Houston properties demolished to praise from the neighbors

A set of Houston apartment buildings that had long since become a byword for crime and decrepitude was demolished by city authorities earlier this month, and people from the neighborhood said it was about time.

The owner of an apartment complex across the street from the infamous Gables of Inwood told television news station KPRC that the destruction would be a big help to the area.

"This area changed very, very quickly from one of the best neighborhoods in Houston to an area that was difficult to live in. It helps the schools, it helps the churches. You drive crime out, you create good housing, and you create a better Houston," Tom Miller said in an interview.

The Gables had been closed for three years after the owner failed to comply with 170 notices from city authorities to make repairs and clean up, according to another local TV broadcaster, KHOU.

A problem development of this kind can torpedo the Houston property values for a neighborhood, and potential homebuyers would be wise to be on the lookout for such a place, experts say.