Opinions on relocation after Ike (Houston, Conroe: new home, neighborhoods, construction)

[Wysiwyg]

Originally Posted by travelguy_73

We have a two-story home in Eastwood. If it weren't for falling trees (which don't discriminate based on age of home), the neighborhood might have escaped more damage.

As for high quality new construction, I don't believe the average consumer could tell the difference between a properly constructed home and a "pile of bricks." All we really know is whether or not the trim work is finished properly. Who knows if their house has properly installed hurricane straps, or if the foundation is sufficiently high?

new homes typically do NOT have tall trees. period
THE problematic tree is probably as old as the house, no? I'm generalizing to stay away from old houses (if you dont want the risk) because A TREE can be a problem, critters can be a problem, foundation cracks can be a problem, little gaps from taking on weather and time that its enough opening for hurricane winds to grab on to and rip it out (like shingles laiddown 10years ago).
In my general area we are the only ones with power right now. the other neighborhoods have lots of grown trees so their "centerpoint work order per people helped" ratio is pretty low right now.

I dont know whats a average consumer. but anyway thats why you hire an inspector. ask them and they'd tell you what they think about your house. They too rely on statistics about a builders reputation ya know. you can definitely train yourself to see the difference in workmanship of the exterior. go see a new 300k house and a 100k one with the similar squarefootage

[gold dust]

Originally Posted by Winebrat

We are still hoping to get to Houston ASAP...well maybe after the cleanup...Our holdup is selling our house in the Poconos...But I always figure things happen for a reason and maybe the reason we haven't had any bites on our house here is because of the impending/past hurricane. Maybe the cleanup effort there will give us more time to sell our house without the one I have my heart set on being sold...of course, I don't even know if it sustained any damage yet. We are being relocated, so we don't really have much of a choice, but we jumped at the chance and are still jumping...

We plan on being prepared for natural disasters there, just as we are here...a full pantry, backup water and a generator.

ah, interesting!

I am on the other side of that coin .... just moved here a few months ago and supposed to close on a house this week. Wondering if the hurricane is a sign for me not to buy a house?! And this house has huge tall trees in both the front and back yard. omg.

[surfs1st]

Originally Posted by gold dust

ah, interesting!

I am on the other side of that coin .... just moved here a few months ago and supposed to close on a house this week. Wondering if the hurricane is a sign for me not to buy a house?! And this house has huge tall trees in both the front and back yard. omg.

We are in the same boat, ironically we were looking for houses with trees

[flo2900]

Originally Posted by Relocator09

I was wondering to all that is or was interested in relocating to Houston,does hurricane Ike change your perception of moving there?

I myself will be relocating; I visited and completely fell in love with Houston. I'm moving from NY so this hurricane stuff is completely new for me and made me really nervous. I had planned to visit this week but due to obvious circumstances I had to change my plans. Has anyone decided to move away from Houston because of this hurricane? I'm just curious because I have mix emotions about my decision. I guess that is due to the media as well(they make you really nervous)

My thoughts and prayers with you all thru out the whole endeavor.
I 'm glad to see many made it to safer areas.

If you like Houston Ike shouldn`t be a deterrent, however now more than ever you`d notice the importance of buying in non-flood areas of Houston.
Houston hasn`t had a hurricane of this magnitude since 1983. If you have good insurance and buy in a good area Houston this town is such a phenomenal bargain

[Relocator09]

Originally Posted by crbcrbrgv

I am a Chicago native. I'm not going back to Chicago. I'll take the occasional hurricane and/or flood over scraping ice off my windshield, weeks of no sun in the winter, short summers, 225,000 dollar houses in neighborhoods where people sell cocaine on the street corner and groceries that run you 100 dollars every time whether or not you shop at Whole Foods or the Co-op on the South Side of Chicago. Are there things I miss about Chicago? Absolutely. That's why I visit.

Its funny you said that because, that is what made my decision so much easier. Dealing with the snow and the alternate side parking everyday when the temperture outide is zero degrees. Digging my car out of snow and having to wait 10 minutes for the car to warm up so you can get on your way. Putting up with the occassional storm should be a walk in the park in comparison to what I'm used to(Maybe)

[bearae]

Well everyone I had to add this to the question of would I still move here.

I admit it. I have never been in Houston outside of IAH. My children, one a soldier now in Iraq and another married to a soldier, live in Killeen by Ft. Hood. I have visited them many times and love Texas! My husband works for Continental Airlines but is currently working in Newark while he gets to 'visit' me half the week in Indiana. My life is already hectic. But...

I would leave Indiana (where I live now) in a 'New York minute'! No wind, no rain will keep me away! My husband and I planned a trip to Houston last week before Ike hit landfall to scout out the areas (around the woodland & kingwood) and look at apartments. Of course as Ike neared and reared his ugly head, we cancelled our plans but only to put it off for a few weeks to give all you great folks time to get things cleaned up and get your power back up. I don't feel you need any visitors getting in the way and I am sure it is hard to find a hotel at the moment anyway. Hopefully in the next 2 weeks we will be able to come on down.

We are in hopes of a transfer at CO from EWR to IAH. But even that won't keep us away. So he will have to commute from Texas to NJ for awhile...ha, I am use to the commute by now.(6 yrs.) You see, Texas already has my heart. I have lived in Indiana most of my life. The state taxes are a nightmare! We will owe them for several years after moving to Texas. I lived in FL for 4 years as a young girl and remember a hurricane or two, but that wouldn't stop me from becoming a Texan!

Houston, you already have my heart. I fell in love with you the first time I visited my kids 'up north' and nothing will keep us away now. I am excited to join your great city! Rita, Ike, and no others to come, will keep me from moving there. If and when another storm wants to rear it's ugly head to Texas, I will hold on tight, pray for the best and then get out there and help my fellow man that wasn't as fortunate as me. And if I am one of those less fortunate, I am assured others would do the same for me.

Sorry this is so long, but I had to share my heart with you all and let you know that no wind, no rain, no power & no uprooted trees will keep this this ole girl from coming on down! GOD BLESS TEXAS!

[travelguy_73]

Originally Posted by Wysiwyg

new homes typically do NOT have tall trees. period

This is true for the western and southern parts of the city, but have you been to The Woodlands or Cypress? Their trees are likely many times older than the houses they fell on.

Originally Posted by Wysiwyg

I dont know whats a average consumer. but anyway thats why you hire an inspector. ask them and they'd tell you what they think about your house. They too rely on statistics about a builders reputation ya know. you can definitely train yourself to see the difference in workmanship of the exterior. go see a new 300k house and a 100k one with the similar squarefootage

Yes, you can use an inspector, and yes you can train yourself on what to look for, but I would be shocked if even a quarter of new construction buyers hire an inspector. As long as the cabinets are cherry, the countertops are granite, and the lights work, it must be OK. This isn't to discredit good builders, because there are plenty of them. But to think that a consumer understands, or has the patience to understand, the ins and outs of building a home is a stretch. And they aren't hiring inspectors because they believe that this is a service the city is providing during the permit process.

With all that said, there is a percentage of people who understand what makes a house stand, and hire inspectors to watch the house being built. If I ever built a new house, that is what I would do. However, I just think that this type of person makes up a small minority of new construction buyers (first-time and otherwise).

[jd433]

Yes ther was a hurricane. I sat in my house looking out the window and watching the wind blow violently hoping that my house would be O.K.. I will say though that what you see on the news is just in a small part of the Coastal Houston area. Yes it was devastating to those people on the coast.

Here in the main part of houston and the west side there was just fences knocked down and tree branches everywhere. A lot of neighborhoods just 3 days later were back to normal.

I think that the media portrays that the Hurricane devastated all of Houston and this just isn't so. Most of us just sustained moderate wind damage. It was only the people within reach of the coastal tides that were devastated.

Hey even if you stayed up there in New York you might go through severe Blizzards and Noreasters that are just as bad.

Hey that was our once every 25 years hurricane. So you got a while til the next big one.

[Wysiwyg]

Originally Posted by travelguy_73

This is true for the western and southern parts of the city, but have you been to The Woodlands or Cypress? Their trees are likely many times older than the houses they fell on.

i've been to subdivisions in Cypress and every new house I saw had small trees.
we cant really discuss anything like this if you keep raising the rare few instances and the 'dumb average consumer'. I am responding to a person who got on the internet to ask/research, thats probably not YOUR average consumer. In response, I say the effects of IKE is from the wind forces on things most likely within your property already - so first thing you really need to look out for these - like a tree and raised sidings and shingles. now your old house fared well, good for you, you take care of it you say. can you say the average old-house homeowner does the same?? general rule : if you don't want problems, the probability of encountering it is a lot less with a newer house.
on another note, trees cause more problems than causing hurricane damage.

[Wysiwyg]

Originally Posted by jd433

Hey even if you stayed up there in New York you might go through severe Blizzards and Noreasters that are just as bad.

whatchamean? the worst it can do is blanket the roads with snow? thats actually an industry over there, they clean up more area as they can to earn more money. even the regular joe can make money from snow. snow is fun for kids, outside temps is actually refrigirator temps, public transportation is underground.