Can Houston really be considered a cheap city anymore? (Mission: home sales, new construction)

[Kiovo]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

What is wrong with you? Not only did I grow up around all that but the straight demographics of the tea party and the people who listen to right wing radio tend to be of that class majority wise. Why do you act like I'm just generalizing? You yourself have agreed that is the way you think.

I don't even need to have articles the demographics stats done on the tea party confirm it enough. The listener base of right wing radio and the voting bloc of the GOP confirm that. What are you trying to deny here? That's like trying to deny that African Americans have not overwhelmingly voted democrat for years or that a big chunk of politically active college professors aren't liberal.

I'm not on a high horse, you just can't take criticism.

You obviously can't sense sacrasm, we will probably never agree on anything.

Your eyes are open up now that you've lived in a few different places, and see and hear different opinions and you take that and run with it. You're trying to generalized a whole group based on a few outspoken tea partiers or right wingers. Similar to saying Muslims are violent because a small % of them are terrorists. Those people are on the radio for a reason, because they want to be loud and heard. The rest of us are living our quiet lives trying to make a decent living. Yeah we live in certain areas because crime is lower, yeah we live by people we feel comfortable around, and yeah we would like to keep it that way. In no way does wanting to live in a relatively safe area makes anyone a racist or an elitist, or a right winger. I grew up around the poor and lived in the poor area. Areas you would never yourself live or raise kids, but yet you think you know better.

You pointing out that sublet of the middle class you like to put down so much, is no different then me saying there's a sublet of the poor that takes advantage of the government. The only difference is, that sublet of the middle class is still contributing to society while the sublet of the poor is putting a strain on society. And yeah, it might not be draining the economy, but when hard working people see others who are not as hard working, it might make them not try as hard.

[PedroMartinez]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

I considered the neighborhood gaudy not crappy. I would compare it to West U or some of the nice burbs in memorial which look way nicer. I think living in a nice condo overlooking Herman Park is nicer. That's what I'm talking about. I understand the term to each his own but there are certain things that I think that go beyond a subjective preference. For instance a neighborhood in the city has more amenities and looks overall better than a gaudy neighborhood out in Fulshear Texas. The neighborhood and homes right across from Rice U look splendid, gorgeous. We are comparing a luxury foreign car to a nice expensive truck.

We'll have to agree to disagree that a man-made lake surrounded by landscaping looks gaudy.

There are definitely beautiful homes and beautiful views inside the loop for sure, but they do come with a premium price tag.

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

My point was develop Houston's public spaces more to look like Discovery green. I never said that Houston lacked public space but that it should develop them more.

I'm all in favor of beautifying our parks, and I also believe tax money should be used to do so.

I mistook your post about the amount of park space, but I have read other people criticize Houston as not having enough parks. We have them, but we do need to continue developing them.

[JazzManDell]

There is a recent up turn in the prices of homes in the Houston area. I have been tracking the change in price of homes over the last few years. The distusbing thing is not so much the increasing prices of homes as much as how that effect the amount of taxes you pay. Property Tax in Texas is high because that is how they fund the schools in the state.

If you don't mind a fixer upper in a good area that would be the best bang for the buck.

[Mr. Don Draper]

Originally Posted by IBANK

Again my online friends PLEASE LISTEN. HOUSTON IS NOT CHEAP. In all reality ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD WHERE YOU HAVE A nice place to live and is 99% safe and has all of the upper middle class trimmings is NOT GOING TO BE CHEAP.

IN AMERICA NICE THINGS AND NICE LIVING IS NOT CHEAP NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE. PERIOD

People who are moving to Houston with no skills will struggle just as bad in Houston as anywhere else. People who are struggling dont have a LIFESTYLE problem...THEY HAVE A SKILLS AND CONSEQUENTLY AN INCOME PROBLEM relative to where they live.

OK? OK? Good.

Yes...Houston is cheap.

Median sales price:

New York, NY: $1,425,000
San Francisco, CA: $850,000
Brooklyn, NY: $583,000
Queens, NY: $519,000
Los Angeles, CA: $490,000
Honolulu, HI: $477,952
Washington, DC: $453,000
Boston, MA $430,000
Stamford, CT:$430,000
San Diego, CA: $428,000
Seattle, WA: $414,000
Bronx, NY: $333,900
Portland, OR: $299,000
Denver, CO: $256,300



Houston: $184,400

[Oildog]

Stay on topic or this thread will be closed.

[things and stuff]

Originally Posted by Mr. Don Draper

Yes...Houston is cheap.

Median sales price:

New York, NY: $1,425,000
San Francisco, CA: $850,000
Brooklyn, NY: $583,000
Queens, NY: $519,000
Los Angeles, CA: $490,000
Honolulu, HI: $477,952
Washington, DC: $453,000
Boston, MA $430,000
Stamford, CT:$430,000
San Diego, CA: $428,000
Seattle, WA: $414,000
Bronx, NY: $333,900
Portland, OR: $299,000
Denver, CO: $256,300



Houston: $184,400

I'm not saying Houstin isn't cheaper than most of these places, but those numbers are severely misleading. You also left out Tampa, Dallas, Atlanta, New Orleans, Charlotte, Jacksonville, and many other "cheap" cities that don't go out of their way to brag about how cheap they are.

Where would you get a decent house for $184k that is safe, decent schools, somewhat walkable, accessible to public transportation, and within 15 miles of a downtown or business district? That's what you get in the cities you listed for the prices you listed.

[GTRdad]

Alief is 15min from the Galleria, and is right by Westchase. Some neighborhoods are zoned to good schools. My block is in the 120k-210k range and zone to a Recognized grade school
i know, i know it's too icky for houstonians

[things and stuff]

Originally Posted by GTRdad

Alief is 15min from the Galleria, and is right by Westchase. Some neighborhoods are zoned to good schools. My block is in the 120k-210k range and zone to a Recognized grade school
i know, i know it's too icky for houstonians

Alief is 17+ miles from the city's core. Not only is it not in the inner loop but its not even inside the outer loop. In many cities this wouldn't even be in the city's boundaries. It just so happens that Houston's city boundaries are expansive.

I'm not that familiar with Alief so I won't comment on it seeming to be run down.

[GTRdad]

Originally Posted by things and stuff

Alief is 17+ miles from the city's core. Not only is it not in the inner loop but its not even inside the outer loop. In many cities this wouldn't even be in the city's boundaries. It just so happens that Houston's city boundaries are expansive.

I'm not that familiar with Alief so I won't comment on it seeming to be run down.

whats in the 'city core'? why the need to be near it if you got no business over there.

Oh and let me add the Energy Corridor to business parks near Alief

Run down, maybe, but more like lived-in

[eastontracks]

Originally Posted by GTRdad

whats in the 'city core'? why the need to be near it if you got no business over there.

Oh and let me add the Energy Corridor to business parks near Alief

Run down, maybe, but more like lived-in

I live around the galleria area and couldn't imagine living 17+ miles from the "core" of Houston. I lived with some relatives in nw Houston and got very bored being out there. I also don't know alief but since you ask what's in the core this is my list:

-a bike ride or jog away from memorial park. A place to take advantage of running and also trails on my bike
-good shopping also around the block in the galleria or even memorial city mall
-my location I don't have to worry about toll roads
-museums, and unique districts like rice village, river oaks, downtown, heights, montrose are all less than 15 minutes.
-easy navigation into downtown to catch an Astros or dynamo game using memorial drive instead of 59 or 10 freeway
-15 minute drive to bars in the heights, midtown or Washington (although I don't care for Washington)
-larger and diverse selection of restaurants
-close to such a beautiful neighborhood (tangle wood) where I can also jog, ride my bike and see the Christmas lights.

I don't have an everyday work commute but some work projects I get involved in is usually from galleria into downtown because that's where most events and things happen.

My priority is commute and being central and close to many things. Even If I lived in a larger and newer place 15+ miles from everything, I wouldn't wanna deal w the drive and being on the freeway so much. I find some outer suburbs (not all) bland and even those that offer your main restaurants and shopping , many sporting events, and larger scale activities happen in inner Houston. It's cool if you don't do many of these but to me it's hard to deny that the "core" doesn't offer anything.