Another Spring vs Katy Post (Houston, Sugar Land: sales, houses, job market)

[tucsonman]

Hello All,


I just spent last hour searching the forum and did learn quite a little bit but had a few more questions...so here goes:


New in Houston- Living right now over by Westchase, my work is right next door by Westheimer and the 8.


We have been hunting for a house that is not that old (2000 min), with a pool and choices seem to be limited anywhere but Spring. Saw a house in Katy we liked but it was gone within a day (someone overbid). That experience turned me off of Katy because of the likelihood of a bidding war over anything with a pool plus asking for 550+ for 2 decade old house that will need major touch-up simply doesn't sound worth it to me


We are looking at a house right now we like over in Spring/Senterra Lakes, beautiful neighborhood, only worries I have is the obvious commute and tolls, and herein lies my questions:


- Given the big companies I see that reside in the area (incl Woodlands)- how are the job prospects up there (I am in IT/Energy)
-Keep hearing about bad schools, but then I see that Klein ISD is good..so which is which...
-Drove up there and did see some areas off of the 249 that looked a little suspect (used tire shops every corner- not that there is anything wrong with the business, but in Phoenix where I came from- thats usually the first sign of the hood)..how is the zoning exactly up there? Now I did see the same picture in the newer parts of Katy/Cypress so not sure if its Spring negative
-How is the appreciation? Texas unfortunately hides prior sales so one cannot know without a realtor. I did see one house that went at 400k 5 years ago and went for 415 last month. No flooding and no defects as far as I can tell , was on the market for 2 days so probably no rush to sell. That appreciation rate kinda concerned me



I would like to add that we also looked at SugarLand (same age and pricing issue as Katy) and Pearland but these seem to be neighborhoods that anyone that needs to commute to where business districts are should avoid.


Thanks in advance, sorry for the long post

[Samiamj]

Highly recommend that you find a job before you locate a home. You don’t want to sit in traffic.

[NigerianNightmare]

Originally Posted by tucsonman

Hello All,


I just spent last hour searching the forum and did learn quite a little bit but had a few more questions...so here goes:


New in Houston- Living right now over by Westchase, my work is right next door by Westheimer and the 8.


We have been hunting for a house that is not that old (2000 min), with a pool and choices seem to be limited anywhere but Spring. Saw a house in Katy we liked but it was gone within a day (someone overbid). That experience turned me off of Katy because of the likelihood of a bidding war over anything with a pool plus asking for 550+ for 2 decade old house that will need major touch-up simply doesn't sound worth it to me


We are looking at a house right now we like over in Spring/Senterra Lakes, beautiful neighborhood, only worries I have is the obvious commute and tolls, and herein lies my questions:


- Given the big companies I see that reside in the area (incl Woodlands)- how are the job prospects up there (I am in IT/Energy)
-Keep hearing about bad schools, but then I see that Klein ISD is good..so which is which...
-Drove up there and did see some areas off of the 249 that looked a little suspect (used tire shops every corner- not that there is anything wrong with the business, but in Phoenix where I came from- thats usually the first sign of the hood)..how is the zoning exactly up there? Now I did see the same picture in the newer parts of Katy/Cypress so not sure if its Spring negative
-How is the appreciation? Texas unfortunately hides prior sales so one cannot know without a realtor. I did see one house that went at 400k 5 years ago and went for 415 last month. No flooding and no defects as far as I can tell , was on the market for 2 days so probably no rush to sell. That appreciation rate kinda concerned me



I would like to add that we also looked at SugarLand (same age and pricing issue as Katy) and Pearland but these seem to be neighborhoods that anyone that needs to commute to where business districts are should avoid.


Thanks in advance, sorry for the long post

I will say that the area often called Spring is very large and isn't definitive so parts of Spring, is in Spring ISD (Generally negative school wise), parts of Spring is in Klein ISD (more positive school wise) and a part of spring is in Conroe ISD (very positive school wise).

If Katy and Sugar Land is to in demand, try looking in between at Richmond, especially Northern Richmond. It's a short drive to Westchase and some of the schools aren't bad, it's more of a mixed bag. 77406 and to a lesser extent 77407 has some good desirable neighborhoods within your price range. The main issue being the schools their zoned too.

[tucsonman]

Originally Posted by Samiamj

Highly recommend that you find a job before you locate a home. You don’t want to sit in traffic.

I already have a job, in Westchase. My job market question was in regards to where industry is moving in general in the future..as in- is the Woodlands/Spring area gonna go in job growth.


At the moment , will be about 45 mins on the toll roads- not bad. Either way, any decent priced and comfortable will have me commute a little bit outside Westchase anyway. Katy only about 10 mins faster

[tucsonman]

Originally Posted by NigerianNightmare

I will say that the area often called Spring is very large and isn't definitive so parts of Spring, is in Spring ISD (Generally negative school wise), parts of Spring is in Klein ISD (more positive school wise) and a part of spring is in Conroe ISD (very positive school wise).

If Katy and Richmond is to in demand, try looking in between at Richmond, especially Northern Richmond. It's a short drive to Westchase and some of the schools aren't bad, it's more of a mixed bag. 77406 and to a lesser extent 77407 has some good desirable neighborhoods within your price range. The main issue being the schools their zoned too.

I am glad you brought up Richmond. I viewed a house there other day...a little bit older but realtor was raving about the potential appreciation because Amazon apparently is opening a Distribution Center there.


I just came from Phoenix, probably the warehouse capitol of the South, and usually DCs like Amazon decrease property values because of the traffic (those things churn out about a 1000 cars each end of shift). But that also means it will bring surrounding businesses to cater to those employees, meaning more developments.


I might take a second look thanks!

[SugLandDAd]

Over the last 20 years, with employers going bust, or with lay offs, I have commuted from Sugar Land to the Energy Corridor (40 mins), Sugar Land to the Galleria (40 mins), Sugar Land to Downtown (60mins) and Sugar Land to Westchase (30 mins).


Who knows what the future brings? for today, if your job is in Westchase, Sugar Land to Westchase is a fairly simple commute, shorter than from either Katy or Spring. I do that commute daily, 30 mins or so. I can't see, nor plan that far ahead, and taking a long commute to Spring now, on the idea that someday you might work closer seems not worth it.

I get what you say about wanting a newer home, but you might make exceptions for older homes with new roofs, and those that have had the major systems replaced, they aren't a bad bet. You also take less risk on an older established neighborhood.

[Redlionjr]

Originally Posted by tucsonman

- Given the big companies I see that reside in the area (incl Woodlands)- how are the job prospects up there (I am in IT/Energy)
-Keep hearing about bad schools, but then I see that Klein ISD is good..so which is which...
-Drove up there and did see some areas off of the 249 that looked a little suspect (used tire shops every corner- not that there is anything wrong with the business, but in Phoenix where I came from- thats usually the first sign of the hood)..how is the zoning exactly up there? Now I did see the same picture in the newer parts of Katy/Cypress so not sure if its Spring negative
-How is the appreciation? Texas unfortunately hides prior sales so one cannot know without a realtor. I did see one house that went at 400k 5 years ago and went for 415 last month. No flooding and no defects as far as I can tell , was on the market for 2 days so probably no rush to sell. That appreciation rate kinda concerned me



I would like to add that we also looked at SugarLand (same age and pricing issue as Katy) and Pearland but these seem to be neighborhoods that anyone that needs to commute to where business districts are should avoid.

-As far as the IT/Energy jobs I believe the bulk of those jobs are located close to where your at now. The Woodlands and now the new community of Springwood village(in between The Woodlands and Spring) has potential of bringing in IT/Energy jobs. Still not quite on the level of the Energy Corridor area.

-The lower rated schools in Spring are zoned to Spring ISD. The higher rated schools are zoned to Klein ISD. Spring is unincorporated as is Klein so some of Spring spills into the Klein area. Pretty much most schools east of I-45 is more than likely zoned to Spring ISD and west of 45 is Klein ISD.

-Rule of thumb, the areas off 249 that are more desirable would be North of FM 1960. South of 1960 going past Willowbrook mall is a crapshoot. I'm in that part of town often due to work or going to get my car worked on(cheaper) but not an area I'd move my Family to.

-Can't tell you about appreciation.

Hope this information was useful!

[Ghost Town]

Wondering how people on East Coast can survive with that housing stock mostly from 1960s or even earlier times...
California is not better too, there are lots of older houses in LA or SF. Only Texas has that abundance of new construction...

[nana053]

Originally Posted by Ghost Town

Wondering how people on East Coast can survive with that housing stock mostly from 1960s or even earlier times...
California is not better too, there are lots of older houses in LA or SF. Only Texas has that abundance of new construction...

LOL. Older homes on the east coast are much better constructed than the newer homes here. Sure there will be some problems on occasion, but mostly, we survive well.

[KerrTown]

Originally Posted by SugLandDAd

Who knows what the future brings? for today, if your job is in Westchase, Sugar Land to Westchase is a fairly simple commute, shorter than from either Katy or Spring.

Westchase is a straight shot from Katy, via Westheimer Pkwy/FM 1093. Sugar Land has the Alief grid standing in-between.

Katy is has the most business districts between it and Downtown Houston. The Energy Corridor, Westchase, Memorial City, Galleria, Greenway come before Downtown. Outside the western half of Houston, working Downtown is pretty much the only choice for a feasible commute.

Originally Posted by nana053

LOL. Older homes on the east coast are much better constructed than the newer homes here. Sure there will be some problems on occasion, but mostly, we survive well.

Encountering 2-prong only outlets are more likely outside of the Sunbelt. The modern 3-prong outlet was mandated in 1962, so with the overwhelming majority of Houston's growth occurring after that, that problem would only pop up in unrenovated older housing closer to the core.

Barring a major renovation (interiors being gutted to the studs), the coaxial TV cable and telephone/ethernet wiring are going to be post-construction additions that may not have been routed and terminated properly.