Working in Bellaire - where to live? (Missouri City, West: cheap apartments, foreclosure)

[sxrckr]

Originally Posted by houstoner

Overlooking something good. Meyerland, Maplewood, Willow Meadows, Willowbend, Westbury...

How are the schools in these areas? Particularly the elementary schools? Any of you who live in these neighborhoods have young children? The location of these look good but I'm wondering about the schools...

[bostoner]

Some schools are among the best in HISD. Some you'll want to avoid at all costs. Do your research!

Meyerland, Houston, Texas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Maplewood, Houston, Texas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Willowbend, Houston, Texas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Willow Meadows, Houston, Texas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Westbury, Houston, Texas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[fiestymama]

but I keep looking at the houses you get close in vs Sugarland. I'll rule Katy out since everyone says it's so far, but what would the commute from Sugarland to Bellaire be like? On the map it doesn't look too far, but I really have no idea. I live in a small 1950's ranch right now, and liked the idea of having a bigger house in Texas. 375k just doesn't seem to buy much near Bellaire in the neighborhoods mentioned.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by fiestymama

but what would the commute from Sugarland to Bellaire be like?

It depends mostly on A) when he's leaving and B) from where in Sugar Land.

Some of those subdivisions/MPCs look like it could take 5-10 minutes just to get out of the subdivision and onto the freeway. Remember that most of the people around there are taking off for the city at the same time in the morning, and that they drive cars too.

[fiestymama]

Originally Posted by jfre81

It depends mostly on A) when he's leaving and B) from where in Sugar Land.

Let's say living in First Colony or New Territory and leaving home at 7AM and leaving work at 5pm. Do you think the commute would be better or worse from Sienna Plantation? Thanks.

[Topaz]

Originally Posted by texan_176

Sugarland and Katy home prices will crash as the price of energy surges. I have friends in Sugarland that are already experiencing this.

Because we are renting until our lease ends, we watch home sales rather carefully in our Sugar Land neighborhood of New Territory. Home sales have been brisk. We've talked to new neighbors who bought houses they didn't love because the inventory was low. Demand is high for homes zoned to good schools. We wish it would be more of a buyer's market like the rest of the country.

What neighborhood in Sugar Land is experiencing price drops?

[Topaz]

Originally Posted by fiestymama

Let's say living in First Colony or New Territory and leaving home at 7AM and leaving work at 5pm. Do you think the commute would be better or worse from Sienna Plantation? Thanks.

I don't know about Sienna Plantation but I think it takes about 30 min. to drive from New Territory to Bellaire at that time of morning. The evening commute may be a bit worse...traffic seems worst from 5 pm to 6 pm.

My husband drives from New Territory to Clear Lake for work. It takes an hour each way.

Our next door neighbor drives from New Territory to Tomball for work.

I know a lot of people on this Forum think we are insane for living somewhere with a long commute but we really like where we live.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by fiestymama

Let's say living in First Colony or New Territory and leaving home at 7AM and leaving work at 5pm. Do you think the commute would be better or worse from Sienna Plantation? Thanks.

I'd say better. You have to get off onto Highway 6 to get to or out of Sienna, and then depending on where in Sienna you are can make a difference. The south end of that place is pretty far from the highway.

New Territory and First Colony are closer to the freeway. That means you will get going in the direction you need to go more quickly. Since the 59 construction has been completed, it's no longer the worst freeway in and out of Houston. That goes to 290 nowadays.

Originally Posted by Topaz

I know a lot of people on this Forum think we are insane for living somewhere with a long commute but we really like where we live.

I came to like living in my car too back in the day, when I had no other alternative....I'm adaptable, but now I have some choices in the matter.

[texan_176]

Originally Posted by Topaz

.

What neighborhood in Sugar Land is experiencing price drops?

The drops are closer in to the developed in the 90s areas of Sugarland near Missouri City. I can't recall the name of the development my friend is "the lakes of "...something...I dunno for sure....it is right on the border of Mo. City.

Anyway, they bought a 4200 sq ft house in 1998 for $360K and it peaked in 2005 at $520K. Since 07 they have seen foreclosures in their development and a new trend of where 2-4 familes are moving into single famliy homes to split the payment. This means like 8 cars in the driveway and some less than civilized people moving in.

The police commonly come out for loud pool parties and people drinking beer as they play basketball in the street at night on the weekends loud enough to hear then from inside a house.

It has not turned into a slum but the quality of life has declined from what it used to be.

So we still remain freinds I did not ask them what the drop was but since they live in their house and have legitimate employment (not flippers using their house as a piggy bank thus contributing to inflation) I told them the decline in valuation is good for their taxes. The house is paid for anyway so if they are happy there it should not matter what it is worth on paper.

A majic number is hard to state but when gasoline in Houston passes $7-8 I don't know what will occur in these places. There really is no public transportation system set up and they have not planned one for the future. It is all car based.

Some people are already spending well over a grand on fuel each month. If the price doubles it would be cheaper to live closer to the city or work and send your kid to private school.

The downside of this is that they will start buying in areas like Meyerland and the prices will jump into the $800K+ instantly.

Afton Oaks used to be an affordable place to live for a middle income family but then the entire Galleria area boomed right after the downtown area died in the early 80s.

Something similar will occur with this energy price problem.

[icon7]

From Sugar Land, a lot of People that work in the CBD or the medical center take the Metro Bus Park and Ride. In many cases their companies subsidize the cost. Several of the oil companies have 70+% of their CBD staff use the Metro system to get to work. So even if prices gas prices go up, there are ways to adapt. Also lots of people in Sugar Land work at companies located in the area:
Fluor, Schlumberger, Nalco/Exxon, Texas Instruments, The Methodist Hospital Sugar, Land, Memorial Hermann, etc...