Sterling Lakes is a future ghetto?. How to avoid low income neighbors (Houston: for sale, 2014)

[paulatrb]

I am relocating to the area and I thought Rosharon would be a good location.
I was taken aback by the builders (LGI specially) catering to people that can't afford a house. I lived through a terrible situation where I was surrounded by low income neighbors, who foreclosed and left me with a loss of 100,000 on my home.
I am very scared of "future ghettos" and people that buy things they can't afford.
Is there a place where I can safely buy without the risk of this happening to me again.
I live alone and do not want to have to buy a 3,000sf home to avoid the future ghettos.
Any help is very appreciated.

[MalteseYorkie]

Have you considered Sienna Plantation, Riverstone, or other areas along Highway 6 along 288 south? You can also have your realtor check the areas for foreclosures and also research areas you want to avoid such as areas where builders seem to cater to those who cannot afford a home.

[paulatrb]

I appreciate the suggestions.
I would love a rural setting. I do not care about schools, just need to be not too far from Freeport and Houston.
Thank you!

[MalteseYorkie]

Originally Posted by paulatrb

I appreciate the suggestions.
I would love a rural setting. I do not care about schools, just need to be not too far from Freeport and Houston.
Thank you!

Try Alvin, Manvel, Angleton and possibly deeper into Rosharon for rural settings. Here is one example of a rural setting: 7442 County Road 42, Rosharon TX For Sale - Trulia.

[paulatrb]

Good suggestions. I will look into those. I think I will look into building something away from these communities. This is very different from Minneapolis. There are no gated communities and property taxes are a 1/4th here.

[DSL_PWR]

We looked there long ago and realized the future of the neighborhood. You could tell back in 2009 which direction it was headed. Actually we looked in rosharon and surrounding and realized it would be a future low income haven, more so than it already was at that time. My predictions were correct.

[MalteseYorkie]

Originally Posted by paulatrb

Good suggestions. I will look into those. I think I will look into building something away from these communities. This is very different from Minneapolis. There are no gated communities and property taxes are a 1/4th here.

Building on your own lot is a good idea. Research the "rural" areas to find lot sizes of your preference. Good luck. I totally understand your concerns.

[deckhanddavy]

I would check out the Brook Forest and Bay Glen neighborhoods in Clear Lake (77059 and 77062). Lot's of original owners still live there and Clear Lake is a fantastic location to raise a family. Very safe, great schools, and the homes have held their value, while still being inexpensive. Square footage should be right up your alley. My brother lives there now, I lived there for several years, and the area is doing well.

Couple of listings I quickly picked from HAR:

16435 Shady Elms, Houston, TX 77059 - HAR.com

1231 Berkeley Lake Ln, Houston, TX 77062 - HAR.com

[Waytoodeep03]

This is simple. Dont live in communities that offer 100% USDA Financing.

Live in a community where the lowest priced house is higher than the FDA limit in Texas which is like $295k I think

[Hangster]

Originally Posted by Waytoodeep03

This is simple. Dont live in communities that offer 100% USDA Financing.

Live in a community where the lowest priced house is higher than the FDA limit in Texas which is like $295k I think

and here I thought the USDA only regulated food..