Jersey Village? (Houston, Spring, Katy: wood floors, HOA fees, crime rate)

[Master Shake]

Anyone from the Jersey Village area, or know much about the area? Specifically, the area 3-5 miles around the 290 and the 8 (Sam Houston Tollway?) intersection. What are the positives and negatives about this area -- would you consider this a good or bad area, and why? What is the traffic like commuting in and out of downtown Houston from here? It seems like most of the houses are about 25 years old or so and are in my price range, and I have heard some people say this is a good area to relocate to for the Houston area.

From what I have read so far, it sounds like the 'better' areas (whatever that means) for Houston in general are to the northwest of downtown, and to definately stay clear of anything south of the 10 Fwy. Other than that, I do not have any specific questions at the moment -- just looking for general information or feel about this area in particular.

Thanks!

[TGM]

I live about 8 minutes north of 290/Beltway 8, about 5 miles north of Jersey Village. In most subdivisions around here crime is low, and I feel the area is very safe. There are many areas of Houston I don't let my wife go to alone after dark, but anywhere around here is never a concern.

You have everything at your fingertips here, including several 24hr super Wal-Marts, major hardware stores (Lowes, Home Depot), lots of speciality stores, and your choice of major grocery stores. We also have some great theaters, including one about 10 min from my house that has tables and serves you dinner during the movie. Lots of stores are open 24hrs just in case you are a night owl.

The area, including the city of Jersey Village (just called JV around here) is in the Cypress Fairbanks School District, which is state rated one of the best, although I don't completely agree personally. I would say it is no doubt much better than Houston School District, which should be avoided at all costs if you have kids.

What is your price range for a home? You mention you were looking at 25+ year old homes, but this area is booming and there are just as many, if not more, brand new homes on the market in all price ranges. I am about to put my home on the market for about $110,000 in a few weeks. It is 29 years old on a quarter acre wooded lot. It is remolded with tile and real hard wood floors and new replacement windows, and in my opinion is better than any of the new houses in the area. However, for the same price, you can buy a new home not too far from here (Cypress Mill area). The difference in the new subdivisions is that you will have a very small lot, tiny backyard, and no options or upgrades on the new homes (and no trees). So it just depends on what you are looking for. Home prices in this area start at about $80k, and go well into the millions.

I'll keep an eye on this thread for your specific questions.

T. Marrs

[Master Shake]

Hello,

Thanks for the detailed information regarding JV. From what I have been able to find, most of the houses appear to be about 25 years old in that area, but it is good to know that there are newer divisions going up as well. I will have to look a little harder, I guess. I would actually prefer a newer house (but not necessarly the small lot and HOA fees) over an older house, so I will be on the lookout when I come to visit. I have also heard some good things about the Copperfield area as well, plus the area somewhat north to northwest of JV (zip code 77065). Is that still considered part of Cypress? How would you rate those areas?

[TGM]

I live in 77065 - the mailing address is actually "Houston", however it is still considered the Cypress area. If you want to see what is actually out here, check out this website:

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This will give you all the MLS listings for the entire area. For the Cypress area you want to search the areas of "35-TOMBALL/CYPRESS", "10-CYFAIR" and "14-FAR NORTHWEST".

We shopped the Copperfield area 4 years ago when we bought in Tower Oaks, and I was not impressed with anything out there. The area west of US 290 has a slightly higher crime rate then on the east side of 290. For the newer homes just modify the search to homes built after a specific year.

Hope this helps,

Troy

[Master Shake]

OK, I've finally made it here (and so far, the heat & humidity isn't really all that bad!). Couldn't find many new houses in the JV area for less than the $170's, but there were a few new developments close to Telge Rd and Spring Cypress Rd. that look good, and were close to the $140-$150's. I think this is still the Cypress area, and overall this area looks really nice -- still somewhat heavily wooded and not too compact or condensed.

Is there anyone on this forum that can shed any light or other insights on this particular area? The traffic on Spring Cypress Rd. heading east from the 290 seems a little tough at times, and most of the shopping areas (including grocery, fast food, strip mall types, etc.) are 5 miles or more away. The main roads in the area are only 2 lanes (1 lane in each direction). Other than that, this looks like a great area.

Thanks!

PS: As a side note, we also checked out the Katy area today. From what I have read, everyone says the traffic on the 10 is bad -- and that is a serious understatement. The freeway is under constant construction, causing you to constantly get off and back on again as you go around the various construction projects. And this was off-hours (11:00 AM or so).

[ivy]

You mentioned that you don't want a small lot or HOA fees, Jersey Village does not have an HOA because it is a city. The lots there are mostly over 10,000. JV has improved the bayou flooding issue over the last 3-5 years. There are mulitiple ways in/out of JV, most of the homes are older but you can find some new(er) ones if you look. Also if you find an empty lot you can do a build on your lot program.

Good Luck!