The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word PROPERTIES
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
P
R
O
P
E
R
T
I
E
S
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Houses" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case houses = properties.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does PROPERTIES mean?
PROPERTIES noun- Something that is owned.
- A piece of real estate, such as a parcel of land.
- Real estate; the business of selling houses.
- The exclusive right of possessing, enjoying and disposing of a thing.
- An attribute or abstract quality associated with an individual, object or concept.
- An attribute or abstract quality which is characteristic of a class of objects.
- An editable or read-only parameter associated with an application, component or class, or the value of such a parameter.
- (usually in the plural) A prop, an object used in a dramatic production.
- Propriety; correctness.