Gated SFH Community That's Walkable to a Few Restaurants (Houston: sale, HOA fees)

[franniejacks]

May need to relocate to Houston. Want to be within 40 minute drive of IAH. Because my new job will involve some extended travel assignments, I prefer to buy in a gated community. I do not like townhouses or any set up that includes shared walls.

I would prefer a neighborhood where I can walk (or bike) to go get a coffee or a meal (not just fastfood).

My budget is between 250K and 325K.

Anyone with any thoughts on what I might find or is my budget too low? I am single, but often have guests, so I'd need at least a 2BR 2BA home.

[sonic0boom]

I would suggest you go to har.com and search for zip code 77007 and input your price range and 2+BR.

I think your problem is not the budget but the gated community requirement. 77007 meets the requirement for places in walking/biking distance and is also easy to get to the airport (i would recommend taking Hardy Toll road). For a single family home in a gated community, i think it will be more of a premium property, or a townhome community. But maybe someone else will have some insight.

[Oildog]

Woodlands

[cheryjohns]

77007 - going to start around $340K. They are free-standing - but the distance between you and the next one is measured in inches. They look like townhouses, with the only difference being that there aren't shared walls.

In The Woodlands, you can get a regular house in a gated community - but they start $440K+.

The difference is that in places like The Woodlands, the need for a gated community lessens.

[testmo]

There's a kind of crappy community in tomball that is "gated" ( gated communities are silly and often not fully fenced)

Close to walkable is well above your budget. Westmoreland would be exactly what you are looking for but I doubt homes hit below 700k

[cheryjohns]

Originally Posted by testmo

There's a kind of crappy community in tomball that is "gated" ( gated communities are silly and often not fully fenced)

Close to walkable is well above your budget. Westmoreland would be exactly what you are looking for but I doubt homes hit below 700k

Yeah, I agree. Gated in the nicer areas of town are superfluous. I always laugh when I pass by the gated areas of some of the MPCs. It's like the $800K houses are trying to keep the "riffraff" out (the 400K houses?). LOL. HOA fees are a lot more, too.

[Htown2013]

Originally Posted by franniejacks

May need to relocate to Houston. Want to be within 40 minute drive of IAH. Because my new job will involve some extended travel assignments, I prefer to buy in a gated community. I do not like townhouses or any set up that includes shared walls.

I would prefer a neighborhood where I can walk (or bike) to go get a coffee or a meal (not just fastfood).

My budget is between 250K and 325K.

Anyone with any thoughts on what I might find or is my budget too low? I am single, but often have guests, so I'd need at least a 2BR 2BA home.

Woodlands. Great area. Gated community not necessary there.

[crone]

Not needed, especially when your idiot neighbor advertises a garage sale on CL and the daily newspaper and puts the gate code in the ad.

[LindaJordan]

You would love the Kingwood area - great access to IAH and several areas are within biking distance to restaurants etc. especially just north of the Kings River area. You can easily get a very nice home within your budget. For in-town activities on the weekends, Kingwood is located on Hwy 59 North which is a straight shot. 20 minute drive on weekends. Good luck on your move!