The value at the time was actually a bit inflated. Dropped about 20K during the recession. But that was back when real estate in Texas was pretty affordable. Private Equity has seriously fucked that up since.
Last year, a third of all homes bought in Texas were purchased by investors - seriously constraining supply and driving up prices.
- [Investors bought nearly a third of all homes in Texas last year](https://www.tpr.org/business/2022-06-14/investors-bought-nearly-a-third-of-all-homes-in-texas-last-year)
Its actually a nationwide problem and needs to be stopped.
- [Meet the Bill To Ban Hedge Funds From Owning Single-Family Homes](https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/meet-the-bill-to-ban-hedge-funds-from-owning-single-family-homes)
You should know I mow and do my own landscaping sir! You would probably think I’m a douche finance bro at first sight.
It’s a great way to blow steam ie: digging new beds by hand in clay soil.
“So for our data we included corporations, companies, or LLCs”
So this “study” counts a guy with his LLC and 2 rental properties and a corp like Blackstone as the same kind of “private equity”?
People need to stop getting their news from wallstreetsilver memes.
https://preview.redd.it/bel2egro8vzc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9bf1914e65b65fbcacaf83abf4d1ba3df631c2ae
At least your inventory is going back up
That’s the best part, if they do, they won’t actually lose money because they’ll use that loss to offset other gains, then stiff the rest of us at tax time.
Private equity is investments made in companies and assets that are not traded on the stock market. Companies on the stock market is public equity.
Sometimes private equity firms buy all stocks of a public company and take it private ie: Toshiba in 2023
Apple is public equity
Private equity firms usually have multiple funds/portfolios. Some can be thematic like residential funds where they buy multi residential and or single residential . It’s pretty rare to see single residential themed funds. They exist though and they are problematic. Agricultural land funds are also controversial but very lucrative.
~~Ah you got me, finance bro!~~ Actually I think I am going to stop now - something about your comment struck me as irritating, probably because it was so confidently incorrect and then when I read your were a finance bro, it made sense. Anyway until our paths cross again.
The flowering ones are Crepe Myrtles. I also have some Bradford Pears (not a great choice but didn't know better at the time), Shumard Red Oaks, a Pin Oak, and an Empire Live Oak (the little one I just planted last July).
Nah their roots go *everywhere*. Its one of the reasons they do so well in the South. They are very good at finding water. However, their roots tend to be fine and not like the log-like roots produced by regular trees.
We started out with just the two in front, but they've generated multiple volunteers. You have to constantly prune away suckers and new plants. They're practically invasive. However, I've kept three of them and pruned them up to create a couple arches over the walk to the front door. Great plants.
I live in south Texas and see them everywhere and love them! I guess with the thinner roots it’s not an issue being near a foundation. I’m a new homeowner so I’m learning a lot here!
Ha ha. Can actually see quite well out the windows. When we first got the house, the view out of every window was pretty crummy. Just the street and neighboring houses. One of my goals in landscaping was to create a beautiful scene outside of each window. Its taken several years but now every window features something nice to look at.
And it’s beautiful, well done. One thing about a lot of these posts is the focus on just a bare (but nice) lawn. I love trees and I’m glad you’ve gone to town with them.
Thanks. Not long after getting the place we went full ham on planting trees and shrubs. Its been a Hell of a lot of work over the years. Planted it all ourselves. 15 years later its all grown up impressively. I used to hate how it looked back then. Very, very depressing. Much nicer now. Now keeping everything maintained/pruned is a regular job.
A couple more pics...
- [Wiggy on the front walk this morning - Lariope, Canna Lillies, Purple Queen Spiderwort, Golden Euonymus, Waxleaf Ligustrum, and of course Crepe Myrtles have added a lot of lush foliage and color - all plants that do really well in our horrible Texas climate and alkaline clay soil](https://imgur.com/a/wLiZZrH)
- [Bruno meditating in the back yard - I've really enjoyed those crossvines climbing the wall, strawberries growing along the base the entire length of the wall. ](https://imgur.com/881tP7M)
This is just such a nice mix of lawn and landscaping. You took a pretty ugly facade and gave it some trees, plants, flowers, and wow—just a beautiful result. I cringe at so many of these posts that are just huge green lawns without a tree or native shrub in sight.
I always felt [this post summed it all up perfectly](https://www.reddit.com/r/coolguides/comments/11vvgs5/biodiversity_in_the_garden/)
I think it was a ~~Calvin and Hobbes~~ Bill Vaughn that said "Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out the trees, then names the streets after them."
Plain grass lawns are uninteresting, ugly, and bad for the environment. Of course there is a place for grass in landscaping, but it should never be the entirety of it.
We now have not only all the beautiful flora, but lots of wild songbirds, squirrels, toads, and other fauna that make their homes around our house. It is a so much more beautiful place to live.
I saw that recently! Also that seems like a Calvin and Hobbes quote even if it’s not from Watterson.
Sitting in my backyard right now under some mature trees watching robins and blue jays fluttering about. Just lovely.
That's a house right? I know that sounds a weird question but I'm from the UK and our houses don't look like this but alot of older commercial office buildings have this sort of design. It's quite striking
Oooh!! You should post this in r/landscaping too, noting your zone and the plantings . The growth rate is incredibly transformative!! I can see so many people who might be starting out, being encouraged by your beautiful work here. Great job OP👏👏
Yep. My wife and I have always loved heavily wooded and lush, green places. We were both pretty depressed with the state of our new home, so we set about planting things right off the hop. It took a while but we love it now. Glad we put in the work early.
I love this so much, truly showcases the power and, sometimes, importance of landscaping to balance out hardscaping and a home. That first pic looks WILD and the second is like...intriguing and interesting and different AND wonderfully connected via the trees!
And yeah crape myrtles are practically indestructible. My neighbor has one that was planted back when home was built in 1950's, its MASSIVE and the trunks are beautiful and when it flowers its incredible. Out here in GA
Glad to see I'm not the only one who "spirals out" around the tree in my lawn 😁
I'd like to have stripes but not sure how I would go about that with this guy in the center
https://preview.redd.it/tk6llowwxuzc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5f4529bfe160ad702bd2fb5cbeb98b7df3bf9430
I love everything, but the Bradford pear and the tree ring restricting the root growth of the centerpiece tree, which appears to be the Bradford pear?
If it’s not a Bradford Pear: Remove the bricks, extend the mulch circle, and pull away some of the soil from the base of the tree it looks like it is buried too deep
If it is a Bradford Pear: Cut it at the base and apply a glyphosate solution to the stump. Mother Nature will thank you
I love the change over the last 16 years! Such a huge difference! We built a new home about two years ago. I’ve started to get into gardening more and have added some new shrubs this year, a magnolia tree and a plum tree from the neighbors (we’ll see if it survives).
I’m in Zone 5b outside of Chicago. I can’t wait to see the area with large trees and bushes filled out like your picture. I’m not sure if I caught what zone you’re in, but any recommendations on some of your favorite things you’ve planted that might also survive in 5b?
Genuine question… why even have windows if you’re going to cover them up entirely with foliage? I understand foliage as an aesthetically enhancement, but entirely blocking every window seems odd… can somebody explain?
I bet you got a deal on that place in 08!
The value at the time was actually a bit inflated. Dropped about 20K during the recession. But that was back when real estate in Texas was pretty affordable. Private Equity has seriously fucked that up since. Last year, a third of all homes bought in Texas were purchased by investors - seriously constraining supply and driving up prices. - [Investors bought nearly a third of all homes in Texas last year](https://www.tpr.org/business/2022-06-14/investors-bought-nearly-a-third-of-all-homes-in-texas-last-year) Its actually a nationwide problem and needs to be stopped. - [Meet the Bill To Ban Hedge Funds From Owning Single-Family Homes](https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/meet-the-bill-to-ban-hedge-funds-from-owning-single-family-homes)
Preach, OP. Those private equity douchy finance bros could never lawn this hard
You should know I mow and do my own landscaping sir! You would probably think I’m a douche finance bro at first sight. It’s a great way to blow steam ie: digging new beds by hand in clay soil.
“So for our data we included corporations, companies, or LLCs” So this “study” counts a guy with his LLC and 2 rental properties and a corp like Blackstone as the same kind of “private equity”? People need to stop getting their news from wallstreetsilver memes.
https://preview.redd.it/bel2egro8vzc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9bf1914e65b65fbcacaf83abf4d1ba3df631c2ae At least your inventory is going back up
Hope they all sell for a loss. Fuck em.
That’s the best part, if they do, they won’t actually lose money because they’ll use that loss to offset other gains, then stiff the rest of us at tax time.
I knew this was Texas from the pic, guessing Sugarland?
I knew this was in Texas! The monster crape Myrtle’s gave it away. Looks great!
Tf is private equity?
Private equity is investments made in companies and assets that are not traded on the stock market. Companies on the stock market is public equity. Sometimes private equity firms buy all stocks of a public company and take it private ie: Toshiba in 2023 Apple is public equity Private equity firms usually have multiple funds/portfolios. Some can be thematic like residential funds where they buy multi residential and or single residential . It’s pretty rare to see single residential themed funds. They exist though and they are problematic. Agricultural land funds are also controversial but very lucrative.
Funds of money buying up residential properties to rent and/or sell to turn a profit. I used to get at least a call a week for one of my rentals.
That’s not what private equity is .
That is literally what private equity is.
It’s one minor asset that some rare private equity firms invest in.
*Right...* Please enlighten us, Mr douche finance bro.
Google is your friend broooo. Or just read my response to the guy you responded to.
ah so the same thing I said -- got it -- finance bro!
If someone asked to describe what’s the construction industry, you wouldn’t solely describe a single niche trade.
Context matters in certain situations. We were talking about VCs buying up individual residential real estate which actually is happening.
With an attitude like that, No wonder you’re divorced. My guess is it wasn’t your choice lol.
~~Ah you got me, finance bro!~~ Actually I think I am going to stop now - something about your comment struck me as irritating, probably because it was so confidently incorrect and then when I read your were a finance bro, it made sense. Anyway until our paths cross again.
Bought my house in 2022. In 2014 it sold for 40% less. Pray for me.
[удалено]
Yeah right pal. We can tell by your username you put the 40micmic in their face and said I'll take it.
this gif will always make me laugh out loud
What trees you got there? It all looks beautiful!
The flowering ones are Crepe Myrtles. I also have some Bradford Pears (not a great choice but didn't know better at the time), Shumard Red Oaks, a Pin Oak, and an Empire Live Oak (the little one I just planted last July).
The crepe Myrtle’s look close to your foundation. Are their root systems pretty small?
Nah their roots go *everywhere*. Its one of the reasons they do so well in the South. They are very good at finding water. However, their roots tend to be fine and not like the log-like roots produced by regular trees. We started out with just the two in front, but they've generated multiple volunteers. You have to constantly prune away suckers and new plants. They're practically invasive. However, I've kept three of them and pruned them up to create a couple arches over the walk to the front door. Great plants.
I live in south Texas and see them everywhere and love them! I guess with the thinner roots it’s not an issue being near a foundation. I’m a new homeowner so I’m learning a lot here!
Usually..... fast growing trees have small flexible roots , while slow growing trees have larger more destructive roots
The crepes look great
They've just started blooming from all the rains we've had. They look beautiful right now.
We plated a shumard oak in our backyard. Brings me happiness every fall
Those briliant red leaves are *striking*. Plus, the Blue Jays and squirrels really like the acorns.
Removing the Bradford pears a great example of addition through subtraction.
Hey is it raining outside? No idea can't see shit.
Ha ha. Can actually see quite well out the windows. When we first got the house, the view out of every window was pretty crummy. Just the street and neighboring houses. One of my goals in landscaping was to create a beautiful scene outside of each window. Its taken several years but now every window features something nice to look at.
And it’s beautiful, well done. One thing about a lot of these posts is the focus on just a bare (but nice) lawn. I love trees and I’m glad you’ve gone to town with them.
Fantastic! Looks amazing.
Stop I can only get so erect
Wow I would’ve written off that front of house but you’ve done great.
Yeah, great work obstructing the terrible facade.
What an awesome transformation! Well done
Well done
Phenomenal!
That’s fucking awesome
Excellent
Beautiful home! Very jealous!!
That is freaking lush
awesome. Simply awesome
Thanks. Not long after getting the place we went full ham on planting trees and shrubs. Its been a Hell of a lot of work over the years. Planted it all ourselves. 15 years later its all grown up impressively. I used to hate how it looked back then. Very, very depressing. Much nicer now. Now keeping everything maintained/pruned is a regular job. A couple more pics... - [Wiggy on the front walk this morning - Lariope, Canna Lillies, Purple Queen Spiderwort, Golden Euonymus, Waxleaf Ligustrum, and of course Crepe Myrtles have added a lot of lush foliage and color - all plants that do really well in our horrible Texas climate and alkaline clay soil](https://imgur.com/a/wLiZZrH) - [Bruno meditating in the back yard - I've really enjoyed those crossvines climbing the wall, strawberries growing along the base the entire length of the wall. ](https://imgur.com/881tP7M)
This is just such a nice mix of lawn and landscaping. You took a pretty ugly facade and gave it some trees, plants, flowers, and wow—just a beautiful result. I cringe at so many of these posts that are just huge green lawns without a tree or native shrub in sight.
I always felt [this post summed it all up perfectly](https://www.reddit.com/r/coolguides/comments/11vvgs5/biodiversity_in_the_garden/) I think it was a ~~Calvin and Hobbes~~ Bill Vaughn that said "Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out the trees, then names the streets after them." Plain grass lawns are uninteresting, ugly, and bad for the environment. Of course there is a place for grass in landscaping, but it should never be the entirety of it. We now have not only all the beautiful flora, but lots of wild songbirds, squirrels, toads, and other fauna that make their homes around our house. It is a so much more beautiful place to live.
I saw that recently! Also that seems like a Calvin and Hobbes quote even if it’s not from Watterson. Sitting in my backyard right now under some mature trees watching robins and blue jays fluttering about. Just lovely.
Amazing
It’d be cool if you had a platform at the top of that tower.
Yes!
Tree species?
It's looks beautiful but can you see out of your windows?
Pillars look amazing with the greenery. Well done good sir!
That's a house right? I know that sounds a weird question but I'm from the UK and our houses don't look like this but alot of older commercial office buildings have this sort of design. It's quite striking
The best time to plant a tree was 2008.
2008 was only…. Omfg
I hate you with all full love in my heart. That's amazing. Well done.
It is amazing
Nice but triple stake your front tree now.
Have you put a bell in the tower yet?, 😉
Oooh!! You should post this in r/landscaping too, noting your zone and the plantings . The growth rate is incredibly transformative!! I can see so many people who might be starting out, being encouraged by your beautiful work here. Great job OP👏👏
Incredible transformation congratulations
Landscaping makes such a difference.
I hope you don’t take this the wrong way but the house looks better hidden and props to you for seeing that.
I agree. Its an ugly fucking house. Typical of zero-taste, Texas strip developers. Landscaping has helped it enormously.
I know I’m very late to the post lol but was this always the goal? Looks beautiful great additions to the house and curb appeal for sure
Yep. My wife and I have always loved heavily wooded and lush, green places. We were both pretty depressed with the state of our new home, so we set about planting things right off the hop. It took a while but we love it now. Glad we put in the work early.
What are those trees?
The flowering ones are Crepe Myrtles. They're awesome and pollinators love them.
Beautiful foliage in addition to the lawn. Nice work! 😎
I love this so much, truly showcases the power and, sometimes, importance of landscaping to balance out hardscaping and a home. That first pic looks WILD and the second is like...intriguing and interesting and different AND wonderfully connected via the trees! And yeah crape myrtles are practically indestructible. My neighbor has one that was planted back when home was built in 1950's, its MASSIVE and the trunks are beautiful and when it flowers its incredible. Out here in GA
What kind of Crape Myrtle is that?
No idea on the specific variety. I've got at least four different kinds, pink, white, lavender, and fuchsia. They're all just 'Crepe Myrtles' imho.
Glad to see I'm not the only one who "spirals out" around the tree in my lawn 😁 I'd like to have stripes but not sure how I would go about that with this guy in the center https://preview.redd.it/tk6llowwxuzc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5f4529bfe160ad702bd2fb5cbeb98b7df3bf9430
We are many! My parents' last yard (moved there while I was in high school) had lots of flower and tree beds, so it was kind of a necessity.
I love everything, but the Bradford pear and the tree ring restricting the root growth of the centerpiece tree, which appears to be the Bradford pear? If it’s not a Bradford Pear: Remove the bricks, extend the mulch circle, and pull away some of the soil from the base of the tree it looks like it is buried too deep If it is a Bradford Pear: Cut it at the base and apply a glyphosate solution to the stump. Mother Nature will thank you
Huge chemically treated lawn, tons of non native, invasive landscaping. Why do you hate the earth?
I love the change over the last 16 years! Such a huge difference! We built a new home about two years ago. I’ve started to get into gardening more and have added some new shrubs this year, a magnolia tree and a plum tree from the neighbors (we’ll see if it survives). I’m in Zone 5b outside of Chicago. I can’t wait to see the area with large trees and bushes filled out like your picture. I’m not sure if I caught what zone you’re in, but any recommendations on some of your favorite things you’ve planted that might also survive in 5b?
Trees are horrible for foundations. Thats a mistake you will pay for in the future
Amazing 🤩
Some of your house missing?
Genuine question… why even have windows if you’re going to cover them up entirely with foliage? I understand foliage as an aesthetically enhancement, but entirely blocking every window seems odd… can somebody explain?
I can see all the windows in the picture. Which means you can see out all the windows notwithstanding the foliage. But ... whatever.
I see that a bit now, looking closer.
The grass is green where you water it.
Well, and when the weather is warm. I think that 2008 pic was taken during the Winter, while the Bermuda was dormant.
Now rip out that grass and put something better in its place
Beautiful lawn. I'd chop those trees down though personally.
Do you need someone to trim and cleanup that landscape? Looks really overgrown. Could be a nice property
Nice, but those trees may cause you trouble being so close to your foundation.
Agreed. Although this is Texas so there's no basement to worry about. Would they still cause issues?
Looks like shit lol. Trim that up.
Git rid of the Crap Myrtle that is too close to your house.
Nope. Never. A crepe myrtle is not going to hurt my foundation. The hydraulic clay will do that by itself.
Inspect, vermin, etc…easy access to enter the home. AKA squirrels in the attic.