CityBook One Year Anniversary Party
CityBook toasts one year with a fabulous garden-chic fete at McGovern Centennial Gardens!
Nov. 11, 2017
How did you get to where you are today? I am a firm believer that hard work and having dreams that you strive to achieve will motivate and inspire people to achieve their potential. Working hard, dreaming, and making sure to take advantage of every opportunity is something I learned at a young age. I credit God and God’s grace firstly, but I know that success is a direct result of hard work. I tell my podcast subscribers and followers to continue setting goals, evolving, improving, and planning, and I practice what I preach. I am proud to have started my business in the fastest growing major city in the United States, and I attribute a lot of the success of Exclusive Furniture to the family culture we create in the best city — Houston’s diversity, philanthropy, and innovation have helped me achieve a lot of the milestones in the furniture business (and the “low prices”) you see today!
Whom do you credit? I credit my mom’s prayers. And, to his credit, in the words of Snoop Dog, “I want to thank me; For showing up every day with a plan. Me for caring about my employees. Me for caring about my customers; Me for caring about my community.”
I am truly thankful to have my siblings work with me. I surround myself with great people and therefore great things happen. I want to credit luck, hard work, dedication, good planning, prayers, and believing and having faith in the vision of Exclusive Furniture — “Where Low Prices Live!”
What lessons have you learned that might enlighten and inspire others? I am constantly learning. You should be learning something new every day as there are new lessons. Some more advice: Don’t take things lightly and don’t underestimate or overestimate people. Judge people on their performance. This includes employees, vendors, and contracted people. Make sure you do your due diligence. “You can only expect what you inspect, or something will fall through the cracks.” Don’t dwell on your setbacks, instead use your setbacks as a learning session so as not to repeat pitfalls again. And, don’t worry, you will always have setbacks to learn from; you will just have fewer if you learn from the past.
It seems to me that luck has a lot to do with success, and the harder I work the luckier I get.
What’s new in your life or work that you’re excited about? I am excited to open the new Exclusive Furniture Spring location in June! This will be my 8th location. Not bad for a guy who started out in 1998 with one 2,000-square-foot store. Proud to be where I am today. Now my smallest store is 12,000 square feet. Our 8th location is 61,000 square feet! I am excited about expanding into more Texas locations and continue the brand and culture of Exclusive Furniture.
IS A HEALTHY, balanced real estate market finally here? Per HAR data, the answer is ... kind of? Inventory is at the highest level since 2011, prices are holding steady, and the city and metro area continue to grow in population. Having lost population after Harvey and Covid, the city welcomes significant yet sustainable growth — and a housing market that can handle it.
The share of Ritz-Carlton Residences, The Woodlands under contract in its first week to market, according to Howard Hughes Holdings. It speaks to the trend of branded luxury condominiums; St. Regis also has a community in the works.
The number of months that it would take to sell all of the townhomes and condominiums currently on the market if things continued moving at the same pace, and no new listings were to hit. This June 2024 figure is the highest since September 2012, per HAR.
The percent of households in the Houston region that can afford a median-priced home with a 30-year, fixed-rate loan, per HAR. This figure was 42 percent in 2023.
The number of building permits for single-family homes issued in the Houston metro area so far in 2024, a 16 percent increase from one year ago, per the National Association of Home Builders. Texas leads the nation in number of permits issued.
The percentage of multifamily units currently under construction that are located on the western side of the Houston metro area, per Yardi Matrix. The Cinco Ranch community has both the largest project — Resia Ten Oaks — and the biggest slice of the pie (11 percent).
Explore Houston's hottest neighborhoods here or the top real estate trends here.
IS A HEALTHY, balanced real estate market finally here? Per HAR data, the answer is ... kind of? Inventory is at the highest level since 2011, prices are holding steady, and the city and metro area continue to grow in population. Having lost population after Harvey and Covid, the city welcomes significant yet sustainable growth — and a housing market that can handle it.
The four-bedroom home at 3 Briarwood Court, listed by Compass’ Robert Bland for $27.5 mil, has verdant courtyards and a whole-home generator.
Hands-down, one of the most in-demand features is the whole-house generator, a built-in fixture connected to the natural gas line which kicks on within moments of a power outage. After the 2021 freeze and the derecho in May, this summer’s Hurricane Beryl was strike three for homeowners who now seek the safety and comfort that a standby generator provides. Many of the city’s most expensive listings, such as this Briarwood Court manse situated on a River Oaks cul-de-sac, tout the inclusion high up in the list of amenities. HAR says that the number of luxury homes sold with built-in generators increased by 600 percent between 2018 and 2023.
Mike Mahlstedt of Compass is listing this 8,120-square-foot property at 2110 Del Monte Dr. for $6.5 mil.
While new construction is appealing for several obvious reasons, older homes have one clear advantage: character. Homeowners, designers and realtors all agree that unique details can sell a home. Scroll HAR and you’re likely to find features like parquet floors and wood-paneled rooms, in homes old, new and reimagined. A sleek version can swath a handsome bathroom, like this one in River Oaks, while an office or study might still rock retro or Victorian-style raised paneling. Wood paneling can also lend a cottage-y feel to kitchens, laundry rooms and bathrooms.
DC Partners’ The Allen has the Thompson Houston hotel, pictured, and high-end condos.
The skyline along Allen Parkway has dramatically transformed over the past few years, with mixed-use developments galore proffering primo dining destinations, nightlife and more. DC Partners’ 35-story The Allen, for example, is home to the Thompson Houston hotel and 115 high-end condos, while the 24-story Autry Park is similarly urbane with 300-plus apartments.
Explore Houston's top neighborhoods here or the real estate report by-the-numbers here.