Moving in late June to Cypress/Houston/Tomball area. Where's the best house rentals? (Heath: apartment complexes)

[Arieloforange]

My husband has a post graduation job around Louetta and 249. We currently live in Sunnyvale, CA and have never even visited Houston.

We have a 5 year old boy and a baby on the way. Due to my pregnancy and my husband's school a scouting mission isn't going to happen.

City-data has been invaluable in planning our move. We've decided to pack up our bigger stuff in a U-Pack ReloCube, load the car and have him drive over there a week before work starts. He can't come any earlier because I'm due 3 weeks before his job starts. Once my doctor clears me I'll join him with the kids.

What we'd like is for him to secure a house rental before we join him, but we've never rented a house before, just apartments. I love all the amenities of the apartment complexes there, but think a backyard would be great for our son. Any tips on renting houses?

Does anyone have recommendations on where to rent a house near there? We'd like a 3-4 bedroom with 1.5+baths with a large fenced backyard and trees for $1300 or less a month. A park and elementary school within walking distance is a big plus. We saw one in the Westborne HOA in Tomball that met that criteria, but of course it probably won't be available at moving time.

What do you all think of HOA's in this area? We're tempted by them because they have sidewalks and parks. What about Elementary Schools? Here if you don't register your child by February you may not get a spot at the closest school. Is that a problem there?

His future boss offered to have him talk to some of his future co-workers to get some ideas, but he wants to wait till a little closer to move time.

Thank You :-)

[cheryjohns]

There are several homes for lease in that area, although it's too soon to be able to rent any of those. Get with a realtor about a month before you want to occupy to see what is available at that time. When you find one you like (or your husband), you'll complete an application at that time.


You are lucky - in that area, homes are inexpensive for what you get, and the area is pretty with trees.

On HOAs - they are just Homeowner Associations. They don't necessarily mean parks and sidewalks. Most have pools - but some do not. 95% of Houston homes are in a HOA.

I have not heard that about the normal elementaries in the suburbs.

[1952Houston]

Use a Realtor to get the feel of the area. Realtor's get the first month's rent so remember it may affect the rent you pay; i.e. make it higher. Check out Craigslist for Houston, Cypress area. There is thousands of homes that meet your requirements in Heatherwood, Lakewood Forest, the Lakewood patio homes, Memorial Northwest. You can find a very good and large home for $1,000-1,200. Our HOAs are just a few people that make sure the lights are on and the garbage picked up. Costs for land and housing are tiny compared to CA.
TX ain't CA. You are going to miss the mindset, attitudes and beliefs. We lack sidewalks because sidewalks run up developer cost.
Grad school is very hard for some. You are having a second baby. I remember that. You can find a 2X/month maid for $70, the area you mentioned is heavily Hispanic but they are invisible. You have to have help in the form of a neighbor or teenager. TX is 200 years behind CA in regard to parks, recreational and play areas for people; another person has to help keep junior entertained. The main outlet for the 5 year old will be the mall, neighbor kids and the hiking areas. With the new baby, you are too exhausted to drive an hour to the zoo or the Children's Museum in Houston. The school will take your son, if he's had all his shots. Class size shifts each day. Make sure your make friends with 3 other buddy moms. You find a carpool he is too young for a bus. It will be too hot mid May-October to go out between noon and 5. You decide which mosquito repellants and peditricians to use.

[jr1038]

Originally Posted by 1952Houston

the area you mentioned is heavily Hispanic but they are invisible.

There is a sizeable Hispanic minority in that area as with much of greater Houston in general; however, I would not call the area "heavily Hispanic" especially by CA or TX standards.

The specific neighborhood the OP mentioned, Westbourne, is 25% Hispanic and 64% non-Hispanic white as of the 2010 Census (out of the 1297 residents in the neighborhood SW of Northpointe and Eldridge). The Hispanic minority is smaller in most of the surrounding neighborhoods.

[tmvijai]

Actually I live near 249 and Louetta area and I have helped few clients find their rental homes. There are pretty good communities around that area which you can rent for decent price. When I used to work for HP, I bought a house near by and settled. My community called Mandolin Park always has one or two rental houses which goes from $1300 and up. But you can find cheaper than that if you are looking for less room. If you go toward Louetta, it gets bit pricey because of school district. Also if you go north towards Tomball, the schools are good and you might be able to find some good houses in NorthPointe or THreeLakes community.

What the other junior member said is not really correct. Tenant realtor agent gets 1/2 of the rent if the house is listed in HAR.com. You are not paying for it, its the landlord who pays for it. Find a local realtor and they will help you but look around in Har.com and then contact the agent.

All the best.

[Supermac34]

HP? Noble? Just curious.

[Lost_In_Translation]

I highly recommend the neighborhood of Oakwood Glen off of stuebner airline near louetta. Older and less expensive but a very nice neighborhood walking distance to earhardt elementary and also close to the commercial center of Klein.

[HoustonBornNRaised]

That area is not heavily Hispanic. Not that it matters anyway. I live very close to Westbourne, and know the area very well.

Tomball ISD is a great school district. All three levels of schools are within less than five minutes of Westbourne. On other other side of FM 249 (77375), you'll be in Klein ISD - another good school district. On the other side, you'll find rentals in your price range, that are much newer. Try Northpointe East, Pinecrest Forest, Three Lakes East, Ashford Place, Northern Point, Stonepine and Willow Falls, if you want a newer home.

You might also want to check out the Lakewood area. The homes will be older, but the subdivision is a pretty one. This will be the closest development to the 249 Louetta intersection. Look in 77377, 77070 and 77429. Some of it will be in Tomball ISD and some of it will be in Cy-Fair ISD - again, another good school district.