KatieDidIt

Holy smack we just got slammed 25%. I thought you couldn't go up more than 10% a year???

Ours still says pending, but I'm bracing myself. Our "Cost and Design" on the site went from Partial to Extensive. I don't how they made this conclusion since the only permit we pulled was to replace the Hazardous Electrical service and ground the house, that didn't have one GFI in it. We did some cosmetic things on the inside, but unless they have been trespassing how would they know?

I'm not prone to panic, Music. I am prepared however.

Yeah, we have a code too. But the button is by the bed for night. Sometimes you might not get a chance to make it to the panel and plug in some numbers.

Our panic button calls the Constable directly. Then 911. Then ADT calls us. Its great fun when some neighbor kid hits the red button by the bed and then asks "Whats'it fer?" I'd have the system checked out or at least call the provider and get some troubleshooting scenerios, just so it doesn't happen again.

But what would be the point? I know, there doesn't need to be one. Very weird. Maybe a sensor shorted and it dialed in? Ours always go out or get a short at 2-4am, and then the system calls. It would be far less frightening for it to happen during the day.

Thank you. Most people do park in the garage, I love this area for that. Its the teens who leave the vehicles on the street when visiting and its mostly their vehicles getting hit and some even held up at gun point lately. These thugs are getting more brazen in the past few months, finding out that we are not covered that well and easy pickings. That's my main concern. Our specific neighborhood has patrol and we haven't been effected...yet.

Yeah, I understand that but we are having some minor problems. Minor in comparison to other neighborhoods in Houston. Day time break-ins and lots of car break-ins over on the north side of Memorial. Last Wednesday they hit 20 cars in one day. The quick access to the freeway must make that attractive. I just think having a substation there, whether they heavily patrol this area or another, would help some of the parts around Tully and deter this minor, but growing in frequency, crime. Ps- I hope your "paradise" commit wasn't snide. No place is perfect. But one can love where they live and want it to be more void of theft.

The new constrution RIGHT ON THE CORNER of the Beltway and Memorial got listed on Har.com yesterday. It's in the 900's. The 900s to sit there!?!?!

Sorry, I know the subject was touched on somewhere but I can't find it. It was my understanding that the old library on Memorial, west of Kirkwood, was going to become a HPD sub-station for the western portions of this area. Is this plan nixed or when will it happen? I'd love to see more HPD coverage in the area, they seem to let the constables handle everything. They do a very good job, but I think HPD needs to be here too, not always wrangling in Katrinaville up on Briar Forest. And boy were they cracking down yesterday. I saw three police cars with lights on, two others circling, and the same thing when I drove back. 5 cars in such a concetrated area is rare. Then I decided maybe I don't need to drive that way again for a while.

Actually there is a pretty good way to do it online. You can go to the County clerk's website and plug in your name on property search. You will find all transactions you've made in Harris county. Then plug in the people whom you bought the house from to find who they bought it from. And so on and so on. I traced back 8 owners on my house to find the original person who bought and who they contracted with to build it. Now, there may be a limit to how far back you can go, but its a start. I haven't seen many records pre-dating 1955. Edit for link http://www.cclerk.hctx.net/pfiling.htm

Yes, Harris County rarely hits you anywhere close to full market value,especially in older homes. My comparisons above were on the exact same size house. One 3 years old on a 12,000 sf lot in Montgomery,the other 40 years old on 1/2 of an acre in Harris that actually has a higher market value. We are saving 6 grand a year living in Harris. Remember in Houston you don't get hit with MUD tax and its 2.8 for school and county.

"crappy old" was not my sentiment. Its was that of those I lived near in the burbs. I love my crappy old. It has squeaks and character.

Lockmat, on a house in Sterling Ridge we were paying 18,000 a year in County, MUD,School and Association Fees. Our total cost for for a house worth 250,000 more in Harris County, SBISD and with Association Fee was 12,000. SO I don't know why people think its cheaper up there. Of course its an older home so the "improvement/house" is minimal on the bill. Everything in Sterling Ridge was brand new and taxed at full sales cost. The land was worth nothing.

In the 300 and up category,they want to live in a "nicer" home than what they grew up in. Buying a "crappy old" house in Briargrove, West Memorial,West U or River Oaks is not nearly as glamourous as the Generic Mansions they can live in way out of town. Doesn't matter how nice the neighborhood is, or how close to work it is., it doesn't look "rich" to them. After living amongst them for a couple years they all wanted to give nicer things to their kids than they had. Kids absolutley cannot share rooms. I showed an old neighbor a picture of our New Old house in West Memorial and she crinkled her nose. I think she thought my husband lost his job or something. Of course being Houston it cost about 40% more than the McMansion we moved out of.

I've met two couples in the past few weeks that have bought/are buying within two blocks from us. One couple from The Woodlands another from Sugarland. Another couple moving in from Uptown/Galleria because one commutes to the Energy Corridor. They are tired of the drive and traffic. I think the reverse exodus is starting to occur, which will drive real estate prices even higher.

Because there are a lot of very wealthy people in this huge city. They don't want to commute so they pay to be close to work. If you look at the real estate market, the high end is still going up. ITL and even ITB is a lot of generation wealth and Upper managment. They can afford it. Its that simple. People who can't go out to the burbs, thus the sprawl we are experiencing. Questioning purchases ITL its definately under-estimating what people are making. Heck, just look at the poll on this HAIF site asking about salary. The majority are making OVER 100k.

Agreed. Except Indian Springs Village had some roll. But the back part where we lived was flat as a pancake honestly didn't have many more pine trees than east Katy. We planted 17, 100 gallon hardwoods to try to create an effect. We have far more trees where we live now, and we didn't have to plant one! But I hope what everyone is projecting about other "downtowns" for each burb comes true. I think we are all in for a big shock when the 2010 census comes out with all RECORDED residents. The more that work close to their "perfect place" the better. Just compared to my drives around the Galleria and West Houston 3 years ago, I swear it feels like a million more have moved in. There isn't any open land around here, so they must be commutung in.

We're waiting for people to start dumping the ranch properties. Tons are coming on the market, but not reduced to "feeling the heat" prices yet. Give it a year and land might become reasonable again.

I guess I could see that, but that drive into the EC would be hellish until that time. 65,000 is a lot of people to employ in the EC alone, but who know with the amount of Class A being built right now. Our old neighborhood, in the EC, is really going through some changes, drastic prices increases and MCMansionization is beginning to start. I just think commuting beyond your residental area will become impossible with the next 3 years. It basically is almost to that point now.

Driving around the metro area has gotten so damn aweful and these places are so far away or off the beaten path they just don't make sense for a good quality of life for the parents. Planned down to the last blade of grass keeps chaos at bay, but also creates some whacky expectations from its residents. Unless you can find employment within 10 miles of one these planned areas, I wouldn't live in them. Katy and the Energy Corridor make sense. Bridgeland is in the middle of nowhere. I know people like that, but I don't know how they stand driving 3 hours a day.

TAK, they might be doing balloon mortgages, where you pay the majority of the loan towards the end. I guess they are thinking they will sell or be making more by the time those numbers come up. Creative financing is dangerous in my opinion. But on another note, there are a lot of people making serious money, and unless they told you they are only making 80k, I would suspect they are making more or have some investment income. You might consider an equity loan and just add on if you have the lot size. Its actually cheaper than paying the 6% to a realtor and closing costs. A lot of people are building the 2 story garages for the reasons you mentioned. NEed more space, don't want to leave the location and can't afford the move up. oh and I wanted to add, yes a lot of parents are starting to gift monies to their children in order to escape the death tax. And its not just the upper classes doing this either. I think you can give away/gift around 12k a year now per individual without having to pay a tax. That means the father and the mother can give that money EACH, equalling 24k a year in tax free income to the kids. (Death tax is wrong, you've already paid the tax on it once while alive and earning. If I can, I will do this for my children when I get up there) I think you can also gift one dwelling in your lifetime. This might be some of what you are seeing, but I would say creative financing or just plain high income would be the majority.

I think that last one is Magnolia HS on 1488

I know its made a difference to us in our moving back in. Hubby went from 20,000 miles a year and filling his tank every 3 days to 10,000 a year and filling his tank every two weeks. I've gone from 14,000 a year back down to 7,000. I think I fill up every three weeks or so. Not to mention we don't pay toll fees anymore. I do wonder why the car repo scandal hasn't hit the news. You know its got to be out there.

Wow, N. Katy is getting slammed. Is this the same area that got hit in the 80's as well? That blob seems to cover some parts of Cypress as well. I'm really not too surprised by all the lofts. I think they built too many too fast. I do think eventually they will fill up when the traffic becomes too unbareable, but most buyers are still thinking house with a yard.