Rob M

iTrader: (1)

Guys/Gals,

What can You tell me about the Houston area, Good areas to live/buy a house, bad areas to stay away from (only one I know of so far is Greater Greens point or "Gun point" as I've heard it called) I would ask about the car scene but this Is TX we're talking about and I know You guys have some fast stuff so I won't even waste time there. I'll be separating from the military in mid/late '18 and going to S.A.M. so I'm just trying to gather as much info as possible. I'm curious as to how far most are driving and how the daily commute is to/from the school and where the recommended areas to have a house are...I was told by a member that the NW Houston area is good, lotta car guys but don't really know much beyond that.


Thanks for all Your input!!!

gesto

Good to see you in the TX section Rob. Again, I recommend renting at first to get the lay of the city. Can you give us a budget range and how long of a commute you can stand? There are some emerging neighborhoods in that area. Katy and Cypress areas are relatively close and good areas.

Rob M

iTrader: (1)

Gesto, hey thanks for the reply! I'm only pursistant with buying a home because I've owned 2 houses, and the garage always gets built/transformed to my liking esp considering how much time I spend there. There's definitely benefits to renting. The post-9/11 GI Bill allows for $1656 for monthly rent/mortgage. I don't plan on having a rent/mortgage anywhere near $1600 a month though lol. My wife will be working full time and I plan on practically living at the school during the week and probably weekends as well so I want her and our four legged kids safe lol We prefer "older" houses or "established neighborhoods" as agents like to call them. It's mostly because the garages are usually bigger and the houses aren't on top of each other. Katy looks Very nice and talking to Scott (@ S.A.M.) back in Sep/Oct I remember now him mentioning Katy and Jersey Village (?) as good areas. As far as a drive, despite have all V8's myself I don't really care if it was 40+ miles I just hate "stop & go" parking lots traffic

Mr. Hyde

iTrader: (10)

We went to meet a guy to pick up parts at the SAM factility this past October. What sticks out in my mind was the plethora of hookers walking the streets at 11:30 AM on a Saturday morning 2 blocks away.

1bad03snake

iTrader: (16)

Watch the local Houston news at night for a week straight. That will help you stay out of the troubled area's. I agree with the older homes and bigger garages. I was sold when I knew I could make a lift fit in mine

Fast02Z06

iTrader: (1)

I live in Spring/Woodlands (north) Very nice neighborhood, low crime nicer homes etc. I bought my house in May of 16 and am wayyy cheaper than renting. I am close to sam (about a 20-25 minute drive one way).

JS01

iTrader: (10)

You probably wont want to live in Katy unless you like a long commute in the morning. I lived off Eldridge Pkway and it took me a good 30 min to get to the school in the mornings taking I-10. This was back in 09'-10' i cant imagine the rush hour traffic getting any better but who knows.

Rob M

iTrader: (1)

Mr Hyde,
lol, okay I kinda figured that immediate area was..."Diverse" for lack of a better word


1bad03snake, Fast02ZO6 & JS01 Thanks for the replies & info. Im kinda compiling some notes and things to keep track of the area and where most folks are comfortable. The input is very much appreciated!

KCS

iTrader: (20)

I lived in Spring and commuted to SAM everyday, but you're probably going to want to get an EZ Tag for the toll roads.

I live in the Woodlands now and it's definitely a good area to live in. There is supposed to be a housing glut right now, so you should be able to find pretty good deals on housing/rentals. My brother was Air Force and just used his VA Loan to get a house in a new neighborhood in Spring. It appraised for $11k over the asking price.

gesto

Katy is pretty nice. Good schools but expect traffic. Same thing for Cypress. Jersey Village is closer but I don't know about the schools. Spring might be nice because of the beltway. You generally want to avoid Houston school district. Memorial City area or Heights area are nice and close if you can afford it.

BizZzatch350

iTrader: (33)

Stick to the Jersey Village area for now, it's fairly convenient if you're going to Sam, right across the Beltway from Spring Branch

LeadfootDuramax

iTrader: (6)

I live down Westview from SAM (At Campbell). There are nice neighborhoods in the area, but you won't be in them for 1,600 a month. I am glad I bought back when things were cheaper, but a fixer upper can go for $300k-$400k in a nice neighborhood nearby SAM and prices quickly climb from there.

Katy and Jersey Village are about as close as your can get for your budget. during normal traffic in the morning and evening, it will still be over a half hour. It will be stop and go traffic. There is no way around that in Houston. Especially with the disaster they have turned 290 into. However, with your price budget Katy and Jersey Village are your best bet. There are good and bad areas there as well so look closely.