A Texas-Size Hunger For Gulf Coast Condos

[Subdude]

..Houston residents, eager for a second home and flush with cash from the oil boom, have made Galveston Island an emerging Lone Star equivalent of the Hamptons.

...

Only 51 miles southeast of Houston, Galveston still has plenty of vacant land, low home prices and miles of wide-open beaches. Over the last four years, the average price of a home has risen 89 percent, to $232,800 in January, according to the Galveston Association of Realtors. Prices for water-view lots are now more than double what the Wisemans paid. A single water-view lot at Beachtown costs $300,000, though other lots without views could be as low as $80,000.

[musicman]

GALVESTON

[VicMan]

Yep, this is the same phenomenon that is causing Galveston's middle class to move across the causeway into La Marque/Texas City/League City.

Again, someday Galveston will be the Santa Monica of the Gulf Coast.

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

I have toyed with the idea of having a weekend home in Galveston, specifically places like Crystal Beach-Jamaica Beach. I have concerns about the cost of insurance. Anyone here with a weekend home there can give me some insight on ins. cost for beach homes there?

[aslowdodge]

I have toyed with the idea of having a weekend home in Galveston, specifically places like Crystal Beach-Jamaica Beach. I have concerns about the cost of insurance. Anyone here with a weekend home there can give me some insight on ins. cost for beach homes there?

figure about 7 grand for winf, flood, owners.

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

figure about 7 grand for winf, flood, owners.

Hmmm, i thought it would be more than that.

[lockmat]

A couple things. Isn't this the same Galveston Island that has crappy beaches and brown water? Although it's waterfront, it's not really the type of beach that draws people because of its beauty.

And secondly...maybe moody continues to expand and it becomes our new theme park to replace Astroworld? Does anyone know if there is much land around it to continue such a growth?

Oh, and one more thing. Hypothetically, what happens after this place is all built up, then a major hurricane DOES hit?

[MidtownCoog]

Although it's waterfront, it's not really the type of beach that draws people because of its beauty.

Yes. Please stay away. Stay far, far away. Same goes for all those New Yorkers.

And 1st, don't worry about insurance. Worry about taxes. GCAD is playing hard ball this year on taxes. We had to file a protest.

[TheNiche]

A couple things. Isn't this the same Galveston Island that has crappy beaches and brown water? Although it's waterfront, it's not really the type of beach that draws people because of its beauty.

And secondly...maybe moody continues to expand and it becomes our new theme park to replace Astroworld? Does anyone know if there is much land around it to continue such a growth?

Oh, and one more thing. Hypothetically, what happens after this place is all built up, then a major hurricane DOES hit?

Key word is "built up". Verticality does wonders to reduce exposure to storm surge. Galveston also has a seawall that helps out with a lot of its waterfront. I'm actually less concerned with Galveston (even on the West End) as I am with Seabrook, Kemah, La Marque, Hitchcock, Dickinson, San Leon, Bacliff, La Porte, and parts of League City. In a Cat 4, Texas City's levy system could easily be breached, too.

But the thing about the mainland is that it doesn't get nearly the attention that Galveston does even though it has a far greater potential for regional economic impact. After all, Galveston is a playground for the rich these days. Property owners tend to have insurance, or they tend to have a primary home that is inland, or perhaps this is just an investment to them. Such folks will survive, rebuild, and prosper. The mainland is where the lower and middle classes live. They tend to have a much greater portion of their savings built into the equity of their homes, and if they've paid down the mortgage, they might've eliminated the insurance bill too to save some cash. They're also more likely to not have the right kind of insurance or have a firm grasp of the risks of living where they do, and will be the ones screaming about getting ripped off on CNN in the months following a disaster. They're the ones that will drift inland after the storm, once more filling apartments to capacity. They're the ones that will eat up social services, paid largely by the Federal government and the State.

[lockmat]

Key word is "built up". Verticality does wonders to reduce exposure to storm surge. Galveston also has a seawall that helps out with a lot of its waterfront. I'm actually less concerned with Galveston (even on the West End) as I am with Seabrook, Kemah, La Marque, Hitchcock, Dickinson, San Leon, Bacliff, La Porte, and parts of League City. In a Cat 4, Texas City's levy system could easily be breached, too.

So building up is actually better? I can see why b/c of flooding, but what about the high winds?

[TheNiche]

So building up is actually better? I can see why b/c of flooding, but what about the high winds?

The structures are typically able to withstand it. In fact, the ones right up against the Gulf are probably in a better position than most if they get hit by the dirty side of the storm because there wouldn't be much debris flying around. But bear in mind that Galveston's commercial district is pretty much intact despite dozens of storms, large and small. I think that the worst case of structural collapse I've ever heard of is when Ivan tore through Mississippi back in 2004. I know someone in Hattiesburg who claimed that it took out a very old 10-story masonry structure. Otherwise, I can think of cases in post-Katrina Mississippi where gambling barges slammed into hotels, causing significant structural damage, but not a collapse.

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

Oh, and one more thing. Hypothetically, what happens after this place is all built up, then a major hurricane DOES hit?

Thats what insurance is for. Silly is the fool that builds/buys there and not have insurance.

Yes. Please stay away. Stay far, far away. Same goes for all those New Yorkers.

And 1st, don't worry about insurance. Worry about taxes. GCAD is playing hard ball this year on taxes. We had to file a protest.

I hate taxes

I can do with out the New Yokers as well :)

[lockmat]

Thats what insurance is for. Silly is the fool that builds/buys there and not have insurance.

Yeah, that's what a lot of Katrina and Rita victims are thinking right now...not

[J.A.S.O.N.]

A couple things. Isn't this the same Galveston Island that has crappy beaches and brown water? Although it's waterfront, it's not really the type of beach that draws people because of its beauty.

Yep, the one and the same...

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=450725

[lockmat]

Yep, the one and the same...

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=450725

Those pics are amazing. I really need to take another trip back down there.

Not to take over the thread, but what's yalls opinion...is haif or skyscrapercity better for forum chat? Maybe this should be its own thread, I dont know.

[aslowdodge]

Those pics are amazing. I really need to take another trip back down there.

Not to take over the thread, but what's yalls opinion...is haif or skyscrapercity better for forum chat? Maybe this should be its own thread, I dont know.

being a newcomer myself, I can remember years back mentioning Galveston and seeing people roll their eyes. Galveston has changed a lot and even today when I mention it, a lot of people roll their eyes still. They often have never been there themselves or if they have, it was many years ago before all the changes. I live in California in one of the most diverse and beautiful regions. Despite the beaches and water not up to the same standards as many carribean islands, I find myself strangely attracted to the island and really enjoy it. A lot of people like puerta vallerta or mazatlan in mexico and tout the beaches there. last time i went it wasn't any nicer than galveston.

If you get a chance do take a trip down there and you might be surprised.

[webdude]

Water is dirty and turn off, but potential for greatness is so huge. Nice pics at the other forum, but the number of ppl shown is not the norm though.

[MidtownCoog]

tell me more about the dirty water

[TheNiche]

Water is dirty and turn off, but potential for greatness is so huge. Nice pics at the other forum, but the number of ppl shown is not the norm though.

Agreed, this was probably spring break or Mardi Gras. The weather is usually better.

In fact, on really good days, when the wind blows just right and the temperature is perfect, the water clears up. I got a call from my aunt a couple years back, when she happened to be on the island, and she told me to get down there as soon as I could because she'd never seen the water so clear. I went, swam, and could see my feet from about neck-deep in the water! Evidently that only happens a couple times a year, if that frequently.

My grandfather used to be a shrimper, and before that he worked on offshore rigs. He tells stories of strange mornings with just the right conditions so that the Gulf of Mexico is as calm as a lake. My mom has seen it like that too, but I've never been so lucky.

[MidtownCoog]

He tells stories of strange mornings with just the right conditions so that the Gulf of Mexico is as calm as a lake.

We had this a number of times last summer. Some places call it the doldrums.

But it's fun. We put the bay boat in on the beach side last August. Crusing the seawall in a boat provides for a really cool view.

[brerrabbit]

Flat water on the beach front equals great surf fishing for trout. During the summer if you hear a weather report that says that a front is moving in from the north, look for flat green water to the beach in the next couple of days. I have also taken my bay boat on the surf side of the island and it really does give you a totally different perspective of the island. I'm 47 years old and grew up on the southeast side of Houston and lived there my entire life. I have spent a lot of time on the island and across the ferry at Bolivar. The water is dirty because of the lack of depth of the Gulf and the number of rivers dumping into and around Galveston. If many find it not to their taste then thats fine by me, don't go, means less crowds for me. I find myself spending a lot more time fishing farther west these days anyway because of the crowds and stupid boaters and fishermen. If its beach we usually go to Freeport these days because there is more uninhabited coast down there. It seems like a very short time ago that once you passed Jamaca beach heading west there was only one more development before there was nothing. Now there are houses all the way to San Louis pass and my Galveston of yesterday is just a memory. Oh how I long for the old days of Sea Arama, the Snake Pit, and wide open beaches you could drive on.

[MidtownCoog]

I hear ya. The Centex development on the West End is killing me.

[lockmat]

The water is dirty because of the lack of depth of the Gulf and the number of rivers dumping into and around Galveston. If many find it not to their taste then thats fine by me, don't go, means less crowds for me.

The sand is pretty crappy too. But then again, I'm not all that much into beaches.

For swimmers and those who just want to relax at a nice place in sand, Galveston beach pretty much sucks compared a lot of other places.

But hey, I wouldn't mind fishing there though!

[brerrabbit]

The sand is pretty crappy too. But then again, I'm not all that much into beaches.

For swimmers and those who just want to relax at a nice place in sand, Galveston beach pretty much sucks compared a lot of other places.

But hey, I wouldn't mind fishing there though!

The sand is the color it is because of the water. Silt filled rivers like the Sabine, the San Jacinto, the Trinity, the Brazos, and the Colorado all dump heavy amounts of silt into the bays and the Gulf and it colors the sand. It merely changes the color but does not make it "dirty" just a different color. Not the white powdery stuff you find in Florida and farther south Texas.

[lockmat]

The sand is the color it is because of the water. Silt filled rivers like the Sabine, the San Jacinto, the Trinity, the Brazos, and the Colorado all dump heavy amounts of silt into the bays and the Gulf and it colors the sand. It merely changes the color but does not make it "dirty" just a different color. Not the white powdery stuff you find in Florida and farther south Texas.

Yeah, I could really care less about the color. It's more of the texture that I don't like. In Gston, it's really compact, and not like the ones in Florida or Cali that you describe as powdery.

[dbigtex56]

Yeah, I could really care less about the color. It's more of the texture that I don't like. In Gston, it's really compact, and not like the ones in Florida or Cali that you describe as powdery.

There's a silver lining - I've read that sandcastle enthusiasts rank Galveston's sand as among the best.

From AIA Sandcastle Competition:

For almost two decades in the first part of June, Houston area architects, designers, engineers and contractors have taken their tools to East Beach in Galveston for what is considered one of the world’s largest sandcastle competitions. The Houston Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) sponsors this annual contest where some 80 teams have their eyes (and shovels) set on winning the prestigious "Golden Bucket" award.

[lockmat]

There's a silver lining - I've read that sandcastle enthusiasts rank Galveston's sand as among the best.

From AIA Sandcastle Competition:

For almost two decades in the first part of June, Houston area architects, designers, engineers and contractors have taken their tools to East Beach in Galveston for what is considered one of the world

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

There's a silver lining - I've read that sandcastle enthusiasts rank Galveston's sand as among the best.

From AIA Sandcastle Competition:

For almost two decades in the first part of June, Houston area architects, designers, engineers and contractors have taken their tools to East Beach in Galveston for what is considered one of the world

[moni]

Stop pointing out the positives of Galveston. That will draw in more people from outside and raise the rates.

I wonder how many of you have actually been in the water off the southern California coast. The water is COLD. It is always cold. The first time my family went with us to Huntington Beach, they were so cold, they said they had no plans to ever come back. When they came to see me in Galveston, they said "this is like a heated pool". Well, if white sand is wanted, it is simple enough to move it in like Miami Beach has. After all, Hawaii has black sand and it doesn't hurt their tourist industry any. I have always enjoyed Galveston and the beach there. The wonderful walk along the seawall can't be beat. I never understand the comparisons here on this forum, they are not valid. The water in Lake Michigan is always cold too, so stop comparing other beaches to Houston. Stop and think, who wants their children to play in cold water??? And, the water in the San Francisco Bay would freeze your b...s off, even in mid summer. Believe me, Galveston is a diamond in the rough. Much, much better than southern California and some day none of us will be able to afford to go there.

[lockmat]

I wonder ...

Going to the beach isn't always about the water though. Some people just go to get away and lay out. Plus, many of those people are crazy or used to it anyway. I know when I live in the LA area, I could only stand the water for about 15 minutes. Once my body basically went numb so it wasn't too bad. The sucky part about their beaches is that it gets overcast too often, so then it's cold in and out of the water.