My wife and are trying to decide who to go with. Lennar is building on Slate Mountain Dr. on the north side of Deussen Pkwy. Meritage is building in the Pine Grove subdivision of Fall Creek towards the back. Both areas seem nice and fit into our budget. If you know of any pros and cons of the builders or the areas in which they are building please post them here. Thanks!

I would go with Meritage in Fall Creek. I think Meritage puts out a better product than Lennar and I wouldn't want to be in Summerwood. I dont know much about Fall Creek, though, other than location

Shoot me an email and I can give you my opinion on pine grove. Email is in profile.

I agree with Meritage putting a better product out than Lennar but am curious as to why one would say "I wouldn't want to be in Summerwood."

There are nice parts of Summerwood, but some parts will be near slum in 15 years. I have not been to that block of houses right next to Deussen, so can't say how that looks.

I don’t know anything about Fall Creek other than that it apparently smells like a dump in some spots.

Ive heard some parts of Fall Creek have problems with crime because they are so close to the beltway.

I live in Lake Shore and love it. IMHO its worth the extra 4 miles up W Lake Houston.

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Panama Red
posted 10:38a, 03/13/13



There are nice parts of Summerwood, but some parts will be near slum in 15 years.

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And you're basing this off what?

Looking at the surrounding development and knowing the HOA/deed restrictions in the neighborhood there's slim chance of this happening. Especially when Humble ISD is rezoning all the hood north & west of Canyon Gate back to Humble High and it's feeders.

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lereag02
posted 10:51a, 03/13/13



Ive heard some parts of Fall Creek have problems with crime because they are so close to the beltway.

I live in Lake Shore and love it. IMHO its worth the extra 4 miles up W Lake Houston.

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Lakeshore is dependent upon which side of W. Lake Houston you're on.

The people I know who live on the lake side with the pool & splash pad absolutely love it.

The people I know who bought on the other side were one of the first homes on their street (Angler Bend) back in late 2007. They loved it at first but then they got a bunch of low-rent neighbors and a lot of the houses went into foreclosure. They loved their house but the neighbors were an issue- they're renting out that house and live out in an acreage community on the Woodlands/Magnolia border.

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I don’t know anything about Fall Creek other than that it apparently smells like a dump in some spots.

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BFI has a landfill a couple miles north of Fall Creek. If wind blowing just right from north can smell the "perfume" they put out. Not often.

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It's Waste Management but that doesn't really matter.

I base it on having lived there for a short time in 2006, having owned a rental home there since then, and seeing the make up of the people living there change over that time period. As you said:

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they got a bunch of low-rent neighbors and a lot of the houses went into foreclosure.

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[This message has been edited by Panama Red (edited 3/13/2013 12:21p).]

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But that hasn't happened in Summerwood. Demand is outstripping supply and the development of adjacent land is driving values up.

The fact that the area hit a slight rough patch due to the recession, especially in Lakeshore where the primary builder (Perry) is known for making ridiculous discounts on their homes off list price.

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It's Waste Management

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My bad, your right. Mount Humble

Our house is Trendmaker and have had no issues, but don't think still building in Fall Creek.

Think both Summerwood and Fall Creek have several things going for them. Compared to other areas outside the loop crime is not bad, less traffic (quick drive to downtown or 225), growth in jobs (i.e., Generation Park). Been very happy living in Fall Creek last 8 years.
People complain about areas outside Fall Creek, but tell me area around Houston that doesn't have some shady areas within a half mile?


[This message has been edited by Clavell (edited 3/13/2013 1:17p).]

I dont know anything about the area but I live in a Meritage home and have been in the home 5 years this summer and no issues so far.

We looked at Lennar, Brighton, and Meritage homes and thought the Meritage was the best product. They also seemed to have more things included in the base price but I'm sure this varies by community.

Just stay away from Brighton and Ryland.

Clavell- I believe Trendmaker did sell out of their lots and Taylor Morrison is the only builder still building in the semi-custom section. They're building in the gated, 80' home sites back on the golf course. And none of the houses they're building have neighbors to the rear- they either back up to the golf course or to the green space.

We have a Lennar home in the area off Castle Cove and love our house. We were looking at Meritage, but they were only building their Texas Big homes in Summerwood at the time, and that wasn't the market we were looking at (though they had one floor plan in that line that I really liked)

Before we built, we rented a house right in the area you are talking about - we were on Birney Point.

The area you are talking about is nice, especially if you can get one of the lots that backs up to the nature preserve there. My only concern where you're looking at would be opportunity theft (stupid upper middle class folks leaving wallets and ipads on the front seats of their cars type stuff). What issues there are in Summerwood tend to be on the easy access areas around the edges. We're back in the back - probably one of the least accessible areas and we don't have any problems at all. Great neighbors, good schools.

I'm going to throw something else out there. We moved to Summerwood from the Copperfield area and I am SO glad. CFISD has a great reputation, but the massive growth that district has had has done it no favors. Having experienced both districts (Birkes Elem in CyFair and Lakeshore Elem (Humble), I'm MUCH happier with the education my kids are getting in Summerwood. (Everything on that side of Deussen is zoned to Lakeshore Elem).

[This message has been edited by TxElsie (edited 3/13/2013 3:40p).]

Lakeshore, Waters Edge, and Eagle Springs are all good options in the area as well. They're a little further from the beltway, which has its pros and cons, but they offer other builder options. I was in a Lennar and absolutely hated it. I'm now in a Chesmar in Eagle Springs and couldn't be happier. My office is 290/beltway and I can be there in 40 minutes, so the commute really isn't bad at all.

07, what was it that you hated about your Lennar home?

Lennar = Meritage = Chesmar = Brighton, especially when comparing same size (read width) product. With production builders it all comes down to the poor sucker who is building it. Its all about location.

BTW a lot of Ags work at Lennar & Chesmar.

Thanks Lynch. That makes a lot of sense.

Thanks for your detailed response, Elsie.

When you moved to Summerwood did you also consider Fall Creek? If so, what is the reason you chose Summerwood? Is the community and HOA in Summerwood active in keeping the area nice?

Regarding the location in which we are looking: Being the last subdivision heading out on Deussen has made me think about it a little longer. Although, I don't realy consider the street on which we are looking easy access since it would take a litte effort to get back there. Lennar has an inventory home on a > 9000 sq ft lot in a culdesac that we are really looking into.

Finn, you are right about the different sides of Lakeshore. We live on the East side, in the most northern section.

We didnt consider Water's Edge because its so close to the rail road track. In my opinion, that is the reason that neighborhood never got going like Lakeshore did.

I really like parts of Eagle Springs, it just takes forever to get there.

I've been in FC for five years and have never smelled the dump while in FC.

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edit: meant for lereag

Eagle Springs is nice but it's a cast-iron beyotch to get from there onto the Beltway or 59. Easily an extra 15 minutes.

We live in the section of Summerwood N/NE of Duessen. It is precisely 1 mile from my driveway to the boat ramp in Duessen Park. And it really seems the crime issues TxElsie mentioned are localized to the areas closest to the HEB and the commercial sites. We're zoned to Lakeshore Elementary and right now little man goes to day care at Kids-R-Kids Lakeshore. I usually take him in the morning and drop him off between 8-8:15 and am at my near Chimney Rock & Woodway by 8:45-9.



[This message has been edited by Finn Maccumhail (edited 3/14/2013 11:14a).]

I’ve seen what you claim doesn’t happen in Summerwood happen in Summerwood.

I realize your wife works for a builder there and you have a vested interest in making people think its Xanadu, but I have seen the reality.

As said above, it has some nice parts. I'd even say most of it is nice. But some areas are ghettos waiting to happen.

So your experience from 7 years ago and into the RE bust are a valid comparison to today?

I'm not remotely claiming it's Xanadu- it's still the burbs and there's not a decent pub anywhere nearby or near the dining options (but I still refuse to go to TGiMcChiliBee's Garden) of in town.

But the projections of it becoming ghetto are ridiculous. Both my wife and I are in RE, I'm in commercial and I can show you the growth demos & one of the highest household income levels in the Houston area. Now, if you want to talk about stuff S/SE of Summerwood towards Sheldon & North Shore that's another story but they're different ISDs, different everything.

The fact is that the long-term projections here are very solid. There are already people writing contracts to buy houses in the area who are working at the new Exxon campus.

The impact of Exxon and Generation Park will be massive. We're talking Woodlands-type environment here.

We did consider Fall Creek, but there were a couple of things that made us choose Summerwood.

First and foremost, we liked the feeling of community. *We* didn't get that from Fall Creek - others do. It's an intangible thing.

Second, we didn't want to be that close to WalMart and the development there. That WalMart always feels ghetto to me. I prefer the one in Atascocita (if I have to go to one). Again, I don't know why, it just does.

Third, Fall Creek seemed more expensive for the same house. I like the golf-course, just not enough to pay extra for it.

I work in Baytown, and the extra 15 minutes to Eagle Springs really pushed my commute further than I wanted to go, but I think it has a lot to offer.

Lakeshore - we have several friends who live there. I'd be cool with it on the lakeside. The other side seems ho-hum.

Waters Edge had two problems - I've lived in a gated community and hated it - total false sense of security. Anyone who really wants in can do it, and typically every pizza delivery kid and lawn guy in a 50 mile radius has the builder's code. And it's right on top of the railroad tracks. Some of the houses back directly on to them. Bleh.

The HOA in Summerwood does keep the common areas clean and they are always beautiful. There is a pretty active Facebook community (weirdly similar to the Aggieland board) with pages for general info, crimewatch, and market place. The residents center has an access controlled gym, and the HOA pays for three sheriff's deputies to patrol the neighborhood.

We love the lake access (though we don't have a boat, might have to get to know Finn better). We live in a cul-de-sac and our kids ride their bikes in the street. We love most of our neighbors (except the mean guy a few houses down.) Our kids go to Primrose (right next to the Fire Station) and Lakeshore Elem.

Most of the older neighborhood kids are relatively respectful.

My only motivation in singing Summerwood's praises is that we love it there and would love to see more Aggies in the neighborhood.

Sorry Elsie, my boat capabilities at the moment include only a kayak and a Sunfish sailboat that's not much bigger than the kayak.

I sold my last boat 6 years ago but even then it was just a small v-hull jon boat for fishing.

Fall Creek also has active watch and pays for deputies to patroll, think 3 also but not positive.

My experience is not "from 7 years ago." I have been out there monthly(as far as the IRS is concerned) over many years and see some of the people living in the neighborhood now versus then.

And this is a joke, right?

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We're talking Woodlands-type environment here.

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Not remotely a joke.

FMC Technologies is putting it's corporate HQ out there. Just like Anadarko relocating their HQ to the Woodlands it's likely a catalyst for the booming commercial and subsequent residential.

http://generationpark.com/video.html


I don't know what your line of work is but from the perspective of a commercial real estate professional that market is surging and about to bust wide open into a boom. The conditions you're talking about just aren't present in the majority of the area.

Residential is pumping high end communities too.

[This message has been edited by Finn Maccumhail (edited 3/15/2013 1:14p).]

Where did I say the majority was that way?

I'm talking about the majority of the Kingwood/Humble/Atascocita area. The areas that have the potential to be ghetto aren't in Summerwood or Fall Creek.

Even Lakeshore is improving greatly as the marginal buyers have been priced out of the market.

And I don't know if you're referring to having Canadians in the neighborhood or what but I know that my immediate neighbors are- one guy works offshore and makes probably $200K and the other neighbor owns a equipment hauling company and his wife is a teacher.

Well according to a recent article in Chronicle I'm the only non lawyer living in Fall Creek.

Take heart Clavell, I've got some commercial real estate buds living there too.