newresident Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 As a new resident in Houston, I was thinking about buying a new home in Grand Mission. My main concern is the location of the Barker Reservoir close to it. I would appreciate any advise or experience about the area (especially about flooding). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kjb434 Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 Where is it in relation to the reservoir?The reservoir area have little history of flooding especially after they were built. Not even during Allison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newresident Posted June 29, 2005 Author Share Posted June 29, 2005 It is located South of the reservoir, exactly at Westpark tollway and Harlem Road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pineda Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 Grand Mission info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTAWACS Posted June 29, 2005 Share Posted June 29, 2005 What does your realtor say? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newresident Posted June 29, 2005 Author Share Posted June 29, 2005 My concern about flooding is because being new in Houston I have no idea (except what maps and the FEMA website present) to know how this area was affected before. I have looked at the maps already and seems fine, but just need the input from long time residents of this city. I am a first time buyer, and it seems that the location of this development is attractive because of the Westpark tollway. I currently live in the Galleria area and would love to buy inside the loop, but prices are too high for a new house or less than 10 years old in a good neighbourhood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newresident Posted June 29, 2005 Author Share Posted June 29, 2005 I do not have a realtor yet, because my husband and I decided to look around by ourselves first, get an idea of what we can get and where, and then get a realtor. The whole process seems so complicated! The school district is FBSD. I know I still have to check the ranking of each school, but they are supposed to have better standards than others, aren't they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newresident Posted June 29, 2005 Author Share Posted June 29, 2005 I just checked them out. You are right, those schools don't seem very good in paper. The schools listed are Barbara Jordan Elementary, Hodges Bend Middle and George Bush High School. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timnwendy Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 Does anyone have any new information about life at Grand Mission? I noticed this thread is a couple of years old. Meanwhile, GM has continued to attract buyers. I visited GM last weekend and talked to a David Weekley rep. The community is still growing and is currently in the process of opening up several new sections. Housing prices and taxes seem a bit lower than other parts of Houston, which is good. I google'd landfills in Houston and there doesn't seem to be any too close (unlike Shadowcreek Ranch and Fall Creek). Just hoping some folks who live in Grand Mission will respond with some information and thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timnwendy Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 Hi, we are considering building a new home in the Grand Mission master-planned community. I only found one other thread that talks about it in these forums. I would really like to hear from any of you who live in Grand Mission. Are you happy? Anything to watch out for? Thanks. Edit: In hindsight I realized Grand Mission is technically in Richmond, so maybe I should have posted this in the 'Sugar Land and the Southwest' forum. If a mod wants to move this post there, it's fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconRanch1 Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 Hi, we are considering building a new home in the Grand Mission master-planned community. I only found one other thread that talks about it in these forums. I would really like to hear from any of you who live in Grand Mission. Are you happy? Anything to watch out for? Thanks.If i were you and were spending aroun 180-220k for a house i would move either into Cinco Ranch, Seven Meadows, Falcon Ranch, or Grand Lakes. Your better off with KatyIsd. (In my own opinion). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timnwendy Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 Great points, I did notice the schools zoned to GM are not the best. However, we are an older couple with no kids, and no plans for any. So schools are only something we consider for future resale. We find the location of GM right there on the Westpark tollway very appealing, as we both commute into the city for work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrandLakes Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 We just built a house in Grand Lakes (about a year ago). The proximity to Westpark was very appealing. We built here because of the school district - we hope to have kids in a few years. Grand Mission is a nice neighborhood but the schools aren't as appealing as Katy ISD. If I were in your shoes, with no kids, I would absolutely consider Grand Mission. Take a look at the property tax rate for Katy ISD vs. the school district you would be in. I would venture to guess that Katy is much higher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timnwendy Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 A casual search didn't show me the tax valuation for your location, but at Grand Mission it is 3.51. Is that lower? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalconRanch1 Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 A casual search didn't show me the tax valuation for your location, but at Grand Mission it is 3.51. Is that lower?I live in Falcon Ranch and the tax rate is hovering around 3.65-3.7, but with the exception that you do not have kids than GM seems like a good choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted October 8, 2007 Share Posted October 8, 2007 Note merged Grand Mission topics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eduag Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 I think kids are now zoned to Crocket middle school.... This will be much better than Hodges Bend!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyKat Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 Try looking at Westheimer Lakes, Gated and great ammenities. I'm in Cinco though, my son goes to Seven Lakes. The new LCISD schools are just as good or better. The snobby-stay-at-home-wife-with-the-high-income-husband factor isn't as great in Lamar School district as it is in some of these Katy schools.But I would definitely stay away from Bush and Hodges Bend in FBISD, that is for folks with kids. You have to consider schools on resale value too, even if you don't have any kids.CyKat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westguy Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 Great points, I did notice the schools zoned to GM are not the best. However, we are an older couple with no kids, and no plans for any. So schools are only something we consider for future resale. We find the location of GM right there on the Westpark tollway very appealing, as we both commute into the city for work.Westpark tollway is extremely congested. Expect frustrating commutes every morning and evening during rush, exacerbated by the fact that you just paid the highest tolls in the region. It would be better to live closer to I10 or 59, rather than add an extra six miles or so to your commute when you look for alternate routes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrandLakes Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 I must agree with the above posts:1. While we moved to Grand Lakes because of the close proximity to the Westpark Tollway, I am not going to sit in traffic every morning and pay to do so. I use I-10 for my commute to the I-10 / Gessner area.2. While you do not have kids that will use the good / bad schools that you are zoned to, resale value is something to consider. You will cut out a lot of potential buyers if you are zoned to a bad school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timnwendy Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 I've seen the morning & afternoon traffic jams on the Westpark. It's something to consider, but I work on a 7am-4pm schedule, so I'll miss most of that. And my wife works nights, so she'll miss it too. The school district, in terms of its impact on resale value, is more of a concern. We're going to do some heavy thinking. I appreciate all the comments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brak Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 I've seen the morning & afternoon traffic jams on the Westpark. It's something to consider, but I work on a 7am-4pm schedule, so I'll miss most of that. And my wife works nights, so she'll miss it too. The school district, in terms of its impact on resale value, is more of a concern. We're going to do some heavy thinking. I appreciate all the comments.I live in Parkway Lakes and first used the Tollway but I thought the $100 a month I was paying could be better spent.I work at 59 and Chimney Rock. I leave at 6:45 am and take Grand Parkway south to 90 to 59 to Chimney Rock........it takes me 45 mintues or less. 90 is under a major rework and is adding multiple lanes from Hwy 6 to 59.I leave at 4:45 PM to come home and it takes about an hour. I wished I worked 7-4......I would fly to and from work!!Note: We are also an older couple and have no kids but do have 7 grandkids. We bought with the plan to retire in this home so we did not consern ourselves with resale options but what made us personally happy.Plus, with all the new Retail going up around us, we will never have to go far for our needs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timnwendy Posted October 15, 2007 Share Posted October 15, 2007 Well, we have decided against building at Grand Mission. We really can't fault Grand Mission, though. We liked the David Weekley plans, the convenience to the greater Houston metro, lower tax valuation, etc. The problem we couldn't accept was the cost of the commute on the Westpark tollroad. My wife and I both work in the Medical Center, and when we did the math it came to about $2,500-$3,000 a year in toll fees. (Unfortunately, we're not really candidates for car/van pooling because we work odd hours.) Thank you everyone who contributed to this discussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trae Posted October 17, 2007 Share Posted October 17, 2007 If you have no kids, try an intown apartment. If there are kids, go to Pearland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbb Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 As a new resident in Houston, I was thinking about buying a new home in Grand Mission. My main concern is the location of the Barker Reservoir close to it. I would appreciate any advise or experience about the area (especially about flooding).I know this post is old, but I'd like to add my opinion. My husband and I purchased a home in Grand Mission in 2004. If we had to do it all over again, we NEVER would have bought there. The HOA is a joke. Dues are a whopping $750/year. There is no enforcement of deed restrictions whatsoever. We could hardly drive down our street because of all the cars parked on the street. One guy insisted on parking his welding truck on the street every single day. There were residents breeding pit bulls. Others were raising chickens in their yard. The cops busted drug dealers around the corner from us. There was no feeling of community at all. After 3 years, we sucked it up, sold our house at a loss, and moved to Seven Meadows - only 4 miles away. There is a huge difference between developments north of FM1093 and south of FM1093 in terms of home value, schools, etc. The same homes in Grand Mission are being sold in Seven Meadows for $40K more. And you get what you pay for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plumber2 Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 I know this post is old, but I'd like to add my opinion. My husband and I purchased a home in Grand Mission in 2004. If we had to do it all over again, we NEVER would have bought there. The HOA is a joke. Dues are a whopping $750/year. There is no enforcement of deed restrictions whatsoever. We could hardly drive down our street because of all the cars parked on the street. One guy insisted on parking his welding truck on the street every single day. There were residents breeding pit bulls. Others were raising chickens in their yard. The cops busted drug dealers around the corner from us. There was no feeling of community at all. After 3 years, we sucked it up, sold our house at a loss, and moved to Seven Meadows - only 4 miles away. There is a huge difference between developments north of FM1093 and south of FM1093 in terms of home value, schools, etc. The same homes in Grand Mission are being sold in Seven Meadows for $40K more. And you get what you pay for."You get what you pay for" is the most classic and the most truthful statement ever made on this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timnwendy Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 To follow up: we just finished moving into a new Ashton Woods home that we had built in Pearland (Southern Trails). We paid quite a bit more for it than we would have with one of the new David Weekley's at Grand Mission. It is hard to put a price tag on intangibles like the extra cost of buying into a more upscale neighborhood. Yet it seems worth it. To each their own, I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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