Wife and I are looking to move out of our current home in Lazybrook and head out west towards Energy Corridor. We had a house under contract recently in Wilchester but ended up backing out due to significant sewer line repairs (20k+) and the seller unwilling to budge at all in repair allowance.

We are back on the hunt again and still considering Wilchester (budget around mid 600s) along with other homes in that area like Nottingham and Westchester. Elementary schools will be a factor in 4 years and obviously there is a premium in Wilchester for the elementary and Memorial middle. This past weekend we went and looked at home off market in Westchester which is about ~150k under the home we offered in Wilchester. The home is perfect for what we want but the only thing holding me back is the elementary school that it feeds into, it is still SBISD but not rated near as high as Rummel Creek or Wilchester elem.

Any thoughts on how some of the other neighborhoods in the EC will fair over the next 5-10 years? The market is so damn ridiculous in Wilchester /Nottingham right now I think at some point this has to start spilling into some of the other hoods out that way.

By the way, if anyone is interested in a home in Lazybrook we will be placing ours on the market fairly soon. 1800 sqft /4 bed/2 bath/House completely remodeled with kitchen/baths gutted to studs. Mid 400s.

I am always surprised at how low the ratings are for Nottingham Elementary. You would think it would be improving but it appears to be trending in the wrong direction.

hopefully some of the posters that live out that way can tell you more.

www.schooldigger.com/go/TX/schools/4110004684/school.aspx

The single family homes are not the problem. There are a ton of old apartments in the area. The ones south of memorial at dairy ashford have already been torn down and being reconstructed. Just looking at an aerial around Tully Stadium it is like a sea of old apartments. As a buyer in the are you would hope that more of this happens, and it should if the Houston economy stays strong and there is a need for qaulity apartments with decent schools close to the EC.

However there are only so many single moms with the cash to afford rents in SBISD that will can afford those places so only so many will be built.

In theory, since land is cheaper in the nearby HISD or even worse parts of SBISD, the apartment developers that are targeting high earners from the energy corridor that don't care about schools, they will build elsewhere.

Case in point is Eldridge.

Just look at the sheety apartments along the south side of IH 10 that are zoned to Hunters Creek EL. The owners of those makes more money charging premium rent for a sheety place than he could get by selling or re-building.

Looking at the SBISD EL south of IH 10, the qaulity of the test scores is directly proportion to the number of apartments that feed them.

Hunters Creek is decent but not great. I mean great as compared to the others. It also draws a little from north of 10.

MDE and Frostwood are ranked very high because of very few or no apartments.

Bunker Hill has a few apartments near the mall and it is good, but not great.

The same trend is true outside the beltway.

the apartments are definitely a problem but that doesn't explain why the % of free lunch kids has nearly doubled in the past 10 years.

Curious as to which house you were looking at with the sewer line problems?

Just about any 40+ year old house with cast iron underground pipes is going to have sewer problems. I have had to replace them on '50s house in meyerland and a '70 house in 77024.

Cab - house is on st marys and is currently pending. Option was pending about 3 days after we terminated about 2 weeks ago. Seller had offers above ours so I can't really blame him.

Just FYI that most of Nottingham is also currently zoned to Wilchester, Memorial, and Stratford, just like Wilchester.

Stay east of Westchester.

Ashford Forest, Nottingham Forest, Yorkshire, Nottingham, Wilchester.

Where the F do you guys live? Little England?

We can't make up our mind between 77024, Wilchester and Cinco Ranch.

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I am always surprised at how low the ratings are for Nottingham Elementary. You would think it would be improving but it appears to be trending in the wrong direction.

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Yep. However, I would think this school has got to be improving in the coming yrs...there is still a big apt complex in proximity, but they have torn down two of the other big ones in the immediate area and are going to construct high end multifamily I believe. I would think that should help some. Will be nice if they can convert the complex right next to the school too though.

That stat is crazy though. I wouldnt have thought the demographics had shifted much during that time...maybe there are more moochers nowadays or it is easier to get free lunch?

[This message has been edited by El Mero Guero (edited 5/20/2014 9:52a).]

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We can't make up our mind between 77024, Wilchester and Cinco Ranch.

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Had the same problem at Pappas Bros last night.

I just couldn't decide between the bone-in Wagyu, New York strip or grilled chicken breast.

We want to stay in town, but I/we spend alot of time in Fulshear.

Makes sense. What about Cross Creek Ranch? I've heard good things.

Roughly 50% of the low-income kids that go to Nottingham Elementary have been done away with in the last 12 months with the recent demo of three apartment complexes (including the largest).

Those complexes are being replaced with higher end apartments that are targeting young professionals in the energy cooridor. They will price out the low income folks that lived in the old apartments.

[This message has been edited by DRE06 (edited 5/20/2014 10:12a).]

That's a good start

OP, what's your email to contact you regarding your current home? I tried PM but failed. Thanks.

First time I've heard of hunters creek described negatively.

"What about Cross Creek Ranch? I've heard good things."

I think it's a little too far out.

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First time I've heard of hunters creek described negatively.

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The numbers are not bad, they are just not as good as say Frostwood

http://hce.springbranchisd.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=WrJ40disG2Q%3d&tabid=28155

http://cms.springbranchisd.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=nvNrsauW1PE%3d&tabid=28152

K Bo - sent you a PM, my PM is working now.

Man...if I woked and/or spent a lot of time in Fulshear, I'd want to live in Fublbrook. Love that neighborhood. It's the best suburb type development I've been to in the area by far. But..it is way out there.

[This message has been edited by MAS444 (edited 5/20/2014 1:39p).]

I agree MAS. Love that neighborhood. A problem my wife has is no privacy fences allowed. She would want a bit more privacy. Esp with a pool.

Nothing is as good as Frostwood.

Not getting into that school for under $1 mil

You can find things in Fonn Villlas for less than a million, but not much.

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Not getting into that school for under $1 mil

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Work harder. A million is not that much these days. This isn't the 80's.

Frostwood for under a $1MM

http://search.har.com/engine/159-Litchfield-Houston-77024-6023_HAR91938288.htm

Next question

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A million dollar home is still a huge amount of money.

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Maybe if you graduated in the past 5 years.

Damn, jk, I don't feel right trolling like this. Too aggressive. Starting to piss MYSELF off.

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Frostwood for under a $1MM

http://search.har.com/engine/159-Litchfield-Houston-77024-6023_HAR91938288.htm

Next question

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too late, Candy Poon already has it under contact.

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SA Public ID: SPoon/Candy Poon

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We moved to the westchester / Nottingham forest viii area in December and son is going to Nottingham. Since they tore down the apartments enrollment has dropped by 200 students at Nottingham elementary. We have been talking to a lot of the long term parents and the school is definitely getting better.

It is a great neighborhood and there is a little bit of a bubble. There is a good mix of couples with young children and couples with college age children.

Stratford was a big selling point for us.

This noted above:

"Since they tore down the apartments enrollment has dropped by 200 students at Nottingham elementary. We have been talking to a lot of the long term parents and the school is definitely getting better."

Impacts of Katrina are starting to disappear. Low income housing agreements signed at that time are ending and the apts are being demolished or have rent increases. Schools west of Kirkwood are going to see improvements back to where they were 10 years ago.

Good neighborhoods but they are getting expensive. Property taxes kill.

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Property taxes keep the undesirables out.

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