Meadow Wood v. Rummel Creek/Wilchester (Houston, West: fit in, for sale, real estate)

[BelindaLeeLee]

We're moving to Houston this summer, and my daughter will be in kindergarten. Our budget is $500-600k. After touring some houses, we have narrowed our choices to the neighborhoods feeding into Meadow Wood Elementary, Rummel Creek Elementary, or Wilchester. Rummel and Wilchester appear to have better rankings. Is there much of a difference? Is Meadow Wood on its way up? It looks like a nice facility.

Also, if anyone has thoughts on why one neighborhood might be a better fit than another, your opinion would be very welcome.

[PinkLadyK]

With your budget, look at MWE. It's a great school, going nowhere but up. Not quite as desirable as RCE and WCE, but that's just a matter of time (and also why the houses zoned to WCE/RCE are $200K more). Houses zoned to WCE/RCE may be abit more protected from a real estate slump, just because there are always a line of people waiting to buy in Wilchester. (But I'm not in real estate, so maybe someone else can jump in on that.) But with a max budget of $600K, you'll be very limited in the RCE/WCE zones.

[shanv3]

Originally Posted by BelindaLeeLee

We're moving to Houston this summer, and my daughter will be in kindergarten. Our budget is $500-600k. After touring some houses, we have narrowed our choices to the neighborhoods feeding into Meadow Wood Elementary, Rummel Creek Elementary, or Wilchester. Rummel and Wilchester appear to have better rankings. Is there much of a difference? Is Meadow Wood on its way up? It looks like a nice facility.

Also, if anyone has thoughts on why one neighborhood might be a better fit than another, your opinion would be very welcome.

Not sure if there are homes around 500k in Wilchester. The cheapest would around 575+ and not many are up for sale too. Most of them do not remain too long in the market also. Why not, Wilchester elementary is rated much higher than all of spring branch schools in national rankings.

Meadow wood is located amidst the "poorer" sections of 77079 so rating would be lower too.

[MichelleL66]

Several listings under 500K zoned to Wilchester ES required some fix up or repairs, or located on a very busy residential street (Kimberley).

[ToyYot]

Originally Posted by PinkLadyK

With your budget, look at MWE. It's a great school, going nowhere but up. Not quite as desirable as RCE and WCE, but that's just a matter of time (and also why the houses zoned to WCE/RCE are $200K more). Houses zoned to WCE/RCE may be abit more protected from a real estate slump, just because there are always a line of people waiting to buy in Wilchester. (But I'm not in real estate, so maybe someone else can jump in on that.) But with a max budget of $600K, you'll be very limited in the RCE/WCE zones.

Nottingham Forest always has a line up of people buying too, we had no issues selling last summer within 30 days close to ask. Our kids were at Meadow Wood for five years and I wholeheartedly recommend the school, amazing, caring teachers and a gret mix of kids. 'Nowhere to go but up' isn't quite true, its already there.

The only difference between Wilchester and NF are the makeup of the schools, Wilchester is lily white, NF not so much, if that matters to you. And fyi, the problem kids in the classes were generally from Nottingham Forest, not the apartments.

We've sold out of the neighborhood now so I've got no reason to be biased.

[PinkLadyK]

Originally Posted by ToyYot

Nottingham Forest always has a line up of people buying too, we had no issues selling last summer within 30 days close to ask. Our kids were at Meadow Wood for five years and I wholeheartedly recommend the school, amazing, caring teachers and a gret mix of kids. 'Nowhere to go but up' isn't quite true, its already there.

The only difference between Wilchester and NF are the makeup of the schools, Wilchester is lily white, NF not so much, if that matters to you. And fyi, the problem kids in the classes were generally from Nottingham Forest, not the apartments.

We've sold out of the neighborhood now so I've got no reason to be biased.

You're right. "Nowhere to go but up" was not what I was trying to say and was a poor choice of words. It implies that it is at the bottom and can't go any lower, and that is not at all my understanding. I should have said, "It is great now, and will only continue to get better." (Whereas I think RCE and WCE have kind of maxed out.)

[BelindaLeeLee]

Thanks, everyone. This was really helpful. We're house hunting in earnest now, and this information has helped a lot already. We're settled on Wilchester or Rummel Creek. Just curious, are they both schools/neighborhoods pretty friendly to newcomers? I know that some families have lived there for multiple generations. That strikes me as a good thing, but I hope that they are also transplant friendly.

[LizzySWW]

Originally Posted by BelindaLeeLee

Thanks, everyone. This was really helpful. We're house hunting in earnest now, and this information has helped a lot already. We're settled on Wilchester or Rummel Creek. Just curious, are they both schools/neighborhoods pretty friendly to newcomers? I know that some families have lived there for multiple generations. That strikes me as a good thing, but I hope that they are also transplant friendly.

Only a few houses zoned to Wilchester & Rummel Creek are priced under 600k. They're priced that low for good reason, ex: serious problems or on a street nobody would live on with children. Is your Realtor advising you to look at them knowing the info on the sellers disclosures?

You're right, these are "old school" native Houstonian areas. Will you fit in? You decide - 95% of these homeowners are white, family goes to church on Sunday and more often than not, graduates of UT/A&M/Baylor/Rice. It's a 99% republican area.....Pro Trump, etc. Since Houston is 75% minority, this area may (or may not) be what you're looking for.

The two schools you want (WCE/RCE) have always been the most desired on the West side of Beltway 8, and that's never changing due to the mass apartments zoned to the schools West of Kirkwood.

***beware- my post will get smashed by posters living West of Kirkwood, hoping to convince folks their schools are equal in rigor/quality/desirability. Wait for it......and pop some corn.

[PinkLadyK]

Originally Posted by BelindaLeeLee

Thanks, everyone. This was really helpful. We're house hunting in earnest now, and this information has helped a lot already. We're settled on Wilchester or Rummel Creek. Just curious, are they both schools/neighborhoods pretty friendly to newcomers? I know that some families have lived there for multiple generations. That strikes me as a good thing, but I hope that they are also transplant friendly.

We were newcomers 2 1/2 years ago, and I had neighbors knocking on my door practically daily for the first month offering welcomes and cookies. Now I feel like I've been here forever.

[PinkLadyK]

I still think you should look at the neighborhood that goes to Meadow Wood. You're going to have to buy a house on Wilcrest or with some other seriously undesirable quality to get in for under $600K.