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Old 03-14-2009, 05:36 PM
 
2 posts, read 11,347 times
Reputation: 11

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I am considering moving from a very nice, safe neighboorhood in Oakland County, Michigan to Houston. I have a potential job offer and we would love to get out of the Michigan weather. I have 3 boys ages are 3, 5 and 8. My 8 year old is really involved in Football. In my area we have 3 highschools and there is an excellent football program that feeds into the three highschools so if the kids don't move when they reach highschool they would have been playing together since age 8. My house is nice and I live in a very safe area (commons area with a pond and play ground and a beach near by). We love the lakes in Michigan and go boating with family and friends. I would love to be able to live on a lake but I read some posts about Alligators and I would be affraid....do I need to worry...would I have to watch my kids 24x7 when they are in the yard if we lived on a lake? If it is too risky, I will skip it. I want to live in a nice safe neighboorhood and would look at paying around 200-250K. I want good shools that are safe as well and bully free. There is a middle school in our district that is bad and full of drugs and bullys and then there is the one that is the best that everyone wants their kids to go to and out of the 3 highshools I know which one is the best and which is the worst. I also know the best areas for commuting to the city........I need someone's help with the answers to these questions based on what I am looking for.
1. Best newer neighboorhoods with decent commutes (a 30-40 min drive to work is fine for me but obviously less would be better but I am willing to drive longer for the quality of life)
2. Best schools (Elementary, Middle and Highschool)...I am sure where I live will determine the schools so help me put a plan together. I don't want to end up buying a house on one street to find out if I lived in the neighboorhood across the street the schools would be better........
3. If I was able to afford a house on a lake, what would be the best lake for swimming and boating and skiing and are the schools good there and do I need to worry about Alligators?
4. How are the football programs?
5. Any other advice? Fun things to do with kids, activities, holiday festivities, best events to attend with the kids.....we have a few things that go on throughout the year here that we go to every year and everyone just always has a blast........

I really apprecaite all your help! I am scared to move. I don't know anyone and it is going to be a dramatic change. I am hoping if I can get some solid answers here that it will make it much easier.
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Old 03-14-2009, 05:37 PM
 
Location: Houston, TX (Bellaire)
4,900 posts, read 13,734,008 times
Reputation: 4190
You requested a 30-40 min commute but didn't state where your work is located.
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Old 03-14-2009, 06:23 PM
 
Location: Alberta, Canada
70 posts, read 180,435 times
Reputation: 30
Good questions and I will be paying close attention to the answers! Sounds like the kind of situation my family is looking for as well (hoping to move there from Alberta, Canada). Sugar Land, Katy and Kingwood seem to get lots of good reviews on here. Living on a lake might be tight on that budget from what I have seen, but I guess ya never know
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Old 03-15-2009, 12:43 AM
 
2 posts, read 11,347 times
Reputation: 11
I will be working in Houston and the zip is 77008
I have done some research since my post and it looks like Katy, Missouri City, Sugarland, and Cypress might be options. I just want to make sure I am looking in the right areas for the best schools and football programs. I also just read that Sugarland is overpriced and crime is increasing there.........is that correct?
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Old 03-15-2009, 07:43 AM
 
Location: A little suburb of Houston
3,702 posts, read 18,212,654 times
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For working in that zip, stick to Katy, Cypress (290 is crowded though). No lakes anywhere near those places though. If you want a little longer commute, try Summerwood near Lake Houston or Kingwood/Forest Cove on the San Jacinto River.
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Old 03-15-2009, 07:49 AM
 
490 posts, read 1,433,940 times
Reputation: 151
Research Cinco Ranch...nice area and good schools. (in Katy)
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Old 03-15-2009, 08:04 AM
 
Location: Clear Lake Area
2,075 posts, read 4,445,897 times
Reputation: 1974
Just a couple comments... I'm from Michigan as well, moved here about 2 years ago. There is no comparison between Michigan and Texas football. The best high school programs in Michigan would be 3A or 4A down here... definitely a step below the 5A (top division) for Texas. There is an abundance of great football programs all over the Houston area... wherever you live.

As for schools, there is no such thing as a drug-free or bully-free school. Your kids are going to be exposed to both no matter where they go to school.

Alligators - there hasn't been a single reported case of a human fatality from an alligator attack in Texas. One link I saw only showed 15 documented alligator attacks in Texas since the 50's. Living close to a lake, you're probably many times more at risk from a poisonous snake bite (coral, cottonmouth, copperhead... even rattlesnakes) than an alligator attack.
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Old 03-15-2009, 09:13 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
4,760 posts, read 13,825,153 times
Reputation: 3280
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiffster89 View Post
I also just read that Sugarland is overpriced and crime is increasing there.........is that correct?
I don't think Sugar Land is overpriced considering what the city offers for quality of life.

And while crime here did recently experience an uptick, it is still one of the safest areas in all of Houston metro. Just do some research on crime index statistics by zip code...City Data has this info. You will see that statements about crime in Sugar Land are often greatly overstated, probably because of a few high visibility home invasions and driveway robberies. And in the home invasions, it almost always turns out that the victims knew the perpetrators or were in an unusual situation, like the small business owner whose angry former employee attacked him in his home or the businessman who owned a jewelry store and he was storing gems at home.

That being said, a bad economy always leads to increased crime and I'm sure Sugar Land will not be an exception. But all the other areas of town will be affected as well.

Sugar Land has some excellent schools and some not-so-great schools. You can use GreatSchools.net and Texas Education Agency data to review schools.

Sugar Land is almost completely built out in the areas zoned to good schools, so if you want a newer house, Sugar Land might not be the best choice for you.

About fun things to do, Houston metro is a HUGE area and there are so many things going on, it would be impossible to list them all. MomHouston is maintained by the Houston Chronicle and is one good place to look.

Regarding alligators, you do have to teach your children not to approach any alligator that they see and I don't let my children play unsupervised near a lake but that's also because of fears about drowning, not just fear of alligators. I have lived in Sugar Land for a year and I haven't seen any alligators but I have seen signs warning to stay away from them, so they must be here somewhere!

Sugar Land is a very nice place to live. There are other nice suburbs all over the place, though, too. You may find that once you see the available choices, you will just know which one feels like home.
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Old 03-15-2009, 09:50 AM
 
Location: Katy,TX.
4,244 posts, read 8,759,365 times
Reputation: 4014
Default Katy High School just won their sixth(Back to Back) State football Championship...

...1959, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2008
After the State championship game, the city of Katy hosted a victory celebration for the kids.
http://www.city-data.com/forum/houst...ml#post6654448

Here's some articles from the front page of today Houston Chronicle

"The King isn't dead; long live the king" - Jerome Solomon (Houston Chronicle Sports Editor)
Solomon: Defense gets it done for Katy in title game | Sports | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
Basic offense leads to typical result for Katy | Sports | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
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Old 03-15-2009, 01:21 PM
 
12 posts, read 40,905 times
Reputation: 10
My wife and I have lived in the area for 6 years now. When we first moved here there was just a bank, a texas fast food joint and a large home improvement store. My how have things changed. There is just about anything one could ask for within a 5 minute drive. Restaurants, banking centers, shopping, outlet mall, movie theatre, supermarkets, schools, metro transportation hub, etc.
When considering the area we did our homework and we pretty impressed by a couple of areas. Bridgeland was our favorite but there were some close seconds. After we ranked our top three, we contacted a local realtor to help us and give us some insight as to where the better places are. After spending some time with her, we were able to confirm our decision as to our community of choice. In addition, she was able to help us negotiate price and add some upgrades to our home that we were not able to do without the knowledge of the "unwritten rules" of home buying.
Bridgeland was named the National Association of Homebuilders Master Planned Community of the Year as well as the Greater Houston Builders Association Planned Community of the Year. There are lakes, parks, and trails as well as resident activities that we love. The school district has opened a new high school in the entrance to the community and a new elementary school is planned in the community itself for completion within the next couple of years.
We have been very happy in the community and would recommend touring Bridgeland to see if it is right fit for you.
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