Thinking of moving to Houston

So, as title says, thinking of moving to Houston
Any and all input would be greatly appreciated
Such as flooding and storms, places to not buy a house, ect.
Thanks in advance

 

Don’t buy in a flood zone. Just google “Houston Flood Map”. Flooding only occurs in these zones.

Use www.HAR.com for most up to date home pricing. If you’re looking for a realtor, shoot me a PM

 

I have a list of homes, been culling via fema flood zones and taxes
Will shoot a pm

 

You want to stay in Houston proper?

 

Yes, I like to have easy access to city and all it has to offer

 

Eh, you could live in a suburb and still have access when you want it. Good luck.

 

Yes, I guess that’s what I’m referring to

 

I lived there from 88-92ish. My generic 2 cents worth. You'll pay a premium for living in the city and can get much more real estate with your money in the suburbs or even the small towns around that big ole city/county. That's a given just about anywhere. Everything is connected with all those beltways around the city center but still feels like you're far from everything. But you'll be close to some of the muddiest waters in the Gulf of Mexico with Galveston on your back door. When it floods anywhere around there you'll be driving through water. It's a swamp...or was built on a swamp/bayou. 89 or 90 (i think) I was in the Zapata tower in downtown and saw that bayou swallow up I10 almost all the way back to Katy. The city has/had very limited zoning - or that's how it used to be unless you're behind a gated community. Oh and make sure you know how to drive aggressively. They'll run your arse over in a heart beat. Most of my family still live in Htown and would agree to most of what I wrote but would totally agree to this last comment - "it's the other arm pit of this great state of Texas". Dallas being the other.

 

Lol, I’m from NY, so I’m good with the driving
My main concern is work, and my wife has Fronto-temporal dimensia, so access to medical needs is a thing. She will need assisted living by the end of the year, not something that is available in small towns.
I am aware of the swamp issue as well. Real estate is more reasonable then Austin, or Oregon where I live now.

 

I'm sorry to hear that about your wife. Much strength to you and her man. Take the info below from a guy that has not been part of that market for years. Job market...or real estate...but have family that have thrived in that area.

Not sure what kind of work you do but the city has the well known oil/gas industry jobs but also has engineering/tech type jobs too. But for quick access to medical facilities look inside the 610 loop...or just outside of that area is "uptown". Galleria area is where I referring as uptown (lower end of westheimer). Houston has a huge medical plaza/mini medical city off 59...I believe - one of the TW locals can correct me on that. But that's the general area of the city where the med center is. If you can touch the real estate inside the 610 loop, you're doing quite good, if not, as has been suggested look to the burbs for lot/block subs or larger homes and acreage the further out you go - especially north (I45) and west (I10). But you'll have a drive ahead of you if you do that. And you're spot on about Austin. Good luck.

 

Consider moving to Pearland

 

I disagree with some of what’s been said… but just my opinion, certainly not looking to argue. Also, I’m not from Houston but have been here for 10 years so I may have a different perspective.

- Plenty of areas flood that aren’t in a designated flood zone, it’s a good place to start though
- If you want close access to the city, I recommend living inside 610 or close to
- I don’t mind driving either but traffic here is awful, so I’d very much consider that more than just looking at distances
- If you’re not in a hurry to move I’d wait till the summer and visit, I see you’ve lived up north and it can be very miserable here with the high heat and humidity
- In my opinion it is a very ugly city and is urban sprawl
- If you enjoy the outdoors you will likely be disappointed, sure there are little parks but there’s nothing compared to Oregon and NY
- it’s a very diverse city and has excellent food

I know those were mostly negatives but it’s not a bad place to live as long as you know what you’re getting into.

The link below also has lots of good info

https://www.reddit.com/r/houston/wiki/newcomers?utm_name=iossmf

 

i agree with this. just keep in mind that it's not like everyplace floods. reading this thread you'd think it's like NOLA or something but it's not that bad if you do your research and make wise choices, which is what this thread is about so you'll be fine I'm sure.

the city is so big that you'd be able to find the medical care you seek in any part of town. so maybe get a rental for a few months and check out the various areas before committing? the feel from South Houston to North Houston is pretty different for example, but pretty much all areas can provide for your [wife's] needs.

i live in DFW which IMO is the ass of humanity, and i miss Houston especially regarding the culture, which is so much more diverse and the food scene is better in Houston also. but it's an intense place especially in the summer. the coast is nice to be near when that comes around. if you're not accustomed to the heat & humidity you'll want to plan for it with a pool, coast trips, heading north or something.

 

Thanks all for the input
One of the reasons for thinking of Houston is the diversity.
When I was a kid, I lived in Louisville KY, humidity was bad, laying and sweating in bed is not one of my favorite things. A/C is a good solution, lol
Outdoor activities are important, bummer on that. My big concern is flooding, seems to be an issue where ever I look in Houston, must consider climate change when making and educated decision.
The real estate market is what’s driving my decision on where I’m looking in the U.S., not interested in a mortgage since care for my wife is expensive. Just one of those issues leaving me with not knowing what to do in life. Oh joy

 

Lol! What area floods that aren’t in a flood zone?? Only the flood zones flood.. That’s why they’re called flood zones. And if it does flood, it’s only until the water runs off into the flood zones

 

Flood zones show how likely an area is to flood, mostly for insurance reasons.

Per FEMA “Using a flood map, you can see the relationship between your property and the areas with the highest risk of flooding. There is no such thing as a “no-risk zone,” but some areas have a lower or moderate risk.”

You don’t need to be too worried about flooding as long as you do your due diligence. Not everywhere floods, consult the FEMA flood maps, make sure you ask for sellers disclosures, check with neighbors if possible and you’ll be fine.

 

I wouldn’t be too worried about the flooding thing. I see ppl all the time buy in a flood zone. And sometimes they’re really nice half million dollar homes. They probably don’t have insurance/mortgage or they pay higher insurance premiums.

 

Lay down until the feeling goes away...

 

Lol

 

To give you a serious response though, I would look either down around the Friendswood/Pearland area or out west around Fulshear. Both are far enough away from Houston that the crime wave being caused by the current DA/judges releasing criminals with no bond won't be as much of an issue. They both have well developed infrastructure around them that is easily accessible, and you can get to the medical center easily enough (288 from Pearland or Westpark Tollway from Fulshear). From Friendswood, you can easily go into the Clear Lake area to find anything you would get from inside the loop Houston, and you are closer to the coast if you want to go to the beach. From Fulshear, you can easily go to Katy for anything you would otherwise get in Houston, and there are some good recreational opportunities out there as well.

There are plenty of good assisted living centers scattered around the suburbs, so either place will have several nearby to choose from. Just watch out for places downstream of where new developments are going in. One of the biggest flooding issues lately has been flooding outside of the mapped flood zones caused by new developments upstream that have increased the speed and volume of stormwater runoff.