Qué bella

New Heights luxury condominiums elevate living on bustling and buzzy Yale Street

Bella Heights will offer 28 homes on the bustling Yale Street.

Rendering courtesy of Nan Properties Developer Services

A new development in a bustling area in the Heights promises to elevate living for first-time buyers and those looking for a lock-and-leave lifestyle. Bella Heights, a new luxury condominium complex, will offer 28 homes at 829 Yale Street.

Developed and spearheaded by local real estate firm Nan and Company Properties, the new development features one-, two- and three-bedrooms homes for sale starting in early 2024, per press materials. Those familiar with the area will recognize the lot as a currently abandoned property; the parcel was acquired in January 2023 from Steadfast Funding.

Targeting those looking to live off of the dense Yale Street, which teems with bars, restaurants, and retail, Bella Heights will offer buyers newly constructed homes — including four, two-level penthouses — with expansive terraces and views. Amenities and features include a welcome lobby with attendant, social room, fitness center, grilling terrace with hot tub and sunning lounge, a guest suite, and a pet walk for furry family members.

Another perk: controlled access parking, which will relieve the strain of parking in the Heights — always an adventure.

“We have been working with the design team for Bella Heights to develop a superior lifestyle option for individuals seeking a condominium ownership opportunity,” said Betty M. Harbourt, executive vice president of Nan Properties Developer Services, in a statement.

“With permits in place, construction is underway with homes and an on-site sales center planned to be unveiled early next year. I expect there to be quite a waiting list of buyers who are anxious to become a part of such a special opportunity.”

This new development is the latest project by Nan Properties Developer Services, a new division of Nan and Company Properties. The move, per Nan and Company, is meant to help developers oversee sales and marketing of their developments, and positions each project as an independent brand — each leveraged by Nan Properties and the brokerage's top-flight Christie’s International Real Estate affiliation.

“I am elated that Nan Properties Developer Services was awarded this project, said Nancy Almodovar, CEO of Nan and Company Properties,” in a statement. “The Heights is one of Houston’s most thriving neighborhoods, our firm just opened our new ground-up flagship office in The Heights and is only a block away. I look forward to seeing the energy that the residents will add to Yale Street and the neighborhood.”

If Nan and Company Properties rings familiar, real estate watchers will recognize the company as the listing reps of Whitehall Ranch, the sprawling, ultra-luxury, 656-acre ranch just an hour away from Houston. As CultureMap recently reported, the regal ranch is currently on the market for $42 million.

Interested buyers can register for updates on Bella Heights here.

Nan and Company Properties, the number one digitally driven leading real estate company based in Houston, has announced the exclusive sales and marketing of Bella Heights located at 829 Yale Street. Acquired in January 2023 from Steadfast Funding, Dallas-based Bella Houston Heights has assembled a team of experts to bring new life to the previously abandoned site. A rare and unique offering to the neighborhood, Bella Heights will offer residents newly constructed homes in the heart of the highly desired Heights. There will be one-, two- and three-bedrooms homes available including four two level penthouses with expansive terraces and views.

Executive Vice President of Nan Properties Developer Services, Betty M. Harbourt adds, “We have been working with the design team for Bella Heights to develop a superior lifestyle option for individuals seeking a condominium ownership opportunity. With permits in place, construction is underway with homes and an on-site sales center planned to be unveiled early next year. I expect there to be quite a waiting list of buyers who are anxious to become a part of such a special opportunity.”

The condominium homes offer highly designed floorplans with contemporary finishes. Amenities will include a fitness center, guest suite, a social room with an expansive grilling terrace and sun area, a lobby, a front desk attendance, a mail room with package and refrigeration storage for food deliveries, as well as controlled access parking.

Nancy Almodovar, President and CEO of Nan and Company Properties said, “I am elated that Nan Properties Developer Services was awarded this project. The Heights is one of Houston’s most thriving neighborhoods, our firm just opened our new ground-up flagship office in The Heights and is only a block away. I look forward to seeing the energy that the residents will add to Yale Street and the neighborhood.”

Nan Properties Developer Services provides developers a comprehensive and a strategic approach to overseeing the sales and marketing of their development by providing dedicated sales expertise and the buyers of such a project. It positions each development directly to the consumer as an independent brand and its product offering is leveraged by Nan Properties and the brokerage's Christie’s International Real Estate affiliation.

The Developer Services division of Nan Properties prides itself on being a strategic partner working closely as a team from conception to completion providing developers with highly effective services, including concept development, building design, programming, and sales and marketing.

housing news

Houston ranks among top 10 U.S. cities for mobile home living

Photo by Brian Wangenheim on Unsplash

Manufactured homes have come a long way from the "trailers" of the past, according to StorageCafe.

As Houston residents navigate the city's fluctuating real estate market, manufactured homes – also known as mobile homes – are gaining traction among potential buyers seeking an affordable path to homeownership.

A recent housing study found Houston ranks among the top 10 U.S. cities with the largest mobile home inventory. Texas, as a whole, has the second-highest share of manufactured housing in the nation.

StorageCafe's housing insights report analyzed the supply of manufactured housing inventory, average sales prices of new manufactured homes, and compared pricing trends against the median value of all housing units (regardless of construction date) across all 50 states and 100 U.S. cities.

The report's author hails manufactured housing as "a cornerstone of affordability" in the country, with just under 8 million mobile homes representing about 5.4 percent of the U.S. housing supply.

There are 776,232 manufactured homes in Texas, the report found, which is 6.2 percent of the state's entire housing stock. Houston is home to the 8th highest number of mobile homes in the nation, at 10,953 units.

Here's how the rest of the top 10 shakes out:

No. 1 – Mesa, Arizona (29,335 units)
No. 2 – Phoenix, Arizona (20,564 units)
No. 3 – Jacksonville, Florida (15,393 units)
No. 4 – Largo, Florida (14,131 units)
No. 5 – Tuscon, Arizona (14,128 units)
No. 6 – San Jose, California (11,668 units)
No. 7 – San Antonio, Texas (11,208 units)
No. 8 – Houston, Texas (10,953 units)
No. 9 – Los Angeles, California (10,622 units)
No. 10 – Sunrise Manor, Nevada (9,952 units)

Why manufactured home living is gaining popularity
Affordability is of the main reasons Texas residents are turning to manufactured home living. The average sale price for a mobile home in Texas was $112,500 in 2024, or less than half of the median sale price for all Texas homes ($313,200).

The report specifies that the cost for a manufactured home does not include the cost of land in the same way that a conventional home does. Depending on zoning and local laws, residents who own a mobile home either lease the lot their home sits on, or they have to purchase a lot outright.

"Most manufactured homes sit either in parks (land rent, higher exposure to rent hikes or park closures) or subdivisions (you own the land)," the report said. "In some communities, resident-owned cooperatives (co-ops) allow homeowners to collectively purchase the land beneath their homes. This setup provides stability and protection against rising lot rents, which can otherwise affect those living in privately owned parks."

Nevertheless, StorageCafe maintains that the generally lower cost of a manufactured home still makes it a viable path to homeownership. Affordability is especially crucial for younger adults like Gen Zers and Millennials who also don't want to "compromise on quality or independence."

"Today’s younger buyers value flexibility, efficiency, and minimal maintenance, and many are drawn to simpler lifestyles that align with financial freedom and mobility," the report said. "With the rise of remote work, more Millennials and Gen Zers are exploring the idea of living affordably in smaller, well-designed spaces, often in communities with shared amenities or scenic settings that were once thought to appeal only to retirees."

Manufactured homes have also experienced a "glow up" in recent years, the report added. Most manufactured homes have open floor plans, "stylish interiors," and come equipped with modern amenities like smart-home technology and energy efficient features.

"As a result, they’re no longer viewed as a fallback option, but rather as a savvy, forward-thinking path to homeownership for cost-conscious Americans of all ages," the report said.

Mobile home living elsewhere in Texas
Other than San Antonio in Houston in the top 10, there were 12 more Texas cities that ranked among the top 100. El Paso came in at No. 16 with 7,089 mobile homes in the city, and Laredo ranked two spots behind with 6,785 units.

Here's how other Texas cities fared in the report:

No. 20 – Dallas (6,195 units)
No. 21 – Austin (6,184 units)
No. 22 – Fort Worth (6,069 units)
No. 29 – Corpus Christi (4,823 units)
No. 34 – Pharr (4,409 units)
No. 48 – Arlington (3,818 units)
No. 60 – Mission (3,207 units)
No. 65 – Bryan (3,063 units)
No. 67 – Edinburg (3,407 units)
No. 98 – Denton (2,441 units)

housing market housing report storagecafe texas manufactured housing houston