Alternative to Woodlands closer to they city? (Houston, Sugar Land: foreclosures, waterparks)

[chris_ut]

Kingwood. A few of the houses you could get for 500k in Kingwood:

5706 River Branch Dr, Kingwood, TX 77345

20629 Eaglewood Trace, Porter, TX 77365

2002 Forest Falls Dr, Houston, TX 77345

1810 Seven Maples Dr, Kingwood, TX 77345

[SkyeAnjel]

Hey I like The Woodlands too..Can I have 2 chambers?
Really, I only talk about what I know and my area of town. I know there are alot of great areas with great schools and you will see from my posts that I often direct people to others on the board who know those areas.
This just goes to show that since there are alot of chambers, people have lots of choices...where is bear branch anyway??

[EasilyAmused]

Originally Posted by houstoner

I wouldn't worry about it. We've got an Uptown/Memorial Chamber of Commerce (EasilyAmused), a Friendswood Chamber of Commerce (arbucle), a Spring/Klein Chamber of Commerce (SkyeAnjel), a Cypress/Champions Chamber of Commerce (Mr. Football), and we used to have a Kingwood Chamber of Commerce, but BearBranch isn't around much anymore. Maybe chris_ut will take up the mantle? We'll be happy to add you to the list for Sugar Land!

Please don't forget HOUSTONER, the Inner Looper Chamber of Commerce.

[Topaz]

Originally Posted by chris_ut

Kingwood. A few of the houses you could get for 500k in Kingwood:

5706 River Branch Dr, Kingwood, TX 77345

20629 Eaglewood Trace, Porter, TX 77365

2002 Forest Falls Dr, Houston, TX 77345

1810 Seven Maples Dr, Kingwood, TX 77345

Those houses are SO nice. It makes me chuckle to think about what you can (or can't) buy for $500K on the West Coast.

[bostoner]

Originally Posted by EasilyAmused

Please don't forget HOUSTONER, the Inner Looper Chamber of Commerce.

You know it!

[mom2hannah]

Check out Summerwood, Fall Creek, and Telfair (Sugarland)...these are all pretty nice areas, and close to the same feel as The Woodlands (although nothing really compares) -- IMHO, Kingwood is too far. Once you get out of the nice neighborhood and onto the freeway, the commute is about the same. But I don't commute from there so maybe I should keep quiet about that. By the way, do you know about the Park and Ride system? Saves on gas, not so much on time.

[Bike4Life]

These are good notes for my blacklist, houstoner.

[AK123]

As far as a planned community with zoning and its own town center, lots of restaurants, shopping etc (like in the Woodlands) -- Sugar Land (or western Missouri City or Stafford which border with Sugar Land) would be a much closer option to Houston than the Woodlands. You won't have the huge pine trees, but there still is lots of greenery and large oaks along some of the boulevards.

By the way, most people I know who work downtown use the Metro bus system these days. There are several park-and-rides around town where you can park your car and then take the bus to/from work. Park and Ride Locations

[modster]

The Woodlands does pull off the master planned thing better than most, and most of its "competitors" for lack of a better term, are going to be similar commutes. (Cinco Ranch, Kingwood & Clear Lake, etc.). I am very skeptical of under 40 minute commutes to the non-master planned suburbs like Champions, Cypress, Friendswood & Sugarland. Pearland might be the closest of the new subdivisions and the most likely to offer the larger homes at those price points. It does not have the trees like the Woodlands.

It boils back down to what is usually the case when house shopping. What are you willing to give up? Because you are not going to get the 4,000 sq ft house for $500,000 in a Woodlands-esque environment and have a 35 minute commute. Isn't going to happen.

Now you will have people who swear their piece of suburban heaven is only 35 minutes to downtown, but they are usually leaving off the 20 minutes it took them to get out of their subdivision/master planned community and onto the freeway, as well as the 10 minutes on the other end once they get off the freeway to actually get to the office. You have to get in your car and pull out of the driveway a good hour before you have to be at your desk.

If you are willing to go an hour or so each way, then you have a lot more options.

Oh, and you all forgot about the east end Chamber.

[honeyinhouston]

Sugar Land sounds like a better fit for your family....specifically the Sweetwater, Avalon or Greatwood areas. Also look at Sienna Plantation in Missouri City....lots of trees, deer...etc.