Opinion on this townhome on Skyline Dr near Galleria for $250K? (Houston: HOA fees, buyers)

[Augiec]

I lived near Bering & Woodway for years. I'll just be blunt and say it. If you're buying, stay north of Westheimer.

[eastontracks]

Originally Posted by Augiec

I lived near Bering & Woodway for years. I'll just be blunt and say it. If you're buying, stay north of Westheimer.

This... OP I know you mentioned properties north of westheimer being 40 years old but as the poster mentions, north of westheimer is your safest bet. I also bought (recently sold) a property also near wood way and Bering. If I did it all over again, I'd still choose an older unit over your listing. The area north of westheimer and east of voss has lots of owner occupied condos, nice apts, homes and one of the better neighborhoods in Houston (tangle wood). You've got some parks, trails and lots of trees in this area.

Your location has tons of strip clubs, businesses bars and restaurants along with other less desirable apartments where renters live. If you go east past fountain view you hit chimney rock where there's some apartments that are in such poor condition.

Plus, its not a walkable area if you wanna go out for a nice walk/jog. Where I lived I found very quiet upscale neighborhood streets and small roads that could lead me to memorial park. impossible to do/ enjoy where that location is at.

But again, as someone else put it, it's in Early early stages of gentrifying but there's lots of work to be done there. I wouldn't risk spending that amount of money to live somewhere nice and feel uneasy with what surrounds you.

[WTL63]

Originally Posted by eastontracks

This... OP I know you mentioned properties north of westheimer being 40 years old but as the poster mentions, north of westheimer is your safest bet. I also bought (recently sold) a property also near wood way and Bering. If I did it all over again, I'd still choose an older unit over your listing. The area north of westheimer and east of voss has lots of owner occupied condos, nice apts, homes and one of the better neighborhoods in Houston (tangle wood). You've got some parks, trails and lots of trees in this area.

Your location has tons of strip clubs, businesses bars and restaurants along with other less desirable apartments where renters live. If you go east past fountain view you hit chimney rock where there's some apartments that are in such poor condition.

Plus, its not a walkable area if you wanna go out for a nice walk/jog. Where I lived I found very quiet upscale neighborhood streets and small roads that could lead me to memorial park. impossible to do/ enjoy where that location is at.

But again, as someone else put it, it's in Early early stages of gentrifying but there's lots of work to be done there. I wouldn't risk spending that amount of money to live somewhere nice and feel uneasy with what surrounds you.

i have spent a good amount of time looking at those on Bering and Augusta. I just couldn't find myself liking them except maybe north of san felipe, but then it becomes over 300K out of my range as well as high HOA. i'm considering spring branch also although i like galleria better, but i'll likely find some deals there for slightly newer homes i think

[eastontracks]

Sounds good. I don't mean to discourage you too much about that purchase. Just my thoughts on what's around that property. Now that I'm living in a newly built place, it's to me not much different than an older that's been remodeled. Even new places have oddities/kinks in the work that was done.

[ToyYot]

Originally Posted by WTL63

i have spent a good amount of time looking at those on Bering and Augusta. I just couldn't find myself liking them except maybe north of san felipe, but then it becomes over 300K out of my range as well as high HOA. i'm considering spring branch also although i like galleria better, but i'll likely find some deals there for slightly newer homes i think

Not sure where you're going to find newish in Spring Branch for $300k but a great investment is a 3/2 SFH in Shadow Oaks area, built in the 50's. Just watch for flood potential as with all the memorial city/city centre development some houses in that area are prone to flooding even though they're not in a flood plain.

[KatieKennedy]

As others have said that area is near the Richmond Strip which used to be a nice entertainment area in the 80's and 90's but now is filled with strip clubs and sketchy businesses. Close to the Galleria is all relative. Location is key. As others have said the further north and east the better. See this listing in your price range. A bit older but a good location. Property For Sale Houston, Luxury & Inner Loop Homes For Sale in Memorial, River Oaks, West University & the Houston area | Greenwood King Properties

[key2thecity]

Originally Posted by texasroots77

Yes I recommend driving it at night. Richmond can be down right scary at night. I would look at town homes on the other side of Westheimer all the way to Woodway. Augusta and Bering have tons of town homes.

These are all under $250K. You will need to compromise on 3 bedroom or updated if needing to stay under $250K

2517 Bering Dr #13, Houston TX 77057 - HAR.com

1112 BERING DR #54, HOUSTON TX 77057 - HAR.com

1938 Augusta Dr, Houston TX 77057 - HAR.com

1116 Bering 24H, Houston TX 77057 - HAR.com

1116 Bering Dr #8, Houston TX 77057 - HAR.com

Op... this poster gave you some great options. You will most likely have more space in these older townhomes and a little decor can go a long way. The newer property that you're interested in is definitely far from a desirable location and the upgrades are minimal. You're getting more bang for your buck in the older, larger properties, even if a few updates (hardwoods, granite, cabinetry, appliances, etc.) aren't there. You can purchase that along the way or get it in your next space (this older space will surely sell better, sooner, than the property you're interested in). It will be a while (YEARS) before the other area is completely turned around.

EDIT: I just looked at ALL of the ones listed (originally only looked at one) and most of these homes have been upgraded on the inside. If you can deal without the third bedroom, these are definitely better choices.

[rjj42]

Originally Posted by ToyYot

Well, if you need three bedrooms I guess that limits you quite a bit but on the other hand not too much further down Richmond you can get a SFH for about the same.

If 2 bed is ok, I'd prefer Fountainview/Chimney area north of Westheimer. Again, just my opinion, my impression is its not as junky an area and closer to better amenities. But I haven't exactly studied the area.

Also, bear in mind this particular property your looking at has been on the market since May and is competing with three other almost identical properties which are priced higher. So maybe even $250k is too much? Check the disclosures.

Buyers market in that spot I'd say...

I second this.
I lived in an apartment complex BeverlyHill Street for a year which is quite close by to this location. I can safely say that the area is not that nice at night or early evenings. In my experience of living in the 77057 zipcode for the past 3 years, areas north of westheimer are far far better, both in terms of the crowd that you encounter and the facilities. Westheimer seems to be demarcation in my head, north of westheimer is good. Once you go south things start to get a little iffy. Of course that might change over time.

[philopower]

God please don't listen to all these negative comments. That area is completely OK and it will only get better with time as gentrification continues. There's absolutely nothing to worry about living there and that townhome looks like a steal!

[PinkLadyK]

Originally Posted by philopower

God please don't listen to all these negative comments. That area is completely OK and it will only get better with time as gentrification continues. There's absolutely nothing to worry about living there and that townhome looks like a steal!

Probably. But in the meantime, OP should consider that 9/10 posters on this thread wouldn't buy it, so for a while, his resale pool is going to be small.