My husband and I are thinking of looking for a house in Nottingham Country out in Katy. The most we are looking to pay is $200,000. Anybody have anything to say about this neighborhood?

If given the choice (husband works in town and I work in Katy) would you try to live in Katy and have hubby commute or live in town (think Spring Branch) and have me commute?? Any thoughts?

Is it possible to find something in Spring Branch for 200K?

Yes, you can find lots of houses in that price range in Spring Branch. They are smaller and older, but can still be found in nice, safe neighborhoods. Just a question of surrounding area, appreciation, schools....those sorts of things.

I work at a bank in Katy and have a friend who lives in Nottingham Country. They have 3 small kids and love it. Trees are mature and it's easy to get to IH10 from there. For what that's worth.

My parents have lived in NC for 10 yrs and love. Easy to find a nice-sized 2-story for 150K but it might be a little older (20 yrs).

Ironically, isnt there a subdivision/neighborhood called Nottingham in Spring Branch or is Htine geography all jacked?

granted it would be VERY hard to find a home in Nottingham in Houston for 200,000, it just seems funny to me.

[This message has been edited by FtBendTxAg (edited 2/4/2008 12:38a).]

it's not really ironic. there's a nottingham forest off of memorial and dairy ashford and a nottingham country in katy. they were both developed by vincent kickerillo.

i grew up in the katy nottingham country. not a bad neighborhood. it looks a lot better now that the trees are mature. the schools are generally good. it was nottingham country elementary or pattison for grade school....memorial parkway for middle school and taylor for high school.

one caveat...my folks barely broke even when they sold the place (after 15 years no less) so don't expect much appreciation. i don't know if that's improved or not since then...but i doubt it as there's a lot of inventory out there.

good luck with your search!

Yeah, appreciation is one concern I have. To be able to get so much house for so little is always a little concerning. I also noticed that some of them have already been updated but are still not raising in value too much. Do you think this is because people would rather just drive out a little more and go to Cinco?

My parents bought in Nottingham in 1989 for $175,000 and sold in 2000 and they sold their house for $240,000, so they made good profit. In addition my wife and I looked in Nottingham and it was tough to find a "decent" house for under $200,000. I am not saying that it is impossible, just saying that anything that was below $200,000 that we saw needed work.

hth

yall should look towards the spring branch area. his commute will be better, and yours will be backwards. more to do, and greater chance for appreciation.

I hate it because everyone (contractors- most from Katy area) thinks Nottingham Country when I say my suddivision Nottingham.

We just went and looked at a house off of Gessner and Hammerly. It is 2400 square feet and they are asking $179,000. I realize the surrounding area is pretty shady, but the neighborhood itself (Royal Oaks) is really pretty and seems well kept. Any thoughts?

you are correct, the area is shady. roll the dice.......

Personally I wouldn't even think about living at Gessner and Hammerly. My dad coached at Spring Woods and has some good stories about the area around the school

You'll get a lot more house for the money in Katy than in Spring Branch, but that is a hell of a commute. As diggity said, we grew up out there and our dad did it every day for years. They live in town now and love it.

The area of spring branch you're talking about is not much better though; the neighborhood is not nearly as nice as Nottingham Country and the commute still kind of sucks (have to come all the way south to ten or at least Longpoint, then go all the way in.

I'd probably go NC over that part of spring branch.

Yeah, that is pretty much what I was thinking too. With all other things equal, it is just clearly safer out in Katy. Not to mention the surrounding area is nicer and much more well kept than Gessner! Thanks for the advice!

Move to Spring Valley/Spring Branch...much better than Katy...easier commute in the mornings for you to drive to katy b/c you're going against traffic and easier for your hubbie b/c he's already in town......also "appretiation" is MUCH greater in Spring Branch/Valley b/c the homes are not all cookie cutters like that in Nottigham. Just my EXPERT 2cents..

SV is out of their price range, TAMUAGGIES.

It's hard to get in under $400K - and that's for a small house.

[This message has been edited by Ducks4Brkfast (edited 2/5/2008 9:42a).]

tell us how you really feel Ducks.

Big difference between Spring Branch and Spring Valley (really Campbell and east towards town)- and Ducks is right, SV is really expensive for not a lot of house.

If you're looking 200K range, I would go Katy over Spring Branch; there's nothing in that range in SV.

BTW TAMU- appreciation in Spring Valley has very little to with the types of houses and much more to do with the dirt underneath them.

The houses in Katy/NC are actually much less cookie cutter than houses in Spring Branch/SV, which were all built in the 60's and 70's and based on 3-4 recurring floor plans. The houses in Katy, and specifically Nottingham, were built in the 80's and 90's and have much more diverse floor plans.

The problem with NC in terms of appreciation is the distance from town, and the fact that you have newer homes going up all the time in that area that have more of the modern features and upgrades, etc.

Well it would appear that most say to go out to Katy. What about the commute? Anybody make the drive from Katy to the Galleria area?

After 7am, it is not fun unless you are able to take the HOV

Have lived in Nottingham Country 10 yrs. All of the above is true - mature trees - and great value in custome homes. The commute is rough but better than anything on 59 or 290 - and is getting better with every little bit of completed I-10 construction. As for specific houses - my wife and her friends make a sport out of going to every open house and see every house that is for sale - probably been in 80% of the houses in NC. Let me know if you want specific info . rsmith@ricksmith88.com

Thanks rsmith, I will jot down your email and be in touch! I assumed the commute would stink pretty bad until at least some more of 10 is completed. But I think we have officially knocked Spring Branch off the possibility list. Now to just narrow it down in Katy. Thanks for all the help!

I grew up in Nottingham Country (1990 until I graduated from HS in 02)....went to NCE, MPJH, and Taylor. I really liked the area as a kid, and my folks still live there now and don't plan on moving. If I worked in the area I would look at Cinco, but NC is certainly a nice area. The trees are my favorite part of the neighborhood though....especially the the area off Fry Road before you get to Kingsland.