Builders in Houston and San Antonio (The Woodlands, New Braunfels: hardwood floors, real estate, HOA) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

coldswan · 12-31-2008, 04:48 PM

Please don't take offense to this question as it is a general observation from someone searching real estate sites online. Why do the houses pictured on Har.com for the Houston area seem so much nicer inside than the homes for San Antonio in the same price range? Architecturally the homes seem so much more appealing and you get a pool! Does anyone know why this is or do you have to pay much more in San Antonio to get the same type of house? I don't mean new construction builders-these are homes in established areas. Thanks in advance for any insight.

firstclassflyer · 12-31-2008, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coldswan

Please don't take offense to this question as it is a general observation from someone searching real estate sites online. Why do the houses pictured on Har.com for the Houston area seem so much nicer inside than the homes for San Antonio in the same price range? Architecturally the homes seem so much more appealing and you get a pool! Does anyone know why this is or do you have to pay much more in San Antonio to get the same type of house? I don't mean new construction builders-these are homes in established areas. Thanks in advance for any insight.

A lot of it is location. depends a lot on where the homes are located. The pool is overrated. Sometimes can be tougher to sell the home with a pool and most folks have pool access via HOA anyway. Sea World, Six Flags and Schlitterbahn are all close and have fantastic pools as well.
Maybe the homes that you are looking at in Houston are in a less desirable area as far as commute, schools etc...than the ones in San Antonio?

coldswan · 12-31-2008, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by firstclassflyer

A lot of it is location. depends a lot on where the homes are located. The pool is overrated. Sometimes can be tougher to sell the home with a pool and most folks have pool access via HOA anyway. Sea World, Six Flags and Schlitterbahn are all close and have fantastic pools as well.
Maybe the homes that you are looking at in Houston are in a less desirable area as far as commute, schools etc...than the ones in San Antonio?

I am referring to homes in the Woodlands (considered a very nice area) where you can get a home for less than 250K. I should be more specific but I mean things like hardwood floors and not builder grade cabinetry, arched doorways,etc.

kevcrawford · 12-31-2008, 05:34 PM

Without seeing specific examples, it's really hard to know. You may be comparing two completely different types of areas, etc. That's a pretty broad generalization to really be able to explain. Too many variables.

firstclassflyer · 12-31-2008, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevcrawford

Without seeing specific examples, it's really hard to know. You may be comparing two completely different types of areas, etc. That's a pretty broad generalization to really be able to explain. Too many variables.

That's what I was getting at..thanks Kev.

dweej · 12-31-2008, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coldswan

I am referring to homes in the Woodlands (considered a very nice area) where you can get a home for less than 250K. I should be more specific but I mean things like hardwood floors and not builder grade cabinetry, arched doorways,etc.

The Woodlands is very nice, but it's also over 30 miles from downtown Houston, so a lot of people's commute will be very long and taking advantage of historic/cultural opportunities is going to be more of a challenge. Similar homes in SA, even outside of 1604 ("far" from downtown), are still going to be frequently less than 20 miles from city center. Shorter commutes, easier access to airport/zoo/museums etc. Proximity to the metro center affects price a lot.

ashbeeigh · 12-31-2008, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dweej

The Woodlands is very nice, but it's also over 30 miles from downtown Houston, so a lot of people's commute will be very long and taking advantage of historic/cultural opportunities is going to be more of a challenge. Similar homes in SA, even outside of 1604 ("far" from downtown), are still going to be frequently less than 20 miles from city center. Shorter commutes, easier access to airport/zoo/museums etc. Proximity to the metro center affects price a lot.

True. To get an accurate comparison the OP should probably be looking at locations like Boerne, New Braunfels, Canyon Lake, etc. In those areas the price will well be over 250k, depending on the size and age of the home. And they may have the ever desirable pool.

coldswan · 12-31-2008, 10:21 PM

Ok, I am obviously not making myself clear. If you go on to Har.com and look at almost any home around the 250K mark you will notice that the buiding quality- the details shall we say are so much nicer than homes I have been looking at in NEISD or NISD. Is it because they are built so fast and so many they just don't care about quality or is that only available in San Antonio on a custom home. Look up Har.com and look at the brick homes,etc. They just seem to be nicer! Hmmm?

dweej · 12-31-2008, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coldswan

Ok, I am obviously not making myself clear. If you go on to Har.com and look at almost any home around the 250K mark you will notice that the buiding quality- the details shall we say are so much nicer than homes I have been looking at in NEISD or NISD. Is it because they are built so fast and so many they just don't care about quality or is that only available in San Antonio on a custom home. Look up Har.com and look at the brick homes,etc. They just seem to be nicer! Hmmm?

Yes, the $250K homes closer to the city center in SA will not be as "fancy" as the $250K homes farther from the city center in Houston because the ones in SA are.....wait for it...*closer to the city center*, thus more desirable in terms of location. As I'm sure you know, location plays a bigger factor in real estate than upgrades any day. If you find homes in both Houston and SA metro areas the same distance from the city center, zoned for desirable schools with similar square footage and lot size, you'll actually find the SA homes more affordable an/or in more desirable neighborhoods. I think if you start with a price range with no attention paid to location, commute time, etc, you're not comparing apples to apples. It's just another way that Houston and SA differ (aside from all the obvious ways, of course!)...you go farther out to get in a preferred neighborhood in Houston, but then you have lots of fancy upgrades, or you stay closer to all that the city has to offer and maintain a short commute in SA and do the upgrades yourself. I'll take the location any day.

kevcrawford · 01-01-2009, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coldswan

Ok, I am obviously not making myself clear. If you go on to Har.com and look at almost any home around the 250K mark you will notice that the buiding quality- the details shall we say are so much nicer than homes I have been looking at in NEISD or NISD. Is it because they are built so fast and so many they just don't care about quality or is that only available in San Antonio on a custom home. Look up Har.com and look at the brick homes,etc. They just seem to be nicer! Hmmm?

You're still comparing apples to oranges. If you're going strictly by a few online pics, you cannot tell anything about the homes.

There are good and bad builders in every city. It's too difficult to go online and look at a few pics and then get a good idea of the quality, city, etc.