Help! Moving to Houston!! (San Antonio, Austin: appointed, houses, neighborhoods)

[ASandraA]

Hello!
My family and I are moving to Houston by the end of August. We are from PA. I have never been to Houston and know no one who lives there. I am hoping to find advice on nice areas to house hunt. We have four kids so school districts are very important to us (would prefer one that's not HUGE~ though I'm not sure if that's possible).
Our price range is $600K-$750K. It seems that everyone tends to live in "communities" that have small half acre lots & cookie cuter houses. Sort of like a Ryan Homes neighborhood which is common here but unlike here~ these communities are so large they have their own schools, shopping centers etc. Is this right? Are there other options? Are there neighborhoods with 1 or 2 acre lots?
My husband will have a travel type job going from San Antonio, Austin & Houston. I would like to attend Lakewood Church which I understand is downtown. It's so difficult to try to plan a life for your family from so far away. Can you feel the stress?! LOL!! Any advice would be wonderful!
Thanks!!

[texas7]

Yeah most don't even have half acre lots. the average tract home lot is generally 60x115 or 60x120. If you need acreage, you might want to look at Cypress and beyond.

[14Bricks]

Originally Posted by ASandraA

Hello!
My family and I are moving to Houston by the end of August. We are from PA. I have never been to Houston and know no one who lives there. I am hoping to find advice on nice areas to house hunt. We have four kids so school districts are very important to us (would prefer one that's not HUGE~ though I'm not sure if that's possible).
Our price range is $600K-$750K. It seems that everyone tends to live in "communities" that have small half acre lots & cookie cuter houses. Sort of like a Ryan Homes neighborhood which is common here but unlike here~ these communities are so large they have their own schools, shopping centers etc. Is this right? Are there other options? Are there neighborhoods with 1 or 2 acre lots?
My husband will have a travel type job going from San Antonio, Austin & Houston. I would like to attend Lakewood Church which I understand is downtown. It's so difficult to try to plan a life for your family from so far away. Can you feel the stress?! LOL!! Any advice would be wonderful!
Thanks!!

Lakewood is actually in Greenway Plaza, not Downtown. With that budget you could live almost anywhere in the city. Where is your husband going to be working. If you're worried about schools and can't afford private, I would look at the suburbs. Sugar land or the Woodlands are probably the two best.

[jerbear30]

I would suggest the Rice University area for your budget and interests. I believe this area is called Rice Village and West University place, or something like that. This area is much less cookie-cutter than comparable suburban areas, has excellent schools, is pretty close to Lakewood and is very convenient for all things Houston (sports, museums, etc...) You will pay more for less as far as the home is concerned, as a trade off for the conveniences. Still, your budget will get you a very nice place.

[dejamiller]

What area of Houston is your husband's job going to base from?? I know he is traveling, or will he be home based. That is going to help determine a lot of things.

[Htown2013]

It seems like you will be disappointed with lot sizes here. 1/4 acre is considered large unless you're far out or in a very wealthy area. Even very wealthy areas cap out at 1/2 acre here unless you have a multimillion estate of live very far out with septic tank, etc. With your price range you could get 1/4 - 1/3 acre lot in the nice suburbs, such as Woodlands and Sugar Land. If you don't mind septic tank and living very far out, look at Weston Lakes, Fulbrook, and places like that. As was mentioned average tract homes have 1/6 acre lots or even smaller, but you can get larger with your price range, if you can find one. Most developers here just cram in as many houses as the market will tolerate or regulations (if any) will allow.

[Weatherguy]

West University, which is 5 minutes from Lakewood, is a spectacular area. The first time I saw it I felt like I was back East. Go on Google Street View and look at the streets west of Kirby, north of Holcombe, and south of Bisonnet. West U is not only 5 minutes from Lakewood church, but 5 minutes from the medical center (which is a city in itself), the Museum District, Hermann Park, and also close to downtown, midtown, and uptown. The home prices are right in your range and increasing rapidly in value.

[Htown2013]

Originally Posted by Weatherguy

West University, which is 5 minutes from Lakewood, is a spectacular area. The first time I saw it I felt like I was back East. Go on Google Street View and look at the streets west of Kirby, north of Holcombe, and south of Bisonnet. West U is not only 5 minutes from Lakewood church, but 5 minutes from the medical center (which is a city in itself), the Museum District, Hermann Park, and also close to downtown, midtown, and uptown. The home prices are right in your range and increasing rapidly in value.

Finding a home large enough for 4 kids with a lot of land will be tough at West U at the OP's price range. Most west U lots are 6000 square feet. That being said, it is a lovely area, although these days prices are more like $800k+ there for anything newer or updated that is a true single family house.

[texas7]

Cypress, Fulshear, Weston Lakes

[Failed Engineer]

You could live anywhere in Houston with a couple notable exceptions, so I'd just prioritize what's important to you and go from there. If the lot size is critical, you're looking in the 'burbs or really searching comprehensively for lots. Occasionally, you might find someone selling multiple lots adjacent to each other in the city. For example, this is not in your budget, and it's in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the city, but you'd be looking for something like this in another neighborhood.

2910 Ferndale, Houston, TX 77098 - HAR.com