Valuation Of Homes In Montgomery County

[woody_hawkeye]

In reviewing home values over the past two years and the effect of the housing downturn, I noticed much more severe devaluations in Montgomery County. Houston worst devalued homes is some 10% while Montgomery devaluations are up to almost 30%.

http://www.chron.com/apps/HomeFront/hf.mpl...nd=1&subdiv=

[RedScare]

I don't necessarily believe that this is applicable to Montgomery County, but NPR had a story today that in hard hit housing markets, homes that are the furthest from job centers are suffering the biggest price drops and foreclosure rates. Homes closer in, and closer to transit stops fared much better.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.p...toryId=89803663

Aside from the shorter commute, reasons suggested were that families are having fewer children, allowing for smaller homes and yards closer in, plus the increase in empty nesters and one or two person households, and younger buyers, all of whom tend to find dynamic city life preferable to the suburbs and exurbs.

[KatieDidIt]

I don't necessarily believe that this is applicable to Montgomery County, but NPR had a story today that in hard hit housing markets, homes that are the furthest from job centers are suffering the biggest price drops and foreclosure rates. Homes closer in, and closer to transit stops fared much better.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.p...toryId=89803663

Aside from the shorter commute, reasons suggested were that families are having fewer children, allowing for smaller homes and yards closer in, plus the increase in empty nesters and one or two person households, and younger buyers, all of whom tend to find dynamic city life preferable to the suburbs and exurbs.

I agree with all that, but would add that I think many are finding that you don't have to go to the suburbs to get a great school. The Houston Chronicle posted a huge list.I used to have it linked, but lost it. Oak Ridge made the list somewhere in the middle along with Montgomery High School, but those are they only two I can remember from Montgomery County. The "Top Tier" schools were mainly HISD,SBISD with a sprinkle of KISD and FBISD.

Being close to the city for many is worth the smaller house. There are plenty of "famly friendly" neighborhoods as well. So when you can be close to work, nice neighborhood with good schools, the suburbs aren't as sexy anymore to a certain population.

oh,and kids don't have to have their own rooms. Doubling up is perfectly acceptable.

[albertnurick]

That's not an issue in our Indian Springs neighborhood. Our Life Forms house appreciated 9.5% on the tax appraisal we just received.

[Native1]

That's not an issue in our Indian Springs neighborhood. Our Life Forms house appreciated 9.5% on the tax appraisal we just received.

Mine in Alden Bridge went up 31.08%.

[VicMan]

oh,and kids don't have to have their own rooms. Doubling up is perfectly acceptable.

This is especially true with siblings of the same gender... - Some people may find it strange to have two kids of opposite genders in one bedroom, but since only two genders exist the "two in the same bedroom" can occur if the family has a third child.

[woody_hawkeye]

That's not an issue in our Indian Springs neighborhood. Our Life Forms house appreciated 9.5% on the tax appraisal we just received.

Albert, did you receive a flyer for my website? I also live in Indian Springs in a Life Forms home and have been distributing some leaflets this past couple of weeks. Mine went up about the same, 10%.

[albertnurick]

Albert, did you receive a flyer for my website?

I didn't -- what's the URL?