Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

What do you think of these areas guys?

We arrive on 23rd......!!!:):):)

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Do you mean Fort Bend County? If so, that's a difficult question to answer as it covers a huge area. It's Katy, Sugarland, Rosenberg, Richmond.....

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Well Fort Bend County North/Richmond, (Pecan Grove) or New Territory?

Any thoughts very gratefully received!!!

Helen :starsmile:

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Sorry, only been to the farmers market in Richmond so can't really help. That's going to be quite a commute though.

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Hmm, okay. It's hard to tell from here!

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Google map travel time to work. It'll give you some idea, but remember it's a holiday today and not rush hour when you see the timings.

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Meh, it's only a holiday for some people! :frown:

I would echo Weeze's comments and say that could be quite a commute. Not only only either 59 or Westpark tollway (depending on how far North you're talking) but getting to one of those main freeways may take you quite a while in itself...

Whereabouts will the main commute(s) be to?

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Depends what we think about them in terms of what.

We have driven though Richmond and Rosenberg a number of times.

Rosenberg is a dying town like you'll see in many parts of Texas. Town has a center with closed shops and antique/second hand shops. The rail lines run through it. Richmond was more built up with MPCs near to New Territory. A lot of Dollar Stores and Family Dollar stores....

It is a lower per capita income...meaning look at the demographics online. That translates into not the best schools. I'm looking at Richmond, which is the county seat, for the low per capita 'concern', especially as you did post that you were concerned about crime.

Why are YOU looking out there? Here in the USA, you get what you pay for. If it's cheap housing, then you will get poor schools, nasty commutes and fragmented communities.

Sugar land is a decent bet all around if SW of Houston is now your target area.

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Do you have kids? If so, you would be sensible to do some serious research on the schools in the area guard looking at. I would avoid Rosenberg like the plague but that's just me. New Territory/Pecan Grove are nice areas but I'm not sure about the schools. This would be Lamar school district I think. We live in Katy (Cinco Ranch) and are in Katy ISD, which has excellent schools. There is a lot of information on here about the west and south west side of Houston. Also, Citidata.com is helpful. Where will you be working? That is something you really have to think about here. Traffic is hellish, so you need to live in the general direction of where you work, unless you want to spend 2 hours a day or more in your car.

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Hi, thanks all for your comments. I was asking about those areas as there were a couple of quite nice looking rental houses there we saw online. My husband will be working at the medical center. We quite like the look of Sugarland, and I was initially keen on Katy / Cinco Ranch but have been put off by feedback about commute times....we want to live in the best possible area with good schools but we are limited by a max rental budget of $2500 per month.

I guess I'm just looking for any help / advice from people who know the areas as I don't have a clue what's good and what's around the corner from the crime centre of Houston - sorry of my questions seem silly...

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Well, commute wise, West U, bellaire, memorial and energy corridor would all suit you well. As a general rule, schools are better outside of Houston ISD, but you can check goodschools to see how the local one ranks. How old are your children? Will they be school age here or pre-k age?
Sugarland would be good. I suspect west u and bellaire wouldn't suit your budget. Energy corridor would be okay price wise I'd have thought and is much nearer than Katy. Are you using American schools or British school systems?

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Hi Weeze

The children are 4 and 6 (5 and 7 in March) and will be using the US public schools.

Is all of Sugarland good in your opinion (in terms of safety, child friendly etc) or any areas to avoid?

I know these all seems stupid questions but appreciate the guidance.

Helen :huh:

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

We also considered Pearland - better or worse in terms of commute / nice area than Sugar alnd? Or swings and roundabouts?

Thanks............

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Yeah, we don't live in Houston yet. I don't know where the proliferation of dollar stores are and when you see a nice house on the internet, you wonder what the neighbouhood is like and I don't really know when I'm looking at a bad area or not and have a fixed budget - just trying to do my best here. Kinds thought the point of these forums was sharing information.....

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Pearland is an easy commute to Med Center.Also parking just up the hwy at West Belfort and using the Metro Rail it ymight make the commute easier

Personally I like Pearland over Sugarland.

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Your 4 year old will be pre-k so you aren't looking at school for her yet, you'll need a pre-k.
I didn't view much of Sugarland so can't really help. We went to a few houses, but it became clear we were looking at Eldridge/Katy instead for our commute.

Do you have a realtor working with you? It sounds like you don't know much about the Houston area. Neither did I. It's difficult to appreciate how huge it is. Houston is about the same size as London. That's just Houston, not including areas like Katy, Sugarland etc. So it's a bit like moving to London and wondering if you should live in Richmond, Knightsbridge, Soho etc. There's a big distance between the areas and big differences within those different areas. That's where your realtor should help. They should be able to find sample houses in a few different areas that meet your requirements and then you can pin down an area.

When we first started looking we were looking at Sugarland, Katy, Memorial, Lakes on Eldrige, Energy Corridor. Then as the realtor took us places, we narrowed down the list.

I might browse on HAR in a bit and see if I can help...

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

http://search.har.com/engine/dispSea...0&backButton=Y
The school for this one gets 10/10 on great schools

http://search.har.com/engine/dispSea...9&backButton=Y
You'd have to ask for this school details

http://search.har.com/engine/dispSea...4&backButton=Y
You'd have to ask for this ones school details too

http://search.har.com/engine/dispSea...4&backButton=Y
This gets a 7/10 on great schools

http://search.har.com/engine/dispSea...1&backButton=Y
This gets a 10/10 on great schools

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Thanks Weeze, you're really helpful...I'll take a look.

Sugarmomma, what makes you prefer Pearland out of interest?


Thanks :starsmile:

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Sugarland has lots of amenities, lots of sub-divisions some really nice and some not so. But it is an extremley busy area (IMO;)) Pearland has many amenitities and is a growing area but to me still has a "countryside" feel to it.

Neither of these two cities had anything when we first moved here 24 years ago so it has been interesting to see the changes.

Good luck on the move honey:fingerscrossed: Hope you find somewhere that you feel comfortable with.

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

You forgot the most important reason that Pearland is better - I live there :flirtyeyes:

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Oh that was a given my dear:thumbsup::starsmile:


Time I had a day off so we can meet for lunch again;)

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

I think you may want to take a chance and take the idea that all of Houston is crime-ridden. I am doubtful you are making plans to move into any of the more ghetto areas....and until you get here, you really can't know a neighborhood until you have seen it,or been there a bit.

Get onto city-data.com for Houston. Folks will not steer you wrong there. In fact there is a recent thread on the increasingly longer commute out of Katy. For someone commuting to Baylor med, it's a hike.

Work with a good local realtor who knows the area that you are targeting. It makes all the difference. Ask for recommendations on city-data or from folks from hubby's work.

Of course the neighborhoods around med center are ideal, but if you are looking for a house I too suspect that budget will price you out of Bellaire, Rice Village, etc. Remember a lease isn't forever...

We are suggesting Pearland and Sugarland for budget and commutable distances. When you see a house that is of interest, simply research the schools. Within one district has many schools with different ratings.

I am assuming that you have a place to stay when you arrive as temp accommodations?

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Weeze did a great job on the HAR search. I didn't expect the first one's location in such a good school district to be that affordable. You have a good chance to find something close! All the houses she put up are great ideas to start a search.

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Thanks Sugarmooma, that's really nice of you.

Yes, we have temp accommodation in an apartment in the city. To be honest, I think we'd rather live a bit out, we live in a small village right now and have never been keen on city living, so the suburbs will suit us better I think. Sounds like the thing to do is get a realtor from somewhere then....

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

That's good to have the temp accomadation because it gives you chance to get more acclimitised.

One step at a time, and the help of a realtor really will make life easier plus any questions we can help with;)

And if you consider the Pearland area ChoclateBabz might be able to answer some of your questions (she's a sweet lady:D;))

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Thanks so much for the advice - some people here seem a bit irritated by what I think are reasonable questions from someone who knows zero about Houston, but you've been lovely! :thumbsup::)

ChocolateBabz, would love any advice about where's good in Pearland and why you like living there?! :fingerscrossed:

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Ask all you want, it's a difficult situation.

Concentrate on the things you can do right now, make the move as smooth as possible. Get comfortable in your temp accomodation when you get here and then start the search...

Right, I'm off to work now. Try and have a stress free day mate. Your new adventure is about to start:fingerscrossed:

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Ask away. I think it would help to try and narrow down your priorities; good schools, do you have a commute time in mind (30 mins, 40 mins etc), type of development (managed community, more mature community with fewer amenities) is house/yard space more important than location. $2,500 is enough further out but in rice/west u won't get you that much.

Good luck!!

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Have replied to your pm :)

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Thanks again guys. We truly aren't that keen on being too far into the city being little village mice at the moment, so hubby happy with up to 45 mins commute. Good elementary schools is also v important as is a nice safe area (I know I keep saying it, but it's true!). If anyone has a realtor to recommend, I'd be happy to take your recommendation!

If everyone in Houston is as nice as some of you guys, I'm sure we'll love it.

:)

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Sugarland and Pearland sound like good options then. 59 at 610 can be bad though (this would apply to Sugar Land) so be warned! 7.30-8.45 is probably the worst rush hour time in that area in the morning. I never commute in the Pearland area so can't help on the traffic from there to the medical center I'm afraid.

I'm afraid I also can't help with Realtors in those areas, perhaps ChocolateBabz can as that's her neck of the works.

The issue with Houston (and the reason it's really hard to provide you with realy good, specific answers) is that compromises generally have to be made. There's a ton of cool places here but trying to get everything and still have a good commute can be difficult, especially where good schools are involved.

We compromised on me having a longer commute (though my hours are flexible so I either go in early or late to avoid spending 1.25 hours in my car each way) so that we could get a good school district (and our son is only 1 at the moment!), a decent house and yard and would still have money to spend on other things and treats (rather than all our money going on our house). We live towards Cypress though so probably not the best choice for you over Sugarland/Pearland.

Good luck with the move! :fingerscrossed:

How long do you have in temporary accomodation. It's much easier to make a decision when you have an opportunity to drive around and see the traffic etc for yourself though it's definitely a good idea to try and narrow down a few areas beforehand so you have some idea of where to look.

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Houston is unique in two ways. First, it is very spread out. VERY. Two, neighborhoods (or MPCs) take the place of 'little villages.'

For example, Fort Worth has less than a million people of population. Folks CAN live in small towns outside the 'city' and commute within 45 min or so to work inside FW. Here, that is really quite impossible.

For example, Sealy is an old-style small Texas town. Fine to live there if you work in Katy, but impossible if you work farther into Houston proper. Same with Woodlands (its a MPC, not a town, mind you) - okay if you WORK in Woodlands, but a bear if you work in Houston. Or if you work in Woodlands, you could live in Magnolia or Conroe.

Bellaire is a nice neighborhood. So is Heights (but that is a hike for Baylor Med). Rice Village is walkable with shops and restaurants; housing is very nice there too with sidewalks and other families. Some of these inner loop areas are (to me) more attractive 'communities' than the MPC-land of Sugarland or Katy. (Or even Lakes on Eldridge, where I'm located.) Now we like our MPC. We have sidewalks and tons of organized community events for families. I'd say its about 1500 houses here; we do know our neighbors.

When you get here, you'll get a better feel of the areas. Unless I missed the beginning posts, are you renting as you'll be here only a short time or renting until you find a permanent home to buy? Then you really do need to rent close to where you might buy....

School ratings here are important for both schooling and for resale value, if you buy. House/lease prices are reflected in better school districts. The other option is private school then you won't care where you live (within reason!)

Bink is right, Houston housing requires compromises. We compromised on our set budget (and desire for a big lot and bigger home) for a short commute to work. Tons of folk commute at odd hours, so if your husband has that kind of flexibility, the commute can be manageable.

ETA: if you do end up looking at Katy or Memorial (EC) then I can recommend a great local realtor. She's not as knowledgeable with Sugarland or Pearland.

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Thanks for the words of wisdom.

We have an apartment for 30 days initially which is by Hermann Park.

We will be looking to rent, don't think we'd get a mortgage initially would we?? So, we rent a house and my daughter goes to school in that school district...then we find a house we love and want to buy but it's in a different district - do we have to pull her out of school or would they allow her to stay?

Thanks :)

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

"Bump":D

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Just thought you might want to know but it RAINED here yesterday!! Not a big deal for most people but it was really really needed so it was all good:thumbup:


That's all:)

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Right, that's it, move's off.....!

Seriously though, regarding school districts, would they make you move schools once you're in? This worries me about renting for a year and then buying if we can't buy a house in the same school district we rented in.....

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

It may depend where you are, but at least in Katy ISD you will go to the school that your house is zoned to. If you move to a different zone (catchment area), the kids will move to that school. The only exceptions I know to that are for teachers where they have the flkexibility to bring their kids to the school they work in regardless of their zone.

KISD is growing rapidly, so you could find you are rezoned without even moving house, particularly if you move to the western side of the district where most of the development is. I know one boy who has been in 3 different schools in 3 years, all from the same house! Bit of a nightmare! We've never been rezoned, so the kids have stayed at the same school all the way through (so far) but talking to parents who's kids have been rezoned, its not been that much of a problem. The newer schools are all "cookie cutter" design, so if the toilets were down the hall 3rd door on the left in the old school, they'll be in the same place in the new one too. Plus there is a policy of shaking the classes up every year - we have 8 classes in each grade, and every year my kids have been in a class with only 2-4 kids from their previous years class. So moving to a new school and being the "new kid in the class" isn't much of a problem, because the whoel class is effectively "new" each year.

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

That's really helpful, thanks. The schools sound big, that will be an adjustment, my daughter has 7 in her class at the moment!

Thanks for the info! :)

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

You need to quit worrying yourself over things that might not even happen!

You have a week left, enjoy it. When you get here all we come together in it's own time.

Countdown time:thumbsup::fingerscrossed:

Re: Fort Bend / Lamar areas of Houston
 

Big doesn't even begin to describe it........the schools are monstrous. Our Elementary was rezoned last year, and some of the parents tried to sue the school district as they felt it was getting too small - we are now down to "only" 900 students !! Last year it was over 1400! Classes are around 22 kids. It's just the norm here...was a bit of a shock to start with, coming from a background of 1 class in each year when I was in elementary, but you soon get used to it, and it doesn't seem to bother the kids.