Pondersoa Forest Subdivision in Spring (Vidor, West: for sale, apartments, to rent) - Houston - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

kmalone4 · 02-17-2011, 07:11 PM

So, while going for a leisurely drive this afternoon, I came across a beautiful subdivision called Ponderosa Forest in Spring. The lot sizes are nice and the houses are stunning. I did notice, however, that many of the houses are for sale.

I was amazed to find such a gem tucked away just beyond such a busy street (FM 1960 and Ella).

Anyone know what it is like over there? I looked up some info on har.com, but I'd love to hear any history and thoughts.

Does anyone know what the demographic makeup looks like? Yes, I know... anytime this questions pops up the OP is asking for trouble. Just an FYI~ I'm not trying to avoid diversity~ I'm trying to move toward it.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

modster · 02-17-2011, 07:25 PM

Ponderosa Forest is indeed a very beautiful neighborhood. The homes are huge and well priced. Crime is relatively low. There are some issues with it however.

First off, right around Castlerock north towards Cypress Creek you get into the flood plain. If you go down to the last block or so of Rolling Creek you will see a lot of empty lots. Many are where homes were bought out by FEMA due to repeated flooding. The sections roughly south of Castlerock do not have that issue however. On the west side the ones in the back are all built on raised foundations to avoid flooding.

The other issue relates to the higher popularity of Klein schools vs those in Ponderosa. I would suggest you use the search function on here and look up Spring Schools and see what you come up with.

I lived in Ponderosa Forest from 94 to 99. Prices don't seem to have moved up since I lived there so I wouldn't expect much in appreciation. I didn't have any issues when I lived out there. Don't know how much it has changed since then.

kmalone4 · 02-17-2011, 09:05 PM

Thank you for your response, modster.

The flood plain certainly explains why the houses there are so reasonable, and I also understand your point about Klein schools.

It just amazed me; the second I turned off of FM 1960 it was as if I entered a completely different world.

cheryjohns · 02-17-2011, 10:15 PM

Lots of house for the money. I think values will go up if business (like Exxon) continues to move up there. It will be awhile.

Just research the map at www.tsarp.org

CDeb · 02-18-2011, 06:56 AM

The two biggest issues with Ponderosa:

1) Bammel Middle School

2) Westfield High School

Signed,
Westfield grad

Wreck · 02-18-2011, 07:54 AM

I grew up in that neighborhood from age 2-22 ; dont let the houses fool you. That place is so ran down all around the neighborhood its a sad site to see. Anyone who could move out, did. They all jetted north, woodlands etc. Crime is bad there, and that's a fact. Cant believe anyone can say different. Last time I visited I saw crack deals going on outside the quicky mart behind jack in the box and prostitutes at night hanging out in the parking lot across from whataburger. And that ws just in a 2 day span. That area has become the new "hood". I graduated from westfield in 01 and even tho it was getting bad then its nothing like it was right after and then now. You got stabbings, rape, and murders going on.

I'm not racist by any means, even married to another race, but you shoulda see how fast the white people ran from that neighborhood. Only white people who stayed are people who couldnt afford to leave, I know people who sold their houses at extremely low ball figures just to get out. And yeah the back of the nieghborhood can flood houses bad. Though when your buried in the back of the neighborhood on either side your a little bit better in avoiding crime, but then you can get in the flood zone.

That neighborhood will be the next Rushwood due to all the apartments totally letting go and allowing anyone to rent for cheap ass prices. All the APTs on Kuykendial are ghetttttto and that one lake one across from cvs/walgreens used to be expensive and that got cheap like 5 years ago allowing just anyone to live there. Hell, its where that one boy got stabbed 18 times.

modster · 02-18-2011, 08:55 AM

Stuff on 1960 or across 1960 is one thing, how much of that actually bleeds into Ponderosa Forest itself though? Just asking. There is no debate that the retail and apartment corridors around there have been on the skids.

To me, the problem for that area is people typically looking at houses/neighborhoods 45 minutes+ out of downtown do so for certain things and a certain suburban environment. I will loosely define it as a "bubble environment." I am not making a value judgement on that one way or the other, but there are certain characteristics that people, (or at least a big chunk of them) move that far out to try to obtain. That is the audience for an area that far out, or it usually is. If an area ceases to satisfy that desire for a "bubble environment", either real or imagined, then it is going to lose a huge chunk of the audience willing to go 45 minutes out. I just don't know how big a pool of buyers Ponderosa Forest will have moving forward through the 2010's. The last time I was out there it still looked good though.

cheryjohns · 02-18-2011, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wreck

I grew up in that neighborhood from age 2-22 ; dont let the houses fool you. That place is so ran down all around the neighborhood its a sad site to see. Anyone who could move out, did. They all jetted north, woodlands etc. Crime is bad there, and that's a fact. Cant believe anyone can say different. Last time I visited I saw crack deals going on outside the quicky mart behind jack in the box and prostitutes at night hanging out in the parking lot across from whataburger. And that ws just in a 2 day span. That area has become the new "hood". I graduated from westfield in 01 and even tho it was getting bad then its nothing like it was right after and then now. You got stabbings, rape, and murders going on.

I'm not racist by any means, even married to another race, but you shoulda see how fast the white people ran from that neighborhood. Only white people who stayed are people who couldnt afford to leave, I know people who sold their houses at extremely low ball figures just to get out. And yeah the back of the nieghborhood can flood houses bad. Though when your buried in the back of the neighborhood on either side your a little bit better in avoiding crime, but then you can get in the flood zone.

That neighborhood will be the next Rushwood due to all the apartments totally letting go and allowing anyone to rent for cheap ass prices. All the APTs on Kuykendial are ghetttttto and that one lake one across from cvs/walgreens used to be expensive and that got cheap like 5 years ago allowing just anyone to live there. Hell, its where that one boy got stabbed 18 times.

Chad?

crone · 02-18-2011, 05:44 PM

I know 5 widow women who live in Ponderosa. If there were any concern regarding their safety, their kids would have them out of there yesterday. Or they would have moved to the Conservatory. This post from wreck is BS.
True there was a time when things were better. Since the new high school opened it is better.
Some folks need to go back to Vidor.
There are badly managed apartments all over Texas/

fnh · 02-18-2011, 05:53 PM

A year and a half ago the NY Times featured a home for sale in Ponderosa Forest in their "What you can buy for..." column. A gorgeous, immense home for $299K and I was totally smitten. I drove around and around and around... but, in the end the area around the neighborhood is just too seedy for our comfort, and the schools aren't good enough to pull the kids out of private, and DH simply balked at the torturous commute to downtown. Sigh.