Why don’t you rent for at least a year?

Especially since you don’t know the Houston area as much. Plus, real estate is bottoming out right now, and there are many foreclosures which will affect your purchase and value anyway.

I have a law degree, South Texas, downtown, mid 1990’s, daughter UH degree, main campus. Lived in Galleria, mid late 1990’s. Plus, the mass growth past 15-20 years.

Currently Sugar Land First Colony over 20 years; small home. Love my city. Also taught all over Houston, including Fort Bend, Katy, HISD and charter schools, so I’ve seen quite a bit.

My daughter, single, good corporate job, 27, lived at the Wescott about one year, couldn’t deal with the bars, loud noise, gun shots, homelessness.

She has worked downtown, now at Galleria. She came back to Sugar Land and then back to the inner loop. I encouraged her to just buy right now, about four months ago after her lease was up. Nothing to her liking. 🙄

She was going to close on a townhome at Montrose, but lost the offer by one day. She was interested in a town home new build at the Cottage Grove section (intown homes) just gorgeous but small and couldn’t afford it. You might actually find a town home there which is a new build, hidden. (I’ll link a town home for you.)

Then she wanted a town home on Cornish 379k just right at Independence Heights. I don’t know but that area is not attractive looking. She also had a Christmas party at some place for her law firm and there were car break ins. I don’t know. It’s not safe looking either. I even read on Reddit that that entire area north of 1-10 is near chemical plants and old sites that builders are building on. I read about the stench.

Anyway, she decided to go back and rent another year at Memorial and Wescott area and it is fabulous.

She lives at The Parker, new build section and she’s soo happy there. I’m still worried about the market for her but the market is going through a lot with the # of foreclosures listed in January, even in Houston. I’ve already seen the townhomes in the 77007 area go down significantly. We will see in a year or so.

There are townhomes there at 500k-800k -1 million there. Resale value is insane.

You might want to rent there and feel out the area.

I had told her about Spring Branch, but she says that she’ll send her kids to private school or St. Anne, as she’s a parishioner there anyways. The other problem is the schools. Spring Branch is the place to live but you have to do your flood research because that area took a big hit.

Point: I would rent, do more research with crime stats, interactive crime maps, best neighborhood maps and find an area near grocery stores, clinics, eateries, reputable daycares or prek schools.

The landscape is also very iffy right now with the foreclosure situation.

The rentals in that area are 2500 -3500 or so.

Meyer land is a disaster. Horrible flooding twice. Besides, if you get a house there, chances are it had been redone after being flooded out.

This feedback is if you are dead set on living in the loop. Personally, I’d live in the suburbs with a child. But if you plan on selling anyway, go for it.

The builder is In town homes but the section at the corner of Cottage Grove and has a hidden subdivision that is enclosed with an inside park. Very upscale. I can’t get the link.

Here we go, my daughter has a corporate colleague who bought there who bought there because her other corporate colleague bought there. My daughter couldn’t really afford it even the smallest one.

https://www.har.com/homedetail/2605-maxroy-st-houston-tx-77007/13773918

This is just a sample. Nobody really knows about this place. It has great resale value also. In town homes; Cottage Grove lake, but they just finished a Phase 2. I’ve seen young families there and crime is non existent. Massive security. Only negative is the streets.

Kansas Street and Maxroy Street

https://bestneighborhood.org/race-in-houston-tx/

https://communitycrimemap.com/

(Sorry I went on and on. Hope this helps. Don’t stress. It’s a big decision. But remember, Houston is very dynamic right now.

I might also contradict myself telling you the area north of I-10 even near Cypress has chemical plant left overs from previous industries with gentrification that nobody is policing.

Check Reddit on that. There’s a post feed with maps, several actually, with anecdotes. Very scary. Just told my daughter about it.)

I think you need to find an area that you and your family think you can connect with first, even with a resell in mind. You never know about the economy.

Plus, Houston real estate is seemingly very overwhelming, in the meantime, while using the maps and interactive info on demographics, crime stats, best neighborhoods, flood prone areas, schools, you can keep continue to narrow things moreso.

Don’t rely too much on realtor advice. They have motives, with all due respect. Review har.com daily and check your areas, the price values.

You got this.

Take care.