Garden Oaks Homes for Sale

Garden Oaks is a community of about 1400 homes. It has big lots, curving streets, deep setbacks which give a sophisticated, graceful feel to it. It has an active Civic Association which keeps an eye on deed restrictions.

Location  

Garden Oaks straddles N Shepherd. The eastern side is just above the 610 N Loop, below W34th St. The Western side is West of Shepherd, near W 43rd. Click on the map Garden Oaks map below for enlarged view.

History

This is a unique neighborhood. It was to be the next River Oaks when it was first developed in 1937 by Edward Crain.  The first homes built there were big, grandiose homes on huge tree covered lots. Drive in from Shepherd and see the big plantation style homes set well back from the streets.

The war changed this. As new homes were built, expanding the area westward, they became smaller. At the end they were built for returning GI’s under the GI Bill. So today you have a broad range of house styles and sizes. If you want a house with a huge lot, they can be found here.

Look and Feel

  Garden Oaks still retains the charm it had when first developed. It has wide, curving streets, big lots with lots of trees and deep setbacks. The area is often compared to Bellaire and West U: large tree-shaded lots, big homes and its uniformity. Bellaire people are notorious for not liking the Heights…too many transition areas. They would much prefer Garden Oaks.

The shift in the housing market during its development (because of the war) gives Garden Oaks and large variety of house sizes and styles which remain today. They were mostly pier and beam (more accurately block and beam) homes, so they had oak or pine floors, which are the rage today. There are a lot of newer homes now. These new Garden Oaks homes are big. You don’t put a little house on a big lot any more.

Price Trends

The market for Garden Oaks homes is very strong. Renovations and new construction are both very popular. Some of the reasons for its popularity are:

• Convenient location: Minutes from downtown, the Galleria, Med Center, freeways. If you want the culture and amenities of downtown, but still want the feel of a small town, Garden Oaks offers it. Close to everything, but its own little neighborhood feel.
• Prices: While prices have gone up considerably, where else can you get such huge lots at an affordable price? Certainly not inside the loop. Anything inside the loop (especially new homes) is going to be on a smaller lot and have an even bigger price.
• Deed Restrictions: Garden Oaks is deed-restricted. Builders cannot buy a lot, chop it up and put in multiple homes. Those big lots on curving streets are going to remain. The neighborhood is also very cohesive’ no random warehouses and businesses scattered about the residential areas. Deed restrictions are strictly enforced by the Civic Association.
• New home construction has been strong. This pushes up land prices, and therefore raises all prices. See recent posts below to see recent house prices.

Garden Oaks Home Search

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Notes:

• Transfer fee. There is a transfer fee of 0.75% on the sale of Garden Oaks homes in 4 of the 5 sections. Section 4 is the only one without this fee. This fee is typically paid by the buyer.
• Townhomes? There are none. The lots cannot be subdivided, so townhomes cannot be crammed in.

Garden Oaks adjoins neighboring Oak Forest. Oak Forest is a bigger area with many more homes. Typically it has smaller homes, on smaller lots, so are generally more affordable. So, if you like Garden Oaks homes but they are too big for you, try adjacent Oak Forest.

For other similar areas look here at Areas Surrounding the Heights for synopsis of close-in neighborhoods such as; Oak Forest, Mangum Manor and Timbergrove Manor/Lazybrook.