I'm looking to build in The Woodlands. The Creekside Village area is on my list, but I am worried about Tomball ISD. I am mainly worried that this area is zoned to Tomball High School. I just dont see Tomball high school getting any better in the future, but please tell me if im wrong. I hear that the elementary schools for the Creekside area are great and that they are building a new middle school just for the woodlands homes. Any information or opinions on Creekside or any other section of The Woodlands would be helpful and greatly appreciated..

Also, we are just now looking into all the builders in this area, so please feel free to give positive and negatives on any builders. Price point is 700k - 850k.

Tomball High is not a bad school, the 249 tollway should help push more upper class families looking for larger lots out to Tomball.

I live in Creekside and had (maybe still have) the same concerns about Tomball High. My son just finished 4th grade, though, so I have some time.

The good news is, it won't be long before a significant portion of the students at Tomball a High come out of Creekside. If the parents get and stay involved, then that should be a plus. I've been to the school, and the facilities are fine...much better than where I went to high school (but can't even touch the new College Station high school, which is where we were zoned before having to relocate).

Most of the new development in Tomball is zoned for Tomball Memorial, which is the new school. If I'm not mistaken, most of the growth for Tomball High is coming almost exclusively from Creekside. I'll check out the zoning maps to be sure.

The current enrollment at Tomball High is about 1500 for 9-12. I see this as a plus. I actually know several people who moved their kids out of The Woodlands because those schools have gotten so big and so competitive. In comparison, The Woodlands High just graduated almost 1000 seniors, and that school is only 10-12. There should be lots of opportunities for our kids to be involved without all the pressure I've heard about at other schools.

Beyond that, I can't say much, other than I've been pretty happy with TISD so far. With that budget, though, you really should look at resale under 5 years old. There are a lot of them. A lot of the new construction is in Liberty Branch, which is on my running route. Let me tell you, for what they are charging per square foot, the new construction is noy as nice as stuff that was built 2-3 years ago. I can't speak for what's going on in the Timarron side, but stuff over there is usually priced even higher per sq ft.

Edited to add, the only new construction in The Woodlands in that price range is in Creekside and May Valley. May Valley is zoned to Magnolia ISD. The residents were told there would be a bond proposition to fund a new elementary school, but that bond has never come up to a vote. From what I understand, the residents over there are PISD (say that out loud to get my drift) and property values have suffered. There are small pockets of new construction in East Shore, on the golf courses, and right off Gosling (Woodlands Reserve, I think it's called), but they are all million dollar homes and up. Augusta Pines has new construction in your range, but it is not in The Woodlands and is zoned to Klein ISD.

Thank you

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Thank you

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See my edit for a little additional info

Also with the amount of growth that a completed Grand Pkwy will bring to the area. Tomball ISD is going to have to expand and build an additional high school. If you're looking at your kids being in high school 8-10 years now, there will be new facilities in place before then.

Pricewise, you should look in Terramont. We just bought an amazing house, nice size lot in the 650 range but there are plenty of options north of that too. Those Creekside homes don't compare in value as I ended with the same or nicer features in my home. Terramont is Woodlands High and the resale value that this offers was also a sizable consideration for us.

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Also with the amount of growth that a completed Grand Pkwy will bring to the area. Tomball ISD is going to have to expand and build an additional high school. If you're looking at your kids being in high school 8-10 years now, there will be new facilities in place before then.

Pricewise, you should look in Terramont. We just bought an amazing house, nice size lot in the 650 range but there are plenty of options north of that too. Those Creekside homes don't compare in value as I ended with the same or nicer features in my home. Terramont is Woodlands High and the resale value that this offers was also a sizable consideration for us.

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I wouldn't hold my breath on a new high school. Tomball high is only about 40% of its full capacity. And there is not enough available and affordable land in The Woodlands that is zoned to Tomball ISD to build a high school. At least that's what we've been told by Tombal ISD officials.

I have a secret hope that the rectangle of land just south of Carlton Woods Creekside will one day be acquired by The Woodlands Development Co and set aside for a school. But the development company doesn't currently own that land, so it's serving its purpose as the local trailer park/storage facility/taco stand/Mexican pottery store.

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Price point is 700k - 850k.

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I honestly had no idea you could spend this much outside the loop in Houston. What lot size and house range is this?

What are the total property tax rates in these areas? Yikes!

There are approximately 90 new construction listings in HAR for the Woodlands/Magnolia/Montgomery area from $700,000 to $4,000,000. That wouldn't include custom build jobs which wouldn't be listed on HAR.

Chandlauch I'm with Amegy in the Woodlands and we work with many of the area builders on both interim construction financing and one-time close for their clients. My email is on my profile if you'd like to get some information on some of the particular builders.

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Price point is 700k - 850k.

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I honestly had no idea you could spend this much outside the loop in Houston. What lot size and house range is this?

What are the total property tax rates in these areas? Yikes!

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Where I live in Creekside, that will get you 3500-4500 sq ft built within the last 5 years, depending on the builder, lot location, upgrades, etc. You can sometimes get a little bit more on resale. New construction is about $200 sq ft and up, with some resales a little less. Prices in the original part of The Woodlands are a little higher, but the houses will be a little bit older. You can get a little more for your money if you go outside The Woodlands ( Auburn Lakes, Augusta Pines, etc) but there are plenty of options at the high end price range in those developments, too.

I've seen recent listings in the East Shore area of The Woodlands priced over $300 sq ft.

I will pay over $8k in taxes this year on a home valued just under $330k, so do the math and scale that up. I pay taxes to Harris Co, Montgomery Co (via the Township), the Township, the ISD, and the MUD. If you're in The Woodlands but in Montgomery Co, you pay a little less because you don't have to pay to Harris Co. I also pay significantly more for homeowners and car insurance.

This is all great intel. The more information and opinions I can get the better. Thank you.

More reason to look in the Terramont area of the Woodlands, not in Harris county (much lower car insurance too), no MUD tax anymore according to our realtor and taxes are like 2.1-2.2%. Creekside maybe brand new, but there's lots of hidden expenses.

My new house (4,000 SF) is only 8 years old but the sellers added a pool and a great outdoor living space. I got a lot more house than a new construction with none of the headaches of contracting that stuff out.

Obviously, do what is best for you, but if you expand your search you might find a hidden gem with a lower total cost of ownership.

What schools pull from the terramont area?

Deretchin (sp?) for K-6
McCullough 7-8
TWHS 9th grade campus
TWHS 10-12

https://www.conroeisd.net/pdf/maps/thewoodlands_Diagram.pdf

Just an update for the OP...

Since you started this discussion, the residents of Creekside have been made aware of plans to build a mega shopping complex at the SE corner of Augusta Pines and and Kuykendahl. In addition to almost a 200k sq ft Wal-Mart, the center is also supposed to include another 100k sq ft big box store, tons of smaller stores, and several gas stations.

The development is in unincorporated Harris County, so there is really nothing The Woodlands Development Company can do. Whoever owns the land that the Timber Crest mobile home and RV park is on has entered into negotiations to sell the land for this shopping development.

Depending on where you are looking to build in Creekside, this could affect your perception of the area. Quite a few residents are really upset about this development. Just wanted you to know...

I was just told about this last week. Has the name of the developer been announced?

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I was just told about this last week. Has the name of the developer been announced?

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According to the local Coalition Against Wal-Mart group, the developers are Timbercrest Partners LLC and Elmfield Holdings, both owned and operated by someone from Vancouver, British Columbia. These developers have partnered with a national commercial development firm called CBRE out of Los Angeles.

It is my understanding, though, that the sale of the land is not final, and that is muddying the waters.

The HOAs are supposed to be working with the developers to help ensure that the development maintains the "aesthetic" of The Woodlands. Many residents are ticked that the HOAs are being cooperative and not trying to outright stop this development. There is a change.org petition trying to block it altogether. I'm not optimistic that will happen.

There has been some discussion about the store needing a waiver from Tomball ISD in order to sell alcohol, since it will be within 1000 feet of a school. But there is a giant Kroger shopping center just south of Creekside, at Kuykendahl and West Rayford, and Metzler Elementary (Klein ISD) is directly behind the Kroger. This is yet another reason why I don't think the coalition will be successful in stopping this development. Everyone is up in arms about the Wal-Mart bring next to a school, but Metzler is even closer to the Kroger than Timber Creek will be to this Wal-Mart.

FWIW, the mobile home/RV park that's on the property now is pretty run-down. I guess no one complains because you can't really see it from the road, and it really doesn't generate much traffic. Choice between a trailer park and a Super Wal-Mart...talk about the lesser of two evils.

Chandlauch

You sound sold on the Woodlands, which is fine. We looked their too, but are just starting construction in Benders Landing Estates. Homes start at your price point and go up. Everything is on an acre plus, and It has a brand new elementary, intermediate, and a new high school being built. The new schools are awesome. And it has easy access to I-45/Hardy. And no MUD taxes. The reason we decided against the Woodlands was that it would take 20minutes in the morning just for me to get to I-45, and then I still had to drive downtown.

Just curious... Can you use your own builder in Benders Landing...or do you have to use one pre-approved by them?

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The HOAs are supposed to be working with the developers to help ensure that the development maintains the "aesthetic" of The Woodlands. Many residents are ticked that the HOAs are being cooperative and not trying to outright stop this development.

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How do the residents expect to be able to stop the development? I think Walmart gets one of these petition drives against them with every store they open.

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How do the residents expect to be able to stop the development? I think Walmart gets one of these petition drives against them with every store they open.

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I have no clue, which is why I am not up in arms over this and have not signed the petition. I've seen arguments that there have been successful campaigns to keep out Wal-Mart (some people have used the example of one in The Heights as an example, but I think that store was ultimately built). Other people think that they can influence Wal-Mart buy saying "if you build it, we won't shop there" (good luck with that one). Other strategies have been related to the liquor license issue...that since there is a school within 1000 feet, the school district would have to sign a waiver allowing the store to sell alcoholic beverages. I'm not sure of the validity of this, since a giant Kroger Marketplace was built about 2 miles down the road from where this Wal-Mart will be, and there is an elementary school immediately behind that Kroger (with not even a road in between, like there would be between my son's school and this proposed Wal-Mart). Based on the population numbers I've seen, there are almost 120,000 people within a few mile radius of this store, so there is clearly a need. I hate that it's a Wal-Mart, too, and I hate that it's not just a Wal-Mart but a giant shopping center with two big box anchors. But I'm not going to put my house up for sale over it.

Most of the effort to prevent this development has been via email and Facebook campaigns. I'm about to the point where I can't even read people's comments because they are so ridiculous. If I hear or see one more person say that they moved to The Woodlands to get away from the crowds, congestion, and over development in the "rest of Houston", I am going to scream.

The Heights "campaign" didn't do one thing to stop Wal Mart other than to get the developer/Wal Mart to agree to pretty it up and/or make it look more "neighborhoody," neither of which happened (which should have been a surprise to no one). The whole thing was so dumb on so many levels.

Thanks for the insight. I understand people not wanting certain developments but I don't think the petition thing is going to hack it. There's always risk when you have large tracts of undeveloped land. From the sounds of this area I can see why these retailers would want that demographic.

It's kind of a complicated situation. The Creekside Development always included plans for a town center and an HEB. Those plans are easy to find on the Internet. You'd think most reasonable people would expect that the building of a shopping center and large grocery would involve the cutting down of a lot of trees. And it did. But residents were "shocked" when the trees were cut down, and even though a lot of new trees were planted, just a few months ago circulated a petition about that travesty. The Woodlands Development Co has now bent over backwards to plant even MORE trees to mitigate the outrage.

I think the success of that petition is causing people to think they will have similar success with this one. I don't think there is any way Wal-Mart, a non-local development company, and the leadership of unincorporated Harris Co are going to capitulate to demands the way The Woodlands Development Co did. I think the petition will do nothing more than give them all a good laugh.

I will say, this is somewhat of a surprise because the tract of land was not undeveloped. It is currently the site of a mobile home/RV park. The steps taken so far to prep the land for a major commercial development were definitely done under the radar. I'd be willing to bet there are residents in the mobile home park that don't know they are being "relocated."

And if you ask me, it's a terrible location. As mentioned previously, it's at the SE corner of Augusta Pines Dr and Kuykendahl. Augusta Pines drive isn't even a through street...it dead ends at the Augusta Pines clubhouse. It seems to me that somewhere along Gosling/Spring Stuebner near where the Grand Parkway will connect would have been a much better location. But what do I know? Kuykendahl is already a fuster cluck in this area...I'm already dreading how much worse it will be when this center opens.

FYI, Conroe ISD was planning a bond election in November. That would be the source to fund all of these unbuilt schools being discussed, such as a new high school near Benders Landing. Right now they are all just fantasy until and unless the school bond passes, which is probably more than mildly threatened by the recent road bond failure. It doesn't make sense to builld more schools until you have the roads. So I would keep a close eye on the Montgomery Co. commissioners court to see if they plan to revsise and resubmit the road bond issue for November. It failed last month because it included extending Woodlands Parkway all the way to 249.

MAS - you can use any builder you'd like.

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FYI, Conroe ISD was planning a bond election in November. That would be the source to fund all of these unbuilt schools being discussed, such as a new high school near Benders Landing. Right now they are all just fantasy until and unless the school bond passes, which is probably more than mildly threatened by the recent road bond failure. It doesn't make sense to builld more schools until you have the roads. So I would keep a close eye on the Montgomery Co. commissioners court to see if they plan to revsise and resubmit the road bond issue for November. It failed last month because it included extending Woodlands Parkway all the way to 249.

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Isn't eminent domain being proposed/threatened to even get the land they need to build the new high school?

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I will say, this is somewhat of a surprise because the tract of land was not undeveloped. It is currently the site of a mobile home/RV park. The steps taken so far to prep the land for a major commercial development were definitely done under the radar. I'd be willing to bet there are residents in the mobile home park that don't know they are being "relocated."

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But if they are building $800K homes in the immediate area, selling off an RV park should not be shocking right? Highest and best use and all that.

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I will say, this is somewhat of a surprise because the tract of land was not undeveloped. It is currently the site of a mobile home/RV park. The steps taken so far to prep the land for a major commercial development were definitely done under the radar. I'd be willing to bet there are residents in the mobile home park that don't know they are being "relocated."

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But if they are building $800K homes in the immediate area, selling off an RV park should not be shocking right? Highest and best use and all that.

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Good point. But I don't think anyone expected a commercial development of this scale when one of the two access roads is a dead end street. Plus, there are two other Wal-Marts within about 5 miles of the proposed one.

Gotcha. I obviously know nothing about that area. I'm just always leary of large tracts of undeveloped (or under-developed) land near the neighborhood.

Totally different scenario, but the Walmart in the "Heights" that so many people were up in arms about has actually accelerated development in that area and I think it was a net positive. Would I have preferred an HEB? Sure, but I'm not the one shelling out the dough for the dirt.

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Gotcha. I obviously know nothing about that area. I'm just always leary of large tracts of undeveloped (or under-developed) land near the neighborhood.

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This is very sound advice. I did my best due diligence when I bought this house (as well as the previous one I bought in College Station). Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to know what might happen in an unincorporated area with essentially no zoning restrictions. I'm not at all shocked the land is being developed, just surprised it's going to become a mega shopping center. I would have expected some commercial development fronting Kuykendahl, but then apartments or maybe even a small housing development.

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Totally different scenario, but the Walmart in the "Heights" that so many people were up in arms about has actually accelerated development in that area and I think it was a net positive. Would I have preferred an HEB? Sure, but I'm not the one shelling out the dough for the dirt.

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The reality of the situation is, no one who lives in neighborhoods with houses at the price points we are talking about here wants to be considered as Wal-Mart's target clientele. I know that's part of the issue in this case...people think they are too good for a Wal-Mart (lots of comments about how a Target would be so much better ~insert eye roll~). More people are getting worked up about the safety of the kids at the school and the "increased crime" that Wal-Marts supposedly bring than are talking about the road/infrastructure issues (which is really the biggest problem with this development). I'm sure there was a similar attitude about the one in The Heights. I'll be curious to know how many residents actually uphold their threats to boycott once the store opens.

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MAS - you can use any builder you'd like.

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I've spent some time looking around Bender's Landing and talking to various builders who have built thete but I'm no expert. Being able to use any builder seems like a problem. The area looks sort of thrown together with a wide variety of construction quality. I know several builders who won't build there any longer. Several of the long time builders seem to have pulled out.

I'd much prefer different types/styles of houses...but if it's a quality thing, that's obviously a problem.

But why would a builder care about other homes in the neighborhood? Unless they don't have enough homes there and it's an economies of scale thing...? Not disputing what you said...just curious as to why.