Making choices about Houston...from So Cal (Bellaire, Katy: big house, private schools)

[houston-nomad]

Yes, do have fun looking! Houston is a great city with so many wonderful neighborhoods. Keep an open mind, as you clearly are, and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Anyone who can survive that long in a mobile home with small children can handle anything, I think. I'd like some of whatever you're drinking.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by OCBrownEyedGirl

Ahhh. Will look into the insurance. Half tempted to move out here in our MH and live in the area for a while before making decisions on a house. That is, if we decide this is the place for us.

Thanks.

Probably not a bad idea. It is incredibly easy to find a very nice house to lease in a nice part of Houston or the suburbs. Not so easy to sell the wrong house that you bought in a hurry and decided it wasn't where you wanted to live.

Since you are looking into private schools it makes all the more sense since you wouldn't be committing your child to a certain neighborhood public school while renting and then force him to change schools if you decide to buy in a different neighborhood.

Then you can really take your time to consider all the important factors in choosing a neighborhood and house to purchase.

- neighborhood character
- commutes
- shopping
- amenities/parks etc.
- insurance and flood issues. Large areas of Houston are in flood zones and/or hurricane wind zones which could make a major difference on your insurance costs, and of course your risk.
- school district and neighborhood schools. Even if you go private schools to start, you may not do them forever. And the quality of the local schools will greatly affect your property values whether or not you use them.

I, for one, would be extremely hesitant about buying in the Houston area without first really getting to know it. Greater Houston is larger than the State of New Jersey. You can't possibly figure it all out in a weekend or two of home shopping with an agent.

[OCBrownEyedGirl]

Sugarland...

We didn't have a whole lot of time yesterday to drive around but we headed toward Sugar Land. Ended up in Telfair and found some model homes...looked at David Weekly (loved them) and Perry. Lot sizes were as crummy as we have in CA, and streets so narrow! We were really surprised. There are similarities to a community in South OC called Ladera Ranch. Don't get me wrong, I do want a lot of the amenities as I have in SoCal, but I am not moving to TX to be THAT close to my neigbors. That's how I live now.

It was difficult to find certain stores and restaurants because they all look the same...thanks goodness for the nav system. Once you know where things are, I am sure that doesn't matter. But I will tell you that I am a BIG Babies r Us shopper and have been to MANY BRU's around the country as we have traveled since my daughter is on special formula we can only seem to get there or online...this was the most unkept BRU I have been in...even Chicago area BRU's were nicer. We did have dinner at the Outback Steakhouse, and it seemed alright.

So then we decided to go find this Sienna Plantation. It was getting dark but as soon as we saw the trees and the homes were spaced further apart, we were thrilled. We were able to grab a flyer or 2 from homes that were for sale and yes, they are pricey but HUGE. I guess we are aiming for at least 4-5,000 sq feet because my husband wants "room to move around" when we are indoors escaping the heat. Besides that, we plan on having plenty of family come to visit us (for short periods of time LOL) so we want the extra bedrooms. We also require a home office and a room dedicated just to toys/games for the kids. Just not sure we want to invest so much in a home right now. Neither one of us has the desire to undergo a crack at building a custom home right now. But to invest soooo much money in a house to start with...ugh.

But I walked into this store I never heard of, HEB...WOW. Loved it. Also got something I am not used to in CA...people walking past me and saying hello...have to get used to that! Eye contact? Just being friendly? I heard about this before but never experienced it.

I am still stuck on a Christian school, which is making my husband crazy.
Sounds like if he takes a position here, I will have to endure him being gone from home much more than I am used to. With that being said, I want to find a church and some SAHM's to communicate with. I know I will be lonely otherwise.

And people in the office told DH to avoid Katy...something about construction on the roads for the next 8 years, which makes for a crummy commute to the Galleria area. But we will drive out there anyway.

Anyway, that's it for now. It's super warm out there today again...we dread going out. But out we go...

Thanks so much for all the advice thus far.

E

[EasilyAmused]

Construction to Katy has been done FOR OVER A YEAR. LOL. It's the best outer burb commute in the city at this point. Look in Windsor Park Estates if you want big lots in Katy. It's one circular street in Eastern Katy.
Most people that work and live in the Galleria don't go West of Voss, so they don't really know what's going on in West Houston. I know this because I lived in Uptown and grew up there. Now I live "out there" in Memorial.

Unless they are going to redo the redo of I-10 already, the construction is done.

Houston Christain High School is Right at the Beltway and a little north of I-10. It's not a bad location for Eastern Katy. Also, the Second Baptist out there runs buses the school campus at the main church on Woodway (Galleria/Uptown). Many Evangelical Christains attend Second Baptist. I don't know if that's what you're looking for though.

[OCBrownEyedGirl]

Originally Posted by EasilyAmused

Construction to Katy has been done FOR OVER A YEAR. LOL. It's the best commute in the city at this point. Look in Windsor Park Estates if you want big lots in Katy. It's one circular street in Eastern Katy.

OKAY then!

This is where a local well-informed realtor will come in handy

Thanks!

E

[EasilyAmused]

Here's the link to Houston Christian. You may want to drive by. It's not too far off I-10
Houston Christian High School

PS I added to my previous post about Katy

There are some MPC farther out that have bigger lots, but that just adds another 15 minutes to your commute. Places out there include Woodcreek Reserve and Grayson Lakes. Lakewood Forest has huge lots, but we're talking over a million for those.

[usc619]

Originally Posted by EasilyAmused

Most people that work and live in the Galleria don't go West of Voss, so they don't really know what's going on in West Houston. I know this because I lived in Uptown and grew up there. Now I live "out there" in Memorial.

Ditto
I've already tried to point that out

[usc619]

Once again you should be focusing on Bunker Hill, Piney Point, Hilshire, Hedwig, and Hunters Creek Villages (AKA Memorial area). I would also look into West U and Belllaire

The traffic around the Galleria is like the Traffic on I-5 near Downtown LA, Your Husband is in for a rude awakening

[EasilyAmused]

Originally Posted by usc619

Once again you should be focusing on Bunker Hill, Piney Point, Hilshire, Hedwig, and Hunters Creek Villages (AKA Memorial area). I would also look into West U and Belllaire

The traffic around the Galleria is like the Traffic on I-5 near Downtown LA, Your Husband is in for a rude awakening

Yes but they want new with space. That starts at 1.5 in the Villages and 1.2 in Western Memorial.

You could get big, older and 1/2 an acre for the 700's and up in Western Memorial, but 1.2 in The Villages.

But I agree about Uptown traffic. I lived two miles from the Galleria and it took me longer to get there than it does now 15 miles away via the Westpark. . It's a jungle down there.

[usc619]

Originally Posted by sbhubbell

Even if I were looking over 500K I'd look out of the city, in Katy and Sugarland. I've spend enough time at my grandparents' house in Memorial to know that I really hate the no-zoning and the traffic in the city. I'm just a huge fan of the master planned community and how pristine (and yes, vanilla) everything looks. I love convenience, but don't mind being a few minutes down the freeway from downtown. Those burbs have more than enough to offer a city-loving suburbanite like me.

Just my 2 cents.

Aw come'on You know good and well Katy and Sugarland(one of my favs) don't even compare to the Memorial area. I'm sure 95% on this board would agree with me.

Memorial area has cheaper taxes, their OWN police dept., great Private schools, etc....I could go on for days.

No need to mislead someone into thinking we're just a few mins from downtown lmao