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Hi, thanks for informative excellent video I am confused between buying a home in Breckenridge Forest(Springs) and Flagstone(Humble), any suggestions or recommendation would be appreciated. I have no kids and work from home, so basically i am willing to get a home which will give me the most appreciation in short term
Yeah depending on which area. I drove from Katy (far west Katy) back to my house in Kingwood during prime traffic yesterday. It was a 67 mile drive and took me an hour and 20 minutes. For me that’s not bad at all, comparing to Los Angeles/Orange County CA where I’m from. Driving 67 miles in prime traffic time in Southern California would be 2 hours at best.
Also - for ppl who have been here for 20+ years….anywhere in Houston takes at least 30 minutes to get to and that’s being nice. To be 30 miles from the beltway is 😮💨
I get that. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, so anything inside of an hour and a half commute is awesome to me lol. I lived 35 miles from my work in LA and it would take me 2 hours to get home 😫
It’s definitely one of the more popular areas that I’m seeing people move to. Now that The Woodlands is completely built out (and expensive), Conroe is the next best option to find a decent priced home and still be within a reasonable commute to The Woodlands.
I am a Native Houstonian and lived in the country. What is a "mud room?" Isn't that a place where you leave shoes when it snows or rains heavy? We don't have those here. Lol
Yes that’s exactly what a mud room is. That’s interesting, I see them all the time. Especially in new construction homes. They’re almost always combining the laundry and “mud room” right off of a garage entry. So you have a space to enter the home and drop your things, take muddy/wet shoes & clothes off, kids drop their school bags etc. I live in an older part of Kingwood and we have one in our house. Actually most of the homes in my area have them.
@@MakingHoustonHome Maybe because a lot more people don't wear shoes in their home these days, like myself. Interesting. Thank you for sharing. I might be contacting you in a month or so.
Exactly, the data shows that the current unemployment rate isn’t enough to tank the market on its own. Inflation is still up but people are still spending money.
I gotta be honest, I’ve never been to Teaswood. I just did some quick research and see that it’s a Toll Brothers community, which means the houses are going to be beautiful and the neighborhood will too. Toll Brothers is an awesome builder. My first thought when combining the 2 areas is at Evergreen you’ll have more options with a couple builders at lower price points, into the $300k range. Then there’s location, depending on how far/close someone wants to be from different spots is key. The Woodlands, Bush Airport, Downtown Houston etc. are all a bit closer to Evergreen. Teaswood is in a great area close to a lot of new development happening. I might have to head out to Teaswood for my next video! Thanks for asking the question, you really peaked my attention on it too!
Good stuff, you hadn't done a deeper analysis and summary of the Houston mkt in a while - Thank you. Always enjoy your comments and balanced perspective. I still really feel we are on a bad bath of unsustainability and a worsening affordably crisis in Houston. What happens when the buyers run dry up???...... prices have to come down. Maybe not a crash but there has to be a correction. The average income cannot afford the average home in Houston anymore. May and June were one of the worst performing sales months in terms of transaction in years and inventory is increasing. And these months are suppose to be the busy months in terms of seasonality. What happens in the next 3-6 week when all the kids go back to school and a big chunk of the remaining qualified buyer population puts their plans on hold until next spring??? Families don't like to buy and move in the fall/winter. There is a big chunk of the Houston MLS which is bigger +4 bedroom, +3 bath, > 3,000 sq ft homes in the $400K - $600K range that are just going to sit on the mkt for the next 6 to 9 months at these prices. Who is going to buy them??? I am really hoping this fall will be different and there will be some deals and discounts coming........What are your thoughts??
Hey! I appreciate the response and thoughtful analysis. You are correct in all of that. We had a late start to the busy spring season this year. With rates so high (7%+) range early in the year, a lot of sellers didn’t want to list. Over the last month or so we’ve had a ton of listings come on market and the average days on market shot up from about 32 to 46. As you mentioned, kids going back to school next week, holidays coming up…the next 5-6 months are normally the slow season when the market naturally dips. I think if rates go down, closer to 5.5% even, we will see buyers come back and take advantage despite having to move at an inconvenient time. There’s so much pent up frustration from both buyers and sellers right now…I’m interested to see how these next few months play out too!
Yes, honestly there’s just not much in the immediate area yet. I think once they build out some more, add amenities etc. we’ll start to see more people talk about it.
@@MakingHoustonHome I appreciate the reply and informative videos you make but aren't the prices going to rise once the area is built out? Again thanks for the great content.
Porter is literally a suburb of the Houston Metropolitan area. The vast majority of people looking to move to Houston are not moving to “Houston” as you would call it. They are moving to the suburbs located in the Houston metro area. Furthermore, most of the people watching are not from here and have no clue what any of these suburbs are called or where they are located. If the video title said “Porter” only, no one would even know that it is located in the Houston area. That is why I say Houston and then I take the time in all of my videos to do a detailed map tour and show people exactly where the area is and things to do around the area. My goal is to educate those that are not from here, many of which have never even been to Houston. It doesn’t have anything to do with the word Houston being more desirable (that’s simply your opinion anyway). As seen in this video (if you watch it) Porter/New Caney are the #1 hottest communities in all of Houston. Yes that’s actual data from HAR, not my opinion. There is massive investment and development happening now and will continue for the next 20+ years.
Yes you actually have a couple nearby. The Kingwood HCA is about 15-20 minutes away going East. Then you have The Woodlands medical center which is about 25-30 minutes away. Part of the Valley Ranch planned development (I talk about this in the map section of the video) which is only like 5-10 minutes away is a brand new medical center as well.
I think I only talked about the shopping and restaurants etc. at Valley Ranch. I don’t know that I mentioned the plan for the medical center. Either way if you wanted to see exactly where it’s at, go to the 23 minute mark in this video and that’s when I start talking about the Valley Ranch Town Center.
lol I’m going to assume that you’re being sarcastic 😂 They always build model homes with landscaping in front of the garages. It’s funny but I guess their thought is that it’s nicer looking than just a concrete driveway.
I have a few things holding me back from moving to Texas in the Houston area. I am under the impression that flooding is a real concern, the heat, and electricity being out often. Can someone who actually lives in Houston, in particular the woodlands area confirm if my concerns are valid or it's false?
I personally would say that flooding is a valid concern pretty much anywhere around the Houston metro area. Being so close to the Gulf Coast puts it at risk. The best thing to do if you are to move is to make sure that your home is not in a flood zone. Parts of The Woodlands have flooded before and other parts haven’t. The heat is relative to your own personally tolerance. I was born and raised in Los Angeles/Orange County CA area, where it’s beautiful all the time. It took us a couple years to adapt to the weather here. We’ve learned to live with it (as do most people) but it’s definitely hot & humid during peak summer season. Power going out would probably be the least of the concerns that you mentioned. We just had a hurricane come through which knocked the power out for a few days for most people, but some took 2 weeks to get back. That doesn’t happen often.
Those Price don't include insurance , Home owners insurance is sky high in Harris/ Montgomery county right now, if they will write you a policy and let not for get the 6-7% interest rate
Yes correct, this is the price of the home only. Insurance is getting pretty ridiculous around here, however, rates for new construction homes are still pretty reasonable. As far as interest rates go, this particular builder is giving fha & va buyers a 4.875% interest rate. Market rate has dropped to right around 6% over the last couple weeks. I’ve even seen some of my buyers with great credit in the 5’s recently.
@@kathleenepugh9495 all valid points, I guess it’s relative to each individuals situation. Many of my clients are coming from expensive states such as CA, NY, a lot from the upper east coast, where taxes and general goods are extremely expensive. A lot of which can’t even afford to purchase to begin with. In CA I was paying 2.875% property tax on an $800k home 🤢 so coming to Texas and paying 2.5% on a $350k house was a huge win for us. Not to mention getting an immediate pay raise by not having to pay state income tax 🙌 HOA dues are relatively inexpensive here, again when comparing to other states. We pay about $360 a year, and in the 6 years I’ve been here it’s only gone up $10. Not bad in my opinion. In regard to electricity, I suppose that’s all relative as well. I pay about 11 cents per kWh…in CA it was about 37 cents per kWh. On top of that SoCal Edison has a monopoly on power so they’ve created a system where they can charge people whatever they feel like. In Texas there are literally hundreds of energy providers competing for business, which is why the rates are so low. From what I understand, past clients that have purchased new construction homes around this size are paying about $100-$150 a month during peak summer seasons.
why everyone forgets propety tax which is like close to 3% ???? is there a way to avoid it? because no home buyer talks about it which is like 600 per month
@@arunkumaracharya9641 that is true. Property taxes are probably the biggest financial downside to living here. Although it is relative to where people are moving from, it still is a big expense when considering the mortgage payment. Although I’m paying less in taxes than I was in CA, taxes and insurance are about 50% of my current mortgage payment. It’s pretty crazy lol
Thank you I appreciate that! I totally get that. It’s actually really tough to find a place with no HOA in Houston. Almost every subdivision will have one, and they are generally pretty inexpensive. Where I live it’s only about $350/year. It was weird for me because I’m from Los Angeles/Orange County CA area and there were not many HOA’s and if you did come across them they were super expensive.
You bet! I suppose “affordable” is a relative term depending on who is watching. But these homes are most definitely the best prices without being way off in the middle of nowhere. With home prices still so high it’s tough to find anything in the $200k’s these days.
I totally understand. It was hard for us too but it’s actually been great for us and our family. Reach out anytime, even id you just have questions and want to run something’s by me to get a better understanding of how things are here compared to CA.
Awesome video. I just love looking at homes. It is so good to see affordable, well laid out homes. Your presentation is spot on, and the kiddos having a ball in the background made me smile. 😊
Thanks for the feedback! I’m always nervous about having my kids making noice in the background…but it’s part of life so I’m learning to just let it ride and it is what it is lol. I appreciate your comment!
That Kingwood map is missing part of Kingwood that is the Porter Zip but technically Kingwood (Houston and Harris). Chachis is the best in area and you kind of touched on it. Their Chachis Next Door is actually more Mexican and less Tex Mex
I appreciate how thorough you are in each video and show the locations of the neighborhoods on google maps. These new homes are just too expensive for what little important items they are giving you. (aka 25 yr roof and brick) especially living within 100 miles of the Gulf of Mexico.
I get you. It’s unfortunate but the truth is this is what you get for the price these days. I have plenty of friends that are from Texas and they are always in disbelief of how much “starter” homes cost these days. This community is really one of the most affordable developments where you are still located within a reasonable drive to everything someone would need.
@@MakingHoustonHome no worries, I do speak English haha! I was just wondering, I kinda feel more comfortable in my own language sometimes! But all good… I’ll contacting you to talk about this community, I love it so is my wife! Thanks Rene!
3 tab roof, not an architectural , no brick at all, for over a quarter million dollars….. that’s a rip off man no other way to put it. The incentives sound nice, but 5-6 yrs into ownership you’ll have to replace the roof. Insurance won’t cover the roof unless it’s architectural (aka 25 yr roof) Not to mention cat. 2 and above hurricanes will rip the cheap siding off that house. But hey I’ve only lived in Texas my whole life what do I know 😂
No houses in the USA are hurricane proof these are good starter homes good vid at least they affordable not like rest of them out there claim affordable cite 800k 😅
I’m no contractor or home builder myself so I can’t say just by looking what type of shingle is on that roof. I do know that insurance companies are covering these homes and others like them all around Houston (I see it with my clients all the time). Insurance rates for new construction are actually pretty reasonable. The sad truth is that home affordability is tough right now. This same builder had another community nearby and they did brick all the way around (plus more upgrades inside the home) but those homes were in the $300k+ range. For people that want to invest in themselves and buy rather than rent, these are some of the best options out there in the Houston area. At least where you’re still close to civilization lol.
Yes Kingwood is known for not having sidewalks, I’ve always felt like it’s because we have 75+ miles of greenbelt trails that snake through the entire area. If you’re going for a walk, bike ride, run etc most people use the trails.
This video was very informative. I currently stay in Tulsa, OK but I am considering moving to Texas within the next 6 or 7 months. Texas veteran benefits are the best in the country in my opinion.
I don’t have any videos however there are some great options around the Houston area for what you’re looking for. Email me at rene@makinghtxhome.com and I will send you some properties.
@@lisascott6178 hey! It’s currently listed at $289,900. Yes the primary bedroom has 2 separate closets, one on each side of the stand up shower. The 2 secondary bedrooms have standard sized closets. Here is the link to view more details: s.hartech.io/w4E2sFej734
@@user-tb4hr2ry3u this community is Woodson’s Reserve. If you’d like more information email me at rene@makinghtxhome.com or text at 310-293-1677. If you contact them directly be sure to let them know that you were referred by Rene Lara, that’s the only way that the builders will give me credit for marketing their products.
It is Woodson’s Reserve. I’ve unfortunately had to stop putting builders info in my videos. I’ve found that A LOT of viewers are using my videos for information and then contacting the builders, which is fine, but in those cases I don’t get credit from the builders for marketing their products. I have relationships with these builders, but the only way they compensate me for marketing is if the potential buyer tells them that they called because of my video.
@@user-ck2zh9xe2w there are some down payment assistance programs out there. It depends on the individuals financial and credit details. Reach out and I can give you info for a local lender that I work with who has down payment assistance programs, they would be worth having having conversation with to see if you qualify. Rene@makinghtxhome.com
The woodlands is ok. Kingwood is ok. Kingwood was annexed by the city of Houston a while back and people are still upset about it. Most of the places are full of country people...just saying...
lol I guess it depends on each individuals idea of “country”. I’m probably the furthest from being country, growing up in South Los Angeles. I’d say I have a handful of friends in Kingwood that are a tad country, but the vast majority of people that I know from The Woodlands and Kingwood are not country at all. I mean they like country music though lol
Tavola is zoned to New Caney School District. The schools are Tavola Elementary, Keefer Crossing Middle School (there is a new middle school opening up in Tavola soon), and New Caney High. Here is a link to view the ratings. Scroll down to the map and you can click the map and then click on each school to see details. www.niche.com/k12/d/new-caney-independent-school-district-tx/
Nice! I have family in the Fort Worth area and have only driven through Midlothian on my way to visit them. Let me know if you need someone in the area there. I’ve worked with several great DFW agents.
They’re all beautiful communities with tons of amenities…pools, parks, shopping/dining/entertainment near by etc. You’ll see basketball hoops in front of homes here and there. Some HOA’s don’t have an issue with it, others might ask that it be stored in the garage or out of sight when not being used.
Hey good morning! I’ll keep that in mind, I’d have to figure out how to select homes and showcase them. Usually single family rentals have tenants living in them. I’ll definitely chew on that idea and see what I can come up with. In the meantime, reach out to me, I can help with locating a rental. 310-293-1677
@@MakingHoustonHome We bought in Tomball. Low tax rate and no mud tax. I had my share of the big master plan communities. It’s good when you have young kids, but when the kids move out, you’re left with paying higher tax rates and high HOA fees when you don’t use half of the amenities. But definitely yes for young families
@@jenerra11 nice that’s awesome! What community in Tomball did you buy in? I can definitely see that point. We bought new construction in a master planned community in CA before moving to Houston and it had all of the amenities…multiple pools, parks, clubhouses etc. It was cool but honestly so expensive…and kind of a hassle loading the kids up anytime we wanted to go to the pool lol.
Hi. thanks for the excellent videos, much more comfortable to watch than many similar channels, I'm moving from Northcal to Houston, I will arrive on June 15 to see options, maybe we can meet up if you have time
I have been a city person all my life. Made the decision overnight to move to Kingwood due to finding our dream home. Literally, a life decision made on a wonderful home...and we are concerned on the life style change. Thank you for providing comfort through this detailed video.
Thanks so much! Meridiana is amazing, I had some clients move there from the East Coast in December of last year. Reach out to me at 310-293-1677 I can get you more information. They have about 11 builders there in all different price ranges so there are plenty of options.
Great video! Wished this video was released before I visited Houston. All information you presented here is spot on! Help me understand this... I was boots on the ground over the weekend from Baytown snaking up to Conroe and back down to IAH and notice the builders have only one model home or 2 at tops. Why is that builders in TX is not like CA and AZ where they showcase 3 to 5 model homes? I notice the use of the model home as the sales center using the garage and bedrooms as sales office. As a investor, it felt like "Timeshare" when visiting the model homes.
That’s true, I never really thought too much into it but you’re right. When I bought my new construction home in South Orange County CA there was a sales office and like 3 or 4 model homes. Only thing I can think is that out here in Texas there are usually completed inventory homes that can be viewed. Whereas in CA (in my experience anyway) they didn’t start building a house until it was under contract for purchase. So maybe there they really need multiple model homes to showcase their different plans, and here they only need 1 or 2 model homes because they have inventory homes for people to walk.
Let me know when you’re ready to buy. Especially if you’re not going to be here during the transaction. For my clients I attend inspections, initial and final walks, shoot videos etc so that they can have someone going to bat for them along the way and feel comfortable and confident before closing on the house.
HOA is $1420 per year. It includes all of the amenities, community maintenance/landscaping, your social membership at the golf club, and wifi package (the entire community gets wifi).
