moving to katy texas from victorville ca (Houston, Sugar Land: new house, buying)

[oohkim]

we are moving to katy texas from victorville ca can you tell me about katy and the weather there? Is there a better placeto live besides katy?

[RR2]

Originally Posted by oohkim

we are moving to katy texas from victorville ca can you tell me about katy and the weather there? Is there a better placeto live besides katy?

Hello,
I use to live in the Barstow and have a understanding of where you are coming from. I know live in Katy Texas and I think it is a great place to raise a family and make a living. The weather is humid and hot in the summer. Right now it is about 80 deg. and sunny. We live near the Gulf of Mexico so when cold fronts move down from the north and cool us off, the wind will change the next day and a southern wind will blow the warm winds for the Gulf and heat us up. I've been here now for 14 years and it has taken me a long time to get used to the heat and humidity. I now enjoy it. The heat starts in May and goes through October. But our Winters is great!!!
RR2

[Raoul Duke]

Well, I hope you've actually been here, before deciding. If so, it sells itself. Katy proper itself is only 10 sq. miles, but don't think that the official population makes it a small town. Just in the last 3 years we have added 3 high schools that will have an average enrollment of 2000+ students each (don't even get started about the elementary schools). We have our own Mills Mall, 2 large cineplexes (19+ theatres each) and a new Alamo Drafthouse Theatre (check it out on line if unfamiliar). I started working out here in '88 and have watched it increase by 5 times the size. It covers the corner of 3 counties, one of which has been one of the 3 fastest growing counties for the last 20+ tears (Fort Bend). The population is mainly middle/upper middle class and majority white (probably about 70%). Our Cost of Living index is 102%. We are well below national average for housing. A 1700 s.f. house goes from 95,000 to 130,000.

On the downside, since it is the fastest growing area around Houston, it has the worst traffic. The intersection of I-10 and I-610 is the second worst bottleneck in the country. You have to go thru this to get to Downtown Houston. They say the actual average work commute is 33 minutes, but in reality a good commute time is 45 minutes. Now they are working on I-10 and the new tollway (while really expensive) is quite some relief. When its done by the end of 2008, it promises to be quite a bit better. Also, since deregulation, our power prices are creeping up to the problems California faced a few years ago.

Fortunately there is not much reason to go to Houston, except for work. You'll find just about 95% of all you needs (no matter how odd) within the community.

Hope this helps.

[oohkim]

Originally Posted by RR2

Hello,
I use to live in the Barstow and have a understanding of where you are coming from. I know live in Katy Texas and I think it is a great place to raise a family and make a living. The weather is humid and hot in the summer. Right now it is about 80 deg. and sunny. We live near the Gulf of Mexico so when cold fronts move down from the north and cool us off, the wind will change the next day and a southern wind will blow the warm winds for the Gulf and heat us up. I've been here now for 14 years and it has taken me a long time to get used to the heat and humidity. I now enjoy it. The heat starts in May and goes through October. But our Winters is great!!!
RR2

are there bugs in katy texas ?

[Raoul Duke]

We're 50 miles from the coast and the average humidity is 70%. We've got all flavors. The county regularly sprays every where a couple a times a month during the summer. Invest in a Purple Marting house and/or bat house to keep the mosquitoes at bay in a natural fashion.

[honeyinhouston]

Well Katy, TX is nice but I like the Sugar Land and Pearland area better. If you are going to commute to Downtown Houston for work....you will have a helluva ride.

[ZQ795]

All the way from CA, Your coming from the west, I'm coming from the South, well we should be moving to Katy from Miami, FL within the next 3 weeks, depends on when we close.

Flew in to check out the area, fell in love, and purchased a house, job will be in cy-fair which is north of katy, so i won't have to deal with I-10, our new house is about 8-10 min from Katy mills mall, my GF already knows the layout
don't know if this is good or bad

And the best part, the unit that we purchased for less that $200K, if we were to move it down to Miami would be around $750K

Checked with a local ins agent, our car ins for 6 months will be about $450.00
down here we pay $1100.00

Hope to see ya around town.

[oohkim]

well we are thinking of morton ranch homes .yes i cant belive the prices are so much cheaper . homes where i live are going for 399k for 1300 sqft hope to meet you

[dlh113]

I am also moving to Katy from Florida, but NW Florida. I have a son entering high school and would appreciate any advice on the schools in Katy. I have read the information from the Katy ISD and individual school websites, but some real information from students or parents would be appreciated.

[Dan Corcoran]

I lived in Houston for 20 years and am familiar with Katy. All of the Gulf Coast has bugs. The outdoor ones can be avoided by staying indoors in the summer, which is easy given the heat and humidity. A more significant problem is home-invading bugs, specifically termites, roaches, and palmetto bugs (giant roaches).

All of the latter three can be controlled in a new house by diligent use of pesticides, but a lot of folks don't like to use pesticides (termites require professional application). Older homes may have populations of all these that are harder to control. I suggest you have a thorough inspection for termites and other wood-destroying insects before buying any "used" home.