Something similar to First Colony/Sugar Land (Houston, The Woodlands: HOA, new home)

[Deesha]

Hi Everyone,

My husband and me currently live in First colony, Sugar Land. This was the start of my life in the USA as I had just moved from the UK. We love Sugar Land and first colony specifically.. And it worked well for us because he worked in Stafford at the time.
Unfortunately he works as a consultant now and is always traveling. If some days he's here his office is in the Woodlands with branches in Tomball and near West Little York.
We would like to be closer to the airport (bush intercontinental) and Tomball. We don't mind a 15-20 mile commute to either of these areas. To get to Woodlands or the airport now is 45-50 miles for us one way..
But we just love Sugar Land.
Here are a few things we love and hoping you'll can help us with suggestions of something similar up north.

1) The lovely oak trees - Mature and the for. Such a lovely canopy along the streets.
2) Neighborhoods have sidewalks and roads have medians and not those middle lanes to cut across.
3) Safety - Whether it's in a strip mall, supermarket or first colony mall parking lot, town centre, amc at the mall or even a walk around the neighborhood at 8:30 at night I feel safe.
4) The people - People take pride in their home big or small, trash bins locked away from sight after pick up, yards maintained, we can wash our cars or mow our lawn without people looking down on us because we don't have someone do it for us.
5) The look of Sugar Land is lovely with no billboards and like the traffic light poles rather than those messy wires hanging with traffic lights.
6) Schools - Ok so we don't live in the Clements zone which is the best but we are happy with our schools. If not the best still very good.
7) Tax Rates - reasonable tax rates (2.3 or something like that) and HOA of about 750.
8) Proximity - Galleria, westheimer road restaurants, downtown, rice village - for those weekend outings.

These are just a few. though they may seem silly to some people I guess these small things add up to make it a lovely place.

Our budget is about 300k. 2750 - 3200 sq ft. Grocery stores and freeway access within 4-5 miles.
I can't stress safety enough because am home alone when husband is traveling.
I would like to hear of places besides the woodlands. Although I know it's probably the closest to Sugar Land in terms of the place I just feel it's so cut off from everything else Houston has to offer.

Thanks everyone.

[Failed Engineer]

Why is your budget so low? Wouldn't you be selling your existing FC home? Even if you aren't zoned to Clements, the area is smoking hot right now.

[Deesha]

Hi Failed Engineer,

True that our home is way more than that. It's 3200 sq ft with a pool but if we can get something within 300k we will just have more disposable income/savings.

[bayoubengal1982]

Outside of The Woodlands and on the northside of Houston, Id say probably the closest thing to SL is going to be Kingwood. I dont know anything about their schools though.

[Deesha]

Thank you bayoubengal1982. I will look into Kingwood more seriously. Just read on these forums that it was so far from any shopping/malls and the area around wasn't great.

[xkrix]

There are a lot of communities east of I45 across from the woodlands. Check out Oakridge. We saw some of the new homes that Weekley was building in this area called "The Falls at xxxx" there is a lot of new construction going on here. The are has a lot of tall trees, though not as uniformly maintained as Sugarland or the Woodlands. With 99 coming up there, you will be close to 44, Hardy toll Rd and 99.

Just make sure that the community you pick is not going to be too close to 99. Legends Ranch, Benders Landing, Benders landing estates, Spring Trails are some community names that come to mind.

Cheers

[Deesha]

Thank you xkrix.. So is it safe to say East of I45 is not as bad as some people say? Any particular areas/schools we must avoid?
I will look at those communities you mentioned.

[Ashl10]

I don't know the area out there very well but I always tell people just go drive around one evening and you'll get a good feel of the neighborhood your thinking about moving to! I don't think you'll find anything like first colony though you can't beat those trees and being near everything in Sugar Land. I may be a little biased though

[SouthernBoy205]

I think it will be hard to find something like SL in the north. From my extensive tours of the metro, SL/Southwest and the north are very different areas. SL and the Southwest are more connected to Houston, are flatter, and have a coastal feel; in contrast, the north seems worlds away from Houston, has some SLIGHT elevations (gets higher the farther north you travel), has beautiful and lush pine trees and forests, seems to be more in touch with nature, and has more of southern feel.

Even though it's in the west, Katy is the only suburb that I've seen that's close to being another SL in feeling and appearance (maybe Mo City and Pearland). Spring, The Woodlands, Tomball, Conroe, Humble, etc. feel much different than SL. However, since you want to be close to the airport, I would say most of the northern suburbs would do, I guess.

[Deesha]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I think we must really consider the woodlands too based on what has been said , the part closer to tomball maybe so husband can be close to offices in woodlands (sawdust rd) and tomball.

Oh well there goes our modest budget if we need to consider the woodlands

SouthernBoy205 - we drove through Cinco Ranch/Seven Lakes/Grand Lakes one weekend but husband wasn't impressed. It wasn't bad but didn't love it to settle for a 50 mile or so commute to the airport.

We are actually open to older homes too which need some sprucing up.. He actually loves exposed beams and such.