Need advice on Thornwood in Houston - Especially Section2 (Katy: apartments, insurance)

[ShirleyFairlawn]

My husband and I are seriously considering moving to Thornwood section 2, 77079. We have found a house we love that has the large lot we want and most of everything on our wish list. We love the styles of homes in the neighborhood and the mature trees and the quick access to the highway. We don't have children so school districts are not important to us except for perhaps when considering resale value. Our biggest concern is that so many houses are on the market in that neighborhood and most of the homes are uninhabited. We are aware of the flooding during Harvey due to the reservoir release and the very unfortunate outcome so we are know that that has undoubtedly something to do with it but we are wondering if there are things we aren't considering or are overlooking that are causing Thornwood to be so desolate 2 years later. Any insight would be appreciated. Thank you!

[Housportsfan]

I think you’ve identified the primary reason. I live closer in but work in that area. It was not desolate before the flood. That part of Thornwood is zoned to Katy. My guess is that folks that were priced out of west memorial on the SBISD side can get into some of those homes now. Fleetwood is larger, so perhaps people that want that area are going to fleetwood first?

[gwarnecke]

Even before Hurricane Harvey, Thornwood 2 was considered somewhat less desirable than the surrounding neighborhoods:

-Zoned to KISD, which is considered less desirable than SBISD for some (even though the KISD middle and high school are rated much higher than their SBISD counterparts).
-Of the KISD neighborhoods (Thornwood 2, Fleetwood, and Barkers Landing), Thornwood 2 has the smallest and oldest homes (1960s-early 1970s vs 1970s-early 1990s in Fleetwood and Barkers Landing).
-Also, Thornwood is relatively far from Wolfe elementary, whereas Barkers Landing and the northern part of Fleetwood are walking distance.
-Thornwood is bordered by high-voltage powerlines to the west, huge parking garages to the east, and apartments to the north. Of course, this isn't really an issue if you're looking at an interior lot.
-Part of Thornwood 2 (the SW corner, I believe) experienced flooding in the 2016 Tax Day flood.
-Awkward neighborhood access - the east entrance to the neighborhood is almost always blocked by Memorial Drive traffic stopped at the Memorial/Eldridge light.

After Harvey, investors/flippers swarmed the Energy Corridor neighborhoods, but for whatever reason they seemed to hit Thornwood particularly hard. There were two or three investors who each bought a bunch of homes, hired crews to quickly redo them, and flushed them onto the market all at once. Fleetwood also saw a lot of flips, but so far dozens of these have already sold vs a handful in Thornwood 2. Fleetwood is coming back nicely, with lots of young families moving to the neighborhood. A relatively small number of homes in Barkers Landing flooded, and by now nearly all have been rebuilt. I'd pick Fleetwood or Barkers Landing over Thornwood 2 unless you could get a really good deal on the Thornwood house.

[ShirleyFairlawn]

Thank you for the great info. I will take a look at Fleetwood and Barkers Landing. We did notice the apartments in Thornwood 2 and therefore are considering interior lots verses the ones that back up to the apartments. We have been by at various times and it seems family friendly and very nice. The Memorial Drive traffic does seem to be an issue. Overall I have been very pleased with what I have seen and since we aren't concerned about schools it may be just right for us. Appreciate the input.

[Jtxg]

Just curious - since you know about the release of water and flooding....why would you still want to buy a house where you know with certainty that a similar outcome is possible in the future?

[ShirleyFairlawn]

Jtxg, that is a very valid question and initially we were very hesitant to even consider a home that flooded, however, after much consideration, we feel there is a difference between homes that flood frequently and those that flooded due to the release of the reservoir. While is true that a similar event could happen in the future, we feel the chances are slim. We would of course purchase flood insurance knowing this could happen again but feel that keeping an open mind to these homes also helps Houston rebuild. These neighborhoods are beautiful and convenient, and it is an opportunity to purchase a completely redone older home with charm turnkey at reasonable prices. We do hate that it is of course due to the misfortune of so many, but if these neighborhoods can thrive again it can only help Houston.