Help with housing in Houston (Texas City, Humble: community college, area code, campus)

[nwin]

Originally Posted by Poltracker

Your best bet would be somewhere in the Heights or Timbergrove, or Garden Oaks but it probably will not fit your budget unless you go with an apartment. Humble is not an option for your wife. I would nor suggest Bellaire either. You may find something in in those areas within your budget, housewise, but it will not have a pool.

So everyone is saying Humble is not an option, but my realtor is saying highway 59 is one of the best commutes and that the house I'm looking at is minutes from 59 and from there my wife can take the sam houston toll road and breeze through with an ez pass...

Definitely a bit confused here. Given the fact my wife has school at 930 each morning...what time would she have to leave the house in Humble to get to school on time? 8? 830? 730?

[Lost_In_Translation]

Originally Posted by nwin

Her school goes from 930-1230 everyday. I'll be working probably 7-4 or 5 each day.

Also, the only houses we've been able to find, 2 are in Humble and 1 is in Bellaire. The Bellaire one is not at the top of our list though, even though that would be the ideal commute.

How long would the transit be from Humble to Katy each day, with what her hours are going to be? We'd rather live in a house we both like, then something that we settled for. However, if it's going to be 1.5 hours-2 hours transit one way, then obviously it won't work. I'm guessing my commute will be around 30-40 minutes?

You haven't looked nearly hard enough if you've only found 3 houses. Check the residential lease listings on har.com. I'd stay on the south side rather than far north humble.

[RCH99]

Originally Posted by nwin

So everyone is saying Humble is not an option, but my realtor is saying highway 59 is one of the best commutes and that the house I'm looking at is minutes from 59 and from there my wife can take the sam houston toll road and breeze through with an ez pass...

Definitely a bit confused here.

There are +/- 19,000 licensed real estate agents in the Houston area. The vast majority of that number do not handle more than a handful of transaction per year. There is a relatively small percentage of top shelf, knowledgable, and professional agents out there. If the agent you have is leaving you confused...and worse, isn't forthright in clarifying the commute realities for both you and your wife, I would seriously consider finding a new agent. It's not too difficult to find a top performing agent that works in your very best interests throughout the process of finding a home.

Tracking down a great agent takes less time than trying to plow through HAR listings blindly on your own. The best agents are not found on public forums, btw. Good luck.

[Lost_In_Translation]

Originally Posted by nwin

So everyone is saying Humble is not an option, but my realtor is saying highway 59 is one of the best commutes and that the house I'm looking at is minutes from 59 and from there my wife can take the sam houston toll road and breeze through with an ez pass...

Definitely a bit confused here. Given the fact my wife has school at 930 each morning...what time would she have to leave the house in Humble to get to school on time? 8? 830? 730?

I'd say 8am is probably when she'd want to leave. The beltway can be a breeze, but its not always, especially between 59 and I-45, where everyone is trying to use the free section there to get the airport, the hardy toll road, or I-45. Then around 290. Frankly I think Pearland would be better for her commute wise.

[nwin]

Originally Posted by Lost_In_Translation

You haven't looked nearly hard enough if you've only found 3 houses. Check the residential lease listings on har.com. I'd stay on the south side rather than far north humble.

I dunno, for what we're looking for, that's it.

2+ bedrooms
1+ car garage
1.5+ bathroom
allow small dogs
private pool
$1500 or less
fenced in yard

I've had a few pop up west of bunker hill, but that seems like it would suck for me. One was around Jersey Village, but I know nothing of the area...I haven't found anything on HAR with the places that have been listed in this thread as of yet (Pearland especially surprised me that there was nothing).

Now, if I search for the above without a pool, yeah there's a ton of listings, but we're trying to get a pool, which severly limits our options. Also having two small dogs and having to search for places that allow pets doesn't help our case any.

On the most recent search of HAR: Here's the locations of the places that have come up:
Pinehurst
Spring
Humble
Sugar Land
Santa Fe
Conroe
Channelview
Katy
Deer Park
La Porte

And for the areas in Houston, we have:
Savannah Estates/Jamestown Colony (west of 610)
Fallbrook Greens (just north of 290, west of 610)
Westwind (in between the 10 and westpark tollway, west of 610), area code 77077
Stafford (Missouri City)

Two of the homes we liked but just weren't sure about location were the ones in Westwind and Stafford, so if that's a possibility, please let me know and I'll look into it definitely.

Thanks for everyone's help...it's frustrating moving somewhere where you just don't know the area.

edit: Here's the HAR website of the westwind house (area code 77077): http://search.har.com/engine/2323-Br...AR63933604.htm

[Lost_In_Translation]

Yeah I see your problem. The pool requirement paints you into a corner. Well given your options humble might be your best chance unless there are some listings not on har your RE can find. Commute will still be rough for your wife.

[DejaBlue]

Originally Posted by Lost_In_Translation

You haven't looked nearly hard enough if you've only found 3 houses. Check the residential lease listings on har.com. I'd stay on the south side rather than far north humble.

I think they have. It's not the pool but the budget. A pool makes the price jack up unless it's an extremely old house that makes the Brady Bunch 60s house look contemporary and modern.

They can get a pool and more options if the budget were more flexible as in adding at least $500-$1000 a month. Mostly $1000. There's a lot of options for what they want, with a pool and $2000-$2500 a month. Even making it just $2000 opens up 15 or so more houses and more areas.

Wanting a private pool is tough on that budget.

[Lost_In_Translation]

It's the combination of pool and budget. Severly limiting.

[nwin]

Originally Posted by Lost_In_Translation

Yeah I see your problem. The pool requirement paints you into a corner. Well given your options humble might be your best chance unless there are some listings not on har your RE can find. Commute will still be rough for your wife.

Ok, but define 'rough' an hour transit or 2 hour transit?

[Lost_In_Translation]

Originally Posted by nwin

Ok, but define 'rough' an hour transit or 2 hour transit?

hour to hour and a half depending on traffic for wife. Probaly 30 min to hour for you