Buying a home - should I go with a sugarland house or city centre townhouse/condo (Houston: apartments, city hall)

[nycgirl_2012]

Relocating from NYC to Houston for a new position. The office is near downtown Houston. Would like to buy a place with 400-500K budget (can go a bit higher if something super good comes up). But would also want to pay relatively low monthly taxes/maintanance.

I am a single female professional in late 30s, with 2 large dogs. I can't decide whether to go with a big house/nice yard/pool perhaps in Sugarland or Katy (where I have family members and friends nearby), or a smaller (2500SF+/-) townhouse/condo near the centre of town (perferrably near a large park (Memorial Park?) or large size doggie park).

I understand there are pros and cons in both options. Would love to hear your opinion as I am not all that familiar with Houston - driving distance, crime/safety, quality of houses/builders, old houses vs. newer ones, night life, etc.

On a separate note: is it easy to meet other professionals in Houston? what's the chance of meeting quality southern men my age?? I am Asian, slim and attractive, have been single cause it is very hard to meet men (that want to settle down) in NYC. And I work long hours... Just wondering if I have better chance in Houston. :P

Any helpful comments are welcome. Thanks!

[ethanw]

Welcome to Houston... It really depends on your life style.

Sugarland, Katy are very family oriented, great places, but it may be difficult to meet your dream man.
Near centre of Downtown is more hip, faster life style, more likelihood to meet that man.

But after all you need to figure out your priorities and select the place which meets your priorities.

As for being Asian, you're in the right place and I guarantee you that you like it :-) Houston is fantastic
and very diverse place. My wife is Asian, I am European, our kids are confused, and we LOVE it here in Sugarland

[City Love]

Without much thought, I would say it would be better to be inside the loop. You should look in the followings areas, Upper Kirby 77098, also Midtown 77006, River Oaks area 77019, and Washington Ave/Heights areas 77007/77008. Galleria area as well, it has a healthy financial sector so you might meet single guys with your same interests.

I think you'll be much happier in these areas. The last thing you want after working long hours is having a longer drive than necessary. Plus, will you really be visiting your family so often if you live in Sugarland? Serious question, because if you do, then you might not mind the longer drive. But most of the 30's crowd hangs out in town, especially the single guys and gals.

[nycgirl_2012]

Thank you ethanw for your kind words! Hopefully I will fall in love with Houston like you and your family did...

I am more concerned about the driving distance (from sugarland to city centre) than meeting guys, at this point. How long does it take in morning rush hour to get to downtown from suburbs like sugarland/katy? I've been to sugarland and really loved the peacefulness, greens, and having a backyard/pool (a luxury I never had in NYC). But I am also concerned about taking care of a large house all by myself... Is it easy to find reasonably priced labor to help fixing things in those subdivisions in sugarland?

I also like the areas near memorial park and rice university/harmann park. Nice parks to jog and run my dogs. But are there any townhouses/condos in decent size/shape in my price range?

Most importantly, which option has better resell value? I plan to stay for 5-10 years at least, if my job allows.

[nycgirl_2012]

Originally Posted by City Love

Without much thought, I would say it would be better to be inside the loop. You should look in the followings areas, Upper Kirby 77098, also Midtown 77006, River Oaks area 77019, and Washington Ave/Heights areas 77007/77008. Galleria area as well, it has a healthy financial sector so you might meet single guys with your same interests.

I think you'll be much happier in these areas. The last thing you want after working long hours is having a longer drive than necessary. Plus, will you really be visiting your family so often if you live in Sugarland? Serious question, because if you do, then you might not mind the longer drive. But most of the 30's crowd hangs out in town, especially the single guys and gals.

Thanks city love! that makes sense. are resell values good in those areas? If I can't get a house with large backyard, I will need to stay within walking distance to a park so I can exercise myself and the dogs daily. I liked memorial park and its surrounding area - is housing very expensive there?

[City Love]

Originally Posted by nycgirl_2012

Thank you ethanw for your kind words! Hopefully I will fall in love with Houston like you and your family did...

I am more concerned about the driving distance (from sugarland to city centre) than meeting guys, at this point. How long does it take in morning rush hour to get to downtown from suburbs like sugarland/katy? I've been to sugarland and really loved the peacefulness, greens, and having a backyard/pool (a luxury I never had in NYC). But I am also concerned about taking care of a large house all by myself... Is it easy to find reasonably priced labor to help fixing things in those subdivisions in sugarland?

I also like the areas near memorial park and rice university/harmann park. Nice parks to jog and run my dogs. But are there any townhouses/condos in decent size/shape in my price range?

Most importantly, which option has better resell value? I plan to stay for 5-10 years at least, if my job allows.

Ahh. One other thing to mention. Having a large house and being single won't go too well. You'll have many of empty rooms and an empty feeling in the home unless you like to have friends and parties pretty often. In your price range, you won't find anything under 3000 sq ft. Possibly closer to 4500 sq ft. Imagine having 5+ rooms, 2 living rooms, a large yard(great for the dogs), and a few common areas. It sounds great, except when you think about how much empty space will go unused.

Expect at least a 45 minute drive in the morning to work. Maybe shorter in the evening if you do work long hours.

Resell will be much better inside the loop as well. You could also consider the Museum District by the Medical Center. That's also maybe 10-15 minutes to downtown.

BTW: "City Centre" is a shopping area with homes and apartments here in Houston. It's located in the west side of town. Downtown is what we call our city center here. I wouldn't want you to get wrong information based on that.

[Beto]

I think that based on the New York lifestyle you may want to be closer into town, that being said you would have an array of restaurants, museums, entertainment and various parks for your would be ideal. The suburbs would give you more yard for the dogs and most of all more square footage, but it all depends on how long you are willing to drive. The drive time from Katy or Sugarland can vary based on the location within each community. Why not rent for the first 6-12 months and get a better feel for the area and what Houston has to offer and then deiced based on your experience living here.

[City Love]

Originally Posted by nycgirl_2012

Thanks city love! that makes sense. are resell values good in those areas? If I can't get a house with large backyard, I will need to stay within walking distance to a park so I can exercise myself and the dogs daily. I liked memorial park and its surrounding area - is housing very expensive there?

There's a pocket in that area called Rice Military very close to Memorial Park. I'd recommend that. Memorial park is great. You would also be close to Buffalo Bayou which is a great place for a run with a little non Houston terrain. Buffalo Bayou Partnership It goes all the way to downtown with small little hills that surround the bayou. Below are some examples.

Rice Military: 904 Birdsall B, Houston, TX 77007 - HAR.com
5401 Lacy, Houston, TX 77007 - HAR.com
Upper Kirby: 2 Morro Bay, Manvel, TX 77578 - HAR.com
http://search.har.com/engine/1904-Branard-St-Houston-

Regarding the yard, you should be able to have a small yard with any townhome in your price range. It might not be too big, but at least it's something for the dogs to relax on a pretty day or go potty outside if you are real busy for a few days and can't take them for daily walks.

[nycgirl_2012]

haha thanks much for the tips city love! I am terrible with directions (another reason NOT to live too far from my office), so I got it all confused. My office will be near city hall - that's downtown (not the centre) I guess?
Where can I jog and run my dogs if I live near the museum district/medical center? Is there a park nearby that allows dogs? A public pool nearby would also be nice...
How big of a house/townhouse/condo (in turn key condition) can I get in those nice neighborhoods with my budget? I would need a 3b/2+b for visiting friends/families. Is it possible?

[nycgirl_2012]

Originally Posted by Beto

I think that based on the New York lifestyle you may want to be closer into town, that being said you would have an array of restaurants, museums, entertainment and various parks for your would be ideal. The suburbs would give you more yard for the dogs and most of all more square footage, but it all depends on how long you are willing to drive. The drive time from Katy or Sugarland can vary based on the location within each community. Why not rent for the first 6-12 months and get a better feel for the area and what Houston has to offer and then deiced based on your experience living here.

Yes I plan to rent for 6 months (will be getting an apt near Memorial park) while searching for the right place to buy. I just wanted to get an idea on the location/budget I should focus on. I asked some friends/family but they live in sugarland/katy area so they of course recommended places in the suburbs. But I am not a great driver (haven't driven much in 10+ years of living in NYC), so I am a bit worried about driving long distance everyday although I love the suburbs in Houston.