If you're searching online for your next home in West Houston, chances are you're overlooking some key factors that cap or reduce the long-term appreciation that your investment deserves! Houston is a complex city with a lot of external factors that influence the appeal of a home or neighborhood. The kicker is that these factors are ALL OVER the west side, including floodplains, high tension power lines, sewage treatment plants, major road, and poorly performing schools.
You've got an exceedingly low chance of seeing any of these factors in a listing, or by Googling, so I'm going to fill you in on how to search like a local:
- Floodplains - As a Realtor, I know where the flood risk areas are, but they aren't going to be visible on a listing. If a great looking listing is still on the market, check the FEMA flood maps against the location to see if it is in the 100- or 500-year flood plain. There are home that carry a stigma as a result of their flood history or ongoing risk.
- High tension power lines - These are hard to catch - I always check the aerial view on Google Maps to see if I can find the scaffolding shadow in a big greenbelt near the home. A lot of listings that advertise "no back neighbors!" or "greenbelt behind the home!" carry a higher likelihood of having the 8-10 story towers with 40+ wires hanging off of them. Backing to high tension power lines absolutely kill value in the suburbs.
- Sewage treatment plants - Same as the power lines above, you have to check the aerial view on Google Maps to look for sewer treatment plants. If you're within 15 homes or so of an open air water treatment facility, you'll be able to smell it constantly. Listings need scratch and sniffs!
- Major roads - Again, checking the listing against Google Maps is very important here. If you're looking at a home that faces a 4-lane street, don't buy it. Not only will it be nearly impossible to get out of your driveway, would you feel comfortable with your child chasing a ball out into the street? Definitely not. If you're looking at a home on corner lot of a 4 lane road, check the speed limit. If you see a 35 MPH sign, chances are someone is going to speed by at 45+ MPH. For safety alone, I'd reconsider.
- Poorly performing schools - most people will look at an arbitrary school rating system on Zillow or real estate website to make their determination on if a home they're interested in is zoned to a "good school." But my savviest buyers know that they should be looking at the primary data from the Texas Education Agency. They also spend time reviewing school closures, attendance boundary modifications for the coming school year, and research district websites. Real estate values rise and fall on the quality of the specific schools that a home is zoned to in the suburbs, and it's important to be aware of the influencing factors
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As your trusted real estate resource in Katy, I'm here to help you find your dream home. Thinking about making the move? Contact me today!
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Carolyn Bauerschlag
Broker Associate, CPA
Brokered by Compass RE Texas LLC
