Tell me about Houston

Search the HAR website..

http://www.har.com/



Houses like this can be found all day long in the suburbs. 3500 SF, 4-5 bedroom, $325K~.

Here's two new ones in Fairfield. Nice safe area (Cy-Fair). It's way out there, but everyone that lives there commutes to downtown so it not like it's not possible. It's about the same commute distance as Sugarland and Woodlands. It's a little farther out than Kingwood.

http://www.har.com/3358479

http://www.har.com/8274049

Keep in mind you have to pay property tax here, so that cheap house is not going to be as cheap as you think. 1%-3% is typical. I have seen higher. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I heard The Woodlands is almost 4%???


This same house near downtown would cost you almost triple that probably. I used to live near downtown, and I hated it. I would get a house in the suburbs and commute like everyone else. Inner loop (near downtown) is pretty cool after dark, but is traffic hell during business hours, smoggy, not a green tree for miles, dangerous Katrina and homeless people bug you if you stop for gas. The wildlife at Memorial Park even hate it.


If you can give more detail on price range and what type of house you like, the members here can look at the HAR site and tell you where to look.

 

This is great info. We would probably be searching for a home in the $250-$325k range.

 

"Far Field"...probably the only accurately named development in town.....

But my brother's Longhorn Ranch is just past it, behind AJ Foyt's Headquarters, none of these drives are bad, OFF PEAK, but grinding in and out those freeways takes it out of me..

I used to drive from Katy into Rice University every day and I was in bad mood, before I even got there! LOL!

Garden Oaks is where Lady Valeria lives and she's got a nice place...quiet, until a train rolls thru!

 

You in a bad mood. That would be a side few of us have ever seen.

DrWho is right about HISD. It's going down quick. Probably one of the most mismanaged districts in the country. My aunt retired the district in the late '90's when it began to really go downhill. She was fed up with their crap.

You're going to be traveling 290 at some point during the week/weekend. Unforunately it's going to start getting a lot worse in coming years. With supposed plans to "improve" it. At least that's what went out in a memo sometime back.

Don't let anything anyone has said scare you though, because unless you move to a small town traffic is going to find you. The opportunites are almost limitless around here.

 

Well, my office DID have a window over the Female Athletic Department jogging track...

I was dismissed from the project three weeks before a Tropical Storm flooded the whole thing, I guess it all worked out....

 

My kids are in CyFair.....they live by the Horse Track....

 

LOL.

I grew up in Cy-Fair. Jersey Village.

Actually it's a good thing you pointed out the flooding. Make sure to look at maps of the flood plain and the neighborhoods you're looking at moving to. Ask the people living there if it's flooded, and what it's like when it rains/rains heavy. I would also advise looking for a home in the highest area of that neighborhood.

 

..and there's a new map out, I have not seen it.

I have another intersting one, showing local Fault Lines......

 

You watched the news the other day I bet.

 

...no TV...LOL!

 

If you have a question about flood zones, you can look at this website and click "interactive mapping tool". It was a great resource when we moved to the Heights. It will tell you which flood plain you are in by address.

www.tsarp.org

The Tropical Storm Allison Recovery Project.

 

I'm in the Woodlands area too, with an office on Waterway Avenue. I know a bit about Sugar Land as well, and you cannot go wrong with either one. The Woodlands is a community within a community, but you will pay a premium for your home (relative to Texas in general). You get lush forests, or an open bay, or hill country, or prairie--all within a few hours drive.

Andrew

 

We have a train that rolls through garden oaks??? I guess if you live on 34th or 33rd you get the sound. I have yet to see another Ferrari roll through Garden Oaks.

 

http://www.thewoodlands.com/ Forgot to mention the great golf and dining the woodlands has to offer, plus its only 30 minutes from Lake Conroe.

 

The tracks that cross Ella, then Golf.....rolls right thru Valeria's back yard, on West 34 - 1/2 Street. Plus they have to blow at Ella and start again 100 yards later for Golf..

Valeria is a heavy sleeper, despite apnea....and I don't sleep there anymore....problem solved!

But it was interesting down at Planning Commision last week a representative for the Railroad testified that a 'normal' derailment could toss a freight car, oh, 100 feet, easily!

So 20,000 gallons of Liquified Petroleum Gas would leave quite the mark, on the back of her garage....her Mother In law cottage is totally in range, set towards the back of the property....for total destruction!

I AM the only Ferrari rolling in Garden Oaks, I meet the elementary school kids during Art Car Weekend, and let a female High School Sea Scout drive it after last year's July 4th Parade.....the pics are in their website...the blond, from the Color Guard.
I though they were from the US Navy, until she got into my car..

 

So when the heck do I get to drive one my birthday is the 4th of July????

Texas you either love it or leave it nuff said.

 

Saw this thread but have not looked in... I was born in Houston in '64 we moved to Kerrville in '72 and back to Houston in '76 and then to D/FW area in '79...

Houston SUCKS! There is absolutely NOTHING about Houston that I like or miss! Oh, wait, I think there is a McLaren F1 that lives in Houston now...I like that! Nothing else!

YMMV!

James
Austin, TX

 

check out the Katy area, particularly the Cinco Ranch neighborhoods. access to houston: about 30 minutes without traffic, about an hour or so in rush hour; via I10 (a mess right now due to construction but once completed should be much much easier), or via West Park Tollway (goes as far into Houston as almost I610(west loop) and US59 junction).

pros:
- Houston is growing towards that area, but Cinco Ranch is a fairly affluent set of neighborhoods so to me it seems that by the time Houston consumes the area, its financial status will already be set
- relatively new area, and booming rather quickly -- investment opportunities galore
- suburb lifestyle
- municipal airport nearby

cons:
- not 10 minutes away from downtown, but i haven't factored in your driving habits haha
- larger airports i.e. Bush Intercontinental and Hobby are appx an hour and a half away
- rush hour can be a hassle

best of luck in ur decision!

 

I live in Clear Lake area. Seabrook to be exact. Absolutely love it here. If you have a job in Houston though it's kind of a drive.

 

good post number for this post lol....

 

Check out the townhomes in the box formed by Westcott/I-10/Waugh/Allen Pkwy/Shepherd. Old area being re-built little by little. New townhomes next to little old 1940's houses.

Values are trending up, will explode I think in 5-10 years...

If you don't need a yard, these are great. Moved here in late '03, and love it here. Central to downtown and westloop/Galleria.
Living here allows me to avoid freeways for most of my trips. I'm on Memorial often, to downtown and Galleria..

Price ranges should fit you...

Greg
77 GTB

 

You left out an important detail...


That area SUCKSTHEBIGONE11111!!!! I'm with James one this one. If you HAVE to move to Houston, the last place I would even consider is near downtown unless you HAVE to. Expensive, flat, terrible traffic, terrible smog, terrible crime. I would go waaay out in the suburbs. Katy, Sugarland, Clear Lake, Woodlands, Cy-Fair.

 

I remember when Katy and Woodlands were like a DAYS drive from Houston! Now they are PART of Houston! Why any company or any person would move to that hell hole is beyond me. The weather sucks (about 100% humidity ALL THE TIME, and oh, in the summer 95 Deg), the traffic sucks, the pollution sucks... Clear Lake if you want to move closer to the coast would not be TERRIBLE (but if you work in Houston pack a lunch just for the trip in and out every day!), Woodlands if you work north wouldn't kill me, and I guess Brookshire area Katy to the west, but again all those places are SO FAR OUT if you work downtown it is a 2 day journey to get to work.

Ok, I am being a bit overly dramatic here, but the traffic, crime, pollution, and weather are NOT GOOD in H-town...

YMMV!
James
Austin, TX (we have terrible traffic, but not to bad on crime, pollution, or weather...probably the best weather overall in all of Texas really...us and San Antonio)

 

AMEN.

You can buy a $900K house in Bellaire (houston) for $900K. You have no views at all, flat terrain, terrible traffic, terrible crime, bad roads, bad schools, terrible smog, nothing recreational to do at all unless you go to Clear Lake or Conroe.


OR...


You can buy a $900K house in west Austin on a cliff with awesome hillcountry or lake views, minimal smog, minimal traffic, good roads, minimal crime, not as humid, awesome recreation (kayaking, hiking, boating, mountain biking, rock climbing, all within a 15 minute drive).


I do like the Clear Lake area even thought it's still not as good as Austin. If I did not love offshore fishing, Clear Lake would be out too.

 

In my opinion yall are going over-board on the crime and pollution.