Advice on buying in Northwoods at Avery Ranch (homes, new construction)

[morgan.di1049]

The train is across the street from Grand Haven Cottages at North Woods. You can't hear or feel it. I know several people who commute with this system to down town. They live here for the schools and I travel a lot and my trip to the airport is 20 minutes, 183 all the way.

The reason for the price is the Green Built quality. 1337 square feet is going for 278,000, for now.

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by morgan.di1049

The train is across the street from Grand Haven Cottages at North Woods. You can't hear or feel it. I know several people who commute with this system to down town. They live here for the schools and I travel a lot and my trip to the airport is 20 minutes, 183 all the way.

The reason for the price is the Green Built quality. 1337 square feet is going for 278,000, for now.

Well, I hope the Green Built quality results in significant energy savings. I reckon the folks who have lived there for a year would know if their energy bills are reflecting() the energy efficient approach. It's fine for the builder to use practices that re-cycle and minimize waste; but I have a feeling the homeowner will not benefit directly from that effort.

There's not much selling for $200/ft plus significant HOA fees 'up here'. That's some pretty strong $$$, especially considering the way the plans have changed and many more units are being added. Some of the new cottages are darned near ON TOP of the rail line. They have eliminated virtually all of the natural buffer of trees in order to add the newest section. Did they ever build the tennis court? I bike ride through there on occasion and haven't seen one.

Let me just say...26.5 miles of 183(including stop lights) in 20 minutes is moving along smartly

[riaelise]

Living on top of the rail line, you WILL hear noise unless there are quiet zones. It is YOU who will change..you either learn to ignore or it will drive you nuts. Ironically, my current neighborhood is near the horrid freight train route along 79. We do have the creek as a buffer but when I first moved here I heard four trains in one hour, especially at night. I don't pay attention to them now and they don't bother me. But when we temporarily lived on McNeil they did. It was damn awful. Metro rail honks like nobody's business, for obvious reasons (I was on a train that hit a car) and then there's the freight trains, which are worse. Lumbering along and honking away.

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by riaelise

Lumbering along and honking away.

I think you've got the title and opening line to a country song there!
We just need a girl, a dog and a pickup truck and we've got a hit!!!

[ScoPro]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

I think you've got the title and opening line to a country song there!
We just need a girl, a dog and a pickup truck and we've got a hit!!!

Don't forget the beer & guns!

Seriously, the CoA is going to have to do something about that road between the Lakeline station and Parmer, as 2 lanes (1 each way) ain't gonna cut it. But seeing as how they haven't even gotten around to building a freeway all the way to the airport 16 years after it opened. I'm not holding my breath.

I probably will be out of breath by the time they do anyway.

What with all the huge apartment complexes going up in the Lakeline area, the traffic around there is going to be something else. It is a pretty good biking area though.

[SFOtoAustin]

I am about to close my home with Grand haven in few days in this community and I see lot of constructions like new town homes from Standard Pacific and Pulte, new apartments around lakeline mall and new Commerical offices on FM620 (behind lakeline station).
So I see the traffic going to be heavy in which it could impact the other neighborhoods as they need to pass Avery Ranch, Parmer or Lake line blvd to reach I183 or I45. Since this neighborhood is closer to free ways, it will not issues with local road, but still the traffic on highway will same as like anyone.

This community is sold out already and Grandhaven is going to open a new phase across the street, in which the starting price will be 30K more than the current price and also there will be a high lot premium (I was in the impression that the home price are already expensive for the size of the home). Is that really a high demand in the market for these homes?

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by ScoPro

Don't forget the beer & guns!

Seriously, the CoA is going to have to do something about that road between the Lakeline station and Parmer, as 2 lanes (1 each way) ain't gonna cut it..

During the downturn, I thought they could just leave it the way it was...I think any effort to have four lanes crossing the tracks will be a cluster-drill. BUT, now that everybody in the universe is moving into the area, that intersection in particular will be a huge bottleneck. They might be able to fashion some dedicated turn lanes; but it's going to be a mess at rush.

Do you happen to know what's going on behind the La Quinta, roadwise? Lakeline Mall Dr 'should' be able to connect to the train station, I would think. Maybe another bike ride is in order

Speaking of convenient...some new townhomes are being built IN the train station!!!(Well, OK, across the driveway). Looks like a quarter million bucks can get you within serious walking distance of the platform!!!

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by SFOtoAustin

This community is sold out already and Grandhaven is going to open a new phase across the street, in which the starting price will be 30K more than the current price and also there will be a high lot premium (I was in the impression that the home price are already expensive for the size of the home). Is that really a high demand in the market for these homes?

These are some of the units that I don't believe were even ON the original plans...that area was shown as natural(presumably a buffer between people and rail lines). I know 'we' can never take anything for granted when it comes to real estate development; but Northwoods was a very different(and smaller) place on paper...before the population explosion!

Their online site shows maybe a half-dozen units NOT sold in the original phase. I wonder if that is correct or just not quite up-to-date.

And, yes...other than proximity to the train station, the value in the cottages is stretched pretty darned thin, IMO. One garage space and Hardi-Plank construction? $200/sq ft is attractive to some folks, it seems; but the SFHs are all much closer to $130-150. The extra HOA dues don't help, either.

You didn't get the unit with the half-dozen utility boxes in the front yard, did you?

[ScoPro]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

Do you happen to know what's going on behind the La Quinta, roadwise? Lakeline Mall Dr 'should' be able to connect to the train station, I would think. Maybe another bike ride is in order

I have no idea (we just returned from that Sam's Club about an hour ago).

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

These are some of the units that I don't believe were even ON the original plans...that area was shown as natural(presumably a buffer between people and rail lines).

When my brother built a custom home on Brookwood Circle in Balcones Village in 1971, the developer told him the wooded area between his back fence line and 183 would always be a "greenbelt". lol

A few years later a developer (probably the same guy) built the Balcones Club Apartments behind his lot. Of course it brought a lot of noise & traffic to the formerly quiet neighborhood, and now the complex is on the verge of being a run down ghetto.

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

Speaking of convenient...some new townhomes are being built IN the train station!!!(Well, OK, across the driveway). Looks like a quarter million bucks can get you within serious walking distance of the platform!!!

Quoting myself to say a quarter million bucks WON'T do it in that complex! The sign that once showed "from the low 200s' now states 'HIGH 200s' and not a brick has been laid!


ScoPro...I tried to drive down Lakeline Mall Dr. behind the La Quinta; but the road isn't yet paved and it looks like they allow only construction traffic at this time. I'm too tired to hop on the bike to go exploring this afternoon.