Resale better for Townhouse or Home? (Houston, The Woodlands: for sale, real estate, apartment)

[JC2008]

I will be relocating from the Bay Area to Houston later this year. We will be there for approximately 3 years. We are looking at homes and townhomes and are not sure which are best for our situation. Given we’ll only be there for 3 years, we’re concerned about resale time & value as it seems there are a ton of houses for sale currently. We’ll likely be working downtown. Is it better to buy a condo in Midtown/Galleria/Rice areas or a home in The Woodlands or Spring?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer!

[texas7]

If you are working downtown I believe it would immensely enrich your lives to live in Midtown/Rice/Museum District versus Woodlands or Spring. Your commute time would be a breeze which allows you to have a lot of your life back that suburban commuters lose to traffic everyday. The only reason to move to Woodlands or Spring is if you have a personal preference for a nice, suburb and being removed from the main part of the city when you are not at work - or if you are seeking a particular school district.

[travelguy_73]

If your stay is definitely only 3 years, why buy? Houston is not known for real estate appreciation, and so unless you find an amazing deal, you are likely to maybe break even (after considering transaction fees and maintenance). Why mess with it? You just have to get past the thought that since you own where you live now that you must own in Houston. Put all that west coast appreciation in the bank and make some real money on it.

You might be able to find a great deal leasing a home or townhome in a part of town you wouldn't normally be able to afford.

[JC2008]

Thank you for the insight! We do not own in California and were excited about the possibility of affording a nice home in Texas. I will likely be working from home, as well as starting a family, so prefer not to be in an apartment for the whole 3 years. I guess we need to do some number crunching to see if buying is even feasible.

Thanks again for the responses!

[travelguy_73]

Originally Posted by JC2008

Thank you for the insight! We do not own in California and were excited about the possibility of affording a nice home in Texas. I will likely be working from home, as well as starting a family, so prefer not to be in an apartment for the whole 3 years. I guess we need to do some number crunching to see if buying is even feasible.

Thanks again for the responses!

Focus on renting a townhome. There are a ton (and I mean a ton) inside the loop, mostly 3-level, but some 2-level I'm sure. Prices probably run from upper $1k on up a month. These were built to be owned, not rented, so the quality of materials should be a step above apartment-grade. Depending on what you can afford to spend, you might even find a detached version. Also think about homes in the Heights and Norhill (there are some terrific bungalows over there).

[JC2008]

Thanks TravelGuy! We are looking at Townhomes and it looks like there's some nice ones out there. I do like the downtown as it reminds me of San Francisco, where we currently live....just a little hotter

The appeal to buy in the Woodlands is also strong - we love those trees (and those malls!) and my sister rents in Spring. How long would the drive be from the Woodlands to Downtown (6a - 4p)? If we buy, we'd love to stay below $300k so we can also save some cash too.

Thanks again for the help. We're so Texas-dumb at this point and need to ramp up fast!

[Oildog]

I recent sold a 3/2/2 townhouse in River Oaks for around 265k, there is a lot you can afford under 300k close to downtown. If you want a big yard and a bigger commute look Spring or Woodlands (45 minutes+ easily to commute)

[travelguy_73]

Originally Posted by JC2008

Thanks TravelGuy! We are looking at Townhomes and it looks like there's some nice ones out there. I do like the downtown as it reminds me of San Francisco, where we currently live....just a little hotter

The appeal to buy in the Woodlands is also strong - we love those trees (and those malls!) and my sister rents in Spring. How long would the drive be from the Woodlands to Downtown (6a - 4p)? If we buy, we'd love to stay below $300k so we can also save some cash too.

Thanks again for the help. We're so Texas-dumb at this point and need to ramp up fast!

I do like the look of The Woodlands, but don't let anyone tell you it is an easy commute. It is 26 or so miles away and a single accident or one day you leave late or have to get home in the middle of the day and you will be cursing the drive. Inner Loop has the mother of all malls, the Galleria. Plus Rice Village, Highland Village, and lots of other amenities.

Obviously my bias is the city, but like I said, The Woodlands is quite nice, probably the most aesthetically pleasing of the incorporated communities, but it's pretty far to go day-in-and-day-out.