re-location to texas -- possibly 7 clear lake area texas (Houston: new home, neighborhoods)

[richie_griff]

Hi,
We are researching possible re-location from UK to Texas and are quite amazed at the house price levels (seems too good to be true?) Have a budget of 200k - 300k. We are looking for somewhere close to water, beach,outdoors but not too far from city centre. Enjoy sun / heat but not keen on snakes / spiders. Is it as bad as i have read?
It looks like 7 clear lake area could be good - does anybody have any comments on good / bad things (schools/crime) about the area. Or suggest other areas we could like at. We have 2 sons 17 & 15 and youngest is looking to go to university.

Many thanks

[Mr. Football]

Nice area, booming.

Don't be worried about snakes or spiders, but bring some Mosquito repellant.

Have a safe trip. Welcome to Houston.

[travelguy_73]

richie_griff, will you be working in the Clear Lake area, or did it just pop out at you due to proximity to the water? In your price range (and depending on the size of the home you are looking for), other parts of the city will work for you as well.

If you want to get as close to Galveston as possible, yet still be within reasonable distance of downtown (not close to downtown, but not terribly far), then neighborhoods in Friendswood (across I-45) might be another option.

[Kotter891]

Bay Area/Clear Lake Area of Houston Metroplex is definitely ok. Much better than other large cities like New York, Washington, L.A., or even Dallas....

Just get here. If you have real money....more than $100K/yr., then you may consider and research the "better" areas. Otherwise, you will do very well just about anywhere, especially within the lower, southern suburbs, such as Pearland, Friendswood, Manvel, Webster, and League City.

Not that the "lower" areas are cheaper, or worse, but it all depends on what activities you want for your kids, if that be the case.

Regarding families and fun, the southern
Bay Area/Clear Lake Area of the Houston metroplex is by far the place to consider regarding when moving here.

I graduated from Clear Creek High School, and it was great. Went to Texas A&M University, and went on to get my Master's in Psychology.

The Clear Creek Schook District is very large, very good, and very complete.

I want to go drinking in a Chicago club, and hit on some chicks, but I don't want to move there....sorry, chicks.

Married a good Oklahoma girl, so all's well. Top-o-the-line-kids. Nothin' but the life, now.....and the the Clear Lake area is where it's at. No doubt about it.

I heard that the growth projections for the Bay Area are monumental for the next several years. If that's a problem for you, then don't come. Better traffic for all of us. Really, no offense, but some hate Houston. Better they don't come at all.

Here's the kicker....watch Terms of Endearment and imagine living "there". That's Houston. You can't get that kind of "luxury" everywhere, especially at a minimum.

[ComeHomeToTheWoodlands]

The Clear Lake area has been progressivly becoming more and more popular. I recently assisted my daughter and her husband in the purchase of a new home in the League City area which is next to Clear Lake. He works in Clear Lake and they both just love it there.We have boats and the fishing is great in the Galveston Bay/Offshore locations. There are several new housing developments to consider also(Tuscan Lakes).Moderator cut: realtor advertising

[tstone]

Great fishing? I live in northern Clear Lake and I won't get too close to that water. Last time I heard, the mercury levels in Clear Lake were reaching dangerous levels.

[texas7]

The Clear Lake area has been given a new moniker, "Bay Area Houston" by the Bay Area Economic Partnership because the area has grown so large and the name Bay Area Houston encompasses much more than just Clear Lake - includes League City, Pearland, Pasadena, LaPorte, Deer Park, Friendsweood, Nassau Bay, Kemah, Seabrook and everything to Galveston. Clear Lake is a wonderful area to live in - offers a waterfront lifestyle at your backdoor for very reasonable prices when compared to that same lifestyle in other cities/states. Clear Lake, Seabrook, Kemah, Nassau Bay & League City all offer the closest to the water living you can get in the area. Some parts of the Clear Lake community are actually in the city limits of Pasadena but seem largely disconnected. Welcome to Texas - hope you find everything you are looking for.

[texas7]

Oh, one more thing CCISD (Clear Creek Independent School District) is highly ranked. The two top public universities in the state are Texas A&M in College Station and University of Texas in Austin and there are other great ones as well. Some people opt to be very economical in their education and send their children to the local community college (2 years) in Bay Area Houston (San Jacinto Community College) and then to University of Houston - Clear Lake to finish their final two years - all while getting to live inexpensively at home with family and be only minutes from the university. Your options are limitless!!

[tstone]

Originally Posted by texas7

The Clear Lake area has been given a new moniker, "Bay Area Houston"

Yeah and many of us here have jokingly called it 'the poor man's ''bay area.'' I guess that would be compared to the real bay area of San Francisco!

[texas7]

Originally Posted by tstone

Yeah and many of us here have jokingly called it 'the poor man's ''bay area.'' I guess that would be compared to the real bay area of San Francisco!

Are you that unhappy of a person? I've noticed that in almost every post where people highlight the positive - you seem to only find something negative to say. It has no relationship to San Fransico nor is it trying to compare itself to San Francisco -- geez get a life. The title Bay Area Houston refers to ALL the cities on the Galveston Bay side of Houston, because although they are all suburbs of the Greater Houston Metroplex - they are on the Galveston Bay side of the city and have closes ties to one another as small cities in addition to be a suburb of Houston and makes good economic and commercial sense to group them together by name in the area they are in. Like it or not, it is a bay and then cities involved are on the bay side of Houston. Its the region.