houstongal

First, just for clarity, City Park is not in Pearland. It lies north of the Pearland city limit.

I'd advise you to read this thread for an in-depth discussion of City Park. In addition to what you will read there, I checked last week and there are 4 registered sex offenders living there - 2 in City park itself and 2 in the adjacent apartment complex.

Bottom line: I'd recommend steering clear of it.

If you want to buy a home I'd suggest going a few miles further south, into Pearland, on its west side along the 288 corridor. There are many nice homes in Shadowcreek Ranch, Southern Trails (where I live), or other subdivisions. Our schools are ok and crime is much lower.

This information is very helpful. Thank you!

I'm a little confused by your price range. Low 100s isn't going to find you much, but if you are going into the low 200s then you have quite a bit more flexibility.

One example: I bought a new Ashton Woods home last year in the low 200s, and I'm very happy with it.

Ideally, I will like to stay around $150K, because with property taxes and insurance, that will probably come to about $1,500 per month. Low 200s is doable, but I'm a huge saver and would prefer not to spend that much on a mortgage.

Can I ask why you bumped a four-year-old topic?

Because I was researching good builders in houston. I thought it was good practice to do a search rather than starting a new thread on a topic that might have been previously discussed?

Does anyone know of the City Park community going up around 288 and W. Orem? I noticed several builders are building in the area. My husband and I are considering moving to this area due to its proximity to the medical center. Is this a good neighborhood to move to? Also, how are the schools around this area? If we do buy a home there, we plan on raising our kids there and staying for about 5-7 years.

Better materials, techniques, designs, more oversight to catch screw ups, more anal retentive oversight to catch small screwups, and of course, charge more.

Any suggestions for good home builders for single family homes ranging in the low 100Ks to 200Ks?

Where did I say anything like that? I think you're in the wrong thread. This thread is about the townhouse trend in Houston. There's another thread about people making $80k a year and buying $300k homes. If you read it, you'll see that I clearly said you need to do one of two things to be able to afford a $300k home:

1. make a lot more than $80k

2. put down a large down payment.

I agree with you 100% that leveraging one's self to the hilt to buy a home is a really bad idea. When I bought my home, I bought FAR less than I could afford. I put 20% down and paid off the rest of the loan over 12 months.

The fact of the matter is that Houston home prices are a SCREAMING bargin when compared to many other large American cities. I realize that certain neighborhoods are still out of reach of many homebuyers. If you can't afford the house of your dreams in Houston, you should take solace in the fact that if you lived in many other cities your dream would be even farther away from reality.

bpe3

Okay. Gotcha.

"I don't know how you can say neighborhoods between 610 and Beltway are slums in the making. Absurd. So I guess all of those homes in Memorial and Tanglewood will be filed with vagrants soon?? I needed a good laugh today."

Most, not all. Memorial is still middle class but by neighborhoods between 610 and the Beltway, he means places like Alief and Old Spring Branch.

Does Alief not start after the beltway?

The Seattle projects referenced are nice, but they sure aren't cheap.

"Prices range from $695,000 for 1,575 square feet to $925,000 for 2,200 square feet."

Four of the units are priced at $325,000 to $350,000. That undercuts the typical two- or three-bedroom Craftsman townhouse, but these are one-bedroom lofts of just 776 square feet.

There's an active thread on this same board where Houstonians are scratching their heads about how people can afford to pay $300k to live inside the Loop. Most Houstonians have no idea how good we have it.

bpe3

Having our home prices cheaper than other places has nothing to do with a person with annual income of $80K being able to afford a $300K home. Regardless of whether the home prices are $1.5m or $500K, if you can't afford it you can't afford it. You can't say just because some markets are more expensive than others it's okay to put yourself in unnecessary debt.

If you have job security, can afford what you want, and a rent vs. own analysis makes sense, now is a good time to buy a home. It could be better or worse later on, but it probably isn't worth speculating or holding off on a purchase. Appreciation will happen, and it'll likely be slow and steady, as usual.

The 77003 zip code gets mixed reviews, but I like what I see along Commerce Street and it won't be too long before the area gets a few light rail stops. Aside from right near Minute Maid Park and up along the Bayou, there isn't too much in the way of homeless activity, and because there are only a couple small pockets of homes near I-45 and clustered around Settegast Park, there isn't a critical mass of ghetto as there are in places further east.

As a general rule, expect property taxes to be at least 2.5% of the purchase price of a home, due each year in January. But always check the Tax ID to be sure what your obligations are, and always protest.

Thank you. How does one protest their property taxes?

I just have several questions I need advice on.

1) Everyone has been saying within the next six months is the best time to buy a house in Houston, as the real estate market is down right now. Is this true?

2) What will Houston's real estate market be in about 2 - 4 years/

3) If one does choose to buy a house now, is the downtown area a good place to get a town home? Specifically around the 77003 zip code? Is that area considered an emerging area in Houston?

4) What are the property taxes like in this area?

Please advise. Thanks.

Check out powertochoose.org

This state sponsored web site lists all of the providers for Houston. I went with Amigo Energy because the price was considerable less than Reliant and TXU. My highest bill last summer was $189 for 1,850 sq. ft.

Have you had any problems with them so far?

Thank you both for your responses.

I'm trying to decide on an electrical service provider and I'm torn between Reliant or Direct Energy. Which of these companies is better than the other? Which has a lower rate? Are either company known for corrupt practices? I've tried powertochoose.org but that site is so confusing. I have no idea which service area I'm in; I mean what is an Oncor service area versus a Centerpoint service area. Please help!

ETA: I live in the medical center area.

Ain't it the truth! The owner of my complex is usually good about getting things fixed on time, but what you are describing sometimes happens with smaller individually owned complexes. The upside is that we are MUCH more willing to work with tenants who run into hard times and much more restrained with the rent increases.

My 1 bedrooms rent for around 555 ALL BILLS PAID!!! Royal blue carpet included for free I agree with you that some steals (including mine, tho I'm full) are to be found in this area but the OP sounded like she was looking for something more AMLI Midtown than Montrose funky. I LOVE living in this little complex because we all know each other and there is a definite sense of community. We look out for each other. Some of my tenants have lived here for 15+ years. Its a good living...

Hahaha! Perhaps...

If you could please define exactly what you want in an apartment, that might help us give you an honest assessment of what is realistic or what alternatives might be better-suited to you. There is a lot of different product out there, in many varied locations, and it just isn't easy to generalize.For instance, I could probably point you in the direction of a place within about 20 minutes of the TMC that would rent a 1/1 for just shy of $400/mo. ...not that you'd probably want to live on Laura Koppe Dr. I could also cite a place where rent for a 1/1 starts just over $2,000 and goes up to nearly $3,500.Perhaps if you'd tell us which complexes you've looked at so far?

#2 is false. While demolition activity does have an impact, it certainly isn't a 1-to-1 ratio of construction to demolition; likewise, what is demolished is largely non-competitive with new and intermediate product. The point is well-taken, but there is no need for hyperbole. In actuality, supply is coming on very strong. While I don't anticipate a true glut of new supply such as would force major concessions, I also don't anticipate the market tightening at any time in the forseeable future.With respect to #6: [Niche raises hand]. I've got a 1/1 condominium built in 1981. Easy access to TMC via Fannin or Almeda. Water/cable paid, W/D units, ground floor, quiet neighbors. Rennovations planned: new flooring, new dishwasher, new paint job, resurfaced tub, new bathroom sink and cabinets; can begin almost immediately if you're willing to commit to it, otherwise I'm not in a rush and will likely wait a couple more months. $700/mo. Also willing to sell if interested.

How big of a space are you looking for?

right out of mtv cribs. ghetto fabulous.

Don't be racist and stereotypical. Most people that drive trucks are caucasian.

I used to be in the apartment business and this is typcially their "slow time." You will get the best deal you will get in the winter. About April it starts to get busy again and any specials dry up and rates typically increase.

The closure of Allen House has got to have an impact on the market. That place was huge! Plus all the other factors previously mentioned.

About the only way to get a deal is to find something from an individual landlord. That can be a time-consuming task. It usually involves a little luck and timing. Driving areas and looking for signs, (If it is an old person renting it out, they aren't going to be on craigslist!) Also check individual things on craigslist, backpage.com and possibly the papers.

Allen House closed?! When did this happen? Wow. I'm really going to have a hard time getting the place I want now. Unfortunately for me, most of the apartments I have my eyes on are owned by corporations, not individual landlords.

Well I guess I should give my opinion since I started this thread. I am mixed on this. To me, I feel the occupants of a gated community have a false sense of security within those gates. I don't think they are 100% secure. If a criminal element wants to get in, they'll get in. They will find a way. I also wonder about being secure from criminal elements on the outside, what about your neighbors? They could be white collar criminals. I also see it as an upscale segregated colony. I remember, I saw a gated community years ago in Louisiana and it was the first time I saw one. I didn't know what to think except maybe these were scared white folks trying to keep black folks away from them. I was young and naive. Of course, about a year ago some young punks broke into my home while I wasn't there and was looking for some valuables to steal. They didn't find any. I somewhat think differently about gated communities. If I could afford it, I wouldn't mind purchasing a home in one.

Even though you say "if a criminal elements wants to get in, they'll get in.", true but a gated community reduces the number of criminals and also makes it harder for them to get in. Now, imagine there wasn't a gate, all kinds of people will be able to drive up whenever they want. Having a gate forces them to have to find another way to get in. This deters some criminals. All one can do is be as careful as you can be because I don't think you can be 100% safe unless you have guards at each entries and dogs guarding the house.

I'm looking for an apartment in the inner loop/medical center area and the average price for a decent apartment seems to be around $800 - $900. At these prices one might as well buy a house. What is causing this increase in rent and do y'all think they'll be going back down soon? I'm looking to move within the next month and these rent costs are scaring me!