Why are the houses so inexpensive? (Houston, Conroe: sales, rent, low crime)

[*~Kim~*]

We currently rent in MA and want to buy a home in a few years. We were thinking of staying in MA or moving to CT, but the homes are AT LEAST 250K for something decent (3bd 2ba 1500sq ft) and I don't think we'd really be able to afford that. So I started looking further south. In FL the homes are really cheap, but I found that a lot of the schools aren't that great, crime is on the higher side and the salaries are incredibly low (sorry to generalize). But looking at the Houston TX area (we are looking around Conroe or Spring specifically), schools seem to be pretty good, crime about average and the salaries seem to be about the same as our current area in MA (maybe 1-2K less a year).
My husband says there has to be a catch So what is it? The only things I could think of are tornados, hurricanes, floods (how common are these though?) and super humid long summers. Is that why?

[rigas]

well we dont have a state income tax either but property taxes and sales tax are higher then other places. really the total cost of living is pretty reasonable in most of texas. there are the occasional hurricanes, and a little flooding (mostly with heavy storms) humidity is rough and the summers are HOT.

[LizzySWW]

Homes are cheap out there because of the location to Houston. Very far commute = cheaper house.

[SteveArmy]

The catch is the house is in Houston. Thats not a bad thing for most

[rigas]

something i failed to mention,
homes are inexpensive because materials are more readily available, labor is cheaper, the market is not completely over inflated due to unions. texas has fought off unions and the result is a more reasonable economy and a lower cost of living.

[modster]

I'm ready for my hot summer about now.
Houses in the suburbs with an hour commute into town can be priced very reasonably. Houston is flat and open and there aren't any real natural boundaries to hem in growth so there is always room for expansion and supply more than keeps up with demand.
There is the property tax issue, which is partly offset by no state income tax, but heavy emphasis on "partly."
The areas with good schools and a 30 minute commute to the major employment centers can get at least as expensive as what you describe ($250k min - 1500 sq ft).
In some locations, such as those areas of Spring zoned to Spring school district vs say, Klein or Conroe, you have far less popular schools and the prices reflect the stagnation of many of those areas as people move to the next ring of development. Some of these areas prices trail the master planned communities like the Woodlands due to the junky strip centers and signage clutter that can line the main roads. These things are not prevalent in the MPC's due to sign controls, etc.
These farther out areas do offer nice homes, low crime, usually good schools and all of that for a very reasonable price. Why they are cheaper than a lot of areas in Houston is due to brutal commutes.
That said, please be aware people lie like rugs on here about how long it takes to get into town. "Oh it just takes 20 minutes from my new subdivision, the Oaks of Tuscan Ranch Falls Land, to get downtown." Don't believe it.

[Houston321]

Because property taxes are so high. You are used to paying 1% there in MA. Get ready for 3% here in Houston.

[chris_ut]

Lots of cheap land in every direction. Built up areas in the center can be very expensive.

[vicket]

We also found (coming from the northeast) that the quality of home construction is quite a bit lower. I was surprised at how differently the houses are built. But- maybe you don't need such solid construction without a foot of snow on your roof...

[tdhg566]

Originally Posted by *~Kim~*

...The only things I could think of are tornados, hurricanes, floods (how common are these though?) and super humid long summers. Is that why?

Almost everything about your move can be researched statistically and from afar except two things: commute times and humid summers. Those you need to experience personally. Even people from other parts of Texas may not appreciate these factors. Do yourself a favor and TEST DRIVE any commute you think you might have, both ways, at the worst time and ideally in bad weather. Note DOOR TO DOOR times, not just freeway times (some subdivisions can take a long time to enter and exit). Note the location of the sun (e.g. people West of Houston working downtown drive into the sun in the morning and afternoon both). Also, visit in August. Stay a few days. Take a few walks outside. Make sure you're ready to change out your wardrobe for much lighter materials, and that you don't mind dripping sweat that evaporates quickly once you get inside. Make sure any car you bring has A/C.

And be ready for a completely different political persuasion than you're likely to find in the NE. This is the Republic of Texas, after all