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Too far from work, costs too much now.
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Too far from work, costs too much now.
Surburbs of Houston: Bad investment for the future?
10,823 Views |
137 Replies |
Last: 12 yr ago by Waltonloads08
Walton- for whatever reason, Elm Grove didn't show up in my search. However, there do appear to be 2 houses under $100K there.
Definite fixer-uppers.
Elm Grove looks to have been the entry-level, starter home section of Kingwood from the 70's & early-80's so it makes sense that there are some issues on the lower end.
Definite fixer-uppers.
Elm Grove looks to have been the entry-level, starter home section of Kingwood from the 70's & early-80's so it makes sense that there are some issues on the lower end.
For all of the Woodlands uber alles talk, there are some low price sections in the old part around Sawdust and Sawmill that have gotten pretty sketchy over the years. And Timber Lakes/Timber Ridge is nasty as hell. It is not technically the Woodlands, but is surrounded by it, so it may as well be Woodlands.
Seems like most peoples views of the Woodlands are the new stuff in the back.
Seems like most peoples views of the Woodlands are the new stuff in the back.
Yup, thats exactly what they were.
Rice Military sucks.
Ugly....incredibly ugly.
Close to Wash.? Smell the piss next morning.
Notably ****ty builders.
Ditches.
Parking. On and off-street.
"Look honey! A tree!"
Noise? I don't hear I-10 at all.
"I think 30 min. to cruise 6 blocks on Wasington is cool.""
"Cheapest 3 stories in H-town".
"Those last 75 ghetto homes; they'll be gone in no time" (quote from 2010)....
Former resident - Camp Logan......it was time to leave!
Ugly....incredibly ugly.
Close to Wash.? Smell the piss next morning.
Notably ****ty builders.
Ditches.
Parking. On and off-street.
"Look honey! A tree!"
Noise? I don't hear I-10 at all.
"I think 30 min. to cruise 6 blocks on Wasington is cool.""
"Cheapest 3 stories in H-town".
"Those last 75 ghetto homes; they'll be gone in no time" (quote from 2010)....
Former resident - Camp Logan......it was time to leave!
I grew up in the Sawmill/Sawdust area of the woodlands. Back when The Wharf was the main town attraction...17k population.
Its changed now for sure.
Timber Lakes/Ridge was very low income even back in the early 80s.
Its changed now for sure.
Timber Lakes/Ridge was very low income even back in the early 80s.
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Per HAR.com there's not a single house in Kingwood listed under $159,900. While that's not an expensive house by any stretch that's a long way from sub-$100K.
Lots of homes in Kingwood for less than that. The home across the street is listed for <$150K. Just look on Zillow. I've got 2900 sq ft, 5 BRs, and I'd be lucky to get 180.
Just an aside. What the developers have renamed 'Midtown' is really Fourth Ward. Essentially Freedmens Town.
The real Midtown is Third Ward.
Third generation Houstonian, here.
The Fifth Ward has been known as the Bloody Fifth since i can remember from childhood.
Even my parents generation was scared to go there. Only the complexion of the residents changes.
I was born and raised in North Montrose, Fourth Ward.
The Heights hasn't been considered a 'nice' area since Dr. Cooley was a kid. Just trendy from time to time, off and on.
The real Midtown is Third Ward.
Third generation Houstonian, here.
The Fifth Ward has been known as the Bloody Fifth since i can remember from childhood.
Even my parents generation was scared to go there. Only the complexion of the residents changes.
I was born and raised in North Montrose, Fourth Ward.
The Heights hasn't been considered a 'nice' area since Dr. Cooley was a kid. Just trendy from time to time, off and on.
I'm rather surprised to see that many cheap homes in Kingwood. They all seem to be clustered near Northpark. Is there some reason for that? Maybe outside the boundaries of what's covered by the Kingwood HOA? I know there are neighborhoods that are considered Kingwood but not covered by the HOA.
Finn, a lot of those homes are in Sherwood Trails, the lowest end subdivision. Others are in Elm Grove. But the bottom line is that homes in Kingwood just don't cost very much, and never have. Sure, if you want the custom built 3500 square foot place, you'll pay $300 - $400K. But the typical 4BR/2.5 bath 2200 sf home that sold for $115K 15 years ago will go for $150K now, which is an all time high.
I recently did a cash out refi at 4%. I couldn't think of any good reason to pay off a home here. Zero danger of going upside down.
I recently did a cash out refi at 4%. I couldn't think of any good reason to pay off a home here. Zero danger of going upside down.
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Conroe was never intended as a suburb though. It was it's own small town built on timber & oil.
Neither was Katy, it was its own small town built on rice farming and the railroad, but what does that matter, its just another evil suburb to some now.
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There are still large pockets of undeveloped land or underdeveloped land between 610 and BW8 that could be developed, but that's the ghetto band in most areas aside from the west side where the working poors live that provide unskilled labor for much of the city.
A lot of that if <100yr flood, no?
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With Houston's low cost of living, affordable housing,
Property taxes and insurance costs say this is still a lie. While people continue to say this about Houston is beyond me. Your property taxes a like another mortgage payment or more in some areas. My home owners policy was more than double what I pay now in another state. It’s not more affordable. At the end, the taxes probably add up the same (property in Texas vs. property + income in another state) but the Insurance rates on homes and auto’s is just crazy high.
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Just moved to Houston, living temporarily with a friend until my wife and I buy a house. We have been looking in South Katy and certain areas of Cypress (I work in the energy corridor). Really looking for a 4 bedroom, > 2000 sq feet, up to 185K.
Based on the criteria listed above, where would you guys recommend I direct my search?
Stay away from CFISD anywhere close to BW8. That size home will get you lumped in with a lot of HUD housing areas in your elementary and middle schools. I know, I just left (4br, 3.5bth, 23,000ft2 lot for $275k)….half my sons’ elementary school was HUD housing. 75% of them were ‘disadvantaged’ free lunch crowd. The demographics in CFISD as shifting greatly and the new super is all for it.
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Having to leave at 6:15a for a 45 minute commute is not my definition of "not bad at all".
I left my home at 5:50 AM to get to work by 6:30 in the Med Center……for 9-years. Had enough (among other reasons) and we left. Now I live 12-miles from work. I leave my home at 7:10 AM and get to work by 7:30. Leave work at 5:00 PM and I’m home before 5:30. My youngest son thinks it’s the coolest thing ever he gets to eat breakfast with dad because he’s never gotten to do that before.
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Having to leave at 6:15a for a 45 minute commute is not my definition of "not bad at all".
good grief, grow a pair. from driveway to office desk, 45 minutes is pretty good. leave any later than add 15-20 minutes to the drive.
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I leave my home at 7:10 AM and get to work by 7:30. Leave work at 5:00 PM and I’m home before 5:30.
Now that's how you do it. My commute increased in May but I don't get any increased sense of pride or accomplishment for spending more time in the car.
The 45 minutes commute in of itself isn't terrible. The fact that you have to leave before sunrise to achieve such a commute is.
Live in Kingwood, work in Kingwood. Must've saved 3000+ hours of commuting over the past 15 years.
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Former resident - Camp Logan......it was time to leave!
Could you elaborate? I came very close to buying there 4yrs ago...
that may be the dumbest analysis of why its "not cheap" to live in Houston or Texas I have ever seen. Well done.
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good grief, grow a pair. from driveway to office desk, 45 minutes is pretty good. leave any later than add 15-20 minutes to the drive.
My commute is 5 minutes. I guess I'm nutless.
quote:I was talking about home prices and taxes and how owning homes is "affordable". But by all means act like jake hole because your reading comprehension sucks.
that may be the dumbest analysis of why its "not cheap" to live in Houston or Texas I have ever seen. Well done.
You crying? Need a Kleenex?
Even with higher property taxes, Houston is still a steal compared to many other comparably sized cities. Especially when you consider the strength of the economy relative to the rest of the country.
Agree. You cant compare Houston to small middle America towns. Think New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago. Those are the only bigger cities by population.
The suburbs are still relatively cheap because of low land costs, but living in/near town has gotten to be a lot more expensive over the last 5-10 years.
and now that I look at the numbers, it wont be long for Houston to pass Chicago, if we haven't in reality already. I think we vastly underestimate the number of "undocumented immigrants" in the city. Throw in the suburbs that aren't considered part of Houston, and you are easily the 3rd largest city, IMO.
The Houston MSA is nowhere near the Chicago MSA.
The Houston MSA isn't even as large as the DFW MSA.
The Houston MSA isn't even as large as the DFW MSA.
Dallas and Fort Worth are two distinct cities.
So are Chicago and Naiperville or LA and Long Beach or Houston and Sugar Land.
For these purposes and as defined by the people that define these things they are part of the same metro area.
Houston is bigger than Dallas and FW (and Philly) and is creeping up on Chicago, but that wasn't the point that you make. Houston metro It is smaller than all three of those metro areas.
For these purposes and as defined by the people that define these things they are part of the same metro area.
Houston is bigger than Dallas and FW (and Philly) and is creeping up on Chicago, but that wasn't the point that you make. Houston metro It is smaller than all three of those metro areas.
Too technical, and Dallas sux.
A most excellent retort.
Regarding suburbs and values- let's look at the Naperville & Chicago reference above.
Naperville is about 30 miles from downtown Chicago. Lots of people ride the commuter rail which takes about an hour fifteen. Driving during rush hour is even worse. I've done it several times as one of my best friends lives in Chicago and married a girl from Naperville.
Rush hour drive time is at least an hour and a half.
Yet $250K in Naperville gets you a late-70s vintage 3BR/2BA house that's about 1100SF and less than a 10K SF lot.
$250K in pretty much any of the burbs around Houston will get you at least 4BR/3BA and 2500SF+.
Naperville is about 30 miles from downtown Chicago. Lots of people ride the commuter rail which takes about an hour fifteen. Driving during rush hour is even worse. I've done it several times as one of my best friends lives in Chicago and married a girl from Naperville.
Rush hour drive time is at least an hour and a half.
Yet $250K in Naperville gets you a late-70s vintage 3BR/2BA house that's about 1100SF and less than a 10K SF lot.
$250K in pretty much any of the burbs around Houston will get you at least 4BR/3BA and 2500SF+.
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A most excellent retort.
Out of my sandbox!
Out!
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