Area sales market continues to experience monthly downturn

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

Almost all of the local zip codes continued to experience a decline in both June year-over-year and year-to-date sales numbers last month with the exception of the 77009 zip code, which continued to have a strong sales showing so far in 2023 according to the latest data from the Houston Association of Realtors.

Meanwhile, the 77018 area that includes Garden Oaks, Oak Forest, Central Northwest and part of Independence Heights saw a stagnant June compared to last year. June’s average and median home prices were both up yearover-year in almost all zip codes except for the 77009 zip code, which saw its June prices drop anywhere from 22 to 31 percent compared to last June. Year-todate, however, home prices have continued to rise anywhere from 2 percent to nearly 17 percent compared to 2022 according to HAR data.

77018

In the zip code that encompasses Garden Oaks, Oak Forest, Central Northwest and part of Independence Heights, there was no year-over-year change in home sales, with last month’s 65 sales exactly matching its total from June 2022. On a year-todate basis, however, the area is still lagging behind its 2022 pace. There have been 322 homes sold here so far this year according to HAR, compared to 428 sales in the same span last year.

Average buyers paid 8 percent more ($673,577) to purchase a home here compared to June 2022, while the June median home price also went up slightly (1 percent) year-over-year to $520,000. Year-to-date, the average price of a house in this zip code has gone up 12.3 percent ($670,868) while its median price has jumped 8.8 percent to $517,000 through the end of the selected fellows.

“It sounded like an opportunity to increase my knowledge, which in turn helps me create more meaningful experiences for my students,” said Quentin, who previously learned about the fellowship while taking an online course from National Geographic.

As part of the application process, Quentin said applicants had to write multiple essays as well as submit a two-and-a-halfminute video introducing themselves and explaining how they incorporate geographic education into their teaching and curriculum. There are at least 500 applications – sometimes up to 1,000 – each year according to Quentin, who was one of just 50 educators selected for this year’s cohort from the 50 U.S. states, Canada, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Department of Defense Activity schools according to the fellowship’s website.

This year’s cohort, Quentin said, is the first to set off since the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted back in 2020, and the 15th overall. His expedition began late month.

77092 last week in Oslo, Norway before flying to the town of Longyearbyen on Spitzbergen – which he said is the largest island on the archipelago. From there, he said the cohort has explored the archipelago of Svalbard over the last week. From Svalbard, he said the cohort was set to sail toward Norway’s Bear Island on Tuesday and then to the coast of mainland Norway to explore the fjords and islands along the coast.

On the western edge of the Central Northwest and Langwood/Kempwood, this zip code experienced the largest local year-over-year June sales dip.

There were 15 homes sold last month, down 51.6 percent from the 31 that were sold in June 2022. As a whole, agents have seen 92 homes come off the market here so far this year, down from 174 sales during the same span in 2022. On a pricing front, the average June cost of a house skyrocketed 26.4 percent year-overyear up to $422,953 last month.

Meanwhile, the median home price were up 26.2 percent compared to June 2022, jumping to $410,000. Both figures were the largest local year-over-year June jumps. Through the end of the month, average home cost is up 7.5 percent ($360,058) compared to the same point in 2022, while median price is up 16.4 percent ($372,500) year-to-date compared to the same time last year.

And from watching blue whales feed, to seeing walruses sleeping in piles on beaches and seeing countless sea birds and polar bears, he said the experience has surpassed even his wildest dreams.

“Learning about the wildlife, the geology, history, and ecology from such an extremely knowledgeable group of naturalists is an opportunity for which I am so grateful,” he said Tuesday.

Beyond the personal level, however, Quentin said he is hoping to bring his experiences back from the trip to benefit not himself, but his students at Sinclair, as well as tell the stories of his trip to inspire students

77091

Just to the north, the area including Acres Homes and Greater Inwood was again the only area to experience a year-over-year June increase. The zip code had 48 homes come off the market last month, up 9.1 percent from the 44 sales there in June 2022. It has been a strong sales year for the area so far, as its 203 homes sold year-to-date represents a 16 percent jump from the 175 sales through the end of June 2022.

Price-wise, this area saw the smallest year-over-year June average home price jump (2 percent) up to $350,759, while June’s median home price increased 5.7 percent year-over-year up to $359,450. On a year-to-date basis, the average buyer has spent $344,928 on a home – up 8.9 percent compared to the same point last year – while year-to-date median price has spiked 10.8 percent up to $354,900.

77008

Down in the Greater Heights, there was a slight year-over-year downturn in homes sold, though and possibly other educa tors to take advantage of what he called an incred ible learning opportunity that can benefit entire communities. not one as great as others in the local area. There were 80 sales in this zip code last month, down slightly (3.6 percent) from the 83 homes to come off the market in June 2022. Year-to-date, there have been 435 homes sold so far in 2023 – a 27.1 percent yearover-year downturn compared to 597 home sales during the same month last year.

He said he has been hon ing his storytelling skills with everyone on board the cohort – from natural ists and photographers to scientists – in order to bet ter teach his students. He feels that one of the most powerful and memorable ways to share informa tion and memories is with stories – and though his subject matter at Sinclair is STEM education, he said he wants his students to learn and tap into the power they have of sharing their life story no matter what it may be.

That, he said, is what he most hopes to bring back to Houston and beyond.

“I want to share what I learn here through the power of storytelling, and teach my kids at Sinclair to use that power to tell sto ries that share their learn ing, their ideas, and the connections they discov er,” he said Tuesday.

June home prices jumped 4.4 percent year-over-year here last month up to $761,560, while June’s median price ($650,250) was up 4.9 percent compared to the same month in 2022. The zip code has seen its year-to-date average home price go up 3.3 percent to $699,141 by month’s end, while year-to-date median home price is has jumped 8.6 percent ($630,000) compared to the same point last year.

77009

The zip code including Woodland Heights, Sunset Heights, Norhill Heights and Northside/ Northline had one of the smallest percentage year-over-year June sales drops, though a drop none- theless. There were 56 homes sold in this zip code last month, dipping 5.1 percent from the 59 sales in June 2023. So far in 2023, there have been 217 homes to come off the market here to date – down 34.2 percent from the 330 sales during the same period in 2022.

Pricing-wise, this area was the only local zip code to see yearover-year June prices dip last month. Average June home price in this area last month dropped 21.8 percent down to $527,509, while the median June price dropped by 31 percent year-overyear to $427,500. Through the end of June 2023, though, the average home has cost 3.5 percent more ($602,880) while median home price is up 2.1 percent ($495,000) year-to-date.

77007

In the southernmost portion of The Leader’s coverage area, the zip code encompassing Washington Avenue and Rice Military experienced one of the largest local drops last month. Agents saw 49 homes come off the market here last month, a 29.6 percent yearover-year June drop compared to the 69 sales in June 2023. On a year-to-date basis, the 295 homes sold so far this year represents a 41.6 percent decrease from the 505 sales during the same period last year.

On a pricing front, the average June home price in this area was up 5.1 percent year-over-year to $731,732 last month according to HAR, while June’s median home price rose 4.5 percent to $575,000. Year-to-date, average buyers have spent 14.9 percent more ($730,545) on a house here, while median price has jumped 10.5 percent to $579,900 through the end of June.

THE RESTAURANT –

“Here’s your check, Sir,” the waiter says, handing me a little box with a small lighted screen at the top – a touch screen. The bill is for $44.34 which is not bad these days for a cucumber salad – the dressing was $2 more. (Have you noticed how expensive meals at restaurants are these days? I blame the me dia, Joe Biden and global cooling.) Below the bill is a choice for a tip. Which but ton do I want to push? The 20 percent, the 30 percent or an amount equal to the bill? All the time the waiter is looking over my shoulder whispering, “Fifty percent. Fifty percent.”

The reason I mention this tipping situation is because lately a lot of other people have been mentioning this situation – the little box presented by the waiter with the tipping choices and the atmosphere of intimidation. How much do you tip at a restaurant? If the food was lousy and cold, the service was lousy and the restaurant was cold, what button do you push? If the music was too loud and you don’t want to listen to Kenny G all evening, do you tip anyway?

(There is a “No Tip” button on this little box, but I think it sets off an alarm). Besides restaurants, do you tip your barber? Food taster? The valet parker who brings your car from 10 feet away? How much do you add to the ransom payment?

Good questions all, because the matter is confusing, can ruin a bad meal and even embarrassing if the water looks at the tip and asks, “That’s it?” So once again you’ve come to the right place. (Clip out this column and put it in your wallet or purse next to your credit card.) In restaurants

15 to 20 percent is normal.

I always tip 20 percent unless there is a fly in my soup or soup on my fly. Remember not to tip on the total because that includes the tax. In most of Texas that’s 8.5 percent. As a rule of thumb, to figure out the tip, I take the tax and double it, which is almost 20 percent, so I had a few bucks. Tip more than 20 percent if the waiter has a particularly difficult job cracking your lobster, mopping up the bowl of chili you spilled all over the table or recharging your iPhone.

If you do most of your eating at a restaurant by

Lynn Ashby Columnist

good, tip 20 percent. Outside the restaurant I often frequent (they accept Food Stamps but not Bitcoins), they had a free valet service.

I tipped $5, but they hired a valet service company that now charges $12. No tip. What about picking up a to-go meal? The guy shoves a brown paper bag at you across the counter. Do you tip him? I usually add a dollar.

If you are getting a bit tired of what’s called “tipping fatigue,” don’t feel alone. Two in three Americans (66 percent) surveyed in a Bankrate report admit that they’re feeling less gracious about gratuities these days. And almost one-third (30 percent) of those surveyed say that tipping has “gotten out of control” -particularly with the rise of those aforementioned touchscreen gizmos suggesting you pay 30 percent or more. Such unsought recommendations actually may be counterproductive: when they’re presented with the screen-in-a-box, 18 percent tend to tip less, or not at all.

Only 9 percent tend to tip more. Another one in three survey respondents say they get “annoyed” when encountering these tip screens at coffee shops, retailers and self-checkout kiosks. Only around two-thirds (65 percent) of U.S. adults who dine at sit-down restaurants always tip their waiter anything. (Those remaining 35 percent must not like Kenny G.) A 2018 survey by CreditCards.com found that diners in the South and West tend to tip less, while married people tip more than singles and more than half of Americans aged 65 and over tip 20 percent or more, the highest of any age group. So if you are a waiter, look out for old married folks from Boston or Buffalo.

We must remember that, as the minimum wage has rently out of jail on a $40,000 bond according to court documents. plateaued, (the federal minimum wage has been $7.25 since 2009), workers have come to depend on tips. What’s more, only seven states require tipped workers to be paid minimum wage before tips; in other states, their wages start at $2.13 an hour. Now that we’ve solved the restaurant tipping ordeal, what about others who serve you? My barbershop, Clipping & Tipping, used to charge me $16 for my haircut. Then it went to $20. I tipped $2. Last time I was there the price was $30. I tipped $2. Ladies, I am told a 15 percent tip is the going rate at most salons. How much to tip for a taxi?

Officers initially responded to a home in the 1700 block of West T.C. Jester Boulevard around 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 27 to do a welfare check after detectives said a neighbor noticed a car running with nobody inside, according to HPD. A man, later identified as Ryssdal, was later found dead with multiple gunshot wounds inside the home – which Martin owned – according to the department. Martin and Ryssdal’s white Dodge truck were missing from the home, police said, and the truck was later found in the 6900 block of Cullen Boulevard in Southeast Houston. Martin was found dead inside another car that had been on the property on Feb. 1, having been shot multiple times according to the department.

The general rule for tipping in cabs is 15-20 percent per ride, which is usually a dollar or two. Uber and Lyft have their own way of asking how much you want to tip.

I was making several trips to a hospital in the Texas Medical Center and each time the valet brought my car around I tipped. Then one time, as I was groping for my wallet, a lady standing next to me said, “You don’t have to tip” and pointed to a sign on a wall that read something like, “It’s our pleasure to serve you. No need to tip.” Odd, none of the valets had refused the money. Staying at a hotel? Leave at least $2 in your room each day for the maid, and don’t leave a total tip when you leave after staying several days because a maid will often work different rooms each day.

Those are my tipping tips. My gratuity is usually 50 percent.

Ashby is tip fatigued at ashby2@comcast.net