Is America's suburban dream collapsing into a nightmare? (Houston, College Station: foreclosures, townhome)

[Lakewooder]

What Is the Future of Suburbia? A Freakonomics Quorum - Freakonomics - Opinion - New York Times Blog

[crbcrbrgv]

I think what's happening in Fort Bend is quite simple. It is becoming its own metropolitan area. This is why I want to buy in Meadows Place. As Sugar Land grows, I bet somebody in the future will offer me and whoever my neighbor is a lot of money to sell so he can build a huge house on two lots.

[EasilyAmused]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

What Is the Future of Suburbia? A Freakonomics Quorum - Freakonomics - Opinion - New York Times Blog

Going up to look at Cedar Creek Lake up by you Woodie. Amazing water front lots with Bells and Whistles McMansions fully furnished. Looks like they are giving them away.

I don't know if people were trying to use that as an exburbia area, but they are getting listed left and right.

[Bike4Life]

There are two views of the suburbs.

As I grew up in my first 11 years in the suburbs and 18 years just 3 miles from downtown Houston. Then I moved to West Loop and been here for 8 years and I see a huge difference.

There are suburbans who will always want to stick with their false security and pride as wishful feelings in the land of beauty. Then there are logical people who wised up and thought, "Humm, our society is changing and gas prices are going up which is evitable and it’s not sustainable”. So, they moved back into the city.

Also, there is a culture change where younger Generation X and Y who grew up in the boring suburbs are having second thoughts about buying their own home in the suburbs. Perhaps they want to experience something new and different in the city. So, guess what? They ditch the suburbs for more night life activities in the city like downtown Houston, Midtown, The Heights, Montrose, etc.

So, tell me how are you going to make the suburbs remain attractive for the next generation?

[ssgmun5000]

Originally Posted by Bike4Life

There are two views of the suburbs.

As I grew up in my first 11 years in the suburbs and 18 years just 3 miles from downtown Houston. Then I moved to West Loop and been here for 8 years and I see a huge difference.

There are suburbans who will always want to stick with their false security and pride as wishful feelings in the land of beauty. Then there are logical people who wised up and thought, "Humm, our society is changing and gas prices are going up which is evitable and it’s not sustainable”. So, they moved back into the city.

Also, there is a culture change where younger Generation X and Y who grew up in the boring suburbs are having second thoughts about buying their own home in the suburbs. Perhaps they want to experience something new and different in the city. So, guess what? They ditch the suburbs for more night life activities in the city like downtown Houston, Midtown, The Heights, Montrose, etc.

So, tell me how are you going to make the suburbs remain attractive for the next generation?

People who have money are always going to want to have their half-acre to acre lot. Suburbs remain attractive by building around it and having access to mass transit like park ride(i know its not the best but its what we have). Me and my family moved further and further away from the city. Use to live 5 miles from downtown then moved out to 249/bammel area and currently settled in Tomball and only 10 mintues away from the park and ride.

[tstone]

A more detailed post vs my last one in this thread:
Clear Lake (Houston side) seems to be doing just fine for suburbs, so far anyway. We're in a transition zone of sorts that holds both urban and suburban qualities. Our values are still increasing (slowly) as the exurbs are holding still or even declining. There is a mix of all generations here as well as professional diversity w/o the riff-raff. Plenty of activities apart from the inner city scene give me no reason to drive in unless it's sports or museums or Versaci-type shopping I'm looking for. There is plenty of employment to be had here, but there are also plenty of commuters. Of my neighbors, we're split 50-50 on that one. I guess this area is more 'sustainable' than most, but the only truly sustainable ways of life are of the Amish or the Native Americans from the past. So all that broke-ass, bleeding-heart talk you hear about sustainability is just part of a larger agenda.

Speaking of commuting, even $5 gas prices will not be a deterrent to everyone. If you think about it, driving 60 miles/day, 20 days/mo in an SUV that gets 15 mpg, that's 80 extra gallons/mo. That's a $180/mo difference in gas bill vs $3/gal. Worst case there are 2 commuters in guzzlers, so $360/mo. Being that $70-100k are the median incomes for our zip codes (and many other burbs), people will pay it before moving. If I added $360/mo to my mortgage payment to move to the core in some place decent, I wouldn't get near the space or quality I have now! A lot of us tied to the energy industry receive inflationary salary adjustments as well. If you're tied to the industry & not getting these adjustments, you need to find a company that will give one!!!

I realize that we're all not this fortunate, but a spike in gas prices aren't going to affect the most sustainable burbs, like us in the Houston city limits or even Sugar Land. These places have their own things going on in many ways. Exurbs, entirely different story. Other metros that don't have as much energy industry influence, even worse, which is what's happening now. Houston is sheltered from this gloom & doom to a large degree.

[citizen_jane]

So, tell me how are you going to make the suburbs remain attractive for the next generation?

There is a third option. Companies that are located in the "suburbs" to be closer to the work force, for example HP. I live in Tomball, considered by some to be a Exburb, but we have a 5 minute commute.

[Lakewooder]

Looks like the $3.54 I paid for gas in my bi-weekly purchase today was only a brief respite:


Goldman Stands By Forecast of $149 For Oil - Economy * US * News * Story - CNBC.com (broken link)

Goldman Sachs reiterated on Wednesday its year-end price forecast of $149 a barrel for U.S. crude oil, and said strong fundamentals were a more important factor than a strengthening dollar.


BTW EA many people from the Lakewood area own second homes at Cedar Creek - it's pretty popular. My family has had a place at Lake Texoma since 1961. I guess if we all have to go into 'survival mode' it will be good to have a place with free water, fishing and room to grow vegetables.

[Zhang Fei]

Anyone have any thoughts on how this prediction is panning out? Are the suburbs emptying out?

[TexasCatherine]

Originally Posted by Zhang Fei

Anyone have any thoughts on how this prediction is panning out? Are the suburbs emptying out?

Well, they certainly aren't emptying out in south Katy -- the building of new homes continues at a staggering rate and new folks continue to move in.