mrsbu

It seemed to work for Austin so maybe you can help me. I am thinking of moving to Houston , getting divorced and want to start over . Have friends in the Area ( woodlands ) and would like some info on areas. Here's the info Single, 4o's, no kids, looking for a house . Areas outside of houston are fine also, as long as they on side of Houston closer to Montgomery County. Thanks for the help

pspercy

Suggest polling your friends and driving around while renting for six months or so - actually "there".. The Woodlands is a ways north of Houston anyway. Good luck

benj

We used to live in Conroe so are familiar with the Woodlands & Montgomery County area. The Woodlands is a very active area & has lots of oil related people (as you might know from your friends).Plenty to do & lots of choices for housing. Spring is a neat area & right near the Woodlands. Where would you be working? Lake Conroe is also a different place to check out. It seems to be more popular than the eastern side of I-45 for some reason. We had a great log home on the east side & loved it but we were out in the country. Be sure & stay in Montgomery County for tax purposes. We found it lots cheaper than Harris County.

Good luck & I know a great realtor if you need one. She was amazingly patient with us & we were a hard bunch because we needed a big house, good schools & a place for horses. She never flinched & handles all types of housing.

emd

Hi mrsbu: I lived in Houston for first 30 yrs of my life and still go back for family and professional reasons; it has changed so much over the years. But I had a house in Bellaire so do not know the north areas like other psoters. I am curious, where are you moving from? Houston generally gets such a bad rap as a dump on this board that it would be nice to have a report back from you after you settle in and hopefully integrate in a positive way.

mrsbu

Thanks for your help my friends of course want me to live in the woodlands or conroe to be close. I would like to live womewhere in the midlle between the woodlands and houston. As far as working I really won't have to work, so that is really not all that important now. I may go back to school in a year or so.
I am moving from connecticut, which over the last few years has turned into a pretensious place. I was born and brought up in Greenwich and now can barely recognize it. I have always loved Houston and it is a very affordable place to live.
I can afford to buy a house and never have to worry about a mortgage and live very well. Also I have always found that the people are very friendly, unlike this areea I live in now. So thatks for you help and all imput is greatly appreciated

benj

You have a wide range of choices then. I would go over there & check it out before making any decisions. I always find that going to Papasitos & having a big plate of shrimp en brochette or shrimp diablo helps me think! Or at least I feel so much better after eating it that all my decisions seem good! Check out the 1960 area too. Even though it's Harris County it is a busy area. We had friends that lived near the Jersey Village area & it was convenient to everything. It took us about 45 minutes to go from the east side of Conroe (Cut N Shoot) to there.So from the Woodlands it wouldn't be that far for you to visit friends.

Good Luck.

mrsbu

benj:
thank you so much I have seen the 1960 area in realestate listings. I will be going out in July to scout areas . I have actually been to cut and shoot ( got lost there one time) I have friends in Conroe and Willis too. And one that lives in Tomboy. I would love to rent something for a while but due to the fact I have 2 cats and a dog short terms rentals aren't interested in us. I'd love to know who your realtor is as I will need one. thanks for you help

benj

The realtor I like is Betty Savage. She is now with Heritage Texas Properties at 5411 Fm 1960 Rd W # 560, I believe. When she helped us she was a single woman in her 40s & knew the Houston area quite well. She was no time waster which thrilled us. She suggested areas based on our needs & really listened. Ask her about rentals too. You never know what might be out there.

Good luck in your move.Just watch out for those TX drivers! I quickly learned why they had signs posted on the interstate that said "Drive Friendly". Most of the time they were on my tail so close that I thought we could shake hands!!

dcespedes

Hi there--my husband spent a year in Houston and we absolutely loved it--we live in Texas but are originally from the east coast. He lived in the Rice University area--close to excellent museums, great restaurants, theatre, etc. There are beautiful homes in the area as well as in Bellaire where emd lived. The traffic can be a challenge but that's any big city USA--living inside the 610 loop made it a lot easier to get around. Good luck to you.

mrsbu

Thanks so much for all of your help. I too am a big fan of the houston area and can hardly wait.

spunki

If you want to live somewhere in the midlle, what about the Heights? or Spring?
And if the realtor Betty Savage doesn't work out for you (personality or otherwise), my husband is a realtor and would love to help you out. We live south of the loop but he can help you with any area.

LDLee

Where you look depends a lot on your interests, your preferences in house plans, and your travel patterns. If you are going back to school, where will it be located? If in town, the commute from The Woodlands can be a bear at times.

My wife and I just bought a house in the Heights, and we are happy we did. House is fairly large, and the neighbors are great. Depending on your needs and wants, prices can range from $200K to $800K. As you know, you will find the prices here to be significantly lower than Greenwich, i.e., you get more house for the dollar. We looked at some close in suburbs in Northwest Houston, but decided the floorplans and the commute did not fit our lifestyle. The suburban houses were built for families; with master down and kids room up. Figured we would never go upstairs if we slept downstairs. We do know some mid-40s individuals w/o kids who live in these areas and they like it.

I think there are more things to do in town, but that is because I don't know much about what to do out north. The 90s was the first decade that the inner loop area had a net increase in population. With rising fuel costs, increasing travel times, and expanded entertainment options, people are starting to move back to town.

Good luck with your move and keep us informed.