool. The two-car garage with gated side driveway entrance is attached.

Square footage: 3,137

Asking price: $1,375,000

Listing agent: Richard Ray, John Daugherty Realtors

Welcome to 5688 Green Tree Road in Tanglewood.

1 On the Market 5688 Green Tree Road December 2014

Photo courtesy of © TK Images

Welcome to 5688 Green Tree Road in Tanglewood.

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Market Upset

Houston shocks as one of 10 worst big cities for first-time homebuyers

Row of houses in Houston, Houston homes for sale

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Houston is the worst Texas city for first-time buyers.

The Houston housing market may not be for everyone. In a surprising turn of events, Houston has flopped to the bottom of a new list of the best U.S. cities for first-time homebuyers.

WalletHub's new study — which analyzes the affordability, quality of life, and real estate market in 300 U.S. cities — ranks Houston No. 271, or the 30th worst city overall in the U.S. to buy your first home. And, when broken down by city size, WalletHub ranks Houston the 9th worst big city for first-time buyers (No. 61 out of 69).

Houston's lack of appeal for first-time buyers is essentially due to its poor affordability and quality of life scores, rather than the state of the city's housing market, according to the report's findings.

H-town ranks 216th out of all 300 U.S. cities for its affordability, and it appears farther down the list for its quality of life, landing 284th nationally. Houston's cost of living, however, is better than most cities, ranking 51st overall.

The city's real estate market ranking is among the top 100 in the U.S., at No. 91, but that wasn't enough to outweigh its less-than-stellar rankings in the other main categories.

Other metrics (where No. 1 is the best and No. 150 is average) that factored into Houston's overall ranking include:

No. 31 – Total home energy cost
No. 77 – Rent-to-price ratio
No. 99 – Median home-price appreciation
No. 148 – Foreclosure rate
No. 246 – Real estate tax rate
No. 270 – Property crime rates

While Houston boasts the lowest Texas ranking on the list, it isn't the only Lone Star city that is less than favorable for first-time buyers. In fact, only one Texas spot — the Dallas suburb of McKinney — lands among the top 100 of the report. A total of 20 Texas cities rank outside the top 100, with Laredo (No. 200), Mesquite (No. 202), San Antonio (No. 208), and Dallas (No. 233) joining Houston as the state's worst.

First-time buyers across the country are entering the housing market at a difficult time, the report says. The National Association of Realtors reported the share of first-time homebuyers sank to an all-time low in 2025, to 21 percent, whereas the historic national average is 40 percent.

"Buying a home for the first time is an exciting and important milestone for many Americans, but achieving that milestone is getting more difficult as prices and interest rates continue to rise," the report's author wrote. "People willing and able to invest in a house this year must balance what they want and need with what they can afford. Often, people begin searching for their dream home without a realistic idea of market prices, interest rates or even their eligibility for a mortgage."

wallethub real estate housing market first time homebuyers houston reports