COMMENT OF THE DAY: CHEAPER, CLOSE-IN “I would just add to what Cody said. You can avoid traffic AND get a big house and lawn here in Houston. You just need to set aside your prejudices about certain neighborhoods. We’ve been living in the Brays Oaks area, formerly known as Fondren Southwest, since 2007, and it’s wonderful. Houses prices are on-par with far-flung suburbs like Jersey Village and Spring; far less than Inside the Loop. Barring any major accidents we can get from our house to the Museum District in less than 25 minutes; the Medical Center in under 20. My commute to work only takes me one exit on the Southwest Freeway. I take a certain satisfaction and watching all the people from Sugar Land sit in traffic, knowing that they spent more and got less house than we did. (Crime issues here are overblown, by the way – the result of sensationalized local news reports. The public schools are lousy, but we have some great private schools.)” [ZAW, commenting on Comment of the Day: First We Crowd]
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Paging Dr. Freud!
A psychologist can help you with the “certain satisfaction” you get from watching people sit in traffic.
Spent more…quite probably, got less house…hardly. For vast majority of people available schools ARE important, plus they got a nicer looking neighborhood, statistically and anecdotally lower crime rate, a newer house, better amenities in the area, better resale value, and on and on. So, Fondren Southwest is not such a great hidden bargain after all, you do get what you pay for.
Wow, I agreed with commonsense! Hell freezes.
Strake tuition is $16,800 a year. At 3.5% on a 30-year fixed that’s equal to $315,000 in additional house. Cheaper to buy in the ‘trose and send your kids to Lamar.
Live where you are happy and stop worrying about everyone else.
That’s my key to happiness!
Strake is a better education opportunity than Lamar. For some families that makes it worth the extra cost or investment in education.
For others, it makes more sense to invest in real estate. To each his own on how they arrange all the pieces.
Strake is too far. Just have the driver shuttle them to St. Johns.
Having children is a consumptive choice, as is spending money on extra bedrooms, education, toys, food, or anything like that. When most people choose to have kids and to pamper them, they simply cannot afford nicer inner-city neighborhoods. Such people, if they work in the urban core in the first place (a big ‘if’), have consigned themselves to traffic or a P&R bus by default.
I grew up in that area. I don’t know what the crime is like there now, but I can ASSURE you that the past crime issues were NOT overblown.
True Stories:
One the neighborhoods nearby filed suit against a life insurance company after they foreclosed on a large apartment complex. The complex was a magnet for crime that the life company ended up selling the entire complex to the neighborhood for $1. Yes. It’s true. They bought and entire apartment complex (200-300 units) for $1. Only in SW Houston…
OK. That’s only one story. I have a bunch more, but no time to type…