pdawg10384 said:

---

If you can afford Wilchester, that's the answer, not even a debate. It's a mini-Mayberry. Great families, best zoned schools in nearly all of Texas, active men's and women's clubs, no flooding. We analyzed every neighborhood up and down i10 several years, I'll save you all that time.

If you don't care about a social neighborhood, and have more priority on safety, and assuming you can afford it, the villages closer in are the other option (bunker hill, piney point, hunters creek)

---

You hit the nail on the head here.

I used to think that as you got more money you naturally try to "move up" to the "best" neighborhood you could afford.

But Wilchester vs the Villages is a perfect example of why that rule doesn't always work. An ITL example would be West U (or maybe the Heights) vs River Oaks.

The former examples in both cases have a very "Mayberry middle class" vibe with lots of parent involvement, community stuff, neighborhood pools etc.

The latter have a "big city rich enclave" vibe. Lots of elite private school attendance, country club memberships etc.

Even if you can afford the Villages or River Oaks you have to actually want to be in that neighborhood culture.

How can you even ask this question without providing a rough budget? Are you closer to 300k or 3M?

Maybe I'm just silly. But I'd prefer Spring Valley (for example) over Wilchester any day.

I would agree...but Spring Valley is going to be a much more expensive entry point.

Absolutely. But the two posters are acting like Wilchester is a better neighborhood all around and for less. So, money aside, I'm picking spring valley.

got it. I guess the only argument would be your social circles in The Villages can be a bit exhausting.

It's all about Pooh Corner, ROB, Kinkaid, St. Johns, HCC, etc.

I can't afford either of them, so there's that

htxag09 said:

---

Absolutely. But the two posters are acting like Wilchester is a better neighborhood all around and for less. So, money aside, I'm picking spring valley.

---

That's completely fine, the point of my response above was that Wilchester vs Villages is a perfect example of the fact that some people actually 'prefer' (money aside) less expensive neighborhoods.

We all agree that step #1 is figuring out his budget but even after that he needs to consider different neighborhood vibes and what he's looking for.

FTR I don't have any view either way on WIlchester vs SV and have never considered buying a house in either since it's not my part of town.

Just go live in Memorial and send your kids to Bunker Hill/Frostwood/Hunter's Creek elementary, Memorial Middle/Spring Branch Middle School, and then Memorial High School. No worries about private school.

Can do it slightly cheaper outside the loop and do the Stratford high school route.

You can justify the higher price tag by not sending kids to private school.

Ducks4brkfast said:

---

If I were working in Memorial City and looking to move close, it would be a toss-up between Piney Point or Hunters Creek. There are a handful of lots for same in the area, the only issue is most are an acre or less, and you'll definitely want at least 2 acres since you have young kids.

---

Only 1 acre but heck of a deal. But still need private school.

https://www.har.com/homedetail/9314-sandringham-dr-houston-tx-77024/10995396

Briargrove.

starter homes for sure

Maybe but there are a lot of young families there. I grew up there and my parents still live in the same townhouse off Fountainview. Great neighborhood for a young family.

Maybe that was true 10 years ago but now a lot of families living there are fed up with the lower academic standards compared to private schools. A lot have moved to private or just sticking it out with their oldest because they just have a few years of high school left but moved their younger ones.

Spring Valley is great, but it's no comparison to Wilchester if really active men's/women's clubs, social neighborhood, and kids/young families are what you're looking for. Wilchester is a tight knit neighborhood, everyone knows everyone type place. That's not what Spring Valley is. Plus look on SchoolDigger for elementary and middle school rankings of the schools. Only arguments for Spring Valley is if you want Memorial High School, bigger yards, or closer to town.

Cibalo said:

---

Maybe that was true 10 years ago but now a lot of families living there are fed up with the lower academic standards compared to private schools. A lot have moved to private or just sticking it out with their oldest because they just have a few years of high school left but moved their younger ones.

---

Stratford? Has it really gotten that bad?

I'm gonna need an official ruling by El Gallo Blanco before I can be sure.

AggieT said:

---

Not to mention that Conroe will just flood the **** out of you for no reason. Crazy times.

---

Flooding only affects when the water is over 59 at Sorters Road. Then I have to go the long way around. 99 to Hardy to downtown. That drive sucks like hell.

MAS444 said:

---

You left out... Wilchester's swinging scene is top notch. Not near as good as Memorial, but generally better than Spring Valley.

---

Use to be a swinging club over off of 1960 and Humble Westfield Rd. Now its a Pretti Parlor. The happy ending massage place on the other side of Hardy Toll Road is still there. InstaBody spa, I'm sure the name will change again soon. I know rice village has lots of upside down pineapples, if that's your thing.

Tex117 said:

---

Just go live in Memorial and send your kids to Bunker Hill/Frostwood/Hunter's Creek elementary, Memorial Middle/Spring Branch Middle School, and then Memorial High School. No worries about private school.

Can do it slightly cheaper outside the loop and do the Stratford high school route.

You can justify the higher price tag by not sending kids to private school.

---

Memorial 'private school in a public school' only really address one of the three pillars of private school over public.

-Removal of disruptive kids from the learning environment (price point takes care of that)
-Emphasis on classical education model (can't really do that with state testing requirements)
-Emphasis on christian education (can't really do that either).

I'm not a part of any memorial network but from the outside looking in it looks like its tougher to actually network than through a private school. Private schools generally are overflowing with opportunity for parents to get involved, over involved, and do fundraisers. Private schools are constantly trading access for money, nice big galas to see and be seen. Public schools generally just go, eh - bond referendum? Not saying the memorial area PTA boards aren't absolute catfights though.

I will say this, from the friends and family who do live in the memorial area, the youth sports leagues are where networking and the cultural epicenter are. Going to an extended families kids youth baseball game at memorial was like being transported back to my childhood.

We're in Nottingham Forest VIII and love it, we're walking distance to Terry Hershey and the Nottinghman/SJV playgrounds. The kids spent all summer outside drinking out of a water hose...true Americana. You get a little bit more bang for the buck than Wilchester. The new Spring Forest Middle principal is well liked and is laying the smack down so hopefully the school continues to improve. Not sure if there is a swingers scene however.

Magnolia. 30 minutes away

Ducks4brkfast said:

---

Cibalo said:

---

Maybe that was true 10 years ago but now a lot of families living there are fed up with the lower academic standards compared to private schools. A lot have moved to private or just sticking it out with their oldest because they just have a few years of high school left but moved their younger ones.

---

Stratford? Has it really gotten that bad?

I'm gonna need an official ruling by El Gallo Blanco before I can be sure.

---

Yeah we're at Stratford and it's fine. No one is fed up with the lower academic standards if that's even a thing. If they are going private, it's because the parents were private school kids and that's what they planned on doing. And that usually involves some rich grandparents who want their grandkids to have a more religious curriculum.

cab559 said:

---

Cibalo said:

---

If you have a $1.5M+ budget look south of I-10 and east of Gessner. If you have a lower budget look west of Gessner. Whatever you do don't go north of Longpoint.

---

Dude, what year are you living in? Probably need a $2.5M+ budget going east of Gessner. Might now be east of Kirkwood for $1.5M+ for homes that are not a complete gut job.

---

Yeah and Kirkwood west to Eldridge is probably $750K to $1.5M or so.

cab559 said:

---

Cibalo said:

---

If you have a $1.5M+ budget look south of I-10 and east of Gessner. If you have a lower budget look west of Gessner. Whatever you do don't go north of Longpoint.

---

Dude, what year are you living in? Probably need a $2.5M+ budget going east of Gessner. Might now be east of Kirkwood for $1.5M+ for homes that are not a complete gut job.

---

There are homes in that area you can get into at $1.5M or less that are fully renovated and move in ready. Usually 4 bedroom built in the 1960s and about 3500 sqft on a smaller sized lot. You can also go a cheaper route with a condo or townhouse.

But you are right if you want bigger, newer house in that area it will cost you significantly more.

I don't think anyone here was talking about condo's or town houses.

Please send me anything that is $1.5M east of gessner that is fully renovated and move in ready so I can buy it. Sure, there may be a few 1960's ranches at 3,500 that start at $1.5 but those are not recently renovated.

HAR.com
https://share.google/EjXuMKuTJo9H65dB6

Cibalo said:

---

HAR.com
https://share.google/EjXuMKuTJo9H65dB6

---

Yeah. You can get in right under $1.5m for a renovated house. All you have to do is live right on Gessner.

Cool.

I know that's literally the only house in your range because I already looked.

And you think that's fully renovated? Looks like grandmas kitchen.

There is a reason that house has sat for 40+ days so thanks for proving my point.

The photo descriptions are amazing. I feel like maybe those were intended for a different house.

But it's east of gessner!