Lifespan of area communities (Houston, The Woodlands: crime, home, neighborhoods)

[fordlover]

Kind of makes me wonder what will be come of the starter home communites where the houses barely fit on the lot, and they are ~100K dollar homes to start with, and I can already see the neighborhood going down the drain after 3 to 4 years.

But no worries, there is an HOA that will protect values....

[SteveArmy]

Originally Posted by fordlover

starter home communites

those are the ones that has a short lifespan, like Alief and Sharpstown area. Houstonian were generally practical people a while back but many wanted 'upgraded' lifestyles these days.

[hsw]

All good points raised; an intriguing question from both a lifestyle and financial standpoint

Suspect need to look at where major high-income job centers are based (and this moves every 10-20yrs as cos. periodically move to newer suburban campuses for similar reasons of tech systems like computer networks, HVAC, energy efficiency, etc...and proximity to where highest-paid execs prefer to reside)

Schools...particularly strong public school dts convince more young families to buy an older house (if no new stuff is affordable or available) rather than going to an outlying newer suburb....but school dts decline over 10-20yr periods (as seen in many affluent suburbs across US; sometimes academics; sometimes physical risks of violent, non-education-oriented kids)...then, families may look for easy proximity to desired private schools

Hou housing prices/preferences are really driven by fortunes of energy industry as it's the global epicenter for industry...in terms of buyer incomes, upward income mobility in one's career and less of willingness to ever leave Hou....much like SiliconValley is world's tech epicenter and a lot of talented engineers will never leave SV in their careers; they may move cos. or start a new co. but will likely reside in same desirable suburbs

Phenomena seen in nearly every desirable suburb across US is that best land is generally occupied by a used house, so if land/location is truly desirable, buyers simply buy a used house for its land value; tear down the used house; and build what they want w/latest tech and build quality/amenities

Not sure that buying a starter house (if that's all one can afford early in career) ever makes financial sense vs renting until have greater career stability

Often smarter to wait to buy until have ability to afford a new house in a desirable area (as long-term shelter and a lifestyle choice, not an "investment")....location, location, location

[westres1]

Originally Posted by hsw

Not sure that buying a starter house (if that's all one can afford early in career) ever makes financial sense vs renting until have greater career stability

Often smarter to wait to buy until have ability to afford a new house in a desirable area (as long-term shelter and a lifestyle choice, not an "investment")....location, location, location

We made over 30grand on our starter home in Garden Oaks in 2 years. It had one bathroom,no dishwasher and three tiny closets. If we had it to sale now we would make over 150,000!
No suburban starter will perform that well. Esp. new construction starters.
ITA It is location,loction,location.

[AK123]

Originally Posted by DrLizardo

QV and FC are neighbors, but the concepts and execution were very different.

Gerald Hines envisioned FC in the 1940's while taking flying lessons and flying over what used to be the Frost Ranch. He wound up buying 7,500 acres in the early 1970's and started construction around 1976. Hines developed a "master plan" for the entire community, a collection of neighborhoods and retail space that was planned from the first day. In effect, Hines planned out a new city that eventually grew to 9,700 acres and more than 50,000 people.

Dr. Robinson started buying up land in Dewalt, an unincorporated community next to the Frost Ranch in the 1950's. Eventually, 750 acres of his land would become QV. He envisioned a golf-course community with large lots but had difficulty in selling the idea to any developers until 1969. Mac-Carey properties, the developer, planned a small collection of subdivisions around a golf course.

Hines controlled and planned every element within those 9,700 acres. FC didn't just dominate everything around it, (not that there was anything out there at the time) it created its own environment. And Hines' goal was to go after the cash cows, the upper middle class who were concerned about appearances and had the money to pay for it. So, he created a city in which all the details were planned to make the most by showing off landscaping, architecture and greenspaces. It's kind of the opposite of the plan for the Woodlands, stuff is shown off in FC and not hidden behind the trees.

FC's HOA has always been the corporate headquarters for the vision. There is some whining and complaining, but the fact remains that the vision has been well protected. Protect property values and enhance the image and amenities that upscale buyers. QV, whose amenities mostly consisted of the golf course, has a HOA that has, at times, seemed to be totally lacking in any vision at all. FC was created with the mindset of doing everything to attract young upwardly mobile families, the City of Sugar Land became imbued with that mindset and it's proven to be a success. It's a plan that has been copied by others very well.

FC created its own environment with that mindset, and when Sugar Land annexed FC the city government was taken over by that mindset. I call it the Kingdom of Sugar Land or the Emerald City. QV just doesn't have that much oomph in Missouri City government.

What you wound up with is QV is not master of it's own fate, doesn't create any real gravity outside of its immediate boundaries and is a poor competitor for power in city government. While FC and the rest of the Emerald City has its own gravity, it sucks in like-thinkers and the result is that that it's growing rapidly and its economy is booming.

Very informative info on FC!

The dynamics of how everything will work together in years to come is something I wonder about. You have FC, Sienna, Riverstone, Telfair, New Territory, Greatwood, Aliana etc. Then there are the little subdivisions not in one of the MPCs sandwiched in between these, that seem to do well by location alone (and schools.) I do wonder what will become of Riverpark, because apparently they are not happy at all with the school zoning situation there.

Regarding what you said about QV and city government -- I thought the long-time mayor of Missouri City and maybe a few other elected officials lived in QV?

[Watchful]

This is a very interesting and informative thread...thanks to all who have posted their thoughts.

[kittyhawk]

The changes in Quail Valley are 90% race related. As the quality of schools in far eastern Fort Bend County declined, upwardly mobile black families began to move from the Blue Ridge and and Ridgegate areas around W Fuqua and Chimney Rock into homes in QV where the better schools were. When this occurred, whites left the area over time (many moved to Sugar Land/FC) and the perception of QV has declined because of the more diverse popluation. It's the same pattern that has repeated itself in US suburbia many times. Heck, the area around W Fuqua and S Post Oak near Madison HS was lily white back in the 70s. Well, guess what? Black families started moving into the area from the east and the whites headed to Missouri City. You see the same patterns in Katy and Cypress except instead of whites running from blacks they are running from hispanics.

FC is not immune to this either. The transition is already beginning in some of the older areas.

[westres1]

White flight is over in Houston. The suburbs of this town are the most diverse of any I have seen. Many races living together without problems. Maybe this was the case in the 80's but you will not find people leaving SL,Katy or esp SCR because you have a black,indian,hispanic moving in next door. IMO

[usc619]

Originally Posted by kittyhawk

the changes in quail valley are 90% race related. as the quality of schools in far eastern fort bend county declined, upwardly mobile black families began to move from the blue ridge and and ridgegate areas around w fuqua and chimney rock into homes in qv where the better schools were. When this occurred, whites left the area over time (many moved to sugar land/fc) and the perception of qv has declined because of the more diverse popluation. It's the same pattern that has repeated itself in us suburbia many times. Heck, the area around w fuqua and s post oak near madison hs was lily white back in the 70s. Well, guess what? Black families started moving into the area from the east and the whites headed to missouri city. You see the same patterns in katy and cypress except instead of whites running from blacks they are running from hispanics.

Fc is not immune to this either. The transition is already beginning in some of the older areas.

bingo! +1

[kittyhawk]

Originally Posted by westres1

White flight is over in Houston. The suburbs of this town are the most diverse of any I have seen. Many races living together without problems. Maybe this was the case in the 80's but you will not find people leaving SL,Katy or esp SCR because you have a black,indian,hispanic moving in next door. IMO

Of course, I cannot disagree with you more. Yes, there are diverse suburbs but these are the areas in transition. In 5+ years these diverse areas usually become socioecomonically depressed with bad schools and high crime. Alief was once a "diverse" area where everyone lived together in harmony for a few years. The same can be said for areas of Aldine and Spring. Areas of Katy N of IH-10 and Cypress are well on their way to becoming economically depressed.

I think it all starts with the public schools. Once they become more diverse, young, upper middle class families with kids stop moving in. After that, the empty nesters either die off or move out--some may stick around. This is happening in the neighborhoods of FM-1960 now. One poster said that a strong HOA can prevent suburban decay. I think it can delay it but eventually the HOA stops caring when most residents don't comply. I've witnessed this personally many times.

A previous poster is correct--the saving grace for some neigborhoods is location and proximity to high paying corporate jobs. Spring Branch N of IH-10 is "gentrifying" because of this very reason. Any suburb that wants to prevent long-term decay needs to develop their own corporate base.