AlwaysMoving

Well, I've been using this one: http://www.collinssoftware.com/web/Houston_TX.htm I plug every house I like into it and see where it lies--I like it because it's super easy. I'm assuming it's updated to the new tsarp maps since it references them on the site... (?)

Thanks for the school info, guys! Hey, why is Timbergrove/Lazybrook so cheap? I see these nice houses, INSIDE the loop, for only $230-250K...what the heck is up with that? Is there some scary ghetto right nearby or something? What gives? I really need to get up to Houston and take a look around. It's hard when all you're going on is internet.

Thanks, everyone! I really appreciate all the info and opinions. I and DH are going to have to trek up there in a couple of weeks and check it all out and get the feel and vibe of each of the areas so we can narrow it down a bit.

Oh, and renting first is NOT an option for us this time. As you can tell by my user name, we are always moving and we are sick--SICK--of moving. The last 3 cities we've moved to (Durham, NC, Tyler, TX, & McAllen, TX) we lived in apartments for a few months while looking for a house and it just adds too much to the stress. Big move plus another move a couple months later=ulcers. This time we're going to move straight into a house and, so help me, we're not going to move again for at least 10 years, and even then only to another house in the same city (hopefully). I'm so sick of moving I could hurl. And thanks for the welcome, everyone. One thing I like about Houston is that people are so friendly!

Well, if my DH can keep with his current company, their Houston office is in Highlands, which I see is way out east. I used Mapquest and it says Woodlands is 53 minutes from Highlands (yikes!), Kingwood is 47 minutes (ouch) but inner loop (I used Oak Forest) is 27 minutes (much better). Plus, I would think that if we live in inner loop and he works out east, then he would be going opposite the main flow of traffic, right? I think I would like The Woodlands a lot, and Kingwood looks nice too... With 2 young kids I want lots of activities for them, but I also want stuff for us grown-ups too, like museums, restaurants, and symphony. Above all, though, is safety. I need for my kids to be able to play in the back yard without worrying all the time. It seems that a lot of times people think suburbs are safer but when you look at actual crime data it doesn't necessarily hold true... I don't want my poor hubby to spend hours driving each day because we live waaaayyyy out of town, only to discover that where I live isn't necessarily safer than it would have been if I lived inside the loop, ya know? How do y'all think Houston's "city" is compared to its "burbs" as far as safety? Thanks so much, everyone--you have no idea how much peace of mind it gives me to be able to gather so much firsthand info from natives before moving in. Oh, and thank you for the zip codes!!! That helps a lot when you're doing the bulk of your "shopping" on the internet!

Wow, thanks for the input everyone. MarthaG, could you tell me the zip code for Oak Forest so I can search? Could anyone tell me the zip codes for Timbergrove, the Heights, Lazybrook, and Garden Oaks--or where I can go to find them myself? I was watching tv last night and saw some crime stuff that got me really creeped out, and my husband's friends live in sketchy areas where they get attempted break-ins and stuff, so I'm really determined to find a NICE place to live! Oh, and if I were to sacrifice any of my four requirements it would have to be commute time. Safety, longevity, and schools are the most important...DH can drive his butt off if he has to, lol!

Hi everyone! This forum looks like a wealth of information for someone like me so I hope you all will be willing to answer. My husband and I are planning to move to Houston soon. He is from Houston--he grew up in Sharpstown but we definitely don't want to live there (scary!). We have 2 young kids and want a neighborhood that is ~SAFE (relatively) ~has GOOD SCHOOLS ~isn't too far out - hubby wants a commute 30 minutes or less from most major areas (we don't know where he will be working yet), and ~has LONGEVITY -- we want to put down roots in a home and neighborhood where we can live for the next 40 years with the neighborhood retaining its value and still being a nice place to live 40 years from now. I know very little about Houston and my husband has been gone for 20 years. We have about $180-200K to spend. Meyerland? Bellaire? (too expensive?) Sugarland? Woodlands? (I think this may be too far out, though) I would really appreciate any input! I am going to have my husband read the Sharpstown thread--I think he'll get a kick out of remembering his youth. Thanks so much, Genevieve (currently living down in miserable McAllen)