Observer

Yeah, it'll likely look just the house across the street, and the one

next door too.  Everything involves a tradeoff.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

LOL.

Thanks for the info.

If I may ask, how was it moving across country? Did you just call

Mayflower movers and that was it?

I'd imagine we'll have to do the following:

1) Find an apartment first, before we buy a home.

2) Call a reliable moving company who go cross country.

3) Somehow drive down to the apartment (3+ days) before the truck full of our stuff arrives at the apartment.

4) Find a house.

5) Get another moving company to move our stuff from the apartment to the house.

This seems like somewhat of a headache. Did you do something similar?

Thanks much for the links, I'll look into those developments!

Out of curiosity, since you live just about as far from downtown

as the Woodlands, why did you pass up living in the Woodlands?

Thanks for the additional feedback.

I can live with the lower appreciation, because for $300K up here, you get a really lame house. To convey exactly what I'm talking about, here's a house in a below average neighborhood, with below average schools:

http://www.realtor.com/FindHome/HomeListin...xlid=1042156899

That's $450K for that box, can you believe it? That's typical. And if you want nice schools, and remotely nice looking house, that will cost $600-750K.

It's absolutely crazy

And I'll agree that there are more reasons than financial to move to Houston -- the people are much nicer, and there seems to be more of a focus on the family.

It seems like a great place to raise kids.

As for the Memorial area, are those homes on the older side? (Yes, we're looking at $350K max.) Some of the new homes in the area are so incredible, that it would be tough to move into an older home.

Are there any nice 'acreage' communities within a 40-minute rush hour commute of downtown? It would be nice to have a full acre, or more. I'm amazed at how they stuff these large homes on 1/4 acre lots (or less) and the neighbor's house is literally 15 feet away. The towns shouldn't allow that.

I hear Kingswood (?) next to the Woodlands has larger plots, but that's a long commute and the schools are not as good as the Woodlands, right?

Thanks for the additional info Jason!

We had planned to take a look at North Carolina homes next month near Research Triangle Park, which is booming. However, after weeks of looking at homes online there, we learned the homes are more expensive than the Houston area, and not in the same league as far as 'nice.'

All the nice stuff like brickwork, cathedral ceilings in the living room, etc, are far less common there. Most homes have vinyl siding.

So we're going back to Houston in a few weeks! We may be neighbors yet.

Oh, and I like the 'low key' signs on the retail stores, it was just that some stores seemed too hidden. It's hard to shop at a store if you don't know it's there.

On the Houston area, I still have some reservations on home appreciation. How do you folks deal with that issue? Coming from the Northeast, people here view their house as an investment, as well as a place to live. So if they spend $300K on a home, they may hope to sell it for double the price or more when they retire. But it seems in Houston you would actually move backwards with your 'nest egg' since you're paying 6% or more in interest on a house that's gaining in value at less than that rate.

Also, while there is no state tax income in Texas, we looked at a house that had $11,000 in property taxes (Missouri City), which is a serious hit.

Would love to hear other thoughts on these issues.

I'm trying to put together some numbers for a "Texas Budget," but

since I'm unfamiliar with bills and fees in Texas, I need some help.

Here's what I put together, for a 3,500 square foot house that

costs $375K.

Monthly Budget

-----------------------------

Known

Mortgage Pmt - $1,800

Property Tax - $833

Unknown

Utilities - $400?? (Air conditioning, heat)

MUD Fee - $100??

Car Insurance - $300??

Items under "Unknown" are items I'm completely guessing at, and

hope some of you folks more familiar with typical rates could help

out.

Thanks!

Thanks for the info KZ.

How about the IT job market in Houston, would you say

it's solid? Is the pay much less than Seattle? Something

like 75% less?

On specific Houston area home appreciation rates, I've

Googled on that for awhile, but didn't find much.

By the way, this thread has some horror stories about home

appreciation in the Houston area:

http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...?showtopic=1427

Is it difficult to sell a home in the Houston area? One guy mentions

taking a $45K loss because buyers would prefer new construction to

his 'old' house.

I am also in IT, and did exactly the same thing as Seattle got too expensive. I also

considered the same cities you are looking at. Eventually, I ended up in Houston.

However, I found the job first and then moved. You seem to be doing it the other way.

How is the IT job market in Houston? Was it difficult to find a

gig? I intend to target the financial services corporations.

As for the order, job first vs location first, if we make the move

to only where there's a quick job opening, we'll never end up

living where we want to live.

I've been developing large-scale Java-based apps for many

years, so if there are opportunities in Houston, things would

hopefully just work out.

Did you travel to the other cities you explored as well, to check

out their neignborhoods, etc?

Which cities were close or tied with Houston?

One last neighborhood goal is: warm climate.

Winter stinks!

Thanks for the additional info and links.

No, we're not decided yet, but during our week-long visit we found the

First Colony area to be the best fit... so far...

The actual move would be to an apartment first, then to a house, so we

will look further into the various neighborhoods.

How does the commute from Sienna Plantation compare to FC? On a

map, it seems quite indirect to downtown vs Hwy 59:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=3777%20Sienn...C0.241095&hl=en

We did in fact look north of Hwy 59 near Greatwood/First Colony and

found the homes spaced very close together. I think Houston (Texas?) is

shooting itself in the foot by allowing fairly large homes built so close

together (we noticed this in almost every development, including the

Woodlands).

An extra 10 feet between the homes in most neighborhoods would work

wonders, even if the homes cost a bit more for the extra space.

We've also been somewhat considering -- brace yourselves -- places like

Atlanta, North/South Carolina, Dallas/Plano, and I hear Austin is also good

for my industry (internet e-commerce developer).

Here's an interesting city listing:

http://www.kidfriendlycities.org/2001/majorranking.html

Houston did fairly well at #9.

We were initially drawn to Houston because of its good size, and proximity

to the Gulf (though much of the towns near the water appear to be in/near

industrial zones).

Our neighborhood goals are:

* Near a medium-sized city

* Reasonable commute (45-50 minutes)

* Good job opportunities

* Affordable real estate ($350K for 3,000+ sq ft)

* Good schools

* Close proximity to ocean a major plus

A friend also suggested Tampa, but I don't think the job market is

that great there...

Decisions, decisions...

You guys are great, it's nice to see so many people who

like the Houston area so much.

Don't get me wrong, the Woodlands was nice, but it didn't have

that 'suburban' feel we're looking for. Hope I didn't offend -- those

were just our impressions after spending close to 8 hours driving

around the place.

I wouldn't agree that $350K doesn't buy much in the Woodlands,

as all the homes we looked at had 3,500+ sq ft, 5 bedrooms, a 3

car garage, 3.5 baths, and a built-in pool.

The homes we looked at in First Colony were essentially the same

specs -- the main difference was in the town itself.

As for commute times, now my head is spinning. I've heard

Clear Lake has a lengthy commute (over 1:35 if there's a stall

or accident, which I understood to be frequent), and others say

that Hwy 59 into downtown is one of the best commutes in the

city at about 45 minutes I don't know what to think anymore.

My suspicion is that there is no way you will get downtown in 45 minutes at

rush hour, unless you are using the HOV. 

From what we gathered, the commute would be 45 minutes or so. Do

you think it will be closer to one hour?

We asked a lot of locals about traffic, and they indicated that the trip

via Hwy 59 was one of the better commutes into downtown, and that

the commute would improve further still (due to various hwy construction)

over the next few years.

Anyone with specific rush hour commute times from First Colony to

downtown would be excellent.

I hear the commute from just a bit farther down on 59, Greatwood, is

currently a bit brutal, until the hwy construction there is complete.

Are you sure you arent mixing Sugarland and Woodlands? Your

descriptions of Woodlands and Sugarland seem reversed.

The First Colony area may consist of mostly human-planted trees, but

the town as a whole didn't seem 'fake.' We actually told our realtor to

leave the Woodlands early because we just didn't like the vibe.

First Colony stuck us as more 'normal' with stores and major chains

scattered around and not hidden (though they all had low-key signage).

As one drives through the Woodlands, all you see are trees -- hence not

a very 'high-end' impression. I'm sure there are extremely nice homes

hidden throughout the Woodlands, but one would have to search to see

them.

I'm talking about the overall feel of each town and not the available

homes, per se.

Compare with a drive into First Colony -- tree-lined main drag, nice stores

scattered around, and then there's Palm Royale Blvd with it's gigantic homes.

It just feels like a high end suburb.

Within 60 seconds of entering First Colony, we thought 'this is a nice

town.' For the Woodlands, we thought 'where is everything?' Just

endless houses and trees with a few scattered shopping centers, hidden

from view by trees.

We drove around in each community for many hours, so we've seen quite

a bit of each.

I guess it all comes down to personal taste -- we're from more of a suburban

environment, so First Colony/Sweetwater was more our cup of tea.

Also, all those trees in the Woodlands seem like a mosquito haven.

Different tastes for each, I guess.

We had high hopes for the Woodlands, but the remote/sterile vibe, and the

longer commute into downtown put it behind First Colony for us.

Also, with the massive building underway in Sugar Land around Hwy 59,

it seems a good bet homes will appreciate quite well there in the next few

years.

Thanks for the info!

We actually did look at some David Powers homes, and they were very

nice.

The only concern we had with Greatwood was the schools, and it

sounded to us like Greatwood schools are in the process of undergoing

'improvements' which will bear fruit in a few years time.

Thanks for the link to greatwoodonline.com, I'll look around there.

I have just returned from a trip to Houston where my wife

and I looked at homes in First Colony and Greatwood.

We really liked the feel of First Colony as a town, but we

preferred the actual homes in Greatwood (newer & nicer for

the same price - about $350K).

The one issue that stops us from buying in Greatwood is

that we hear the schools are not as good as in First Colony.

Is this the case? If so, how 'bad' are the schools in

Greatwood?

Greatwood seems more on the 'frontier' of suburbia than First

Colony, but that will be a non-issue in 5 years or less judging

from the incredible building rate near Hwy 59.

Any thoughts on these two towns?

Well, we have just returned from a visit to the Houston area.

Thank you all for the advice and great info, we printed it out and

brought it along!

We looked at The Woodlands, and actually didn't like the feel of that

community. It's hard to explain, but it seemed fake, like too much of a

good thing. It didn't feel 'high end' to us at all, but more like being at

DisneyWorld, where everything is artificial. Some may find this community

appealing, but we just didn't like the vibe.

We looked at Sugar Land (First Colony), and really liked the area. Nice

tree-lined streets, and homes ranging from $325K to $4+ million. The

town also regulates retailer signage, like the Woodlands, but in a more

sensible way, IMHO. This community had a high end feel (with 10,000

SQ FT mansions lining Palm Royale Blvd), yet also had reasonably-priced

homes in the $300K+ range.

The commute to downtown via 59 would be around 45 minutes, which

is less than a Woodlands commute.

The First Colony area schools (Commonwealth/Fort Settlement/Clements)

are apparently very good, which is critical to us.

We also headed out a few more miles on 59 to Greatwood, and

found some very nice newer homes (2001 to 2005 built) in a similar

price range ($350K+), but we hear the schools are not that great in

Greatwood. Is this correct? This area had the nicest homes we looked

at, but that school issue is a show stopper.

We also briefly looked at Clear Lake, for its proximity to the gulf, but this

commute to downtown would be brutal, and we could smell the refinery

fumes every few minutes.

I am going to answer your question about apartments in the area in which you would

like to live, which is apparently near or in The Woodlands.

I would also recommend that you check out the lovely Woodlands Express, which is a

very nice Park-n-Ride service where you drive your car to a common lot, lock it and

leave it, and take a very nice, comfy, plush bus into downtown.  According to their

website, it takes an hour to get downtown.  You can find out more by going to:

The Woodlands Express

The following apartments are *in* The Woodlands:

The Park at Research Forest

...

Hope that helps you get started!  Good luck!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wow, thanks for that list!

These three apartment complexes look very interesting:

Woodridge Park

http://www.apartmentguide.com/Property/pho...qsSFlg=&lk=phTb

Alden Landing

http://www.apartmentguide.com/Property/pho...qsSFlg=&lk=phTb

The Mansions

http://www.apartmentguide.com/Property/pho...qsSFlg=&lk=phTb

Any thoughts on these three? Woodridge Park looks like a Hawaiian resort

in the photos. Are they all about the same commute-wise into the city?

You guys have all been extremely helpful, thanks so much!

Thanks again for all the great info and insights!

I'm going to print this entire thread before we leave for Houston.

How about home appreciation in the Houston area, have homes

consistently increased in value over the last 5 years or so? It

seems the Woodlands has a high appreciation rate, is this correct?

Also, in general, how is the Houston job market? I'm in high tech

(Java application development), and there seem to be a decent

amount of Houston area jobs listed on monster.com.

It can take people in the Woodlands 20 minutes just to reach the fronts of their additions.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

LOL

Thanks for the great replies!

So, to sum up:

• Commute time during rush hour: One hour?
  
• Floods: Not a problem.
  
• Hot weather: Similar to Miami?
  

I've been hearing so much whining and criticism about Houston's

"nasty traffic," and "unbearably hot weather," so it's good to hear

some different perspectives.

I'm thinking we should live in an apartment complex for awhile, before

deciding on the Woodlands, or elsewhere.

Does anyone know of an apartment complex near the Woodlands,

or another nice community? We're more into suburbs than city

life -- a quiet community with easy access to stores and downtown

Houston would be ideal.

Thanks again!

Hello folks, hope you can help!

I keep hearing the morning commute from the Woodlands

to downtown Houston is "very long" and then in the same

breath, someone mentions a time of 35 minutes.

Where I'm from (NY City area), a 35 minute commute is

abnormally short, with the average commute into the city

at about 1 hour.

So, how long is the commute from the Woodlands into downtown

Houston?

Since it probably varies, any estimates for the following departure

times from the Woodlands:

6:00AM

7:00AM

8:00AM

9:00AM

Also, how about at night, say leaving the Woodlands at 8:00PM?

I'm headed to Houston next week to look at some homes, and have

been considering the Woodlands, and Clear Lake (I like that it's

near the water, but hear that commute is quite long?).

Aside from comute time, other Houston things I've been curious

about are "the unbearably hot summers" and floods. Anyone have

thoughts on these two items?

Is the Woodlands in general out of a flood area?

Thanks!