What is the best place for DINKS to live besides inside the Loop? (Houston: apartments, houses)

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by gold dust

Too expensive!! We want a 3-4 BR and 2-3 car garage, under $220K. Yeah, it's only the 2 of us, but we have lots of stuff.

Sell the stuff and buy inside the loop. You don't need to try and cool a huge house all summer.

[tstone]

Originally Posted by gold dust

Thank you! I was looking just now at some of the homes there on har.com. Is that considered a flood prone zone?

I've never seen it flood in Clear Lake. The old house I lived (in Webster) never flooded, and it was 30+ yrs old. Our current area has not yet flooded either. We have ~15 ft deep ditches with 120 inch piping all around us. This time of year you can really hear the bullfrogs! At worst you'll be in the 500 year flood plain, which will cost the same in insurance as a non-plain. Though your wind/storm will be more due to the hurricane risk. Probably about $2,000 a year for a house you're looking for.

However the catch is it floods everywhere around us. To the north in Pasadena, to the west in Friendswood & along the beltway, and to the northwest further into the SE side. So plan on being trapped at home, unable to go to work once or twice a year unless you work in the area.

[Texas Mack]

A few more "Outside the Loop" 'hoods you might want to consider include Oak Forest and Candlelight Estates in NW Houston, and Spring Valley in western Houston. Not as pricey but they all have a similar feel to places like Timbergrove and Braeswood inside the loop. North Lindale Park is okay but the surrounding area is a bit suspect (that is, as you go north).

[gold dust]

Originally Posted by Bike4Life

You might want to try Willowbend, Willow Meadows, Post Oak Manor, Parkwest, Glenbrook Valley, Woodland Heights, Braeburn Valley, Meyerland, etc. They all have some great homes built in the 1950s which has a lot of characters that you won't see in new homes and it's fun to talk about why your house is different.

I was peeking at some of these on line and they look very nice. Most of these are in southwest Houston...are those areas considered suspect? We just want to feel safe.

[gold dust]

What about Candlelight Oaks and Candlelight Oaks Village? Saw an article in the Chronicle about it ... guess the question is, why are these so "affordable?"

Candlelight Oaks sees resurgence | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

I was just perusing the houses for sale in the neighborhood on har.com. One think I love about Houston - how 70's the 1970's houses look. (The ones that were not updated, that is). I just get a real kick out of it. Brings back my childhood...

Check out the light fixtures: (picture # 2 & 4)
5022 Spruce Forest Dr, Houston, TX 77091

Check out the "bow chicka bow wow" room: (picture # 12)

5119 Spring Forest Dr, Houston, TX 77091

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by gold dust

I was peeking at some of these on line and they look very nice. Most of these are in southwest Houston...are those areas considered suspect? We just want to feel safe.

Most of the crime on the SW side happens in and around clusters of apartment complexes and decayed commercial property. The actual neighborhoods are usually pretty quiet. There's a car or house broken into or a robbery in the driveway every once in awhile, but this stuff can and does happen anywhere. Out of those, Willowbend/Willow Meadows is closest to 610. Keep in mind that the freeway is really an arbitrary border and doesn't have as much significance in real life here as it does among people on the forum. "Inner Loop" here is often meant to be not only inside 610 but generally excluding most everything inside 610 but east of 45, north of Buffalo Bayou or between 288 and 45. Fifth Ward is "Inner Loop" in geographic terms (this is directly north/northeast of Downtown) for instance, but it's not what most people speak of when they say "Inner Loop." Also, places like Uptown or Meyerland tend to be counted by some to be "Inner Loop" even though it's partly or completely outside. Don't pay too much attention to it. Just find a place where you're comfortable and you're not too far from work and leave it at that.

[gold dust]

Any thoughts on Spring Branch or Royal Oaks in the max $220K range? Not so much for DINKS, but just in general?

[Texas Mack]

In terms of Spring Branch, north of Long Point Road isn't what it used to be. There are decent homes north of Long Point still but there are a number that have declined in quality and upkeep. South of Long Point (and more to the point, Spring Valley) is still in solid shape.

[Bike4Life]

Originally Posted by gold dust

I was peeking at some of these on line and they look very nice. Most of these are in southwest Houston...are those areas considered suspect? We just want to feel safe.

Be careful to label it as "southwest Houston" which is technically correct but most people perceive southwest as Sharpstown and beyond. Most of the neighborhoods I've mentioned is are just around Bellaire and that's pretty safe, especially with an off-duty HPD prowling around for suspects - possibly you, stranger, slowly looking around at houses. However, Braeburn Valley is a bit of a stretch but worth mentioning it because it should have some potential. Maybe Modster can share some comments about Braeburn Valley.

[HTownNearNative]

Originally Posted by gold dust

Any thoughts on Spring Branch or Royal Oaks in the max $220K range? Not so much for DINKS, but just in general?

Spring Valley and Hilshire Village are the prime areas (with its own police dept, fire dept, city hall, etc.) in Spring Branch. South of Westview is best throughout since these areas are zoned to Memorial High. I have a friend with a home just north of Westview and apparently it is zoned to Spring Woods (a lesser HS in the district). He wishes he had bought south of Westview because the school zoning for his area has affected resale values. However, price ranges start from the $300k's I think. You may get a home under $300k outside these "Villages". Do a drive-by off Antoine north of I-10 but south of Westview. There is a nice neighborhood between Antoine and Silber (nicer closer to Antoine) and south of Westview. This is a great location but prices may be more reaonable.