Oak Forest's 'Little Jewels' Draw Residents
by Katherine Feser

Oak Forest's moderately priced homes and central location have drawn remodelers. Attracted by the quiet streets and big trees, Doris and Matthew Bowes purchased a home from its original owner five years ago. "A lot of these homes are kind of little jewels in disguise," says Doris Bowes, whose 1950s brick and wood home transported her to a different decade at first.

"You had to really be able to see a vision for the house," she recalls.

"You've got 1960s shag carpeting hiding beautiful oak floors."

The Boweses selected natural surfaces, refinishing the hardwoods and replacing linoleum floors with ceramic tile. They did away with the burnt orange and avocado green color scheme in favor of more neutral tones. Creamy white walls left no hint of the former green-and-silver foil wallpaper. Such renovations have paid off for homeowners in Oak Forest as prices have risen sharply recently.

Today, prices generally range from $80,000 to $150,000, says Linda Guillory of Prudential Gary Greene Realtors. Five years ago, most homes sold between $50,000 and $90,000.

With quick access to the North Loop and U.S. 290, the neighborhood offers a similar location but lower prices than Garden Oaks, a nearby subdivision known for its oversized lots. A three-bedroom, two-bath home in Garden Oaks might cost $180,000 or more, Guillory says. A house comparable in price to a large house in Oak Forest likely would contain only two bedrooms and one bath. The average sales price in Oak Forest is in the $90,000s, making it a popular starter-home neighborhood.

Oak Forest was Houston developer Frank Sharp's first big project and a precursor to Sharpstown. With more than 5,000 homes, it is one of the largest subdivisions in Houston with homes built predominantly in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Styles range from cottages with steep roofs and picture windows in front to post-World War II wood-frame houses to brick ranch homes. Several houses have attached garages that have been converted into living areas and carports added in front. Amenities include parks, a library, a community theater and sports fields.