Moving to Houston - Somerset Green (77024) (Katy, Hempstead: real estate, condos, townhomes)

[skookum_chuck]

Hi Everyone,

Moving from Bellevue, WA suburbs to take up a job(empty nesters). We have looked at Montrose, Heights or the Washington areas but we like Somerset Green built by Toll brothers and others.

I wanted to hear from the local residents on mainly the community and build quality of the builders. On face value, the properties seem really nice and I'm really attracted to the community style but its not the traditional areas of demand in houston like the Montrose, Heights or the Washington areas(the home prices in somerset green are in par with these high demand areas).

It appears they haven't sold a whole lot of homes since they started about 18 months ago. How long does a subdivision like Somerset Green take to completely finish. Do new subdivisions in Houston tend to keep value as they age?

Any insights is highly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

[txdemo]

I just looked it up on Google. That little nook between Old Katy Road and Hempstead is a little weird geographically. I don't see much of a "community" growing out of there since it's surrounded by commercial and warehouse type property.

There seem to be a lot of townhomes popping up on the that Hempstead corridor and I'm guessing that builders are out of real estate in Shady Acres and are priced out of the Rice Military/Washington area.

It's definitely nice to be so close to Memorial Park though.

[Failed Engineer]

There's a reason those homes are slow moving. It's not really a desirable area because of what's immediately surrounding it. It's perfectly safe, but doesn't have anywhere near the feel of Montrose, Heights, or Rice Military, and maybe more importantly, doesn't have the potential for it either.

[Htown homie]

What area are you all talking about? Somerset Green 77024 is on Memorial btw Gessner & Beltway 8. It is an older townhome complex. Memorial Green right next door is the new development of high end homes, condos and retail.

[gwarnecke]

Originally Posted by Htown homie

What area are you all talking about? Somerset Green 77024 is on Memorial btw Gessner & Beltway 8. It is an older townhome complex. Memorial Green right next door is the new development of high end homes, condos and retail.

I think you're thinking of Ethan's Glen.

Somerset Green – A Master-Planned Community

[TXbywayof]

Somerset Green is a new townhome community. It is in Memorial and that is an area in demand right up there with the others you listed. I love the location. What I don't like are 3 and 4 story townhomes For lack of a better description, I would call that area more "genteel" than the others you listed. Go into the Randalls across the street and you will get a feel for the average age. Schools are sought after in this area and may keep the property values up, although I would be curious to see if families with school age children are buying here. I'm guessing probably not but I don't know. I think the difference between here and the other areas you listed is the feeling of more space around you. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the places listed.

Where is the job location?

[gwarnecke]

Originally Posted by TXbywayof

Somerset Green is a new townhome community. It is in Memorial and that is an area in demand right up there with the others you listed.

Are you thinking of Memorial Green?

Memorial Green

I like the idea of Memorial Green, and agree that it's a fantastic location for families, but they seriously need to come down to earth on their pricing. On Redfin I see 3-4 story patio homes for ~$1.3 million, and detached homes on tiny lots (<5000 sq ft) for well over 2 million. For that kind of money, I'd rather buy something on a 10-15k sq ft lot in Memorial Forest or Bunker Hill Village.

[TXbywayof]

Originally Posted by gwarnecke

Are you thinking of Memorial Green?

Memorial Green

I like the idea of Memorial Green, and agree that it's a fantastic location for families, but they seriously need to come down to earth on their pricing. On Redfin I see 3-4 story patio homes for ~$1.3 million, and detached homes on tiny lots (<5000 sq ft) for well over 2 million. For that kind of money, I'd rather buy something on a 10-15k sq ft lot in Memorial Forest or Bunker Hill Village.

So sorry! You are correct. I've had the wrong name in my head all this time. I even looked over at Memorial Green. You are right about the pricing. I was hoping this would be an area we could consider but I'm too old for the 3-4 story living. I still love the location though!

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by Failed Engineer

There's a reason those homes are slow moving. It's not really a desirable area because of what's immediately surrounding it. It's perfectly safe, but doesn't have anywhere near the feel of Montrose, Heights, or Rice Military, and maybe more importantly, doesn't have the potential for it either.

They also went for a pretty high price point, a bit higher than what I would have suggested. The high end of the Inner Loop townhome market seems to have slowed down overall, since professional couples working in high-paid oil and gas jobs were a significant driver of that market.

That said, the environment within the community is lovely, with the water features and open space. Its immediately adjacent uses might not have much appeal, but the location is convenient to a lot of desirable areas.

[skookum_chuck]

TXbywayof - I will be working Downtown.

thanks