moving to Houston; houses near downtown?

[tuj]

Hi all.

I currently am considering a move to Houston. I would be working downtown for a major energy firm. I'm looking for a house/loft/townhouse/condo under 200k; house preferred. I'd like 2 bedrooms, and to be within 15 minutes of downtown.

I don't mind outside noise, and I'm not that picky about the relative 'safety' of the area. I would like off-street parking. Older houses don't bother me. No kids (and no plans for them) so I don't care what school district its in.

1) are my expectations unreasonable?

2) if not, what neighboorhoods should I look at?

Thanks!

[musicman]

a fixer upper? or no?

[tuj]

a fixer upper? or no?

I don't mind minor things (paint, etc) but nothing major (roof, drywall, etc).

[TheNiche]

Hi all.

I currently am considering a move to Houston. I would be working downtown for a major energy firm. I'm looking for a house/loft/townhouse/condo under 200k; house preferred. I'd like 2 bedrooms, and to be within 15 minutes of downtown.

I don't mind outside noise, and I'm not that picky about the relative 'safety' of the area. I would like off-street parking. Older houses don't bother me. No kids (and no plans for them) so I don't care what school district its in.

1) are my expectations unreasonable?

2) if not, what neighboorhoods should I look at?

Thanks!

Your expectations are reasonable. For the money, you'll probably get the best bang for your buck (new or old) in zip codes 77003 or 77023. Older stuff isn't so great in 77011 or 77020, but there is some new product that is affordable and well-located. 77004 also may also fall into the latter category, but some of that zip is in a pricier neighborhood.

Use har.com.

[Porchman]

Welcome

1) are my expectations unreasonable?

2) if not, what neighboorhoods should I look at?

Thanks!

With your flexibility, I do not believe you're being unreasonable. However, if you could rank rank some of your your preferences or share a bit more about what you would like in a house, it may make it easier for the members to provide some advice.

[rps324]

I tend to be prejudiced in favor of single family houses. I am a little skiddish on the townhome market right now, but that is nothing but opinion with no real reports or anything to support it, so take it for what it is worth.

Close in places where under $200k will buy you something without too much work needed:

Generally north:

Lindale Park

Brookesmith

Shepherd Forest

Oak Forest

Sunset Heights

Generally Southwest:

Westbury

Willowbend

Willowbrook

Post Oak Manor

East/Southeast

Eastwood

Woodleigh

Jackson Court

Washington Terrace

Idylwood

Broadmoor

Lawndale

Eastlawn

Houston Country Club

Simms Woods

Glenbrook Valley

Edited August 2, 2007 by rps324

[Original Timmy Chan's]

Look in 77021...you can find recently renovated 2-bedrooms for under $100k. New 3 bedrooms will run you up to $125k.

As far as I'm concerned, I'm in the quietest neighborhood in Houston...less than 5 minutes from downtown.

[tuj]

However, if you could rank rank some of your your preferences or share a bit more about what you would like in a house, it may make it easier for the members to provide some advice.

Sure. Keep in mind I'm from the mid-west... :-)

I'd really like a 2-car garage. I also have a full basement now which I really like, but its my understanding that most Houston houses do not have basements? I've currently got a 3-bedroom 2400 sqft house with full basement and detached 2-car garage (for which I paid 160k). Something comparable would be great. I have to have A/C, preferably central air. Prefer electric or gas heat (no boilers please!).

I'm thinking my minimum would be 1400 sqft, 2-bedrooms. I'd love a garage, but off-street parking would also be ok. I like houses with character (both of my previous houses were built before 1930), so something like knob-and-tube wiring isn't going to scare me away. I'd like to have some free space between my outside walls and my neighboors; not just say a narrow alley or row house.

While I've never been able to live in an area that allowed me to commute without a car, I'd love to be able to do so. So proximity to public transit would be nice. I love big old trees and green spaces, so a nice tree or park nearby would be great.

I'm really glad my expectations aren't out of line. When I started looking I was seeing ads like "Houston Starter Homes: from 325k and up." !!!! Sorry that's still too much money for me!

I've noticed a lot of talk about foundations, particularly that some of the slab foundations tend to be bad or were poorly made? Anything in particularly to look for in a foundation?

Thanks all for the great suggestions so far!

Edited August 3, 2007 by tuj

[TheNiche]

Sure. Keep in mind I'm from the mid-west... :-)

I'd really like a 2-car garage. I also have a full basement now which I really like, but its my understanding that most Houston houses do not have basements? I've currently got a 3-bedroom 2400 sqft house with full basement and detached 2-car garage (for which I paid 160k). Something comparable would be great.

I'm thinking my minimum would be 1400 sqft, 2-bedrooms. I'd love a garage, but off-street parking would also be ok. I like houses with character (both of my previous houses were built before 1930), so something like knob-and-tube wiring isn't going to scare me away. I'd like to have some free space between my outside walls and my neighboors; not just say a narrow alley or row house.

While I've never been able to live in an area that allowed me to commute without a car, I'd love to be able to do so. So proximity to public transit would be nice. I love big old trees and green spaces, so a nice tree or park nearby would be great.

I'm really glad my expectations aren't out of line. When I started looking I was seeing ads like "Houston Starter Homes: from 325k and up." !!!! Sorry that's still too much money for me!

Thanks all for the great suggestions so far!

Basements just don't exist in residential structures here. In the majority of cases, mortgage lenders won't even give money on a home that doesn't have a driveway, so even if you're in an older home that doesn't have a garage or carport, that doesn't mean that you can't have one built. In any case, off-street parking probably isn't in your future.

Look in the zip codes I mentioned. They are your best bets for being very close to downtown, having decent transit access, and also having homes that meet your size requirements without being on lots that are too cramped. For all this, old trees, and decent prices, it is hard to beat a neighborhood like Eastwood (disclaimer: I own a home in Eastwood), Houston Country Club Place, Lawndale, Broadmoor, or Idylwood, all in 77023.

[musicman]

I'd like to have some free space between my outside walls and my neighboors; not just say a narrow alley or row house.

how much space are you talking?

[tuj]

how much space are you talking?

Not a lot. More than 20' would be nice. But its just a 'nice-to-have'.

[TheNiche]

Not a lot. More than 20' would be nice. But its just a 'nice-to-have'.

20 feet from your wall to your property line could be tough, but from your wall to the next wall might work in some neighborhoods we've discussed.

[musicman]

Not a lot. More than 20' would be nice. But its just a 'nice-to-have'.

you should check out forest hill. This area has some wonderfully sized lots.

[hilti]

I tend to be prejudiced in favor of single family houses. I am a little skiddish on the townhome market right now, but that is nothing but opinion with no real reports or anything to support it, so take it for what it is worth.

Close in places where under $200k will buy you something without too much work needed:

Generally north:

Lindale Park

Brookesmith

Shepherd Forest

Oak Forest

Sunset Heights

Generally Southwest:

Westbury

Willowbend

Willowbrook

Post Oak Manor

East/Southeast

Eastwood

Woodleigh

Jackson Court

Washington Terrace

Idylwood

Broadmoor

Lawndale

Eastlawn

Houston Country Club

Simms Woods

Glenbrook Valley

I am curious which of these areas you prefer? I have been looking at homes mainly in the Oak Forest area, but I am not really partial to any particular part of town. I currently live in midtown and am trying to find a nice single family home for around $200K that doesn't need a lot of work, isn't too far out of town, and is in a good area.

[rps324]

I am curious which of these areas you prefer? I have been looking at homes mainly in the Oak Forest area, but I am not really partial to any particular part of town. I currently live in midtown and am trying to find a nice single family home for around $200K that doesn't need a lot of work, isn't too far out of town, and is in a good area.

It really depends upon what style of house you like and how tolerant you are of transitional neighborhoods.

For close in proximity, Eastwood would definitely top the list. It would also get high marks in the "potential" category and has some of the more interesting Craftsman style homes. The down side is it is still transitional. Broadmoor and Lawndale also offer really close in access and the cute brick bungalows cheap. The downside is it is still transitional as well, which not everyone can deal with.

Idylwood is one of my favorites. Excellent curb appeal and a close in inner loop location. Not transitional at all. Retail isn't good though. Houston Country Club Place is like Idylwood light, where you can get a good bungalow for less money. Lindale Park has similiar homes and a good history of appreciation. The rail line is supposed to go up Fulton right beside the neighborhood. It has a strong civic club but has commercial encroachment & can be a little ratty around the edges.

Willowbend, Post Oak Manor, Shepherd Forest are all good for people with a lower tolerance for transitional areas. They all have good curb appeal and have better access to the Galleria and such. The homes don't have the character of the Craftsman, Bungalow, or whatever of the older areas like Eastwood or Lindale Park. But you have a lot better chance of getting a comfortable 3 bedroom 2 bath ranch versus a smaller 2 bedroom 1 bath bungalow. These would be more comparable with Oak Forest. You could add Westbury into this mix as well, depending upon what sections you get into.

Washington terrace gets you right next to midtown, and the area has some great old bungalows, but most of the ones I have seen in there have VERY poorly executed rehabs. The popularity of the area, though, seems to be increasing and the audience broadening.

As most on here know I live in Glenbrook. Some sections are definitely nicer than others, much like Westbury. You can, however, get a big custom party house on a large lot for $200k. The area is coming up but it suffers from the trashy apartments on Broadway, and also from what I call "southeast side vertigo." People that are not from that side of town tend to percieve it as being "way over there" when if they get in their car and time it, would find it is closer in than a lot of Oak Forest or Westbury. Most of the homes that come up need some work too.

[tuj]

What exactly do you mean by 'transitional area'?

[hilti]

I'm assuming by transitional you mean that it is not quite as developed. Thanks for the info...I've been looking for someone that had a broad knowledge of houston overall.

[rps324]

What exactly do you mean by 'transitional area'?

Most close in neighborhoods, (other than places like River Oaks and Southampton), went through a downward cycle. Houses became rentals, people moved in that didn't keep up their property, etc., then people start moving back in and fixing up houses. Your beautifully restored bungalow in Eastwood, Lindale Park, Washington Terracce, Broadmoor, or Lawndale might be sitting next door to someone who doesn't keep their house painted, parks on the lawn, etc. Heights & Montrose, and midtown for that matter are all transitional neighborhoods, but these areas have been on the upward "cycle" longer so more of the run-down stuff has changed.

[Reefmonkey]

I've noticed a lot of talk about foundations, particularly that some of the slab foundations tend to be bad or were poorly made? Anything in particularly to look for in a foundation?

It's not really about the slabs being poorly made, it is just that Houston is on an unstable geology called the Beaumont Formation. The bed rock doesn't start until thousands of feet below ground level, we have a very high water table, and our soil is very high in clay content and suceptible to expansive swelling and shrinking cycles, with a lot of upwelling. That soil movement causes floating slab foundations to crack, as well as a lot of settling, even in pier and beam houses. It's almost inevitable. These qualities of our soil are why we have potholes on our streets even though we rarely freeze.

It's important to get a good inspector when you buy, and any good inspector in Houston is going to take a thorough look at the foundation.

[TheNiche]

It's not really about the slabs being poorly made, it is just that Houston is on an unstable geology called the Beaumont Formation. The bed rock doesn't start until thousands of feet below ground level, we have a very high water table, and our soil is very high in clay content and suceptible to expansive swelling and shrinking cycles, with a lot of upwelling. That soil movement causes floating slab foundations to crack, as well as a lot of settling, even in pier and beam houses. It's almost inevitable. These qualities of our soil are why we have potholes on our streets even though we rarely freeze.

It's important to get a good inspector when you buy, and any good inspector in Houston is going to take a thorough look at the foundation.

Yep, that's the best explanation I've seen yet ever in the history of this forum. Think of the soil as something that isn't fixed in place, but that is actually flowing and ebbing.

[tuj]

So we're coming down this weekend to start looking. Our realtor suggested that most of the areas we were looking in (the zipcodes I got from this thread) were not particularly nice neighborhoods. Obviously people's definition of 'nice' varies, so we'll check them out. Here are 3 that we found on HAR that looked good. Can anyone offer any feedback on these properties and the areas they are in? Thanks!

1. http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cf...p;backButton=Y#

2. http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cf...p;backButton=Y#

3. http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cf...p;backButton=Y#

[TheNiche]

So we're coming down this weekend to start looking. Our realtor suggested that most of the areas we were looking in (the zipcodes I got from this thread) were not particularly nice neighborhoods. Obviously people's definition of 'nice' varies, so we'll check them out. Here are 3 that we found on HAR that looked good. Can anyone offer any feedback on these properties and the areas they are in? Thanks!

1. http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cf...p;backButton=Y#

2. http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cf...p;backButton=Y#

3. http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cf...p;backButton=Y#

Each of these has upsides and downsides. The first one is the most architecturally attractive, and if it is your preference, it will be extremely well-located to the Harrisburg BRT line once it is completed. Right across Lockwood from that house is going to be a large retail center, possibly with some mixed use aspects to it, and Eastwood Park isn't far away at all. But it very close to an active rail line with a crossing at Lockwood. Rail crossings mean horns, day and night. Ultimately, if the BRT is converted to LRT, you'll also hear its horn, which is somewhat higher pitched. It is a very busy little enclave, right there. But it is the largest home on the largest lot at the lowest price out of the three you gave us.

The second house is interesting because it is new construction bringing the great aspects of a fully-updated suburban home into the city at a reasonable price. It is also extremely convenient to the freeway and to retail at Gulfgate, and Gulfgate itself now has a reputation for a very safe shopping experience. It has fewer incidents of crime than any mall in Houston. But just to the east of that home, across a small bayou, is Houston's largest apartment complex, and boy is it a rathole. You might try getting some feedback from the Pecan Park residents that frequent this forum to determine whether that's actually a problem.

The third one is also near an active rail line, but isn't so well located in terms of transit; for highway access, it is about the same as the first one. The neighborhood is probably less fragmented than the other two, and generally has more charm to it.

[HoustonRealtor]

It sounds like you've found yourself a pretty conservative agent. Don't let him/her talk you out of what you want, you'll regret it in the future.

FYI - The listing in Woodridge Square is going to be amongst a large group of townhomes. I'm not saying that it's good or bad, I'm just letting you know. When Perry built the community a few years ago, they built mostly townhomes with a few single-family homes in the mix. Because it is the most expensive of the homes that you posted, you should know that the listing agent claims that the seller is firm on price. Considering most buyers want to negotiate, I think it's foolish for a seller to not leave a little bit of negotiating room in their list price. Many buyers are turned off by a "take it or leave it" price.