What $5 Million Buys In Houston — Coveted River Oaks, Tanglewood Mansions and Dreamy Lake Houses

With a budget in the $5 million range for your next home purchase, the options vary throughout the greater Houston region. We did a little house hunting for you and are a highlighting a number of houses in select neighborhoods that often command mid-seven figures for purchase.

Just what does that stiff price tag offer? Among the varied amenities in the Houston homes selected there are offerings with multiple fireplaces, two with lake views, all come with a minimum of five bedrooms, and one includes a six-car garage. Another boasts a primary closet so large that it practically needs its own zip code.

This is What $5 Million Buys You In Houston. (For a look at What $5 Million Buys You In Dallas for comparision, check out Melissa Smrekar’s full PaperCity Dallas story.)

1561 Kirby Drive (77019)

With $5 million to spend on your dream home, we wager that some of you would angle for a roost in the posh River Oaks neighborhood with that coveted 77019 zip code. That talisman of Houston’s rich and famous is available at 1561 Kirby Drive, a graceful Southern Colonial with a list price of $5.2 million.

This 6,531-square-foot storied home, built in 1935, boasts a ballroom and an intriguing history. The 1969 murder of socialite Joan Robinson Hill by her husband Dr. John Hill reported in the pages of the best-selling book Blood and Money took place in this house.

Through the years, the residence on bustling Kirby Drive has undergone a number of renovations, washing away any distasteful memories. Anyone who buys this historic River Oaks mansion certainly will have a ball.

Listing agent: Nancy Almodovar, Nan & Company Properties

5603 Doliver (77056)

For some, Tanglewood is the preferred neighborhood in which to put down roots. The expansive lots, massive oak trees, easy access to the shopping and restaurants of Post Oak Boulevard and proximity to The Galleria make the 77056 neighborhood a popular choice. The 12-foot-high ceilings earn this five-bedroom home a 10 in our book.

Again, you need to push the financial envelope a bit as the list price is $5,250,000. Add the pool, summer kitchen, media room, game room and home office to this new build (2024) and you could ask for little more.

Listing agent: Ruthie Porterfield of Martha Turner Sotheby’s International Properties

2426 Inwood (77019)

If River Oaks and brand new are your criteria, this 6,642-square-foot home is the answer. Priced at $4,975,000, it was built in 2024. Within walking distance of the restaurants and boutiques of River Oaks Shopping Center, this home offers the best of urban living on a street shrouded in mature oak trees.

The floor plan includes four/five bedrooms, a game-room, wet bar, laundry and an expansive primary suite “with dual closets so big they need their own zip codes.”

Listing agent: Jay Monroe with Martha Turner Sotheby’s International Realty

10 West Isle Place, The Woodlands (77381)

Excuse us if we go over budget but this lakefront beauty, in our book, is worth the the $450,000 financial leap. In addition to six bedrooms, the three-story home amenities include an elevator, three fireplaces, wine grotto, a six-car garage and two porte-cochères.

Additional highlights include a stunning sunroom, wood paneled home office, fitness gym and home theater. The list price is $5,450,000 million. The bonus is the location in The Woodlands’ coveted gated community of West Isle.

Listing agent: Connie Renouard, Parkway Realty

512 W. Alkire Lake Drive, Sugar Land

If you’re not in a rush to relocate, this 7,206-square-foot new construction Houston home, already on the market, is set to be completed next year with a list price of $4,499,000. Two primary suites among the five bedrooms, two fireplaces, lake views and the 1.5 acre lot are all things we love. The location is minutes from top-rated schools, dining and Sugar Land Town Center.

Listing agent: Naureen Samad.