Riverstone vs. Sienna vs. Aliana (Houston, San Antonio: sales, buying a house, neighborhoods) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

nikkin03 · 04-23-2012, 09:14 AM

My family and I are relocating from San Antonio to Sugar Land/Fort Bend area. It won out over the DFW neighborhoods because we have family in Houston.

I have pretty much narrowed down the area and the above mentioned MPC's (Master Planned Communities).

I would like your HONEST opinions (positive and negative). I do want a new home because I deserve it and am budgeting under $600k. I have looked at all 3 areas (Riverstone/Sienna/Aliana) but I don't have first hand knowledge of them, other than what I hear from the Sales Couselor's of the various builders.

My concerns with each are:

Riverstone - not sure of the schools (Commonwealth EL, Elkins HS) and how long development will take.

Sienna - I saw some ugly tract housing in the area near the nice Highland Homes area.

Aliana - The layout is a little funky and their sales ares slow. I don't like the middle school so close to the prison.

Please, no verbal wars about who's is bigger,

I just want your take if you live there or are familiar with it.

Thanks!!

AK123 · 04-23-2012, 10:51 AM

Where is work and where is your family? Knowing that will help.

Riverstone - Commonwealth is a good school, but I don't think all of Riverstone is zoned to it so you'll need to check. Elkins seems to get very mixed ratings. Riverstone is still in development and will be for some time, it's pretty big. They have a lot of retail along Hwy 6, which is convenient.

Sienna Plantation - It's the one on your list I'm least familiar with. I've heard some complaints on a few of the schools in there. I don't care much for some of the other areas near it and it being so close to Fresno, which generally isn't a very good area. But I do like that it's wooded and that it's been around the longest of the three. Probably the best for someone whose work is in the Texas Medical Center or south side of Houston.

Aliana - The newest on your list. They had a shake-up and brought in the VP from the company that did Cinco Ranch and Telfair, which seems to have them doing much better now. The prison next to Pecan Grove is a non-issue to most people... it's been there a long time and Pecan Grove is one of the nicer areas in Fort Bend in my opinion. Probably the best for someone whose work is in West Houston.

If you're looking at the above places, have you looked into Telfair as well? It's the most centrally located (to Sugar Land) of all of the above; Sienna is probably the furthest.

Faster10154 · 04-24-2012, 02:57 AM

Riverstone: I'm currently looking to buy in the SL part of Riverstone. Once University Blvd gets built thru, this will be almost as good as Telfair. They have several $1MM+ homes centrally located and plan to build more. I think if you buy a new home, try to get one near the more expensive homes to help your home re-sale value.

Sienna Plantation: A bit too far out from HWY 59 and University Blvd expansion really won't help much. Fort Bend Toll Road is there, so that is a positive.

Aliana: Same comments as AK123

ethanw · 04-24-2012, 11:05 AM

I am in Riverstone. All I can tell you is that the re-sale value is quickly and aggressively going up. My neighbor who build the the same time as I did, two years ago, just sold his house for 100K more than what he paid. 100K gain in two years is a lot of money for a 600K house. So re-sale value may be a factor to take in consideration.

gilagri · 04-25-2012, 08:20 AM

wow! that's incredible gain. he must have had a nice house and got a great deal when purchasing.

to the OP. i'm in riverstone too. it certainly helps to have those million dollar homes close by... makes the drive home nicer especially by lake riverstone blvd. try to stay in the sugar land side though if you can if you're thinking about riverstone. and i can't wait for university to finish. then travel time to 59 will be alot easier.

the elementary and middle school i believe are exemplary, and elkins isn't that bad. in fact, i'd rather have my son go there than clements. if i went to clements, there is no way i would have graduated as high as i did back in the day. being in the top 5 to 10% of you class regardless of school (unless you're in a really bad school), makes a big difference. better than being in the middle of your class. but that's just humble opinion.

telfair is another option too with really easy access to freeway and it's almost built out. but prices are higher there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethanw

I am in Riverstone. All I can tell you is that the re-sale value is quickly and aggressively going up. My neighbor who build the the same time as I did, two years ago, just sold his house for 100K more than what he paid. 100K gain in two years is a lot of money for a 600K house. So re-sale value may be a factor to take in consideration.

360mamma · 04-30-2012, 06:12 PM

We recently purchase a home in Sienna and went through a similar process. We are very happy with our decision! We had the same concern with the houses in the front of Sienna and went back and forth with buying a new home. We ended up buying a house in the back of the community that was just a couple years old and couldn't be happier with our decision! Schools, neighbors and the kids LOVE it as do we. I highly recommend Sienna!

timtemtym · 04-30-2012, 08:44 PM

I would REALLY avoid Aliana. The prison is a non issue, the bigger issue is the ever westward march of Alief. They keep putting more streets through from the Alief area which years ago hopped the county line with low-income, high-crime, public supported people. I don't say that lightly, I've worked in the area for years and watched as a once somewhat decent area went further into decay.

For your money, I'd look at Sienna, Telfair, Riverstone. Those are all great areas that are in actual cities (not close to Houston's ETJ) and will provide further roadblocks against the SW Houston funk.

Aliana is pretty and looks great now, it was just poorly placed and far from a useable freeway. There's also much much cheaper neighborhoods going up around it with houses costing less than half.

Sross · 05-01-2012, 06:21 AM

Aliana is a GREAT place and is growing very fast now. Housing going up everywhere. Great access to everywhere. It's only short distance from Westpark or Hwy 59. I can be on Beltway 8 in less than 10 minutes and on I-10 about that same time.

The new master plan is very well done. I've lived here 6 months now and would buy again tomorrow.

As others mentioned, the prison is a non-issue.

bwdance · 05-01-2012, 05:15 PM

Riverstone seems very nice, but the one thing I noticed is that the backyards are so tiny, they're almost nonexistent!

I really love the feel of Sienna. It's very woodsy, it feels like a park. However, there are only a few ways to get in and out of the community. People I know who live there complain that it takes them 15 minutes to get out of Sienna.

Sampaguita · 05-01-2012, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bwdance

Riverstone seems very nice, but the one thing I noticed is that the backyards are so tiny, they're almost nonexistent!

I really love the feel of Sienna. It's very woodsy, it feels like a park. However, there are only a few ways to get in and out of the community. People I know who live there complain that it takes them 15 minutes to get out of Sienna.

I think it depends on what area of Sienna you live. I rarely drive out in peak commuter traffic so I usually can get from my house to Hwy 6 in about 7 minutes. We are towards the back just over the bridge.