a warm west u abode

Comfortably contemporary new home in West University offers ideal family space for $2.85 million

Idyllic and cozy, there's something endlessly charming about West University. An enclave unto itself in the middle of Houston’s hum and bustle, it’s known for shady streets, lovely parks, and cozy community.

Aside from being home to CultureMap columnist Ken Hoffman, West U has been crowned the best city to live in Texas.

For home shoppers looking to enjoy West U's cozy confines, a newly built home at 3203 Georgetown St. represents a choice option. The contemporary, four-bedroom home is on the market for $2.85 million, represented by Patricia Reed of Sotheby’s International Realty.

Across more than 4,800 square feet on a lot that’s just under two-tenths of an acre, this is a home that is perfect for family living, with plenty of space to entertain.

The two-story home offers four bedroom and four and a half bathrooms. Details have been thoughtfully selected throughout, including hardwood floors, beautiful built-in shelves, massive windows to allow in plenty of light, and an overall contemporary feel.

Designed by Jennifer Hemelet for Mirador Builders, 3203 Georgetown is a lovely haven. The kitchen is a casual gathering space, with a giant island, breakfast nook, wood-plank ceiling, and high-end appliances. Loads of cabinets arranged around the room keep everything organized and offer an open feel to the room.

A must for families and kids, a mudroom provides cubbies and hooks for school backpacks, sports equipment, even a leash or two. A vintage chandelier provides a midcentury showpiece to the dining room.

The primary bedroom boasts a spa-like bathroom with double vanities, soaking tub, and walk-in shower. A second-level game room offers a wall of windows and A/V closet, and is the perfect place for teens and tweens to take over with their friends.

Outdoor living is centered around a rear porch with a pine ceiling with ceiling fan that overlooks a tranquil backyard — with more than enough space to add a pool.

This home is move-in ready, and waiting for its new owners to create memories and build their lives here. It’s a space that can easily grow with a growing family, or be a spot where a couple can entertain visitors for an evening or a longer stay. Its location is in the heart of West U, and therefore in the heart of Houston, convenient to the Medical Center, Rice University, Greenway Plaza, downtown, and more.

Photos via Sotheby's International Realty.

The newly built home at 3203 Georgetown St.

millennial magnet

Houston stars among 30 hottest U.S. metros for millennial homebuyers

Photo by Jose Losada on Unsplash

Houston is a millennial magnet.

Houston and its surrounding cities have already proved to be magnets for millennials, and now a new national housing report has established the city as one of the 15 hottest destinations for millennials, whose local homeownership rate has nearly doubled since 2018.

The number of millennials who own their homes in Houston has grown from 227,365 to 418,698 households over the last five years (84.2 percent), according to a new housing analysis from RentCafe.

The study compared homeowner growth rates versus renter growth rates of millennials — based on Pew Research Center's definition as individuals born between 1981 and 1996 — across 107 U.S. metro areas from 2018 to 2023.

Houston ranked No. 29 in the overall list of U.S. metros that have seen the highest increase in millennial homeowners since 2018. About 49 percent of all Houston-area millennials own their homes, with the remaining 51 percent renting, the report found.

Houston also ranked 22nd in the national list of cities with the biggest growth rates among millennial-age renters. The number of millennial renter households jumped from 397,410 to 439,371 in five years, a 10.6 percent hike.

About 5.3 million millennials have become homeowners over the last five years nationwide, RentCafe's analysts said, which represents a massive 74 percent increase in millennial-owned households. The growth rate of renters was much lower in comparison.

"At the same time, the number of millennial renters in the U.S. rose by a modest 5 percent, adding approximately 600,000 households," RentCafe said. "This brings the total number of millennial homeowner households to 12.4 million, close to the 12.6 million millennial renter households."

While the rate of millennial homeowners is on the rise, the same can't be said for Gen Zers. Less than 15 percent of all Gen Z households in Houston own their homes, while the vast majority are renters, a separate RentCafe study found.

Elsewhere across the state, Austin (No. 7) and San Antonio (No. 10) ranked among the top 10 U.S. cities with the biggest growth rates among millennial homeowners.

The top 10 U.S. metros with the highest gains in millennial homeowners are:

No. 1 – North Port, Florida
No. 2 – Lakeland, Florida
No. 3 – Jacksonville, Florida
No. 4 – Stockton, California
No. 5 – Oxnard, California
No. 6 – Palm Bay, Florida
No. 7 – Austin, Texas
No. 8 – Tuscon, Arizona
No. 9 – Deltona, Florida
No. 10 – San Antonio, Texas

rentcafe study real estate housing report millennials houston