advice please!! where to buy a house close-ish to the medical center but still SAFE?? (Houston: foreclosure)

[UTgirl]

Hello,
I need some advice about the safety and distance of some areas around the medical center!! I am confused!!
I will be starting medical residency in June and need to buy a house. My budget is around 100-130,000 and ideally not much more than 20-25 min drive...
Some people told me to buy around Pearland area, but the houses are a bit more expensive. I found some nice ones in Missouri city but not sure if it's a good area? I will alone for long periods of time so I need a safe area.
If anyone have any other suggestions or ideas?? Or do you know where most medical residents live???

thanks :-)

[Poltracker]

Missouri City is ok but 59 can get real crowded (depends hugely on when you work). How long do you expect your residency to last? Will you be staying in Houston afterward? If you are not planning on staying, I would recommend you look for a good rental you may be better off in the long run. If you are planning on staying awhile and must buy a house Pearland is the ideal area. However, there is an alternative. A lot of people frown on the east side communities because of the ship channel and chemical plants (some of those are just snobs or have crazy ideas of what the communities are really like IMO), but a community like Deer Park might be what you are looking for. You can get a fairly nice, older (well built), 3 br in that price range. The community is very safe and has good city services (i.e. parks, sanitation, etc.). It is about 30 min. to the Med center area on 225 to 610 to 288 during regular morning commute traffic.

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by Poltracker

It is about 30 min. to the Med center area on 225 to 610 to 288 during regular morning commute traffic.

I don't know about the morning, but if I can get from the Med Center to Deer Park in 30 minutes during the evening rush, I'm doing good.

[professorsenator]

Originally Posted by UTgirl

If anyone have any other suggestions or ideas?? Or do you know where most medical residents live???

I'm married to someone who's been through residency and I would strongly suggest that you get a place very close to your hospital(s)--given the extraordinary time pressures and crazy hours you DO NOT want a long commute. I would only recommend buying a house if you plan on staying in Houston post-residency (or post-fellowship), and even then I might lean against such a move since you could end up taking a job at a completely different end of town and end up having to sell anyway. Given the difficulties one can often encounter in selling in the Houston market, I believe you should think long and hard about buying a cheap house that you will try to turn around and sell in 3 or 4 years.

If you envision staying in the med center post-residency, then the choice to me would be clear: buy a condo or townhouse as close to the med center as possible, and then when your income increases post-residency, sell your condo and buy in the West U/Museum area.

[jfre81]

You're not buying a house very close to the Med Center on that budget. Sorry. You're only going to be here for four years, so renting isn't an option? Nothing you're going to buy in that range is going to appreciate very well and is likely to be in a high-foreclosure area making it an iffy sell when you're done here.

I think you mentioned you have a big dog, so that could be a limitation with renting...