moving to Houston area/ for NASA. where shd i buy a house (Center: HOA, condo)

[Texas Ag 93]

Originally Posted by jinhou

so i am single and like to go to bars, theater , concerts etc.. i will also want a circle of new diverse friends..
so eado or mid town looks good for a condo, just the evening drive back scares me. when will the clearlake construction on i45 finish, and how much will it cut down the travel? thanks y'all!!

Never......kidding (not kidding). They actually just did a big lane shift a week or two ago, which I think added a lane. There are alternatives to driving on I-45. You can take Hwy 3 parallel to I-45 to avoid certain bottleneck areas (but there are lots of traffic lights). You can go East and take Hwy 146 to 225 through Pasadena and then onto the Loop. But, often these alternatives end up being more trouble than they're worth.

I still think your best bet is Midtown or EaDo, as you indicate above. That is your demographic. I love it out here in Clear Lake, but it's quiet and not much going on for a guy like you. Live in the city and endure the evening commute. OTOH, if you live near NASA, M-F is simple and easy, and you only have to endure the traffic going into town on weekends.

[aero100]

I-45 northbound hasn't opened up all the lanes yet for the evening, but it is *imminent* (the lane shift a few weeks ago was for southbound, which is gloriously wide right now south of the Beltway).

The construction being finished will probably drop 5-10 minutes from the evening commute, probably taking it to the levels I remember in ~2005 where it took 40 minutes or so to get to Midtown or the ballpark from JSC.

To the OP - to live in the city (which clearly is for you if you are looking for bars, concerts, etc.) is going to be an extra 25 minutes on the road in the evenings opposed to living in Clear Lake. Honestly - you are single. You have lots and lots of time (you won't realize this until you have a couple of kids...). Enjoy your singleness and save living in Clear Lake for after you get married to someone you meet in town (because it is an excellent place to live).

[shanv3]

Originally Posted by jinhou

so i am single and like to go to bars, theater , concerts etc.. i will also want a circle of new diverse friends..
so eado or mid town looks good for a condo, just the evening drive back scares me. when will the clearlake construction on i45 finish, and how much will it cut down the travel? thanks y'all!!

I ve been driving there since Jan 2016, it has still not ended. Adding to the woes, some speeding idiots who crash daily and jam the entire highway.

I even tried TX-3 , but there are around 25 lights from exit 16 to the 610 loop.

[houstonview]

buy a condo in clearlake area in CCISD, great investment, live close to work, schools are great, ton of stuff to do in clearlake, alot of restraunts a bars now right next to mall, top golf, close to galveston to go to beach etc.

I moved to the bayarea use to live in clearlake and LOVED it there, only thing you will be missing from houston is more clubs, bars and being close to sporting events, but you can always drive to them.

[JTE1969]

When I worked for NASA in Clearlake I lived in Medical Center. About a 30 to 40 minute drive everyday [one way]!

[jinhou]

So i finally moved, rented in midtown, survived Harvey, still in love with the city and the food/people ! , and am now looking to buy property to live in for 3 to 4 years then rent or sell. Still work in NASA/clearlake. Driving to work is no problem as advised, driving back can be a nightmare on few days, especially if some speeding idiot has a crash> on doing the online search, only places i could find worth moving into was astrodome area (by 610) and mcgregor, just east of 288. Are these areas safe to live in and then good investment to rent out.
- condo fees are exorbidant around here !
- I really dont want a third floor master bedroom, too much cardio.
- budget 250 to 400k, 3 bedroom

any thoughts?!

Thanks!!

[lotophage]

Originally Posted by jinhou

. . . only places i could find worth moving into was astrodome area (by 610) and mcgregor, just east of 288. Are these areas safe to live in and then good investment to rent out.

I don't think either area is really unsafe, but I think the common perception will be that the stadium area is a little safer than east of 288. East of 288 has less visual blight and is more centrally located. It's also closer to the park and cultural amenities. Stadium area has more nearby shopping and restaurants -- way more. Personally I'd rather live along MacGregor, but I think a 3 bedroom may be easier to rent out to families in the stadium area. The schools in the area range from elite to undesirable so study the school maps carefully, those will make a big difference for renting a 3 bedroom.

[DaveGl]

Originally Posted by jinhou

So i finally moved, rented in midtown, survived Harvey, still in love with the city and the food/people ! , and am now looking to buy property to live in for 3 to 4 years then rent or sell. Still work in NASA/clearlake. Driving to work is no problem as advised, driving back can be a nightmare on few days, especially if some speeding idiot has a crash> on doing the online search, only places i could find worth moving into was astrodome area (by 610) and mcgregor, just east of 288. Are these areas safe to live in and then good investment to rent out.
- condo fees are exorbidant around here !
- I really dont want a third floor master bedroom, too much cardio.
- budget 250 to 400k, 3 bedroom

any thoughts?!

Thanks!!

It sounds like you still want to be inside the loop but, all things considered, you may find you're spending more time going to-and-from work at the center, with a few jaunts to inside the loop. A good compromise is the area around the new Reserve at Clear Lake. Your budget may rule out anything actually at The Reserve but you can find an older 3-4 bedroom one story house in Pine Brook for your budget. Well-built homes, right next to The Reserve, next to Bay Oaks, and you can walk to the new HEB development, and they recently opened a connecting street off of Eldorado, within The Reserve, that makes it easier to get to Beltway 8, via Space Center Blvd. You can then take Beltway 8, toll free to I-45, and then downtown. A very nice little area, sidewalks and trees, with a lot of NASA folks, plus a diverse population, with some working downtown. The really nice thing for you is the location is about a 15 minute trip to the back gate of JSC and you still have reasonable non-rush hour access to a location like Midtown.

You have a number of options, so just carefully consider what is most important to you.

[jinhou]

What is the deal with buying a condo in side the loop ?! they seem affordable till you see the HOA fees, crazy high ! who is buying these places.. SMH.
eg: nice 2 bedroom condo for 185, with monthly fee of 1750 for HOA (" but it includes electric and trash :/ " )

what are the thoughts on buying a house from 1998 or 2003, do they hold there retail value, it seems those are the only once which are 2 stories now a days.

[pc50]

The reserve at Clear Lake just opened some new homes near Space Center that start in the $320s.