Help choose my next home's location! (Houston, Sugar Land: 2013, new home, landscaping)

[Waffleton]

My wife and I are looking to buy a home in the next year or two and would love to get some steer from you lovely people on where we should be searching. We're not incredibly picky, and that makes it difficult to narrow down areas unless we drive up-and-down every area west of BW8. We're familiar with the Energy Corridor, Westchase, and everything in the inner loop, but a bit clueless as to the idiosyncracies of areas outside Hwy6.

We are in our late 20s and looking to start a family soon. Therefore, schools are important, but I recognize that parental involvement is the primary driver to early childhood success, and so 'good' would likely be sufficient.

Above 2500 sq ft should be enough space and we are agnostic to new, newish, or old construction. A quiet street would be ideal in a neighborhood we can walk around without fear of getting hit by a car.

Ideally we'd have a >15k sq ft lot with a backyard flexible to my landscaping ideas and where kids could run around, but could do with something a bit smaller if it's fenced/treed in and not right on top of our neighbors.

Being close to to the inner loop would be a plus, but not a must have. Braeswood seems to have quite a few decently sized lots, but I imagine the whole area is prone to flooding.

Our max budget is 750k, but we'd probably be more comfortable spending under 600k (our combined income is 200k/yr). I work in the Energy Corridor; wife works off BW8 and Westheimer. We will need to see if our flexible work schedules continue post-covid and how many days a week we need to be in office. Probably would be wise to stay less than 45 minutes away (with traffic) to my work.

In-laws live near Willowbrook Mall so I/we would like to stay >30 minutes from there.

We would prefer a lot of trees to an absence of foliage, which I get the gist is more common in the northern areas, but it's a nice-to-have (not necessity.

We are an interracial couple and wife wears the headscarf, so an accepting community is a must. I don’t think this would be an issue anywhere as Houston is wonderfully accepting, but I’ve heard stories here and there about Montgomery County. A neighborhood where we would get the occasional dirty look would be a bit unsettling.

My thoughts right now are to take weekly trips to each area from Magnolia to Tomball, Katy, Fulshear, Richmond, Sugar Land, all the way down to Needville and feel things out ourselves, but I would love to hear your thoughts and specific communities in these areas. Thanks!

[gwarnecke]

With that budget and those work locations, I'd vote for either 77079 or perhaps the western edge of 77024 if you don't mind an older house. You'd have a 10-15 minute commute and would be reasonably close to both Willowbrook and the Inner Loop.

Both areas also nail the requirement for mature trees and quiet neighborhood streets. The main regret would be the 15k sq foot lot. They do exist in the Energy Corridor (we live on one), but they're few and far between. In 77024 your budget would likely limit you to an 8-9 sq ft lot. Many neighborhoods in the area offer either a playground/tennis/pool complex or the possibility to join one, which may offset the lot size issue somewhat.

Energy Corridor and the western end of 77079 is definitely more diverse than 77024 and the eastern end of 77079, but that isn't to say that any of these areas would be unwelcoming.

Use Flood Factor or similar sites to check flood risk. Be mindful of flood risk and flooding history, but on the other hand - don't paint neighborhoods with too broad of a brush when it comes to flooding. Large sections of the Energy Corridor flooded during Harvey, but the majority of it has never flooded and carries a low risk of flooding in the future.

[Oskar_Z28]

Agreed on 77024 buy you may not have enough, but you could definitely do 77079. I've lived in 77079 since 2013 and noticed big influx of younger people into our post Harvey neighborhood. The whole hood flooded, but we rebuilt and we're not too worried at this time. There were plenty of dry streets in this area (we're just really close to the bayou). We are in our 40s but have young kids. There are lots of playmates for them in the neighborhood.

[modster]

Some (not all) of the lots in Memorial Bend, and ones in Gaywood in 77079 would meet your requirements.

[Waffleton]

Thanks all!

[golondrina62]

Originally Posted by Waffleton

My wife and I are looking to buy a home in the next year or two and would love to get some steer from you lovely people on where we should be searching. We're not incredibly picky, and that makes it difficult to narrow down areas unless we drive up-and-down every area west of BW8. We're familiar with the Energy Corridor, Westchase, and everything in the inner loop, but a bit clueless as to the idiosyncracies of areas outside Hwy6.

We are in our late 20s and looking to start a family soon. Therefore, schools are important, but I recognize that parental involvement is the primary driver to early childhood success, and so 'good' would likely be sufficient.

Above 2500 sq ft should be enough space and we are agnostic to new, newish, or old construction. A quiet street would be ideal in a neighborhood we can walk around without fear of getting hit by a car.

Ideally we'd have a >15k sq ft lot with a backyard flexible to my landscaping ideas and where kids could run around, but could do with something a bit smaller if it's fenced/treed in and not right on top of our neighbors.

Being close to to the inner loop would be a plus, but not a must have. Braeswood seems to have quite a few decently sized lots, but I imagine the whole area is prone to flooding.

Our max budget is 750k, but we'd probably be more comfortable spending under 600k (our combined income is 200k/yr). I work in the Energy Corridor; wife works off BW8 and Westheimer. We will need to see if our flexible work schedules continue post-covid and how many days a week we need to be in office. Probably would be wise to stay less than 45 minutes away (with traffic) to my work.

In-laws live near Willowbrook Mall so I/we would like to stay >30 minutes from there.

We would prefer a lot of trees to an absence of foliage, which I get the gist is more common in the northern areas, but it's a nice-to-have (not necessity.

We are an interracial couple and wife wears the headscarf, so an accepting community is a must. I don’t think this would be an issue anywhere as Houston is wonderfully accepting, but I’ve heard stories here and there about Montgomery County. A neighborhood where we would get the occasional dirty look would be a bit unsettling.

My thoughts right now are to take weekly trips to each area from Magnolia to Tomball, Katy, Fulshear, Richmond, Sugar Land, all the way down to Needville and feel things out ourselves, but I would love to hear your thoughts and specific communities in these areas. Thanks!

Avoid Montgomery County like the plague. Grossly oversold and any claims about quality of life are false.

[WRM20]

Originally Posted by golondrina62

Avoid Montgomery County like the plague. Grossly oversold and any claims about quality of life are false.

My friends and colleagues who live in MC would disagree with you. They all love it.

[Waffleton]

What's the deal with Green Trails and Nottingham Country?

Price per sq foot on some very nice (but outdated) homes is $100-120, and the listings say never flooded. The area is tree lined and very mature.

Are people hesitant living so close to Barker? Is there lead poisoning in the water or something?

[Waffleton]

Or rather, why are people willing to pay $200 a square feet in a farther out Katy suburb? Just for a new home? I thought location was everything!

[Samiamj]

Originally Posted by Waffleton

What's the deal with Green Trails and Nottingham Country?

Price per sq foot on some very nice (but outdated) homes is $100-120, and the listings say never flooded. The area is tree lined and very mature.

Are people hesitant living so close to Barker? Is there lead poisoning in the water or something?

In Katy, people want to live in the new built MPC.