is katy texas (lakes of buckingham) a nice area? also interested in other info on texas? (Houston: transplants)

[flyingeaglesinsky]

hi i am moving to houston, texas. is katy, texas (lake forest, lakes of buckingham) a good area? what about cinco ranch?

also what other sections of houston look similar and are worth looking into, preferably closer to houston?

i am looking at homes in the 300k range. but i do want to save money. lets say i wanted to spend a bit less, what are some professional communities of people in their 30s who are wholesome and family oriented, that might be in the 200-250 range?

also, how high are the property taxes?

any other information you think is important, would be appreciated.

like, what is the hot weather like? i have been in new mexico in the summer and the air was as thick as a hot gravy. does it feel like that?

please tell me about the lakes. can you kayak in them? are they pretty? do they have cabins next to them?

what do texans do for recreation? aside from rodeos and country dancing, what does houston have to offer in terms of having fun (museums, parks, zoos) etc.

what schools are good for kids? are there good private schools to send them to if we live near katy? i dont have any kids yet, but i read somewhere that the texas school system isnt good. is this true?

what about the bursting pipelines in the news?

what about flooding?

is it true criminals fled katrina to go to texas?

are there any surprises? like high electric bills, high car insurance, etc?

also what sort of place is bellaire? (this is more out of curiousity then wanting to live there).

currently i live in san diego, ca.

thank you.

[flyingeaglesinsky]

one more question, if i buy a home now, will the price go up or stay the same, being what the real estate situation is today? thanks.

[ayannaaaliyah]

Originally Posted by flyingeaglesinsky

hi i am moving to houston, texas. is katy, texas (lake forest, lakes of buckingham) a good area? what about cinco ranch? I think Lakes of Buckingham is part of the Kelliwood community and yes it is a very nice community. I don't know that you're going to find anything there lower than $350k. Not familiar with Lake Forest community. I'm sure you will find something in Cinco which is made up of several different communities which vary in price range, depending upon what your preferences are.
also what other sections of houston look similar and are worth looking into, preferably closer to houston? Memorial area, Ashford Hollow are just a couple that I know of. There are many more.

i am looking at homes in the 300k range. but i do want to save money. lets say i wanted to spend a bit less, what are some professional communities of people in their 30s who are wholesome and family oriented, that might be in the 200-250 range?

also, how high are the property taxes? Property taxes are expensive.

any other information you think is important, would be appreciated.

like, what is the hot weather like? i have been in new mexico in the summer and the air was as thick as a hot gravy. does it feel like that? Yes hot and thick as hot gravy, no breeze and lots of humidity. Summer is bad.

please tell me about the lakes. can you kayak in them? are they pretty? do they have cabins next to them? There are several get-aways in Texas that have lakes. I don't know about kayaking but boating is definitely an option.

what do texans do for recreation? aside from rodeos and country dancing, what does houston have to offer in terms of having fun (museums, parks, zoos) etc. Texas has a very nice museum district and theater district. There is plenty to do other than rodeos and country dancing, Houston is much more than that!

what schools are good for kids? are there good private schools to send them to if we live near katy? i dont have any kids yet, but i read somewhere that the texas school system isnt good. is this true? I'm not fond of the public school system, but that's anywhere in the nation right now. Who knows things could change by the time u have children but depending upon what's important to you I think that Texas has some good school districts and some that are no so good. In terms of private schools, there are an abundance to choose from.

what about the bursting pipelines in the news?

what about flooding? Some areas of Houston flood, some do not. I would suggest that you check into that once you narrow your choices down.

is it true criminals fled katrina to go to texas? Criminals from Louisiana and are everywhere right now, not just Houston. And every city had criminals prior to Katrina.

are there any surprises? like high electric bills, high car insurance, etc? Electricity is expensive, moreso than I'm used to. You coming from CA, I hear you all pay high energy bills too, so might not be so bad for you. Example, I have a 3,000 sq. ft. home and my electricity in the summer runs me about $400+. A friend of mine has a 1500 sq. ft. home and theirs runs approx. $250 or so.

also what sort of place is bellaire? (this is more out of curiousity then wanting to live there). Couldn't tell you,
currently i live in san diego, ca.

thank you.

Hope this helps.

[charris911]

Texas has great schools...both public and private. Some people will find negatives in everything.

If you do not like your child's school, get involved in it and try to make it better.

Ditto on ayannaaaliyah's post.

[brenrose]

Whichever neighborhood you consider, ask a local real estate agent to run the sales comps for you from the past 2/3 years. You should be able to see from those records if the neighborhood has maintained its value or if it is declining. My opinion, Katy is a great place to live and has many positives to offer.

[Over]

Originally Posted by flyingeaglesinsky

also what sort of place is bellaire? (this is more out of curiousity then wanting to live there).

currently i live in san diego, ca.

thank you.

Nothing like Bel Air in Cali...

I was curious too when I moved her from LA.

[westres1]

Property taxes run around 3% in most Katy communities. Less in older established neighborhoods and more in newer.
Houston has a large zoo,all major sports teams,Museum of Natural History, Newly rennovated Children's Museum,Museum of Modern art and Fine Arts, Ballet,Opera,Theater, Many wonderful dining options. Lots of parks, dog parks and bike trails, close to Galveston.
When you mention Lakes I am not sure if you are referring to the "lakes" in the Lakes of Buckingham or recreational lakes like Conroe or Livingston. You can not boat or canoe on lakes in most neighborhoods. They are really flood retention ponds with fountains.
Lots of options for schools both in and out of Katy.
You might consider Cinco Ranch if you are set on katy.

[nikku]

I grew up in Katy and still have lots of friends and family there, so I'll throw in my 2 cents...

Originally Posted by flyingeaglesinsky

hi i am moving to houston, texas. is katy, texas (lake forest, lakes of buckingham) a good area? what about cinco ranch?
What do you mean by "good area"? Some peoples' priorities are different than others. Katy is this: a large suburb of the 4th largest city in the US (Katy is to Houston as Pasadena is to LA). It has very low crime (especially areas like Cinco Ranch) and low cost of living. The weather is hot in the summer (upper 90's, humid) and mild the rest of the year. The land is extremely flat, since most of Katy used to be pastures and rice fields. There is not much to do as far as outdoor activities go, aside from team sports, which are very popular there.

also what other sections of houston look similar and are worth looking into, preferably closer to houston?

For $300k, look into the Bellaire/Meyerland area as well as the Energy Corridor (Memorial east of Highway 6 until basically Dairy Ashford).

i am looking at homes in the 300k range. but i do want to save money. lets say i wanted to spend a bit less, what are some professional communities of people in their 30s who are wholesome and family oriented, that might be in the 200-250 range?

Cinco Ranch is a good bet, you can get a large house for $250k, and the people there tend to be families in their 30's and 40's. Kelliwood, Falcon Point, Green Trails, all similar.

also, how high are the property taxes?

any other information you think is important, would be appreciated.

like, what is the hot weather like? i have been in new mexico in the summer and the air was as thick as a hot gravy. does it feel like that?

please tell me about the lakes. can you kayak in them? are they pretty? do they have cabins next to them?

You have to drive about 2 hours to get to the really nice lakes in the Hill Country.

what do texans do for recreation? aside from rodeos and country dancing, what does houston have to offer in terms of having fun (museums, parks, zoos) etc.

I wouldn't know, I hardly ever leave my ranch

what schools are good for kids? are there good private schools to send them to if we live near katy? i dont have any kids yet, but i read somewhere that the texas school system isnt good. is this true?

There are good private schools, but the public school system in Katy is excellent, especially the elementary schools.

what about the bursting pipelines in the news?

Only happens during a freeze (it doesn't freeze often in Houston), and only if you don't wrap your pipes and leave your faucet dripping.

what about flooding?

Not bad at all in Katy, can get bad in other parts of Houston.

is it true criminals fled katrina to go to texas?

There are a lot of transplants from New Orleans. Not many of them went to Katy.

are there any surprises? like high electric bills, high car insurance, etc?

Electricity is expensive. Car insurance is not bad.

also what sort of place is bellaire? (this is more out of curiousity then wanting to live there).

Nice, as long as you're not African-American and parking your own car in your own driveway
Honestly though it's a nice area, more like a suburban setting very close in.

currently i live in san diego, ca.

thank you.

You could do worse than Katy, but you do need to be aware that Katy is nothing like San Diego. Not even close. There's a reason the cost of living is so high there compared to Katy--the climate, the ocean, the scenery in San Diego (SoCal in general) are unparalleled. Katy, well, it's Katy.