Thoughts about Sugar Land neighborhoods (Spring, Center: HOA fees, houses, to buy)

[Corridor Chick]

My long-term boyfriend is just about at the stage where he's ready to buy a house for us. We both like the Energy Corridor, and the Briar Forest/Dairy Ashford area is just about the midway point between his work (Spring Branch West) and mine (Sugar Land/Eldridge). However, his upper limit is 180K, and we know that finding something in that range in the Energy Corridor may not happen.

So, he's done some looking in Sugar Land and found homes in the 100-150 range in Covington Woods. I drive by it every day but haven't yet needed to explore the neighborhood. We don't have kids, so schools are not an issue except for potential future resale value. I believe CW is zoned for Sugar Mill, which appears to be a good school, Sugar Land Middle, and Kempner, which I think has gone down since we went there (back in the days when FBISD only had 4 high schools). Can anyone give some insight into the area or possibly compare it to nearby neighborhoods (Barrington Place, Sugar Mill, etc.) I know Townewest has gone waaayyy down since he lived there back in the late 70s/80s.

Also, how are the old "company houses" on Brooks, Lakeview, Main St.? He found a listing, but it had no HOA fees. Are they deed-restricted or covered by city zoning? And any word on what's going to happen to the old sugar mill? Last I heard, the plan was to put in another Lake Pointe/Town Center-type mixed-use development there, but I haven't been keeping up with how that's progressing.

Thanks in advance.

[Failed Engineer]

I wouldn't buy yet in the Sugar Land vicinity if your limit is 180k. Wait another year or two and push your budget up to 225-250k and you'll be able to buy in a much more stable neighborhood than you can now. Everywhere you can buy right now has the potential to unravel, IMO.

The only area I might suggest is the Spring Branch area zoned to currently poor schools. You can find something for 180k easily, and you'll make money off of it for sure after a few years. The bonus is you won't have to use the schools and your boyfriend will have a very short commute. Downside is your commute would be longer.