Possible Relocation, Questions???, Help or Advice would be appreciated. (Houston: for sale, new home)

[Homer12]

Good afternoon,
I currently live in MA, I have an opportunity to go to Houston, I looked on line and liked what I saw in Bridgeland and Summerwood. I have twin 6 year old boys and a 2 year old girl so I am attracted to the Schools and Amenities.

I would travel around TX and LA, but my office (2-3 days a week on average) would be on the North Loop West by the Greyhound station and North Shepard Drive.

My question is this seems to be a decent location for the 2 area's I am looking at because it is before down-town. Am I correct in this? I make my own schedule so I can leave early to beat traffic.

Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated.

By the way my budget is up to $650k, but I am thinking at this point maybe I will go closer to $500k and continue to bank money and live better. That said $650k would still be comfortable.

Thank you,

Bill

[chris_ut]

With that budget and work location Memorial might be a better bet for you. They have some of the best public schools in Houston area and the homes appreciate decently there. Also you are on I-10 which is a straight shot to LA.

[Homer12]

Thank you, I will look into that.

Any other information would be welcomed.

I am from NY originally, but have lived in Nashville TN and Raleigh NC as well as CT and now MA.

My wife absolutely hates the cold, I am not a fan of the heat. I am thinking trading the 4-5 months of winter for 4-5 months of extreme heat will be a wash, might even prefer the heat over winter. Would celebrate the day I could actually sell my snow thrower.

Thank you again

[chris_ut]

What are some other factors you are looking for? Do you prefer suburb or city, big lots, community pool? Throw out as much info as you can think of and we will give suggestions. 650k gets you into pretty much any neighborhood in Houston.

[Lost_In_Translation]

Just a note, our property taxes can appear high to those coming from the north. Make sure to account for 2.5-3.5% yearly property taxes when you make a budget.

[Homer12]

Thank you again

Great point on the taxes, I pay $10k a year now as well as another $10k or so in State Tax so I should be fine, actually should come under $20k based on my current research because TX has no state income taxes.

Chris we really want amenities like Pool, Parks, Play-grounds, Possibly Lakes, and I am sure there are plenty of Golf Courses down that way. We also like the idea of having a Community School district like many of the bigger ones have. My kids love the outdoors, the problem up here is they have no one but each other to play with for the most part. A family with kids just moved out, another is in the process of moving in, but I remember growing up with 10-15 kids just on my street my age, that is very difficult to find in New England.

Commute is not big deal for me, I am used to it. I take this time to make phone calls and think about my day on the way in and wind down on the way home.

I have bought 4 homes and my wife and I have always bought New Construction so more than likely that will be the case again. We prefer a community that is family oriented like what I read about Bridgeland. Shopping close by is good, but to us 5-10 miles is close by.

We do not want to live in the City, we like Suburbs.

I have over an acre of land now, I do not need that much (I am thinking the kids will be using the amenities), but I do not want a 1/4 acre. Maybe 1/3 or more. I notice everything is listed in feet (50', 70', 80') I assume this is the width of the lots? I am not used to that, probably because up here lots are usually not square.

We do not have communities like the south, it is much different in the North East.

Thank you Again

[chris_ut]

Yes 50' would be the width of the lot. 50' would be a pretty small lot, suitable for a house under 3k sq. ft. and you can reach out and touch your neighbors on both sides, maybe a fifth of an acre. You would want 80' I think to get a third. If you don't mind the commute Bridgeland may be the way to go. One thing to keep in mind is that in a community like Bridgeland that is in early development you will have almost no appreciation on your home, in 4-5 years you could sell it for enough to recoup your realtor's fees if your lucky. If you don't want to go full custom I recommend you look at Trendmaker they sell a great house.

[cheryjohns]

Everything chris said was correct. Inventory vs. build for equity. 80' lot. It will still be less than 1/3 acre - but the amenites for the kids will be there. Why pay for pool maintenance when numerous pools in the neighborhood are available?

[Homer12]

Great information, I may come down to check it out in the next week or so.

Having a hard time making a decision with-out even driving around and seeing the area.

Thanks again, any other information would be appreciated.

[kreeyax]

A new elementary school was just approved to be built inside Bridgeland, by the time your 2 year old is school age she will be able to go there if it's complete.

Cy-Fair ISD trustees approve opening dates for 3 new schools - impactnews.com

It's a pretty amazing neighborhood, so many young families with kids. The trails and lakes everywhere are great for walking your dogs (and kids). You really should take a visit. But keep in mind like chris_ut said, there will be little to no appreciation if you only plan to live there for a few years. I've seen sub-$300K homes for sale in Bridgeland for over a year. You just can't compete with the builder selling new homes.