A girl from Arkansas and a guy from Mississippi considering move to The Woodlands, Tx (Houston: sales, apartment)

[jonesy77]

Hello Everyone! I am from Arkansas and my fiance is from Mississippi. He is considering accepting a job in the Woodlands, Tx. We are both 24 years old and pretty much just starting our careers. I would like to buy our first house in a year after we get married. We plan on renting for 6 mo. to a year. However, I have looked at the average housing prices in The Woodlands and they are much higher than here. I can get a 2000 sq. foot custom built house here in North Arkansas for equal to or less than $200,000. I do not think I will be getting as much for my money there. I looked on some realtors websites. We were not planning to spend more than 150, 000 on our first house. My questions are, will a couple with combined salaries totaling around 110, 000 be able to have a nice quality of life there. Also, would I need to expect to be spending at least 200,000 for a relatively nice single family home? Or is it possible to find something for less? A realtor we spoke to said that we should be expecting to spend at least 200, 000. Any information anyone has that they think would be useful would be much appreciated! Thanks!!

[Mom2Feebs]

You will have no problem at all. Check HAR.com for homes in the following zip codes (with Woodlands Villages listed below):

77380 (Grogan's Mill, Panther Creek)
77381 (Panther Creek, Indian Springs, Cochran's Crossing, and I think Creekside as well)
77382 (Alden Bridge)

Do your search for homes between $150-$200K and you'll see quite a few!

You will LOVE The Woodlands--that I can promise. If you work there it's even more rewarding to live there. Lucky folks!

[tstone]

24 is a bit young to move to the 'burbs unless you're trying to nest to have babies immediately. It can get pretty boring shutting down at 8pm on weekdays and 9pm on weekends, compared to say, Midtown. But I must say no matter how old you are, living and working in the same area is a pretty sweet deal!! I remember the days!

And an income of $110k will be no problem here. This is not San Francisco! You can live modestly, pay off a decent house rather quickly, and invest your way to be millionaires at 40 on that pay... or be a stay at home mom on one salary indefinitely. Or you can go all out with credit on cars, boats, clothes, jewels, and anything else that devalues to zero faster than anyone cares to admit. With either philosophy you can be more than comfortable!!!

[jonesy77]

Thank ya'll both for your comments (mom2feebs, and tstone).

Mom2Feebs, Thank you for posting the listings to search! I appreciate it!

Tstone, we're definitely not planning on having kids for probably 5-6 more years. What area is considered Midtown? When you say that everything shuts down at 8 weekdays, 9 weekends. Do you mean shops/restaurants? Or does that include nightlife as well?

[Synopsis]

Judging from those pictures I saw on another thread, you're going to like the place ALOT. It's one of the prettiest cities I've seen in quite awhile. Awesome place.

[texas7]

Midtown would be great if you were working downtown or Galleria but the commute to the Woodlands to work and back every day will really get old fast. A co-worker lives in the Woodlands and works downtown - he is moving closer into town because the daily commute of ~40 miles is breaking him down.

[paradoxcop]

Costs are always relative, of course. I came here from suburban Los Angeles and found the place to be amazingly affordable. However, on a combined income of $110K/year you shouldn't encounter many difficulties, and you'll find no shortage of homes in the 2000 sq. ft. range for under $200K.

A very helpful place to visit is The Woodlands Homefinder Center, located at 2000 Woodlands Parkway:
The Woodlands Homefinder Center - The Woodlands Texas Business Directory Yellow Pages on Woodlands Online

They can give you a boatload of information on available properties, as well as lots of insight regarding the town. If you're looking for new construction, you'll see signs throughout town pointing you to new developments, along with the price range of the homes. These appear most frequently in the newer villages in the western areas of town, such as Sterling Ridge, Alden Bridge, and Indian Springs. The newest (and I believe last) village to be developed, Creekside, will be another area to look. It's unique in that it's south of Spring Creek and therefore in Harris County (Houston).

Everything here is planned, so if you are looking to eventually build a custom home, you must choose from a list of approved builders. There's a Custom Home Center on 3535 East Panther Creek Drive that can help you with that:
Woodlands Custom Homes Sales - The Woodlands Texas Business Directory Yellow Pages on Woodlands Online

Be aware that homes in The Woodlands tend to be a bit more expensive than comparable homes outside of it. On top of the not insignificant property tax, you will be assessed annual association dues which are tied to the value of your property. Those aren't a tax per se, but the association has broad powers and can repossess your home if you don't pay them.

Finally, if you'd like to avoid such fees and get a bit more home and land for the money while still remaining in the area, the area off of FM 1488 just west of here is booming. But expect traffic tie-ups due to the fast growth and limited roads servicing that area. I personally feel it's worth the extra cost to live in The Woodlands, but whatever your final decision is - welcome to the area. It's relatively peaceful, yet diverse, and most folks seem to like it here.

[tstone]

Originally Posted by jonesy77

Thank ya'll both for your comments (mom2feebs, and tstone).

Mom2Feebs, Thank you for posting the listings to search! I appreciate it!

Tstone, we're definitely not planning on having kids for probably 5-6 more years. What area is considered Midtown? When you say that everything shuts down at 8 weekdays, 9 weekends. Do you mean shops/restaurants? Or does that include nightlife as well?

Midtown is a district adjacent to downtown Houston.

When I say shut down at 8 on weekdays and 9 at weekends, that means the neighborhood. Like now it's 8:00 and everyone is on lockdown in our culdesac, getting ready for bed. Many people like me get up at 5:30 to get to work by 7 -- suburban Houston is middle-aged and generally an early rising - early bedtime place due to the commutes. In the middle of the city things are younger and more active later into the night. Shops and whatnot generally shut down about 6-9pm in the burbs depending on their business. Gas stations are almost always open 24/7.

[Mom2Feebs]

I don't think I'd want to live in the city if I worked in The Woodlands, though...?

[tstone]

Originally Posted by Mom2Feebs

I don't think I'd want to live in the city if I worked in The Woodlands, though...?

Hell no! That's one bad commute.

I was 27 and my wife 24 when we bought in Clear Lake. Even though it may bore some people at these ages, there is definitely something to be said for owning your own space and piece of Texas vs. renting in a crowded city apartment as a tenant with virtually no rights. I'm originally from the SW side. We lived inside 610 out of college and didn't care for it much, namely the random petty crime. To each his own.