Your Expert Guide

West University Place: Exemplary schools and a great location for close-knit community

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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Some Houston history: West University Place originated from its close proximity to Rice University. The city was declared incorporated on January 2, 1924, and the streets are named after universities and colleges throughout the country. It's only minutes away from the Texas Medical Center, Museum District, Galleria, and downtown, and it's an area in which real estate agent Melinda Dawes-Ewing lives and works.

"West University has been my home for the last 20-plus years," she says. "The elementary school, the close-knit community, and safety have provided a unique neighborhood in which to raise my family."

It was also a natural spot for Dawes-Ewing to focus on when she began her real estate career nearly a decade ago (though she also services surrounding areas of Houston). Families and professionals enjoy the small-town feel in the middle of a big city. Some even refer to West U as Mayberry, she says.

Few may know, but Dawes-Ewing's relationship with homes goes back even further. She worked behind the scenes of the popular TV show Extreme Home Makeover when it filmed in Houston in 2010.

Dawes-Ewing shared a few of her personal favorites about life in West University Place. Here's her guide:

Photo courtesy of Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty

3763 Garnet St. was listed at $4.95 million.

Where to eat & drink
"Coppa Osteria and Tiny's No. 5 both have a quaint and social atmosphere, outstanding service, exceptional food, and great patios" she says. "I call Tiny’s No. 5 and Tiny's Milk & Cookies our hidden gems."

Where to play
West University Place is known for its various parks — so much so that the Friends of West University organization holds an annual Park Lovers' Ball to continue to preserve, develop, and grow these spaces for future generations.

Colonial Park offers a community pool, pavilion, tennis courts, and playground, Dawes-Ewing says, while the Rec Center has a lap pool, weight room, cardiovascular room, and racquetball courts. Additional classes such as yoga, Jazzercize, and dance are also offered.

Some of her favorite memories are volunteering on the Auxillary for West University Little League and West University Softball Association when her children played ball.

"In the spring, you can take a walk over to Wallin Field, grab a bite to eat at the Dugout, and watch a West University Little League Game,” Dawes-Ewing suggests. “It is such an amazing community."

Where to live
The uniqueness of West University Place is that all properties feature distinct architectural styles, shares Dawes-Ewing. From cottages to traditional homes to new construction, everyone can find the perfect home for their family.

One stunning custom home, 3763 Garnet St., is a previous sale of Dawes-Ewing's.

The four-bedroom home by acclaimed architect Travis Mattingly, masterfully crafted by Stonehenge Classic Homes, sits on a prime corner lot in desirable Southside Place, a separate city within West University Place.

Listed at $4,950,000, the home went under contract in less than 24 hours with multiple offers and sold significantly over asking price.

In fact, Dawes-Ewing has sold the most expensive home ever in the neighborhood, and has represented sellers on four out of the five most expensive homes ever sold in West University Place, including 2620 Barbara Ln. and 6426 Sewanee, and 3767 Darcus St. in Southside Place.

“Melinda exhibited unbelievable professionalism from the very beginning of the process all the way through closing," says the seller. "She held our hand and guided us to a truly amazing outcome. ”

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Melinda Dawes-Ewing lives, works, and plays in West University Place. For more information on buying and selling a home in the area, click here, email melinda.dawes@sothebys.realty, or call 713-302-6765.

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Made-for-TV listing

Chip and Joanna Gaines list fixed-up Waco mansion for $7.4M

Facebook/Magnolia Realty

A Waco mansion fixed up for TV by Chip and Joanna Gaines is on the market for $7.4 million.

A Waco estate that will star in Chip and Joanna Gaines’ latest TV series, Fixer Upper: Chip Bought a Mansion, has gone on the market for $7.4 million.

The more than 14,000-square-foot mansion sits on a 5.7-acre site at 5305 Hillcrest Dr. that boasts views of Lake Waco. The listing, held by Amanda Nesbitt of the Gaineses’ Magnolia Realty, says the home “will be thoughtfully reimagined to reveal a timeless, more neutral-leaning palette for a future owner.”

Listing photos show the pre-renovation state of the mansion.

The European-style mansion, featuring a red-brick and cast-stone façade, looks similar to luxury homes you’d find in Preston Hollow, Highland Park, and other high-end neighborhoods in the Dallas area.

A light-filled, two-story foyer with a floating staircase and ornate iron banisters greets visitors, as do parquet flooring and stately columns.

Gaines Waco mansion The mansion foyer before the renovation.Facebook/Magnolia Realty

Venturing into the six-year-old home, you’ll find six bedrooms and 11 bathrooms. The first-floor primary suite offers two bathrooms, several closets, and courtyard access. A guest suite comes with a bedroom, bathroom, living area, kitchenette, and private entrance.

Amenities include:

$\u200bGaines Fixer Upper mansion$

Facebook/Magnolia Realty

A Waco mansion fixed up for TV by Chip and Joanna Gaines is on the market for $7.4 million.

Private study
Billiard room
Media room
Wet bar
Wine cellar
Butler’s pantry
Gym with a steam shower

Outside, several covered porches, an outdoor kitchen, an infinity-edge pool, and a pond let residents and visitors soak up nature. A motor court and four garage bays provide ample space for parking.

As part of the Fixer Upper renovations, the home’s architectural details, such as trim, moldings, and millwork, “will be preserved and elevated in order for their craftsmanship to shine,” the listing says.

Gaines Waco mansion The mansion has a splendid view of Lake Waco.Facebook/Magnolia Realty

Meanwhile, the kitchen will be turned into the “central heart” of the mansion, according to the listing.

“Additional design refinements throughout the home will set an elegant, renewed vision for all that Hawkesdene Estate will become,” the listing says.

Fixer Upper: Chip Bought a Mansion, a six-episode series, is scheduled to debut Dec. 27 on the Gaineses’ Magnolia Network and HGTV. New episodes will be available to stream the next day on HBO Max, according to TV Insider.

Chip purchased the mansion three years ago as an investment property, People magazine reported. The series follows the Gaineses as they confront budget challenges and a three-month deadline to sell the property.

“This will be the biggest fixer we’ve ever done,” Joanna says in a clip from the show.

Chip and Joanna recently sold a 136-year-old Waco castle that served as the foundation of another series, Fixer Upper: Welcome Home – The Castle. They listed 6,176-square-foot Cottonland Castle at nearly $2.7 million. The sale price wasn’t disclosed.

chip and joanna fixer upper hgtv luxury mansion texas waco home-for-sale