Looped In

For 12 years, Larry Albert, a.k.a. Gus Allen, published Swamplot, the news and gossip website that highlighted the absurdities of Houston's homes, gas stations, streets, parks, buildings and everything in between. On March 7, the site stopped publishing. "Swamplot was a side project that kind of got out of hand," said Albert, who joins Nancy and Allyn (a former Swamplot editor) to talk about why he started the site, how it evolved and which posts resonated with readers the most.

 

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There are more than 100 opportunity zones throughout Harris County, and At-Large City Councilwoman Amanda Edwards has been meeting with residents to explain how this federal program works and how it stands to affect investment and development in these areas. The program is expected to be a boon to investors, but Edwards worries that a lack of planning on the front end could lead to unintended consequences. She joins Nancy and Rebecca to talk about how the city can help influence investment and development in opportunity zones in a way that benefits all stakeholders.

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For the first time in his 40-year legal career John Ransom, has been getting cold calls from people with technical tax questions. Specifically, they're asking about Opportunity Zones, a program created in the 2017 tax overhaul to spur economic development in low-income neighborhoods while offering investors potentially large tax breaks. John Ransom, a partner and tax specialist with the Jackson Walker law firm, joins Nancy and Rebecca to talk about how Opportunity Zones could boost real estate values and improve struggling neighborhoods. Though there may be unexpected consequences, as well.

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One of the barriers to building affordable housing often comes in the form of NIMBYism. Take the recent project proposed on Columbia Street in the Heights. The neighbors got wind of the proposal, swiftly launched a campaign to oppose it, and ultimately the developer walked away. It isn't always this way and it shouldn't be, said Joy Horak-Brown, president and CEO of New Hope Housing, a nonprofit developer that builds and runs housing and support services for low-income individuals. Horak-Brown joins Nancy and Allyn to dispel some of the myths about affordable housing and discuss how such developments can actually improve a neighborhood.

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Nancy and Allyn talk to Rice Management Co.’s Alan Arnold about plans for the former Sears building in Midtown. The property, now called The Ion, is being redeveloped as part of Rice’s broader plan to create an innovation district on 16 acres

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About six months after Hurricane Harvey ripped through southeast Texas, Chronicle editor Dianna Hunt, who helped guide the paper’s coverage of the storm, took some family members visiting from Massachusetts on a driving tour to show them some of the places most affected by the hurricane. Her tour has become somewhat of a regular activity for Hunt when visitors come to town. She talks to Nancy and Allyn about where she goes – and why she goes there – on her Harvey tours.

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A few years ago Houston preservationist James Glassman began posting each day on his Twitter feed about important events that happened on any given day in Houston history. Those tweets inspired a new book, "The Houstorian Calendar: Today in Houston History," Glassman's latest project in a string of artistic endeavors meant to change the way Houstonians think about their city. He joins Nancy and Allyn to talk about the most memorable moments in Houston history.

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For Looped In's second-annual Loopie Awards, Nancy asked listeners to vote for their favorite real estate deals and developments of the past year. She gets help revealing the winners from none other than Looped In co-founder Erin Mulvaney.

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Nancy and Allyn bring back former guest (and Chronicle tech writer) Dwight Silverman to talk about his adventures in the Houston housing market. Silverman, a baby boomer who for years owned a townhouse in Montrose, decided to see what renting was like. After a couple years of that, he decided to buy again. But in a hot neighborhood like Montrose – and with a limited budget – it wasn’t easy. He tells listeners how he found his new home and what he gave up to get there.

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As promised, Looped In hit the road to visit a house listed for sale by an iBuyer, a company that uses data and technology to make fast offers on homes, close on them quickly and then turn around and resell them. After downloading an app and answering a few questions, Nancy and Rebecca were able to get into the house and take themselves on a tour. No agent needed. Coincidentally, their journey took them to one of Houston’s most beloved treasures.Support the show: https://offers.houstonchronicle.com/?offerid=125&origin=newsroom&ipid=podcast

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