Tony Buzbee buys $15.5 million Houston mansion just to tear it down

Prominent trial attorney Tony Buzbee is expanding his River Oaks footprint after buying a mansion listed for $15.5 million in one of Houston’s priciest purchases in July.

Buzbee wasn’t drawn to the 15,000-square-foot mansion for its design. Instead, he plans to demolish the entire structure at 1708 River Oaks and donate the materials, worth about $4 million, to Habitat Humanity, Buzbee said in an email.

“I’ve never liked that house and over the years have made several attempts to acquire it,” Buzbee said.

The former mayoral candidate already owned a 12,000-square-foot home next door at 1722 River Oaks. Buzbee listed that property for sale at $27.5 million in 2022, but eventually pulled it from the market in 2024, according to the Houston Association of Realtors.

“I never wanted to leave the street. I love this house,” he said of his current home. “We just wanted more space.”

Now Buzbee and wife, Frances, plan to combine both parcels into a single 2-acre compound, he said. They hope to build an English garden and pool house in the place of the demolished home. “More green space is always good,” he said. 

Buzbee’s new property wasn’t the only high-profile luxury purchase in July. One of the most expensive homes to hit the market in Texas this year, 603 W Friar Tuck, also sold last month.

Originally listed for $14 million, the Memorial-area estate was owned by Houston surgeon Richard J. Andrassy, a professor and chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) Medical School, the Chronicle previously reported. The asking price was later slashed to $6.15 million, according to HAR.

Take a look inside these estates and others that led Houston’s luxury market below last month, according to the Houston Association of Realtors.

List price: $15,500,000
Sold price: $10,000,000 or more
6 bedrooms, 7 full and 3 half bathrooms

This 1.01-acre estate is set behind gates and a circular driveway leading up to a formal columned entryway. The neoclassical exterior gives way to an interior filled with an eclectic mix of architectural styles, from ornate European-inspired spaces with carved woodwork and muraled ceilings to sleeker, contemporary rooms with glossy marble, glass and metal finishes. The 15,000-square-foot home is filled with unique touches, such as an enormous stained-glass dome in one room and an enclosed pool set underneath a ceiling dotted with star-like lights.

 MORE LUXURY: Former NBA All-Star’s Houston mansion once seen on MTV ‘Cribs’ hits the market again for $11.99M

List price: $6,495,000
Sold price:  $5,864,001- $6,767,000
6 bedrooms, 7 full and 3 half bathrooms

Modern transitional and contemporary influences reign in this newly built mansion in Tanglewood by Stacey Fine Homes.  The 11,300-square-foot interior is lined with tall windows allowing ample natural light to fill the spacious, open floor plan. The primary suite has its own kitchenette with a wet bar and wine cooler alongside a seating area and fireplace. An indoor-outdoor living pavilion features a summer kitchen, a fireplace and a pool surrounded by manicured grounds.  Amenities include a whole-home generator, four gas-long fireplaces and an elevator.

List price: $6,150,000
Sold price: $6,880,000, per Concierge Auctions
5 bedrooms, 7 full and 3 half bathrooms

Set on a 2.1-acre lot in the close-in Memorial neighborhood, this estate features expansive wooded grounds perched above a creek. Inside the 12,228-square-foot home, a double-height entryway is filled with star-shaped chandeliers hanging over a grand staircase. Spacious formal rooms flow into a living room with wood-beamed, vaulted ceilings and a towering floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace.

The home was sold through the high-end auction website, Concierge Auctions, during a bidding period that ended May 27, said Brooks Ballard, who marketed the listing for sale with Jennifer Bean of Brooks Ballard International Real Estate. However, it took a few weeks to fund and close the transaction, which officially closed on July 2, Ballard said. 

EARLIER: Prominent surgeon to auction Memorial-area home after listing it for $14 million

List price: $5,300,000
Sold price: $5,081,000-$5,864,000 
6 bedrooms, 6 full and 1 half bathrooms

Stone pavers cross through a broad front lawn to the arched entryway of this newly built home in Hunters Creek. Inside, the interior features a warm contemporary design with pale oak flooring, black-framed windows and curved details, such as a fluted kitchen island with rounded corners. The primary bathroom features a striking, symmetrical design with a pair of fluted vanities and backlit-rounded mirrors framing a soaking tub. The 8,030-square-foot home is equipped with a 26 KW Generac generator and whole-home audio wiring, according to the listing.

MOST EXPENSIVE: Inside King Ranch descendent’s River Oaks mansion 

List price: $5,395,000
Sold price: $5,081,000-$5,864,000 
5 bedrooms, 5 full and 2 half bathrooms

The sellers of this Tanglewood residence originally thought this would be their “forever home”, but their plans changed after construction completed in 2025, and the home has never been lived in, according to the listing. Steep gables, pale brick and an arched stone entry give the exterior of this Tanglewood home a modern, Tudor-inspired look. Inside, the first level features light oak flooring with dark navy cabinetry, blue and red accent walls and exposed beams. Built by Winfrey Design Build, the 7,646-square-foot home features a sound-proofed primary suite with its own seating area and fireplace; a gym; an elevator; a whole-home generator and a pool framed by fountains.