Champions, Ponderosa, NorthGate, Olde Oaks, Oak Creek, TerraNova -BIG BEAUTIFUL CHEAP HOUSES! Spring off Cypresswood Dr. (Houston: landscaping, neighborhoods)

[PedroMartinez]

Well, I just went to HCAD and saw that my old house appraised (by the county) is $30k less than what I sold it for and it took an $8k drop between 2012 and 2013. (lol, I also noticed that I lived there for 8 years, not 4 or 5).

My old house is also the second highest appraised on the street, and many of the others were larger than mine.

So sad that area has turned out this way.

[crone]

Beg to differ on the gate. We had one for 15 years so the dog could be out with us while we worked in the garage or in the drive without wandering off. My neighbor put one in to confine the basketball.

[cheryjohns]

Those gates are on some pretty high-end homes in Cinco. They are not the same as burglar bars (if you see burglar bars on homes in a neighborhood - run).

Olde Oaks has always just inched up less than other subdivisions in the area - but it is not going down. The gates are no indicator - some people like them for a variety of reasons. I had a client with two small twins that put them up to have an additional barrier for the little ones.

[Cabot]

Those gates in this area are more for decoration than anything and they give you more usable space that is contained. They are great for small children that want to ride their bikes on the driveway. We were going to put one up for the same reason as Crone but couldn't because of our neighbours narrow access along the side of their house to their back gate (and their wide hedges!).

[huma281]

I forgot where I read it, but is the Whole Foods effect real? With Louetta/249 getting a Whole Foods soon, will it raise the property values in the surrounding area 10-20%? This is going to look good for this area of town you guys are discussing?

[ipuck]

Originally Posted by huma281

I forgot where I read it, but is the Whole Foods effect real? With Louretta/249 getting a Whole Foods soon, will it raise the property values in the surrounding area 10-20%? This is going to look good for this area of town you guys are discussing?

Louretta/249 is miles away and total different neighborhood. Seems like quite a few people that use to live in the neighborhood discuss here have move up to Louretta and that new area call Vantage Park. They building a high end shopping center there and is quite nice btw.

I drive by the 1960 area daily and I also drive through TC Jester alot. I think part of the reason I assume those gates are for car theft is because i see ALOT of people walking around to Walmart and waiting for Metro. I am talking the kind of people that look like they are looking for trouble.

Olde Oaks is also zoned to Westfield HS, which was a problem 20 years ago and currently is bordeline jail house/HS.

[p0opstlnksal0t]

Is the HOA lenient in allowing things like gates/fences in the front yards in these neighborhoods? At my current location the HOA would never allow a gate to be installed in the front of the house.

[fnh]

I like driveway gates and don't think they detract from a neighborhood. Done well, they add a mature, finished look to homes. We had one installed when we got a dog. Our HOA reviewed and approved the plans, the cost was around $7K. Not a low-end accessory at all.

[TXbywayof]

Those Northgate Forest homes are incredibly beautiful! And what a price point! These homes easily rival Memorial. So what has happened to this stretch of FM 1960? I know it looks nothing like it did 30 years ago. Very run down...but why? I use a contractor who lives in Huntwick...another beautiful community. He is very depressed about what is going on around him and the devaluation of homes in the area. I guess it catches me off guard that these beautiful neighborhoods cannot keep the area afloat. Too many apartments? What IS the deal?

[AK123]

Originally Posted by TXbywayof

Those Northgate Forest homes are incredibly beautiful! And what a price point! These homes easily rival Memorial. So what has happened to this stretch of FM 1960? I know it looks nothing like it did 30 years ago. Very run down...but why? I use a contractor who lives in Huntwick...another beautiful community. He is very depressed about what is going on around him and the devaluation of homes in the area. I guess it catches me off guard that these beautiful neighborhoods cannot keep the area afloat. Too many apartments? What IS the deal?

I think too many apartments, yes. And then a lot of cheap starter homes that went in south of FM 1960.
This killed the schools (Spring ISD.) Olde Oaks used to be really nice, full of kids, and Westfield High was still pretty good 20+ years ago.

Northgate does seem to hold its value because there are enough physicians and wealthy energy execs that still buy or build in there.