This question pertains to my imminent move to Houston and so may seem silly in travel forum. But here it goes.

I have been looking at some of the houses in Houston area on the internet. Almost of all of them are traditional red-brick homes with boxy style. I tend to like Mediterranean homes, the style that is common in Florida. Would it be tough to find this style under 300K in Houston area? A friend of mine in Houston says one needs to go above 400K to get that kind of a home.

Thanks!

Yes, most "average" homes in Texas are brick traditional. You will have to get into the higher price ranges (or find that "needle in a haystack") to find anything different. The "Mediterranean" style you speak of is not so common here due to the climate and the difficulty of maintaining stucco in it, or so I hear.

You can find different style houses but it requires effort from your realtor. We were like you & wanted a different style house. All we were seeing were "brick boxes". It got to the point that we would drive to a listing & our realtor would say "brick box" & we'd leave. Finally, she found us a log home with all wood interior on 4 acres in Conroe. It was fabulous & the price was a steal.

Go to www.har.com & check these MLS numbers to see if they are anything like what you want. Print out the pictures to show your realtor.
MLS# /Area: 4005884 / 38-FT BEND EAST
MLS# / Area: 8779408 / 23-MEMORIAL
MLS# / Area: 6107339 / 23-MEMORIAL
MLS# / Area: 6114319 / 33-GALVESTON COUNTY
MLS# / Area: 2990411 / 13-NORTHWEST
MLS# / Area: 3245018 / 15-MONTGOMERY CO SW

Our realtor's name is Betty Savage & if anyone can find your house it will be her. She is a Houston realtor & has been for many years. You might give her a call & sound her out. Her patience is amazing & she really worked to find us the right home.

You might even be able to work with a builder & modify a home plan to add the Mediterranean details you want. Being flexible about area (to an extent) helps as well.

Good luck!

Most of the Mediterranean homes here were built in the last 5-10 years or so. Many of them were built with artificial stucco which was prone to mold problems. Houston has a great variety of architectural styles, but the "boring brick box" is most prevalent in tract built communities. You would probably be at a higher price point mainly because you would be looking at newer homes that were custom built. Talk to a realtor. That said you would probably have difficulty find a Mediterranean home in Florida under 300K.

Ok, so I can forget about Mediterranean style home. I thought that, being close to Mexico and with a large spanish population, Mediterranean style would be quite common but oh well!

What about European design? I guess my real question is that, in general, how tough is it to find a home with an elevation/design other than the traditional boxy style under 300K?

I wonder why is that "boring brick box" style so popular in Houston. I read an article that a builder built and tried to sell homes with mediterranean designs. While the people seemed to like them, they still went to another community nearby for tradiional style. Eventually, the builder had to redesign his homes.

benj, thanks for useful info. MLS# /Area: 4005884 / 38-FT BEND EAST
comes closest to what I had in mind.
I would contact your realtor for similar and other properties.

Thanks!

Like Binthair and I said, many of the homes with non-brick/stucco exteriors have maintenance problems due to the climate. People don't really know how to take care of them, so they stick with the "traditional" styles that they are more familiar with. In this high humidity climate, brick is the easiest to maintain.

By "European" do you mean tudor, or contemporary? The contemporary styled homes are even harder to find than the mediterranean ones in the lower price ranges. Occasionally, you'll find a tudor, though.

There is more innovative architecture inside the loop area--frequently the 2 or 3 storey patio home type unit. There are some interesting modern designs near memorial park and throughout an area known as montrose.

Thanks Christie! I think I dont mind bricks. It is the elevation or exterior design that's more important to me. I think builders need to come with a wider variety of designs rather than the same box-like structure.

Actually, this is not just a case with Houston. Many visitors from other countries, even those from less developed countries, often tell me that America lacks architectural variety; that its houses, buildings, shopping malls etc are rather bland.

I think they tend to compare us with Europe, which has plethora of historical buildings and cultures, each with its own distinct style.

Also, in other countries such as those in Asia, many of the new structures are quite amazing and lavish.So we have Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Kansai terminal in Osaka, Changi Airport in Singapore and so on.

The type of house you describe will probably be inside the loop and above the your price max. We were fortunate enough to find a European style house in the Heights. But it was above your threshold, and I am amazed at what nearby houses are selling for now.

If you are going to live here for a while, you might think about building. However, most of the builders will have ranch style, big box layouts.

benj, I have seen you rave about Betty Savage several times. Based on my experience with realtors along with all of my friends, she must be good. I think you said she just represent buyers. I am trying to find someone to help us sell our old house. It's over in Oak Forest, off 290 and 610, so might not be in her geography. Any ideas.