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Great day to be on the bay
Anyone looking for a workout partner in Houston?
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Just a general note…
There’s a Houston crime map. There’s flood maps from Harvey or other variations. Overlay these. Maybe also with school catchment areas. See what’s left.
You can go a long way with 2m in Houston. Depends a lot what you want. You’ll know already that interest rates suck and there’s a real threat of real estate tanking in the future nationally. Personally, I’d shoot closer to 1.25 and keep more powder dry. You still got lots of great options at that price point.
This. 100%
Bellaire - inside the loop portion is quite safe, clean and bike-able. Many parks too for kids.
Look into the memorial area between 610 and the beltway. I’ve heard the schools there are good, and it’s a really nice area. Not super close to downtown but there is plenty to do in the area.
I’m not familiar with school systems but River oaks, independent heights, Montrose, the heights are nice area inside the loop. Missouri City and Pearland are both cities right outside the loop. Jersey village I heard is nice but further out and Katy is also nice. I have friends with kids in Missouri City and Pearland but they are all under the age of 5 so I’m not much help about school districts
Happy to recommend a realtor who has been assisting professionals with relocation to the Houston area for over 30 years. Let me know!
If you're stuck on spending $2M, I probably wouldn't do the Heights. You'll have one of the most expensive properties and it'll stick out from the aesthetic of the heights. Not sure appreciation will be there.
This. 100%. And frankly just avoid the heights all together.
Also relocating to Houston. Budget is less than half of yours but this is such a helpful thread, regardless. Ours is a very tough price bracket for anywhere inside the loop (or even 1 standard deviation removed), but we are finding options here and there. Excited for the move and enjoying getting to know the city. See you around town!
Feel free to DM me. Moved to HOU from mamaroneck
In memorial, public schools are great A plus, but a little boring. We go inside loop for restaurants on weekend.
I’m a realtor - hit me up for information!
Moved here from NY - mamaroneck. DM me
Are you more a Manhattan type or more a Brooklyn type??
Manhattan look more river oaks, highland village, memorial, Mayer land, bellair
Brooklyn, heights.
Strongly consider sugar land bc you’ll find MUCH more value and better schools
Be aware of school zoning. They are NOT all the same.
For 2m you will have your pick. That’s a huge budget here.
If you live in the loop you MUST ask about flooding. Either don’t get a property that floods or be prepared to deal with issues.
River Oaks
But also how are you early 30s and affording 2M house already 😳 feeling behind now haha
It was a combination of good comp and good investment decisions… both of which were 99% driven by good luck.
Things can happen very quickly in life… and a lot of it is totally out of your control. Two years ago, we were buying a ~400k home.
Who knows, maybe you’ll never afford a 2m home… but I promise you that your happiness will not be any less!
Good schools and HISD are two things that don't go together. No matter what school you are at in HISD it is the same incompetent people making decisions at the top. There is a reason the TEA is taking over the school district.
I've lived here for 43 years and sent 3 kids through HISD. All did well and are doing well. But we put some effort into choosing where to live and a magnet or two. West U Bellaire and Braes Heights, Tanglewood and Memorial are all good options.
If you are Asian, go with TH Rogers or Mandarin Immersion Magnet. They are the only top K-8 schools in HISD.
Totally unrelated! We are downsizing and have a ton of new furniture. DM me if you are interested
Do Spring Branch, nice homes, good schools, within budget, it’s close enough to downtown and you have everything within a 20 min drive
I think Montrose, west university , rice military will give the inner city vibes and you’ll be centrally located with easy access to work and recreational activities. In my experience, I find that most of the top rated PUBLIC schools are in the suburbs, however, based on your budget, I’d assume that paying for a private school might not be an issue for you. I personally live in Richmond (suburb of Houston) but I sell Real Estate in the Houston area. Feel free to ask any questions you might have. Also, you have plenty of good suggestions on this thread but I will highly recommend a trip to Houston to visit these areas before you decide.
West U for sure. Amazing elementary school, very close knit community, great park system.
Oak Forest. Just outside the loop but only 20 minute commute, and the elementary school is the best in HISD. Lots of homes in the $1 million - $2 million range. We live here and love it.
Adding: you could buy a 5br/4 bath home with luxury finishes for about $1.1-1.5 million in Oak Forest and then use the remainder of your funds to invest or buy an investment property. The same goes for many other neighborhoods. You do not need to spend $2 million, or even $1.5 million, to get a nice house in a nice neighborhood in Houston. Capping your budget at $1.5 million will get you into the vast majority of neighborhoods with the exception of River Oaks (literal mansions and home to Beyonce, and $2 million won’t really get you in there either).
Bellaire or West U
I live in Bellaire and I think it has more value than West U. There's some bigger lots to be had over West U, more new builds due to recent flooding and the flood risks are overblown they have done many updates to the drainage and also most newer homes are built elevated, so your only worry would be driving or potentially getting stuck at home. I bought new in Bellaire back in 2021 (~$1.1M) and have yet to see anything remotely close to flooding in the area. My two toddlers love the area. Tons of stuff to do for kids. Super safe (police will arrive within a 5 min window), walkable, and generally friendly neighbors. It's also reasonably close to places inside the city as well without being in the city.