First Time Home Looker VERY dissappointed!! (Houston, Pasadena: low income, condominium, credit)

[bostoner]

Originally Posted by FTHB

Thanks for your response! Yes I have tried that. He's been there for two years so I figured oh they would let him stay. I've spoken to the administrators and they informed me that he has to be zoned in order to keep attending the school. They have so many people trying to transfer into the school they have stopped accepting out of zone students.

I'll try again.

That sucks. The school my daughter was in did it for her when we moved. Oh well. I hope you find a place in a better school district. There are plenty out there. Maybe try Spring Branch? Good luck!

[Trainwreck20]

My sister and BIL have made a career out of buying from the 'low cost' builders, with great success. He is a financial manager (independent and quite successful) and my sister a long-time teacher, so they could afford some relatively fancy homes if they wanted; however, his financial 'tendencies' (he is a tighwad ) would not let him buy into a fancy home. As mentioned before, the real differences are the small things - no crown molding, inexpensive cabinet/door hardware, no wood/nice tile floors. The baisc construction has been acceptable (I know there are horror stories out there) and he has slightly upgraded each home while he lived there (although nothing major) and has made good money each time. Their first two houses were in Houston, and they are in their third house (in Boerne, TX) and are doing the same thing. Strictly from a financial standpoint, the low-end builders are the way to go, and if that gets you in a better school system, it makes a lot of sense in other ways.

They have four kids, and in the latest house, the two middle ones (16 and 13) are actually quite interested in 'improving' the house. They have learned to lay tile and have replaced the laminant in the kitchen themselves for a very low cost (and a pretty dang good job...I may have to hire them one summer). Landscaping is also one of the items that the low-end builders leave out, and it is easy to 'rectify' a little at a time, as budget allows.

My sister and BIL made this choice because it made financial sense, but it sounds like you could be forced into it. Anyway, I would chose a low-cost builder over a low cost school system any day. The lower cost housing saves you on property taxes, as well. Texas is not the place to buy expensive housing if you are on a tight budget; however, Houston has to be one of the best places in the country to get into the housing market.

[Texas Mack]

Have you tried looking in the Katy area? The schools there are generally decent to very good and you have a very diverse housing stock, from the modest upper 90s and mid 100s to the larger homes reaching towards $1 million.

Cypress is another option, I think. Very similar to the Katy area.

[Biffy6]

I suggest Pearland b/c of tons of new neighborhoods being built as well as plenty of older homes to choose from. Also, League City is an option. Friendswood also has a fair amount of older, lower mid priced homes and a great school district.

[jfre81]

You can homeschool your kid and then it doesn't matter what school your house is zoned to....just a thought to throw out there.

[Sarasota_Blues]

Trainwreck20 stated: "Houston has to be one of the best places in the country to get into the housing market." I would have to agree!

$85k to 90k? I didn't even realize that you could buy a home in that price range anymore. Oh, I live near Tampa, Florida, and you cannot even think about buying anything decent for less than 200k. Here in Sarasota, it's even higher, anything under $150k is probably a boarded-up, condemned shack in the ghetto.

I bought my first home 19 years ago, and had to purchase something less than what I wanted. I purchased a craftsman style bungalow built in the 1920's near downtown. At that time, the area wasn't the greatest, but has been steadily gentrified over the last decade. During the housing boom a few years ago, this neighborhood became one of the hottest areas in Sarasota. (Sorry for the out-of-town boring story). The main thing is to become a homeowner, and start building equity. Look for an area in the path of gentrification and revitalization. Your standing with creditors and peers alike will be greatly elevated if you own your own home.

Are there no down-payment assistance programs, or grants available for first-time home buyers? So, back to the $85k question.....I did some searching in the areas that she mentioned. Here are a few examples:

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These aren't bad homes for first-time home buyers! I'm mildly impressed, to say the least. Best of luck.

[Poltracker]

Try the Deer Park area. There are some nice older homes (late 1950's), in good condition that are within walking distance of the schools. The area has a very low crime rate. There really is no problem with older homes if you have them inspected and realize that the systems will be older (though may have been updated). Most (not all) are actually better constructed than new homes and hold up better over the long run. If you go that route, request a home warranty to cover the big ticket items if they break down.

[tiffnicole]

FTHB, you should check out Stonehedge-Three Foundations. This neighborhood is not too far from Humble. I make about the same amount of money as you and I was able to find a quality builder (Meritage Homes) at a reasonable cost. My mortgage, plus taxes and insurance is a few dollars more than what you are currently paying in rent.

I recently purchased my first home in this neighborhood about 3 weeks ago...and LOVE it! Just to name a few things....it is very peaceful, has easy access to Hardy Toll Road, I-45, Beltway 8 and Intercontinental Airport. This neigborhood is in Aldine ISD and the taxes are low.

These homes are more than $90,000, but they do have homes in the low $100,000s. They have a extremely good special going on right now and I think you will be surprised at the home you can get with Meritage for the price.

Moderator cut: advertising
The driving directions to Stonehedge - Three Fountains are....

From 45 exit Rankin Road
Travel east on Rankin Road 2 to 2-1/2 miles
Turn left into the second Stonehedge entrance

From Beltway 8 travel north on Hardy Toll Road
Exit at Rankin Road
Turn right onto Rankin Road
Turn left into the second Stonehedge entrance

Traveling south on Hardy Toll Road
Exit Rankin Road
Turn left onto Rankin Road
Turn left into the second Stonehedge entrance

Good luck on your search and God Bless.

[mjewell]

You're on the right track keeping your son in the best schools you can get him into. I've been in that same boat and probably hundreds of thousands of other parents in the city have too.

Maybe you can consolidate your debt with a mortgage loan and take off some of the financial burden. I don't know your credit rating or anything but it's worth a few phone calls to check into. With the interest rates so low right now it would be a shame to wait to buy a home until it costs more to do it. Have you considered making an employment change too? Perhaps it's time to look into it if your income isn't what you can live on.

My experience with house buying is that if you are pre-approved with your financing and search thoroughly you can find a foreclosure in an area you wouldn't normally be able to afford. Usually this means buying something that needs serious work, but if you're not afraid of a little paint and sweat you can change that.

Good luck!

[ayannaaaliyah]

If you're willing to commute, I would suggest Katy. They have a great school district which is why we moved out here. We were waiting on her acceptance into a private school in Houston, which came through right after we closed. We are in no way rich and got a great deal on an older home in a good neighborhood with mature landscaping and all. The foundation was great and we purchased for just under $100k. Of course we didn't have the granite countertops, crown molding, tiled baths and updated fixtures, but it is OURS. Fortunately I'm a HGTV fanatic and with the Internet and DIY, we have begun updating ourselves. We have a HUGE backyard and have built a deck, while still having enough room for my daughters' play area and the dog. Our mortgage is less expensive than what we were paying for rent. We didn't escrow our property taxes however, we estimated what we needed to save each month and did that (of course doing this will require you to be EXTREMELY disciplined). The taxes are bit high but managable. We have been in our home for almost 2 years and have not had any serious problems that have cost us anything substantial out of pocket. Plus when you close, most sellers will pay for a 1 year home warranty to cover any unexpected problems that should arise. If they don't offer it, ask for it. Also be sure to hire an inspector (your own, not one recommended by the realtor or sellers' realtor). Try to find a home being sold by the owner (FSBO) to cut down on the commissions.. I'm saying all this to say, that you CAN DO IT.

Depending on your credit rating, you should be able to get into a first time homebuyers program that can offer down payment assistance, especially since you're a single mom with limited disposable income. If you're willing to commute, then my opinion would be to come to Katy.