Houston buddies...need some advice! - Page 2

HavockWK · 07-05-2005, 11:36 AM

NW side bro! Just like RB said! Cypress Fairbanks ISD is the largest Recognized school district in Texas, and the best in the Houston area. Tons of new developments going up and with really nice amenities.

I could talk trash about the other places people have mentioned, but all that matters is that you are happy with where you choose.

Just get on over here in time for the 7/17 meet!

tweety · 07-07-2005, 11:28 AM

NW side of Houston.
But then again, if you are thinking that 2-400K for a house is cheap then your options are wide open. There is a place near me called Lakes of Eldridge. Ask your realtor where that is. New homes going up starting at the 400's. Most other homes are 200+.
Now the rain thing....yeah it rains. Much less than California, more than Nevada. How's that?
It's summer so it normally rains every day somewhere around the metro area. Hail? The most really bad weather seems to be along I-10 West. Cinco Ranch direction. Storms come from Austin up the highway bad at times.
Look at the metro map and make a line from 7 to 2 like it was a clock. Pick anywhere in that range and you will be fine. This would take you from Sugarland to Kingwood.
Take a few days and come down to look around. Get a person that knows the area well to drive you around. Have ready a detailed list of what you want around you and distances to your work or play area. We have a few people down here you know, it takes a bit to get around sometimes.

hamop · 07-07-2005, 11:44 PM

Go to
http://earth.google.com
download the freebie..........once loaded
open the google earth program.
type in 801 Texas Ave. Houston, Texas 77002
then hit return. From that point you are smack dab in the center
of Houston. Use the google controls to fly up and down the freeways
or to whatever part of town you want to look at. You have a ton of options to check out.
Make sure you turn on the roads button to allow it to post road names.

m95roadster · 07-08-2005, 04:56 AM

Again, I want to thank everyone for your responses. My wife isn't too fond of Houston because of the weather (hot/humid and rains a lot) and the thought of tornadoes

However, we plan to make a trip there in a few weeks to check it out and look at some property.

tweety · 07-08-2005, 06:31 AM

The rare tornado compared to the frequent wild fires, earthquakes, and mud slides.
Hmmmm, let me reflect on that for a moment.....!
Tornados in this area are rare. Well, unless you live in the Jersey Village area.
You have a few main places to do your search when you get here.
Fairfield, Riata Ranch, Cinco Ranch, Kingwood, Sugarland. Mention these to your local realtor or just pick up a home guide at the entrance of any local grocery store. Now if you want to spend some bucks and feel like you are back home, look up places in River Oaks! Cha-ching.

Titan4x4Aggie · 07-08-2005, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m95roadster

Again, I want to thank everyone for your responses. My wife isn't too fond of Houston because of the weather (hot/humid and rains a lot) and the thought of tornadoes

However, we plan to make a trip there in a few weeks to check it out and look at some property.

Houston isn't as bad as it might seem. I dreaded the thought of moving out here before I did, mainly because all I ever heard were the Houston haters. Now, I dont think it is that bad of a city. It has lots of good places to go (Minute Maid Park, Reliant Center, Memorial Park, Rice Village, etc) and that traffic isn't all THAT bad in certain areas.

I'm not a fan of the nothern suburbs, but I like downtown and the Clear Lake area down here. But, that's what's nice about Houston and the surrounding area. There is a lot of variety to please everyone, so each person / family can find there niche.

p_bratton · 07-08-2005, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m95roadster

Again, I want to thank everyone for your responses. My wife isn't too fond of Houston because of the weather (hot/humid and rains a lot) and the thought of tornadoes

However, we plan to make a trip there in a few weeks to check it out and look at some property.

It's not the tornados, but the occasional hurricane that will cause you problems doen here.

I moved up to Dallas for a few years, now that's an area that will have tornadoes!!!

Don't forget to look in the Sugar Land and Richmond-Roseburg areas. I am in the Greatwood community in Sugar Land and it's the best!

Good luck on your search, I remember how much of a drain it is to narrow down your search and then start over again in the chosen area.

Phil

RB's Titan · 07-08-2005, 10:14 PM

Hey! did no one mention we have tons of places to eat..? You know we are the fattest city because we have tons of places to eat...with lots of roads to race on and by golly I just love the prices for good meals!

LSU Tiger · 07-09-2005, 02:57 PM

I will vouch for Fairfield . I moved here about a year ago and we absolutely love it! All of the neighbors on our street are extremely nice and everyone likes to hang outside and have some drinks, play with the kids, etc, etc... It is in the Cy-Fair school district, which as mentioned before is VERY good but you do pay for it. My taxes last year were around $3,000.00. My truck insurance is around $640 per 6 months also. Let me know if you have any other questions and I will gladly answer them the best that I can.

-Royce

eddytitan · 07-13-2005, 06:55 PM

Hey M95 - this is EddyTitan's girl. I work for GMAC Mortgage in The Woodlands, TX. I grew up in The Woodlands so I chose to live elsewhere (in Spring,TX) but I still have easy access (10 min) - I'm not right in the middle of the craziness. The Woodlands keeps growing and the traffic is not fun. You should check out www.har.com for your real estate options. I would choose the Northside area, but that's my opinion because I know it best. I work with a lot of people coming from California and they like The Woodlands area because it's similiar. The weather is great - summer year round. The best beach in Texas (South Padre) is not close and Galveston is a far cry from your beaches, but it's getting better. The same guy that developed The Woodlands is getting busy on Galveston, along with some other heavy hitters ($$$). The $250 - $400k range will buy you a lot of house here. You will be amazed. And remember, they say you should get out of New York before you get too hard, leave California before you get too soft and spend the rest of your life in Texas.

lol. Please feel free to e-mail me at Theresa.Davis@gmacm.com or call me at (866) 721-4622 ext 17 and I can hook you up.

BLIZZARD XE · 07-14-2005, 07:50 AM

If I were to move back to Houston and had the ability to afford the price range you mentioned I would move near the medical center. West of Reliant Stadium. About three blocks west of S,Main st the neighborhood is exelent and well kept. The homes are from the 70's mostly brick 3-4 beedrooms and are in very good shape. My wife and I priced them a few years ago but they were out of our price range. Most of them are in the $175,000 - $200,000 with some closer to $300,000. That area is located central and is close to most anything you would need. All the people I met in the area were very nice and kept thier property nice and neat.

Houston has a horrible traffic problem, and Im sure that you are no stranger to this, being from San Diego, but Houston is the worst Ive seen. I would find out where you would be working and try to get as close as possible to minimize travel time and distance, but keeping in a nice area.

Just my $.02

Good luck!

tweety · 07-14-2005, 11:10 AM

....have you noticed when people talk about Houston and getting from place to place that it is measured in time and not distance?
"How far is downtown from the Woodlands?"
"About 60 minutes!"

Ask again on a Saturday and the answer would be, "....35 minutes"

Bhudda454 · 07-14-2005, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tweety

....have you noticed when people talk about Houston and getting from place to place that it is measured in time and not distance?
"How far is downtown from the Woodlands?"
"About 60 minutes!"

Ask again on a Saturday and the answer would be, "....35 minutes"

LMAO...it is that way for the entire state of Texas. I think we are all taught as children growing up here how long it takes to get anywhere, not how far it it. Perfect example, Houston to LA..halfway is El Paso. Takes about 12 hours to get there. I had to use map point to find the mileage, 750. Haha

Wake County Titan · 07-14-2005, 12:03 PM

The best thing you can do when you visit Houston is to find out exactly where you are going to be working and do the morning drive from 2 or 3 parts of town. I used to live in Katy and worked in West Houston (Dairy Ashford exit off I10). The commute was a snap. Working downtown would have been another issue. My favorite place to eat was Dennis' Seafood on Westheimer. Check it out! I agree with every one that Sugarland and Cinco Ranch are both great places to live. Houston still seems to have very reasonable housing prices. You will get a lot for your money in this range.