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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Having a Realtor you trust is important, but having someone who can negotiate a killer deal and offer experienced advice on renovations? That's priceless.

Annie Boland is just such a Realtor. She recently joined Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty with nearly two decades of real estate experience, plus a hobby of investing in, designing, and then selling investment properties.

This all comes in very handy for her buyers and sellers, who might be seeking help to either ready a home for market or upgrade their newly purchased abode before move-in.

She especially loves helping out clients in Lazybrook/Timbergrove, a community she says has one of the best locations in Houston.

"You are tucked right inside the loop — with easy access to both 610 and I-10 — and just a few minutes from Memorial Park and all the hip restaurants and shops in the Greater Heights, without paying the price of the Heights!" she exclaims. "It is also less than 10 miles from the heart of downtown."

Boland offered up a few more of her personal favorites about life in Lazybrook/Timbergrove. Here's her guide:

Where to eat & drink
Boland names Field & Tides, Cultivate, La Lucha, and Superica her most-visited eateries.

Where to play
"A big bonus to this area is you can step out of your door and hop on the White Oak Trail for walking, jogging, and cycling," she says. "Personally, I love riding my bike on the trail."

She also recommends Memorial Park to walk or bike and for hitting a few balls at the driving range.

Where to live
The area is filled with 1950s and '60s ranches with new construction interspersed — "I am a sucker for ranches, and each and every ranch here is a hidden gem!" she says.

These ranches tend to sit on lots that are larger in size than most in the Greater Heights, and have beautiful mature trees. This is an area that is ideal for first-time homebuyers and couples looking to start a family, Boland advises.

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Annie Boland works and plays in Lazybrook/Timbergrove For more information on buying and selling a home in the area, click here,, email annie.boland@sothebys.realty, or call 713-970-1065.