Moving to H-Town in March

[BFizzy]

Hi, HAIF.

My wife and I will be moving to Houston in February or March. We are in our later 20's and don't plan on having kids for at least 2 or 3 years. She will be working downtown and I will be working in The Woodlands. I figure it will be a lot easier for me to travel against the traffic than for her to travel with it, so we want to live in Houston. Plus, we want to be close to locally-owned restaurants, bars, shopping, etc.

We would like to spend around $300k - $350k and possibly up to $400k, if it is a great value. We currently live in Norman and work in Oklahoma City which is a very easy 17 mile commute. I really want to make my commute in Houston as painless as possible, so I assume that it would be smart to avoid driving through downtown, on 59, or by the Galleria. That basically leaves MLS 16 and 9 as options, but we prefer 16. We are open to both traditional homes and freestanding townhomes, but I am pretty skeptical of the quality of the newer construction in Houston. I am not a fan of stucco or hardiplank, but I suppose I can learn to live with it.

My questions are:

1. Should I rule out MLS 17, 22, and 23 based on commute times?

2. Is a free-standing townhome a good investment?

3. What neighborhoods do you recommend based on my criteria?

4. How are the new rail lines going to affect Afton Oaks, Montrose, etc.?

5. Where do you see Sawyer Hieghts in five years?

6. Did I hear correctly that there will be an ordinance that will prohibit trains from sounding their horns along Washington Ave?

Thanks for your help.

[musicman]

what size home are you looking for?

[BFizzy]

what size home are you looking for?

At least 1600sf, but larger would be better. Size isn't as important as location or quality.

We would also like 3 beds, 2 baths, and a 2 car garage.

[goastros]

Can you list neighborhoods you are interested in rather than mls areas?

[musicman]

I am not a fan of stucco or hardiplank, but I suppose I can learn to live with it.

if you do have a dislike for them, i would consider this during your search. don't settle.

My questions are:

1. Should I rule out MLS 17, 22, and 23 based on commute times?

2. Is a free-standing townhome a good investment?

3. What neighborhoods do you recommend based on my criteria?

4. How are the new rail lines going to affect Afton Oaks, Montrose, etc.?

5. Where do you see Sawyer Hieghts in five years?

6. Did I hear correctly that there will be an ordinance that will prohibit trains from sounding their horns along Washington Ave?

Thanks for your help.

i would say 9 would big you the most bang for the buck overall however you have to be picky. what type of commute times are you concerned about? 16 would probably have many options that are beyond your budget however some may fit your needs esp if you don't care about a yard. timbergrove and oak forest have quite a few 3/2/2 that aren't stucco/hardi.

a townhome may be a good investment esp with the number that are out there, however i think stucco/hardi will be in most of them.

you like to be near restaurants, bars, etc.....how near is near?

rail line isn't going thru afton oaks. southern part of montrose will be affected with construction and eventually the inability to turn onto some streets. plans are not yet completed.

the residents of the washington area wish to have the ordinance that prohibits trains from sounding their horns expanded to Washington.

[BFizzy]

Can you list neighborhoods you are interested in rather than mls areas?

Well, that's the problem... I don't know many names of neighborhoods. I like Afton Oaks, but am concerned about the commute. I really like the area that I think is called "Neartown" that is kind of in between Montrose and River Oaks and I have also heard it referred to as "Memorial Heights". I like both Montrose and Midtown, but Midtown seems to still have some sketchy areas. I like the area south of 59, but I've heard 59 is a nighmare during rush hour.

I want to like the Heights, but I have not been that impressed the couple of time that we have explored it. Rice Military would be fine if we could find a free-standing home that didn't have the feel of an apartment complex. You know how some developments have a bunch of homes that face each other in the driveway, off the main street? I don't like that at all. Sawyer Heights has some cool new devlopments with great views of the skyline, but the area seems very sketchy.

if you do have a dislike for them, i would consider this during your search. don't settle.

i would say 9 would big you the most bang for the buck overall however you have to be picky. what type of commute times are you concerned about? 16 would probably have many options that are beyond your budget however some may fit your needs esp if you don't care about a yard. timbergrove and oak forest have quite a few 3/2/2 that aren't stucco/hardi.

a townhome may be a good investment esp with the number that are out there, however i think stucco/hardi will be in most of them.

you like to be near restaurants, bars, etc.....how near is near?

rail line isn't going thru afton oaks. southern part of montrose will be affected with construction and eventually the inability to turn onto some streets. plans are not yet completed.

the residents of the washington area wish to have the ordinance that prohibits trains from sounding their horns expanded to Washington.

It would be nice to be able to walk to a bar, but a short drive would suffice.

Where are Timber Grove and Oak Forest?

Thanks for the replies.

[musicman]

what types of things do you consider sketchy? this may make your selection way easier.

It would be nice to be able to walk to a bar, but a short drive would suffice.

Where are Timber Grove and Oak Forest?

Thanks for the replies.

the areas you mentioned as sketchy are the ones where walking may be easiest.

timbergrove and oak forest are near 610 north (oak forest is north of 610 and timbergrove is south). i'm thinking that you would like timbergrove best out of the two based on your more recent comments. i.e. less sketchiness.

[BFizzy]

what types of things do you consider sketchy? this may make your selection way easier.

the areas you mentioned as sketchy are the ones where walking may be easiest.

timbergrove and oak forest are near 610 north (oak forest is north of 610 and timbergrove is south). i'm thinking that you would like timbergrove best out of the two based on your more recent comments. i.e. less sketchiness.

Yeah, sorry. I guess I should elaborate on what I mean by "sketchy". For example, I found a place that seemed a little too good to be true in Midtown and when I went to look at it, it was basically between projects and a cemetary. Midtown might have lots of areas that are great, but I just don't know where they are. That's why I started this thread.

Is there any type of map that shows the boundaries of each neighborhood? That would be really helpful.

[musicman]

Yeah, sorry. I guess I should elaborate on what I mean by "sketchy". For example, I found a place that seemed a little too good to be true in Midtown and when I went to look at it, it was basically between projects and a cemetary. Midtown might have lots of areas that are great, but I just don't know where they are. That's why I started this thread.

Is there any type of map that shows the boundaries of each neighborhood? That would be really helpful.

this may help. it shows super neighborhoods, not specific neighborhoods.

the above reminds me of freedman's town, which realtors tend to group with midtown just cause of proximity.

[BFizzy]

this may help. it shows super neighborhoods, not specific neighborhoods.

the above reminds me of freedman's town, which realtors tend to group with midtown just cause of proximity.

Thanks for the link. A map of the boundaries of Midtown, Montrose, and Neartown would be pefect, but it sounds like those lines may be blurred.

[goastros]

Ok, I typed in your areas and saw the neighborhoods your looking at. If you have that much to spend, if it were me, I would choose Lazybrook first because they have nice big lots, then I would pick Timbergrove and then might consider some of the other neighborhoods.

I'm not sure what style of house you like. Lazybrook and Timbergrove will be ranches or 50's style homes, Heights is bungalows with lots of new construction thrown in. The only way I would consider moving to the Heights again would be if I moved into a section that has deed restrictions--I think that might be just Norhill where they are not ruining the character of the neighborhood with all the ugly townhouses. I don't think townhomes will be a good investment--the ones near us are already falling apart. My house was built in 1920 and is still standing--I don't have faith in the new ones that are being built around me.

The developers are just throwing them up with no view towards good architecture. Take a look at the one at 325 E 24th if you don't believe me. You can't tell from the pictures online but they lined the front door up with the giant ugly green pipe that's on the city right-of-way. They also blocked the entrance to the front door with a railing and you can barely open the door without it hitting the interior staircase. We're still waiting to see how they plan to hook it up to electricity. They put the wires on the left side of the house and then built a home behind it on Arlington which effectively blocks their ability to bring the line back to the electrical pole. They've been using a generator to do any work in it because they can't get it hooked up.

We have some townhomes across the street from us as well that the neighbor has repeatedly been pulling molded siding off of and steadily replacing. It can't be much older than 10 years--that's pretty sad.

The house you mentioned next to a cemetery sounds intriguing to me--do you still have the address?

[sowanome]

if you are thinking Sawyer Heights, Try the 77007 zip code and the Rice Military, Heights or Memorial Heights areas..there are a ton of things going on in those areas, esp over the next 3 to 5 years...If you can get a townhome or single family place with an unshared driveway and a small backyard "Take It". They are slowly becoming non-existent and will appreciate much faster than other places.

Just my 2 cents..

I also second the "Timbergrove" area...rare single family homes inside the loop, that are on huge lots...

[OkieEric]

Though I think south of 59 is likely a little of your price range, you can likely find some things in the western areas of Montrose that are just north of 59, yet have that same big live oak feel. you may consider searching by zip code - 77006 will be montrose and into midtown, and 77098 is western montrose/upper kirby, but mainly north of 59. You'll likely be able to find at least a couple of single family homes in your price range, though they may need some updating. You definitely have more options if you're not considering a family soon. You can most definitely find some decent sized townhomes (though older for your range, which was similar to mine) in that area

I'm of the same opinion of the Heights and the Sawyer Heights area - I can see the attraction for some, but neither is my kind of place...and for that same fact, you probably wouldn't like some of the other neighborhoods off of 610 north - good places to live, but a little far from the action IMO. I also really dislike that cookie cutter 10-plex townhome trend you find in rice military and some areas of midtown, as I find it sort of cheap feeling. I'd recommend either looking for a slightly older townhome or a single family home in need of some updating in the areas you like

BTW, I'm from Tulsa. I'm guessing you work in oil as well?

[BFizzy]

BTW, I'm from Tulsa. I'm guessing you work in oil as well?

I'm originally from Tulsa as well. My wife is a Landman, but I am in Finance.

Thanks for the info.

[TheNiche]

Thanks for the link. A map of the boundaries of Midtown, Montrose, and Neartown would be pefect, but it sounds like those lines may be blurred.

The lines aren't really all that blurry. Realtors just things by whatever name they think is the most marketable. They won't usually call it by Ward because that signifies ghetto. And they aren't going to call Freedmens Town (4th Ward) what it is because it signifies that there may be black people. Instead they'll go two neighborhoods over for the trendier name.

[Rammer]

I would recommend the Heights(East of Heights Blvd/West of Studemont)

There are really no troublesome areas between those streets.

Timbergrove Manor is also a sweet location.

[toadfroggy]

I've lived in Houston all my life; I'm currently in the Heights.

I think you're probably targeting the right areas considering your criteria, but I'll make a few suggestions anyway. Timbergrove (it shares zip 77008 with much of the Heights) is probably as good a combination of location, price, and lot sizes as anywhere. I would include Lazybrook as pretty much equivalent, except that Lazybrook can be pretty deep in spots. By that I mean that although the neighborhood seems to be pretty well located, the streets are set up in such a way that it can be a long and winding trip just to leave the neighborhood.

The commute to downtown on 59 isn't bad at all if you're inside 610. A lot of the traffic falls off at the Loop and then again at Greenway Plaza, so I wouldn't shy away from Afton Oaks or anywhere else in zip 77027 for that reason. However, I think the commute to the Woodlands from there would be pretty grueling.

I think you'd find any of the zip 77007 neighborhoods to be convenient as well as some of the other areas that have already been discussed--zips 77006, 77098, are both considered "desirable". The problem with almost all Inner Loop nabes is that things can be quite spotty. You can't rely on there being a consistent character from one street to the next. I don't mean you won't find what you're looking for; you just have to choose carefully and not rely on a neighborhood designation to tell you everything.

Have you considered Garden Oaks? It's just north of the Loop between Yale and Ella--zip 77018 (which also includes Oak Forest). It's an older neighborhood, but it has a lovely feel to it, and a property there would definitely hold its value. I think being north of downtown will really help with that Woodlands commute and the difference between Garden Oaks and somewhere like Timbergrove in terms of getting downtown wouldn't be much.

Anyway, good luck on your search. Your budget should give plenty of options. And welcome to Houston.