Stafford or Missouri City ? (Houston, Sugar Land: low crime, buying a house, neighborhoods)

[toodiff]

I have just recently moved to Houston and am considering buying a house in Stafford, or Missouri City (Lake Olympia, Heritage Colony and Lake Colony subdivisions). My questions are as follows how are the schools in those areas, property taxes and crime. My price range for homes is approx. $250K. I plan to live in the house for the next 10 years; I am also concerned about social and recreational activities for teenage children though it is low on my list.

Any information would greatly be appreciated.

[AK123]

I believe those subdivisions are in First Colony, which is known for good schools, low crime, attractive neighborhoods, yards well kept, nice parks, etc.

Stafford is more a place for business than a place to live, I'd avoid most of it and stick with Missouri City and/or Sugar Land instead.

[gimmemusik911]

Both areas are fine. Lake Olympia is for sure a good subdivision.

Originally Posted by toodiff

I have just recently moved to Houston and am considering buying a house in Stafford, or Missouri City (Lake Olympia, Heritage Colony and Lake Colony subdivisions). My questions are as follows how are the schools in those areas, property taxes and crime. My price range for homes is approx. $250K. I plan to live in the house for the next 10 years; I am also concerned about social and recreational activities for teenage children though it is low on my list.

Any information would greatly be appreciated.

[ChangeIsGood]

I live in Missouri City, down the road (Hwy 6) from Lake Olympia, closer to the Fort Bend Tollway.
I agree with the previous posters, Lake Olympia and Lake Colony are both great subdivisions. You can't go wrong with either. However, Lake Olympia has more amenities and looks nicer as you drive around within than Lake Colony. Of course this means the property taxes are probably higher, but I'm not sure.

Good luck with your home purchase. This is a good time to get into a house out here.

[ChangeIsGood]

Lake Olympia and Lake Colony are in Mo.City, JJP. Not sure where Heritage Colony is. The nice thing about living in these subdivisions is that they're closer to shopping than the rest of Mo. City.

[ChangeIsGood]

I click on the reply button much too quickly.
Regarding the schools, I know the high school zoned to that area is a good one, Elkins. It was listed in
Newsweek's 2007 - The Top of the Class
The complete list of the 1,200 top U.S. schools

Public schools are ranked according to a ratio devised by Jay Mathews: the number of Advanced Placement, Intl. Baccalaureate and/or Cambridge tests taken by all students at a school in 2006 divided by the number of graduating seniors. All of the schools on the list have an index of at least 1.000; they are in the top 5 percent of public schools measured this way.

The 1,200 Top U.S. Schools - Newsweek America's Best High Schools - MSNBC.com

I'm not sure about the elementary and middle schools though.

[AK123]

Originally Posted by ChangeIsGood

Lake Olympia and Lake Colony are in Mo.City, JJP. Not sure where Heritage Colony is. The nice thing about living in these subdivisions is that they're closer to shopping than the rest of Mo. City.

I think Lake Colony and Heritage Colony might be part of the First Colony development and HOA, which is mostly in Sugar Land but extends into parts of western Missouri City.

[hlbman]

just looked at buying a brand new home in Olympia Estates. This is a new Castle Rock Community behind Vicksburg. Does anyone know anything about either subdivision? Also, how far back does Lake Olympia go b/c I could swear our realtor drove to Olympia Estates through the large LakeOlympia entrance on Hwy 6? Does that mean it's part of Lake Olympia? A subdivision named Lake Shore is near Castle Rock as well. It looks too pricey though??

[usc619]

There's NO property taxes in Stafford.

[BEVH]

What do you mean no property taxes in Stafford