Search For A $200k Inner Loop Family Home Part II

[sohomod]

But we have expanded our search to include craftsman bungalows, 30s traditionals, 1950s ranches, 1970s contemporaries. Basically anything that does not smack of soul-less mcMansion tract developments. All for our budget of $200K. The exciting thing about Houston is that we are finding lots of things we like, but since we don't know Houston at all, it's hard to know if the neighborhoods where we're finding them are bad or good. Here in NYC if you find beautiful buildings you know it's a good neighborhood but things seem different in Houston. So I'd love to hear some frank assessments of the following areas so we're not barking up the wrong trees: Eastwood, Washington Terrace, Norhill, Lindale Park, Sunset Heights, Timbergrove, Meyerland, South Bellaire.

I've heard there are some unsavory apartment complexes in the SW part of town, so I'm worried about the nice Mods I'm finding there. And some of the cute bungalows in Eastwood have bars on the window, which does give one pause. And yet I'm hearing on this board that Eastwood is pretty safe so are the bars from an earlier, more crime-ridden era? A big reason for this relocation is to give our toddler a nice green place to play outside so a good neighborhood is key. Our other ideals are a walkable community (i.e. stores and restaurants on local "Main Street"-type commercial streets), good schools (not as important as our daughter is not yet 2 and we could go the magnets route), a good sense of community and nice families, so she can make friends and playmates.

I suppose as long as I'm asking all these questions if someone would be so kind as to tell me how much private school tuition is, just so I could factor it into the equations. This board has been not only invaluable but very encouraging. It's great to know there are such friendly, helpful and like-minded people in Houston. Thanks so much!

[Willowisp]

I was thinking the same thing about Meyerland. I think Westbury is the next Meyerland. That means that eventually they will start tearing down Meyerland as they have Bellaire, and then they may start tearing down Westbury as they have Meyerland. Lot value in Meyerland is probably over $200K. The coolest mod (on Braeswood) hasn't sold. What was that $350K? and it's said to be a flood problem. Too bad, cause I love the look of that house.

I completely agree on the Glen Willow apartments. Man, those just ooze ugly. But I don't know that it's a crime haven or anything, it just looks like it would be. It just looks like a slum. A lot of that on S. Post Oak is not great to look at. I've grown tired of it. The empty Dairy Queen, the 3 convienent but ugly gas stations, the Popeye's chicken, the ghettofabulous soundwall that needs replacing, the hideous huge furniture sign that stays on all night, the car wash, discount grocery store... Those are the downsides of my neighborhood. But when you turn off of S. Post Oak and get into the neighborhood, it's much nicer.

Good luck with your search. We'll be with you all the way if you need an opinion. We've got plenty of those, eh?

Jason

Good luck finding anything in Meyerland for $200K. If you do, chances are it was completely under water during Allison and has major structural problems like a cracked slab. And even then, it will probably be sold within days of going on the market.

Again, I'll put in a good word for Westbury. The section we're in (Westbury 1) is zoned to the Meyerland elementary and middle schools--some of the better schools in HISD. Westbury High... well... But you won't have to worry about that for a number of years. And, remember, HISD has transfer and magnet programs.

There are some dodgy-looking apartment complexes in the area. Glen Willow apartments on South Post Oak, just north of Willowbend, is a huge, hulking eyesore and it wouldn't bother me one bit if they tore the complex down. That said, I haven't heard that it's a hotspot for crime. There are also some low-rent complexes in the immediate vicinity of Westbury High that are--ahem--less than aesthetically pleasing. The apartment complexes that seem to have more crime problems are farther west, around Fondren and West Airport.

[jm1fd]

I'll rate these on a ghetto-ness scale of 1 to 10. 1 being the worst ghetto in Houston, 10 being River Oaks.

Eastwood -- 4

Washington Terrace -- 3 (but there are some really really cool houses in here)

Norhill -- 7

Lindale Park -- 4

Sunset Heights -- 4

Timbergrove -- 7

Meyerland -- 8

South Bellaire ??

[hokieone]

I can pretty much guarantee you that danax will be on here soon to let you know about eastwood and the east end in general, but I think idylwood is an area that will be really up and coming in the next few years, and is a great location. When I drive through there, I look at the fact that most of the homes have been cared for fairly well, the trees are gorgeous, and it almost seems like a "hidden" gem in some ways. I was looking on har and there are some homes that have even already had some work done to them to update them. this one here doesn't have the greatest exterior "look" in my opinion, but shows what some people can do if they don't go the teardown route either and its right at $198K.

Idylwood Home

[stolitx]

Idylwood is a beautiful neighborhood. My wife and I looked there, but ultimately decided against it because: 1) while it would have been an easy commute to UH for me, she would have had to drive across town to the Galleria area; 2) there weren't a lot of amenities in the immediate vicinity, though this may change as the area continues to gentrify; 3) the public schools.

I love Idylwood and looked there too. Unfortunately for me there just wasn't too much on the market and I'm not known for my patience. Also what was in my single income budget just didn't fit my needs in size and too much work needing to be done.

But there are some wonderful homes and a great park too if I remember correctly on MacGregor.

[Guest danax]

I can pretty much guarantee you that danax will be on here soon to let you know about eastwood and the east end in general, but I think idylwood is an area that will be really up and coming in the next few years, and is a great location.

Idylwood Home

I'm glad someone else is piping in on Idylwood at least. Eastwood...I think it's beyond the urban pioneer stage and is in the "yuppie" stage, but that's not to say that you won't hear an occasional gunshot. I would suggest going to a civic club meeting when you get here and talk to some residents about any possible concerns. I do think it's good and getting better and it's rough days are behind it.

[RedScare]

Norhill is located between Houston Heights and Woodland Heights. Great neighborhood if you can find anything livable for $200K. Sunset Heights abuts Houston Heights to the north. It is undergoing massive gentrification. It is no longer a tough neighborhood. My office partner just remodeled his duplex there into a 3800 sf single family. Probably worth $600K now. This is a good area to find the few somewhat affordable homes left in the Heights. Timbergrove is nice. Lindale Park is a good rebounding neighborhood, surrounded on 2 sides by somewhat less desirable neighborhoods. I have 3 attorney friends (all women) who have bought here. Good size homes (1500-1700 sf) for well under $200K. Some great brick bungalows.

[heights_yankee]

Norhill is located between Houston Heights and Woodland Heights. Great neighborhood if you can find anything livable for $200K. Sunset Heights abuts Houston Heights to the north. It is undergoing massive gentrification. It is no longer a tough neighborhood. My office partner just remodeled his duplex there into a 3800 sf single family. Probably worth $600K now. This is a good area to find the few somewhat affordable homes left in the Heights. Timbergrove is nice. Lindale Park is a good rebounding neighborhood, surrounded on 2 sides by somewhat less desirable neighborhoods. I have 3 attorney friends (all women) who have bought here. Good size homes (1500-1700 sf) for well under $200K. Some great brick bungalows.

We live in North Norhill and there are still some affordable bungalows around the edges of the neighborhood. We looked in all the other neighborhoods listed above and would have lived in any of them for the right house. We had a little more in terms of budget, but not much. We just happened to find the perfect house in a well protected neighborhood. Sure, these areas that are transitioning are doing so pretty fast. By the time your toddler is ready for kindergarten, things will be very different.

I have a friend who bought in Shady Acres less than 2 years ago. I was seriously scared to drive to her house alone. Now the warehouse-type structures and really scary shot-gun shacks are gone and it's all new builds. It's pretty nice!

Good luck with your search. We'll be with you all the way if you need an opinion. We've got plenty of those, eh?

Jason

Truer words were never spoken!

Edited February 5, 2006 by heights_yankee

[heights_yankee]

[Oh... I just wanted to add this: When we were house hunting, we looked at a lot of places that were just $20-40k more than we budgeted for. Several homes sold for a lower price than they were listed it and ended up coming in to our budget range. You may want to expand your search by a few dollars and see what you find.

(This may be obvious and common sense and you've already done it, but I thought I'd mention it...)

Bungalow w/ garage apt

Edited February 5, 2006 by heights_yankee

[Dream]

hey sohomod you need to talk to rps, he's the official mod realtor of haif. he knows this city inside and out and where all the mods are located. look him up in the mod section.

dream

[wendyps]

I was poking around HAR the other day (addiction) and found these homes. The area is fairly sketchy, but not dangerously so, interesting houses with a great price.

http://realtorshelp.har.com/search/engine/...=0&backButton=Y

[WesternGulf]

I was poking around HAR the other day (addiction) and found these homes. The area is fairly sketchy, but not dangerously so, interesting houses with a great price.

http://realtorshelp.har.com/search/engine/...=0&backButton=Y

That is nice. Only if there were one more bedroom.

[jm1fd]

I was poking around HAR the other day (addiction) and found these homes. The area is fairly sketchy, but not dangerously so, interesting houses with a great price.

http://realtorshelp.har.com/search/engine/...=0&backButton=Y

Those face the back of a Budget Truck rental lot which is probably why they have a big wall out front....but they are just down the street (literally) from Home Despot.

[WestburyMod]

I recently moved into the Westbury 1 area and new to Mod homes. I'm curious to the different style of Mod homes in my area, as well as my home.

I'm hoping Westbury will be the next Meyerland (property value). But I've noticed there are many homes in Wetbury 1 that are in need of repair or TLC. I understand that renovations cost lots of money, but these homeowners should at least keep their property clean and presentable.

The Glen Willows apartments do look slummy, as well as the many retail shops on S. Post Oak. And the rush hour traffic on S. Post Oak?? Where are those people coming from?

I'm wondering if any of you guys live in my area, and can possibly educate me on Mod homes. Thanks.

I was thinking the same thing about Meyerland. I think Westbury is the next Meyerland. That means that eventually they will start tearing down Meyerland as they have Bellaire, and then they may start tearing down Westbury as they have Meyerland. Lot value in Meyerland is probably over $200K. The coolest mod (on Braeswood) hasn't sold. What was that $350K? and it's said to be a flood problem. Too bad, cause I love the look of that house.

I completely agree on the Glen Willow apartments. Man, those just ooze ugly. But I don't know that it's a crime haven or anything, it just looks like it would be. It just looks like a slum. A lot of that on S. Post Oak is not great to look at. I've grown tired of it. The empty Dairy Queen, the 3 convienent but ugly gas stations, the Popeye's chicken, the ghettofabulous soundwall that needs replacing, the hideous huge furniture sign that stays on all night, the car wash, discount grocery store... Those are the downsides of my neighborhood. But when you turn off of S. Post Oak and get into the neighborhood, it's much nicer.

Good luck with your search. We'll be with you all the way if you need an opinion. We've got plenty of those, eh?

Jason

[Willowisp]

Re S. Post Oak:

That's what I want to know too! Where are all these people going? I know - they're going home, but why do they take this route? I take the first left onto Willowbend, but sometimes I just want to follow the traffic out to wherever it is going.

I keep my fingers crossed that once S. Main becomes more of a freeway that people will use that and leave S. Post Oak alone at least until they build the tollway on it in about 3 to 4 years. When this happens hopefully all the noise behind my house will become a gentle oceanic sound with a soundwall paid for by the toll roads.

If you want to know more about Mod homes in general I would suggest reading up on the Case Study series in California. If you want to know more about Houston Modern Homes, first I'd check out Michael Brichford's site:

http://www.memorialbendarchitecture.com/

This really helped me when I was looking for our house, and so did this board. Read all the older posts.

I also bought the Cite Book:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/029270187...glance&n=283155

And the Houston Architecture Guide:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/091700108...glance&n=283155

Welcome to the board!

Jason

PS: Send pics of your house!

The Glen Willows apartments do look slummy, as well as the many retail shops on S. Post Oak. And the rush hour traffic on S. Post Oak?? Where are those people coming from?

I'm wondering if any of you guys live in my area, and can possibly educate me on Mod homes. Thanks.

[flipper]

Re S. Post Oak:

That's what I want to know too! Where are all these people going? I know - they're going home, but why do they take this route? I take the first left onto Willowbend, but sometimes I just want to follow the traffic out to wherever it is going.

I think alot of people use S. Post oak as a cut through down to either Main, or the Beltway. There are also alot of apartments and neighborhoods down south on S. Post Oak.

You can also cut across on Willow off of S. Post Oak to get to some of the southern sections of Westbury.

I'm to the point where I exit Main off of 610 at any "busy" part of day and come down Willowbend to my Neighborhood.

flipper

[flipper]

I did that for a while but concluded that it didn't really save much time--if any. If you hit the red light on Willowbend at Stella Link, you can end up waiting there for a looooooooooong time.

Edit: Upon first exiting, you also have to sit through several light changes at Buffalo Speedway and Main.

If they do turn South Post Oak into a tollway, I'll bet there will still be backups at the exit for West Bellfort and at the exit they'll have to build for Willowbend.

You are right, those are all snafu's with that route also. Luckily I'm usually staying off the freeways and navigating through smaller streets.

[elle]

I am relocating to the Houston Area. My sister lives in the Woodlands. I find that area really boring. I have a 50's modern house that I love in Michigan. I don't like all the cloned new houses in the Woodlands.

I am wondering what the upscale areas are in the Houston area. Not too far from the woodlands as that is where my husband will be working.

[rps324]

There was that good flat roof mod in North Hills right there at 45 & Cypresswood. that pocket is older. I think the listing expired & it has not been relisted. But I am sure they would probably still sell even if it hasn't been relisted yet.