Riverstone - Fort Bend County (Sugar Land, The Woodlands: university, subdivisions, taxes)

[ipuck]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

Why is my example flawed? I picked an upscale newer suburban complex. And I never said they would be valued more than an upscale single family home - I said they are often valued as much or more than middle class starter homes, meaning often below the $160K figure you used, especially after homestead exemptions.

And I have yet to find a newer upscale Class A complex that's full of school-aged kids. The limited quantities of kids that do happen to be there are (1) from generally higher-income parents who can afford the rents and (2) living there because their parents care about the educational opportunities available to them, and are thus ones generally compatible with the cultural values that the upscale single family residents have for their children.

Don't forget that single family also places an enormous physical infrastructure burden that's more than multifamily as well - streets, water lines, sewer lines, and drainage infrastructure doesn't get minimized just because it's serving single family, and you have to have more of it per household in a single family setting. The increased point load due to multifamily (or commercial) use doesn't offset this at all; many cities and counties are finding out that they desperately need higher value commercial and/or multifamily development in order to afford the infrastructure for even nicer single family over time, especially in terms of maintaining what's been built.

I usually like your comments on things as you bring some professional input into real estate/housing matters. However, I think no matter what you say here you are not going to sway anybody.

Building an apartment complex within walking distance of your high end home and trying to justifying it is like asking the neighborhood if it is ok to open a halfway house in their block. Nobody wants it no matter how you spin it. NIMB.

[usc619]

Originally Posted by ipuck

I usually like your comments on things as you bring some professional input into real estate/housing matters. However, I think no matter what you say here you are not going to sway anybody.

Building an apartment complex within walking distance of your high end home and trying to justifying it is like asking the neighborhood if it is ok to open a halfway house in their block. Nobody wants it no matter how you spin it. NIMB.

There's a bad thing called "Zoning" that would help alleviate nonsense like that, but for some reason folks are brainwashed into thinking it's a bad thing.....until it hits home "NIMBY" lol

[usc619]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

Why is my example flawed? I picked an upscale newer suburban complex.

It's flawed because you know good and well that you can't compare a SFH / MFH tax values from a urban area against a Suburban area.

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by usc619

There's a bad thing called "Zoning" that would help alleviate nonsense like that, but for some reason folks are brainwashed into thinking it's a bad thing.....until it hits home "NIMBY" lol

Zoning is bad. It's used unfairly to keep restrict property rights to keep out multifamily, townhomes, starter homes, Walmarts, etc. It's very California.

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by usc619

It's flawed because you know good and well that you can't compare a SFH / MFH tax values from a urban area against a Suburban area.

So, Woodlake is "urban" now? Where does "urban" stop and "suburban" begin? The Woodlands, Springwoods Village, Sugar Land Town Square, anyone?

[ipuck]

Originally Posted by usc619

There's a bad thing called "Zoning" that would help alleviate nonsense like that, but for some reason folks are brainwashed into thinking it's a bad thing.....until it hits home "NIMBY" lol

Unfortunately when zoning laws politics get involved. There is always some special interest group that don't like this or that and then common sense get thrown out the window.

I give you this example. They been trying to develop this land for 50 years and cannot due to politics and all the special interest group.

[usc619]

Originally Posted by LocalPlanner

Zoning is bad. It's used unfairly to keep restrict property rights to keep out multifamily, townhomes, starter homes, Walmarts, etc. It's very California.

^^^Case point^^^, lots of folks feel the same as you, then run to the nearest MPC, only to get mad when multifamily, Walmarts, and strip malls come knocking on their doorsteps lol

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by ipuck

Unfortunately when zoning laws politics get involved. There is always some special interest group that don't like this or that and then common sense get thrown out the window.

I give you this example. They been trying to develop this land for 50 years and cannot due to politics and all the special interest group.

It's undeniable that zoning is a huge corruption machine in many places.

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by usc619

^^^Case point^^^, lots of folks feel the same as you, then run to the nearest MPC, only to get mad when multifamily, Walmarts, and strip malls come knocking on their doorsteps lol

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

MPCs are privately constructed and maintained through deed restrictions and covenants. That's fine.

Zoning is government deciding it knows best regarding what should go where. That's wrong. The market can figure that out just fine, for the most part.

I'm supportive of government having design and performance standards for development. Just not dictating land use or density, outside of minimizing actual physical harm.

[usc619]

Originally Posted by ipuck

Unfortunately when zoning laws politics get involved. There is always some special interest group that don't like this or that and then common sense get thrown out the window.

I give you this example. They been trying to develop this land for 50 years and cannot due to politics and all the special interest group.

New York, like CA is a whole different animal, DFW or Sugarland would be a better example.