Best areas in the $125k-$199k range (Tomball: new home, buying)

[motorcycledoppelganger]

Originally Posted by jenfarm_

everything in that price range goes pretty quickly.

That's an understatement. We're shopping in the middle of this range right now. Anything that isn't a shack in an area with decent schools is getting multiple offers, way over asking, within a day or two. It's a bit disheartening, but luck has to be on our side eventually, right?

[jenfarm_]

Originally Posted by motorcycledoppelganger

That's an understatement. We're shopping in the middle of this range right now. Anything that isn't a shack in an area with decent schools is getting multiple offers, way over asking, within a day or two. It's a bit disheartening, but luck has to be on our side eventually, right?

No kidding... It's crazy.

[texas7]

Originally Posted by motorcycledoppelganger

That's an understatement. We're shopping in the middle of this range right now. Anything that isn't a shack in an area with decent schools is getting multiple offers, way over asking, within a day or two. It's a bit disheartening, but luck has to be on our side eventually, right?

This is the worst time. When everyone moves because kids are out of school. Houses go same day. You have to be prepared to offer right then and not leave to think about it. It will be like this April -- September and then it slows a bit.

[justme36]

Same here. We just lost a bidding war. People keep coming out of the woodwork paying cash and paying overprice to boot. The areas we are looking in, while nice, if I had 140,000 in cash I would be looking somewhere else..lol.

It's just so frustrating!!!

[Ghost Town]

Originally Posted by motorcycledoppelganger

That's an understatement. We're shopping in the middle of this range right now. Anything that isn't a shack in an area with decent schools is getting multiple offers

How decent (realistically) should be schools for the house considering this price range?
How many points out of 10?

[motorcycledoppelganger]

Originally Posted by justme36

Same here. We just lost a bidding war. People keep coming out of the woodwork paying cash and paying overprice to boot. The areas we are looking in, while nice, if I had 140,000 in cash I would be looking somewhere else..lol.

It's just so frustrating!!!

Right? I assume we're up against a lot of investors - and possibly each other

As far as schools - personally I'm looking for someplace at least as good as the one we're in now (I don't know about # out of 10, but on the school digger site we're in the 2200s,so, middling) and where we (white) are not hugely in the ethnic minority. I don't need an area that's 90% white or even 30% white. I like the diversity. But I also don't want the addition of my kids to double the school's white population, either

We're waaay out west though, so the good schools seem to go hand in hand with McMansions. It's either pricy new developments or doublewides, not a whole lot in the way of "starter homes" - hilarious, since this is going to be the 5th house we've owned

[RMESMH]

Originally Posted by texas7

When people move here, they are from all income brackets but it seems we mostly post areas in the 300-500k range. And people mostly say that the lower homes are in bad areas with high crime which isn't necessarily true in all cases. Thought I'd post this question to help those in that price range. You can find decent, older, working class neighborhoods scattered through the Houston area. Camino south in clear lake, pipers meadow in Webster, heritage park and annalea in friendswood, etc. what working class neighborhoods are decent and relatively safe in your area of town for those who need the price range?

Zip code 77386--The Montgomery County part of Spring (and the 77386 part of the City of Oak Ridge North). There are also two listings in the Grogan's Mill village of The Woodlands (77380) at 169k.


A company called Onboard Informatics compiles crime and other statistics for nearly every U.S. zip code that has residents (the city comparison screen on move.com uses their information). They rate the national average as 100. I use that as a good rule of thumb because one of my relatives lives in a zip in a medium size SF Bay Area city and the crime rating of their zip is 105. I would feel safe walking the streets in their zip (say walking a dog) at any time of the day or night. A lower number is better. Within the last 10 years, parts of New Orleans re some crimes have been rated at over 1400 (14 times the national average)............the overall crime rating for zip code 77386 is.....56...and all zips in The Woodlands (last time I looked) = between 40 and 50.


77386 is served by Conroe ISD, rather than Spring ISD. With the opening of Segment G of the Grand Parkway, 77386 is now served by both I-45 and the Grand Parkway. The Woodlands is on the oppose side of I-45 from 77386.


77386 Includes...Spring Hills, much of Imperial Oaks (rest of Imperial Oaks is in 77385), Bender's Landing, Lockeridge Farms, Legends Run, Rayford Ridge, Legends Ranch (Gated), another small community across Rayford Rd from Legends Ranch that I can't remember the name of...it is also gated, Creekside Village, Fox Run, Legends Trace, Aaron's Place (?), Spring Trails, Harmony, Woodson's Reserve (construction just starting on that whole community), and a few others I'm sure I'm leaving out.


There are currently 49 single family listings in 77386 between $124,900 and $200,000 on Redfin. I would avoid Fox Run, but only 9 of those 49 listings are in Fox Run....leaving 40. Conroe ISD has already purchased a portion of the land it needs to build another high school, which would be along or adjacent to the Grand Parkway.

[texas7]

Originally Posted by Ghost Town

How decent (realistically) should be schools for the house considering this price range?
How many points out of 10?

It really all depends on the area. Some lower prices homes are tied to good school districts.

[Ghost Town]

Originally Posted by texas7

It really all depends on the area. Some lower prices homes are tied to good school districts.

My school district is considered good (CyFair), but all schools I am zoned to are 5/10. Kind of crappy schools.

Right now I don't care much about the schools cause I don't have kids and this house is kind of temporary (I might move out of state for a new job soon). But since this school theme is so popular I am just trying to figure out what is considered desirable in terms of schools. I might need that in a future.

I know many people are looking only for 9/10 and 10/10 schools. I am not sure how big is a quality difference between 5/10 and 10/10 schools.

Is it like 10-year old Ford Focus vs. brand new Bentley Continental? 5/10 - does it mean that this is totally crime and drug-ridden school and most kids at the age of 15 are addicted to heroin and illegally carry firearms?

I am asking this because I never went to school in the US. In my school we never had any racial issues (all 100% white) and never had any violent crime/gangs or drug problems. Here in the US it is a lot more complicated.

[trbstang]

There are still a lot of homes in my area (77064, 77040) under $200K and I would say a good portion of them are in a good school area. The schools are rated in the top half of the schools in Cy-Fair, which I would say are from about a 6 to an 8 or 9 on a 1-10 scale. (Jersey Village HS, Cook MS, Gleason, Bang, Post Elementary) The problem is the houses do go fast. If anyone has questions about the area, certainly message me.