Moving to Houston: empty nesters (Sugar Land, Katy: homes, buy, school districts)

[corday]

Hi,
We expect/hope to move to Houston sometime this summer. our children are grown up and so schools while not a priority might be good to consider for resale purposes
What are some good gated communities in the Sugarland and Katy areas? somewhere with a wooded or water view.
I am a nurse practitioner...what would be good starting points for job searches in the Katy/Sugarland area if one were to not want too long of a commute... (work as a FNP /Diabetic educator)

[TallGreengrass]

Is there a reason why you’re looking at SL and Katy? I think most would advise finding a job first and then choosing an area close to it. Houston is big and traffic is bad.

[corday]

We are only about 5 years away from retirement and this will likely be our “ aging in place” home so wanted it in a quieter suburban place for keeps... hoping to find a nearby workplace for me as hubby will likely continue to work from home

[Failed Engineer]

If you definitely want a gated community there aren't a whole lot in Sugar Land. There are the Avalon at Riverstone ones and Cypress on the Green in First Colony. The good news is you'll find water in the Avalon communities and golf views in Cypress on the Green.

There are a couple off of Highway 6 going north past Imperial that I'm not familiar with. There is also at least one off 1464 which are Richmond addresses but close to Sugar Land.

There are more in Katy than Sugar Land but someone better versed in Katy can chime in. Avalon at Seven Meadows is one of them.

[texas7]

Not sure where you are coming from or how familiar you are with our property taxes but as an FYI, if you are nearing retirement age — the over 65 tax exception is so much better in Harris County than the surrounding counties. Taxes are super for over 65 in Harris County.

[corday]

Thank you for that insight texas7....
I understand Katy is in Harris county but is it true that they have higher property taxes ... or does it drop for the over 65? We are 6-7 years from retirement currently

[texas7]

Property taxes in texas offer an additional over 65 exemption. Harris county gives a significant exemption. Now if you have a disabled exemption, you can’t have both the over 65 and the disabled. You can only have homestead and one other tax exemption.

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by corday

Thank you for that insight texas7....
I understand Katy is in Harris county but is it true that they have higher property taxes ... or does it drop for the over 65? We are 6-7 years from retirement currently

Only part of Katy is in Harris County. Other parts are in Fort Bend and Waller counties.

[SugLandDAd]

You need to be careful... some of these exemptions simply freeze the amount of tax paid, so they can not rise in subsequent years. If the taxes are high when you buy your home, they will remain high, they just wont go higher.




https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/...sabled-faq.php



What homestead exemptions are available to persons age 65 or older or disabled?
There are several types of exemptions you may receive.

• School district taxes: All residence homestead owners are allowed a $25,000 homestead exemption from their home's value for school district taxes.
• County taxes: If a county collects a special tax for farm-to-market roads or flood control, a residence homestead owner is allowed a $3,000 exemption for this tax. If the county grants an optional exemption for homeowners age 65 or older or disabled, the owners will receive only the local-option exemption.
• Age 65 or older and disabled exemptions: Individuals age 65 or older or disabled residence homestead owners qualify for a $10,000 homestead exemption for school district taxes, in addition to the $25,000 exemption for all homeowners. If the owner qualifies for both the $10,000 exemption for age 65 or older homeowners and the $10,000 exemption for disabled homeowners, the owner must choose one or the other for school district taxes. The owner cannot receive both exemptions.
• Optional percentage exemptions: Any taxing unit, including a city, county, school or special district, may offer an exemption of up to 20 percent of a residence homestead's value. No matter what the percentage is, the amount of an optional exemption cannot be less than $5,000. Each taxing unit decides if it will offer the exemption and at what percentage. This percentage exemption is added to any other homestead exemption under Tax Code Section 11.13 for which an owner qualifies. The taxing unit must decide before July 1 of the tax year to offer this exemption.
• Optional age 65 or older or disabled exemptions: Any taxing unit may offer an additional homestead exemption amount of at least $3,000 for taxpayers age 65 or older or disabled.

[texas7]

For Harris county: Over-65 Homeowners
A person who is 65 or older may receive additional exemptions. You are eligible for these exemptions as soon as you turn 65; you don’t need to be 65 as of the first of the year to apply. School districts automatically grant an additional $10,000 exemption for qualified persons who are 65 or older. An additional advantage of the over-65 exemption is the school tax ceiling. Once you qualify, your school taxes will not increase unless you make improvements to the home. Cities, the county, and other taxing units may, but are not required to, offer over-65 homestead exemptions of at least $3,000 and sometimes much more. Call the Harris County Appraisal District at the numbers listed on the contact page to determine what taxing units in which your home is located offer an over-65 homestead exemption. You can also find this information on our website by going to the page for your account and clicking the blue word “Jurisdictions” in the heading of the table of jurisdictions. We also can send you a pamphlet on disability exemptions.