River Oaks Houston Real Estate Guide
Home to CEOs, celebrities and the wealthy, River Oaks is Houston’s most expensive and exclusive neighborhood.
Home to CEOs, celebrities and the wealthy, River Oaks is Houston’s most expensive and exclusive neighborhood.
Nestled within the Inner Loop, River Oaks is one of the United States’ most exclusive neighborhoods.
Buying or selling a River Oaks home can be tricky thanks to deed restrictions, historic homes, property legacies, and a diversity of builders (during several of Houston’s oil booms construction quality suffered amongst several builders in the area). In addition, certain areas sell at premium. Other streets sell at a discount. Contact Paige Martin, one of Houston’s Best Realtors and one of River Oaks’ most active real estate agents, if you’re looking to buy or sell River Oaks homes for sale.
Known for its stately mansions and luxury homes, River Oaks is one of Houston’s most expensive neighborhoods.
Spanning 1,100 acres, River Oaks hugs the contours of the Buffalo Bayou. It stretches south to Westheimer, and is bounded by Shepherd Drive and Willowick Road to the east and west, respectively.
The neighborhood lies north of Upper Kirby, east of Briar Hollow and Galleria/Uptown, west of Neartown/Montrose and south of Memorial Park.
River Oaks homes are highly accessible, with convenient access to main roads like Westheimer Road, Kirby Drive, and San Felipe Street. Loop 610 and US 59 are a stone’s throw away.
Thanks to the neighborhood’s central location within the Inner Loop, residents have great access to retail, entertainment, and dining.
Memorial Park, with its miles of trails and public golf course, offers various outdoor entertainment options.
Retail centers, including the Galleria, Uptown Park, Highland Village, and the River Oaks Shopping Center, are all within comfortable driving distance.
Major business and employment districts are also easily accessible from River Oaks. Downtown Houston, the Texas Medical Center, and Greenway Plaza (in Upper Kirby) are all within minutes of River Oaks.
River Oaks real estate have a 77019 zip code. (View Houston zip code map.)
West of River Oaks
North of River Oaks
East of River Oaks
South of River Oaks
River Oaks homes are zoned to the Houston Independent School District (HISD).
Established in the 1920s, Houston ISD is the largest school district in the state (with 283 schools). The Texas Education Agency (TEA) gave the district a “Met Standard” rating in 2016. HISD features several International Baccalaureate (IB) World schools, including Lamar High School, Lanier Middle School, and River Oaks Elementary School.
Students in the area may attend the following public schools:
The following are some of the more notable private schools near River Oaks.
To find an updated listing of all River Oaks real estate zoned to any specific public school, please send an email to Paige Martin at [email protected] with the property preference and budget that you’re working with.
*Note: School zoning tends to change from year to year, information provided above are accurate but not guaranteed. Please double check by visiting the school’s website.
River Oaks real estate have shown strong appreciation rates over the years. It is Houston’s most expensive neighborhood. Median sales price for single-family properties is at over $2,500,000 in 2016.
Land values and average price per square foot have also posted similar positive changes, increasing by almost half over the past decade.
Like most Houston neighborhoods, new development is reshaping River Oaks. Older properties have been renovated or updated, though some have since been replaced with new construction homes. Condos and townhomes have also become popular within the area.
(Data sourced from the Houston Association of Realtors Multiple Listing Service and is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.)
For updated information regarding River Oaks real estate pricing and trend analysis, please contact Paige Martin at [email protected].
Despite the number of recent townhome and condo developments in the area, River Oaks is still mostly made up of single-family homes.
As Houston’s most exclusive neighborhood, River Oaks showcases gorgeous homes from world-renowned architects. Although new development has replaced many of the neighborhood’s original homes, a number of its ranch-style homes from the 1920s and 1930s have been updated and maintained.
The neighborhood features homes in a variety of architectural designs, including Contemporary, French, Mediterranean, Spanish, Traditional, and other designs. American Colonial and English Tudor aesthetics are also popular in the neighborhood.
Most River Oaks homes feature 4- to 5-bedroom floor plans. Home sizes range from 3,000 to more than 10,000 square feet. Homes in the neighborhood also feature expansive lots, ranging from 10,000 to more than 40,000 square feet.
The most expensive River Oaks real estate can feature 6 to 9 bedrooms, with home sizes between 12,000 to 16,000 square feet.
Sprawling wooded lots, luxury finishes, multi-car garages, swimming pools, media rooms, and premium appliances come standard the neighborhood’s poshest homes.
Prices for River Oaks homes for sale start at around $1,000,000. The most expensive homes in the neighborhood can fetch more than $4,000,000.
About a third of River Oaks real estate inventory is a mix of condominiums and townhomes.
Floor plans vary, though most units offer around 2 to 4 bedrooms, with 2 to 3 full baths. Living spaces range from 1,000 to more than 2,500 square feet. Compared to their single-family home counterparts, lot areas are smaller – between 2,000 to around 3,000 square feet.
Townhomes differ from single-family homes in that they share a wall with one or more neighbors, but you still own the dirt from the center of the earth to infinity.
Townhome prices in this prestigious neighborhood start at just under $500,000. At this price point, River Oaks townhomes for sale are relatively more affordable than single-family homes.
Most River Oaks townhomes for sale are within gated communities, and offer extensive amenities within safe and luxurious enclaves.
Popular River Oaks Townhomes For Sale:
Thanks to the neighborhood’s location, River Oaks condos for sale are highly popular. Most residential buildings in the area offer world-class amenities like swimming pools, fitness centers, concierge services, and controlled access, among others.
There are a number of options in the area, ranging from $200,000 to $5,000,000. The difference in price is usually influenced by the age of the property, the size of the unit, and the amenities included.
Condos in and near River Oaks include:
To see other condos within the Inner Loop, see Inner Loop Houston Condos. To see condos within the Galleria area, see Galleria Houston Condos.
In 1923, brothers Will and Mike Hogg, along with their associate Hugh Potter, purchased 200 acres of land around the River Oaks Country Club. Some of the first lots sold in the area were within the then-fledgling River Oaks Country Club Estates.
Kansas City-based city planning and landscape architects Hare and Hare provided the new neighborhood’s master plan. Planners set aside spaces for an elementary school, esplanades, pocket parks, and shopping centers.
In 1927, the City of Houston annexed the community.
Careful planning, along with strict deed restrictions and building codes, contributed to making River Oaks Houston’s premiere neighborhood.
Today, River Oaks is still Houston’s most expensive neighborhood. River Oaks real estate include stately mansions, grand Victorian homes, and a collection of single-family new construction properties with modern designs.
New development has come to the area, but some of the neighborhood’s early 1920s and 30s homes still line its streets.
Aside from the elegant houses line that River Oaks Houston streets, much of the community’s beauty comes from the abundance of verdant elements in the area.
River Oaks exudes an old world charm, with its scenic tree-lined streets coupled with intricate landscaping that lead to pocket gardens. There are plenty of parks and green spaces within and around the neighborhood, including the River Oaks Park and the River Oaks Community Center.
River Oaks Park features the Cinderella-inspired Pumpkin Carriage, a playground, lighted tennis courts, and a lighted sports field. A quarter-mile off-road trail is also available in the area.
Olympia Park, Sleepy Hollow Park, Meyer Park, Elliott Park, and Homewood Park are also within the neighborhood. River Oaks homes are also minutes away from Memorial Park, home to a wide variety of indoor and outdoor recreational facilities, Memorial Park Golf Course, and the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center.
Retail, dining, and entertainment venues are not in short supply either. There are plenty of restaurants, bars, boutiques, and art galleries in the River Oaks Shopping Center and West Avenue complexes.
The River Oaks District, on the other hand, offers an artful ambiance of posh social venues and private tree-lined streets.
Highland Village, the Greenway Plaza, Rice Village, the Galleria, and Uptown Park are also minutes away from River Oaks homes.
Here are some of River Oaks Houston must-visit places:
As featured on Fox News in the Morning, Houston Business Journal and Houston Magazine, Paige Martin, a consistent Top Producing Broker-Associate and head of the Houston Properties Team, is ranked as one of the top residential real estate agents in the world.
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