Areas to avoid in Katy (Houston, Cinco Ranch: for sale, real estate, new home)

[honycombe]

You can not find something decent in 77042 (Walnut Bend) for $275k that describes what you are looking for. I know because I spent all summer looking at houses in that area with my mom. You can find something in that price range in Walnut Bend, but you will put in more to update, foundation, new roof, plumbing, ect. My mom loved that neighborhood, but at the end of the day, she would have to spend a lot more then $300k by the time everything was updated. Cinco is a good area for what you are looking for. My mom did have a home in Cinco (which she has since sold as she wanted to downsize). She is single & middle age and never had a problem living alone in Cinco. I think any of the neighborhoods surrounding Cinco would fit the bill. Do not go North of 10. There are some nice areas to the East & West of 99, but parts of Mason are lower income, rental property...so if you buy around there, stick with an actual Cinco neighborhood. Also, Green Trails or Kelliwood are older, established neighborhoods that are safe yet closer to 10, which would cut down on your commute time.

[hawkabby]

Have you consider looking into the Missouri City area? Quail Valley is such a nice neighborhood. Very peaceful and it is a gold course community. Your dogs would love it. Lots of the homes have huge fenced in yards. Might want to check it out instead of Katy. The school are great here in Fort Bend county too. It is a diamond in the rough. Great place to retire and to raise a family.

[Glossa]

Thank you, honycombe. That's a lot of helpful information. What area did your mom decide on?

Hawkabby, I will look into Missouri City as well. Thanks.

[CRBoyd91]

For what you want look in North Lake and maybe South Lake Villages in particular. The homes are not exactly new but not too old. They were both built in stages from the early to late 90's. Very nice homes and nice views and mature trees. If you are looking for decent back yards try not to stay west of 99 because the newer the house, the smaller the lot. Cinco Ranch is pretty good on not have really small lots. Of course if you get a 1 story, you will have less yard. There are also some nice patio home neighborhoods on Cinco Ranch Blvd. One is on the golf course and the other two are west of 99 near the Cinco Ranch water park. One of these is gated and is considered a retirement neighborhood that has age requirements. The one near the Cinco Ranch Golf Course is in a nice location as you are near the plethora of businesses on Mason as well as the other stuff off of 99. Although it is not a prime retirement city, there are some really great deals on houses and such.

I would also advise you to buy in Fort Bend County because it has the nicest areas and access to a state-of-the-art public library. Driving around the area will show you what I mean. Fort Bend has more requirements for devlopment and it is noticeable. Check out how much different Mason Road is once you cross counties near the Equestrian Center. There are still some great neighborhoods to check out such as Kelliwood and Grand Lakes.

With your budget you will definitely find what you need in Katy.

[honycombe]

I built in Cardiff Ranch and we have a couple inventory 1-story houses that have been sitting for over a year. One is on a lake lot, the sound of the fountain would make you think you were at the beach! Brand new homes, decent size lot and affordable! You could pull the houses up on www.har.com by typing in Cardiff Ranch as your neighborhood requirement. My mom ended up getting a townhouse by Stratford. It was the best fit for her at this point in her life and she had her heart set on staying in that area.

[debzkidz]

I would recommend Green Trails. We lived there and loved it. We looked very hard at Cinco Ranch, but DH loved the idea of shortening his commute by buying in Green Trails. He hated how long it took just to get out of Cinco and up to I-10. Green Trails is a very safe area with easy access to I-10. It's close to the Kingsland Park and Ride too. We also found the HOA fees and taxes to be slightly lower than Cinco.

[Glossa]

Thanks so much, everyone! This is just what I was hoping for. My daughter will be in town next week and we plan to drive around and check out various areas. This information will really help me plan the route. I really appreciate the help.

[hawkabby]

Also Missouri City is very easy to commute to downtown. You have access to hwy 90, hwy 6, fort bend tollway, beltway 8 and 59. Also it is an evacuation route when it comes to hurricane season. Lots of plus to this city.

[honycombe]

I second Green Trails. They have beautiful homes with mature trees, it's very pretty driving through there. Green Trails would put you closer to the Barker Cypress exit on 10, where as, depending on where you are in Cinco, it would take you 20 minutes to get to Barker Cypress. Kelliwood is another you might want to drive around. Firethorne is a new community on 1463, south of 10 but fairly close to 10. My neighborhood is past Firethore on 1463, between 10 and Westpark. Although my neighborhood is further out then my mom's old house in Cinco, it takes me the same amount of time to get to the same place on 10...so the commute isn't any longer though I live out further. Just some suggestions! You may want to pull these neighborhoods up on har.com and look at the houses and if you see any you like, you and your daughter go drive by them. That will give you a good idea of what you are looking at traffic wise to get to work. I would imagine you don't want to spend tons of time in the car, which means Green Trails would definitely fit that and the lots are bigger then newer areas of Cinco. Good luck & have fun!!

[EasilyAmused]

Greentrails is the next wave of appreciation on the west side. It's already boomed in the past 10 years. It's location, with no bad areas separating it from good areas like the SW side of the city, will help with it's popularity.