Cinco Ranch has been a destination for homebuyers in Katy, TX for the last 35 years! But as with anything, there are downsides too. In this video we'll cover the the pros and cons from a Cinco Ranch resident (me!) that you won't necessarily be able to Google. Yes, the schools are an outstanding reason to live here...and the HOA can really be a drag!
PROS
- Amenities are Elite - You'll be hard pressed to find better amenities in a master planned community than in Cinco Ranch. Newland Communities developed Cinco Ranch with the experience in mind. HUGE amounts of green space were reserved for parks, pools, walking trails, and sports courts. Cinco Ranch has over 90 parks and playgrounds - this means that wherever you live, you are just steps away from a great playground/pavilion/open field. You'll constantly see children playing, pickup sports games or practices, birthday parties and socials happening in these spaces. Cinco Ranch also has 11 waterpark-style pools for use from Memorial Day through Labor Day. There are pickleball and tennis courts all over the neighborhoods. Waterways are available for kayaking, catch and release fishing, or paddle boarding. There are also hundreds of miles of interconnected walking trails for walkers, runners, bikers, and skaters!
- Cinco Ranch is Pretty - If you're driving around Katy, you'll know immediately when you've crossed into Cinco Ranch! The mature live oak trees span across the roads creating a shady, serene feel in the area. Flowering crepe myrtles, rose bushes, and seasonal flowers are in every esplanade. The trees at the neighborhood entrances are wrapped in white lights for Christmas. The lakes have big fountain sprays that run all day. The landscaping is carefully maintained year-round in all community spaces. Park benches line the walking trails. It really is so well thought out and pretty in Cinco Ranch.
- Every school is zoned to Katy ISD - If you want your child to attend a Katy ISD school, every home in Cinco Ranch will be zoned to one! Some communities on the west edge of Katy/Fulshear like Firethorne, Cross Creek Ranch, and Young Ranch are zoned to both Katy ISD and Lamar Consolidated ISD, but in Cinco Ranch, you won't have to watch out for the dividing line. Cinco Ranch also did a great job of collaborating with Katy ISD by building several elementary schools inside the neighborhoods - this makes it ideal for little ones to walk or bike to school without having to get on a major road. It really is charming and idyllic!
- Ultra Convenient Bubble - Once you make it out to Cinco Ranch, you don't really have to leave! We have Trader Joes, Whole Foods, HEB, and Kroger right in your backyard. La Centerra is the shopping and dining hub of Cinco - we have Dish Society, Postinos, Starbucks, Lululemon, Warby Parker, Perry's Steakhouse, Alamo Drafthouse, and tons of cute shops. The library is right across the street from La Centerra. Every extracurricular activity is available too - dance studios, cheer gyms, swim schools, martial arts, tutoring centers, music lessons are quite literally all over Cinco Ranch.
- Central Location for West Houston - Cinco Ranch is directly in between I-10 and 1093/Westpark toll, and spans over the east and west side of Grand Parkway. If you have to commute to the Energy Corridor, Galleria, or Downtown, there is a decently straightforward way for you to do it. You'll sit in traffic anywhere in the Houston area, but Cinco Ranch's location makes that commute (a little bit) more tolerable. :)
CONS
- HOA is Militant - I love Cinco Ranch for the pride in ownership evident throughout, but I could really do without the oversight from the HOA. We have gotten letters for a "slightly dry" patch of grass no larger than 2 sq ft and for a car parked in the street that didn't belong to us. Neighbors have complained about inconsistent applications of rules - some have received letters for trimming trees that are well above the sidewalk while the HOA has left community area trees untouched. If you live in Cinco Ranch, you can expect that an HOA employee will do a quarterly "driveby" inspection, and that you'll probably receive a letter at least once or twice a year. While I appreciate that these efforts probably make Cinco look as good as it does, a lot of the letters I've heard about are frivolous or just frustrating.
- Cell Signal is Internet Dependent - Cell towers are nowhere to be seen in Cinco Ranch. Most cell carriers are using a "fluid wireless mesh network" for cell service. They look like light poles along the street. While they aren't visually obstructive, if the power goes out, so does your cell service. This isn't a persistent issue, but you're likely to lose cell service in any weather event...which is just exactly when you'll probably want to use your phone.
- Traffic is Rough - Have you heard the joke that Houston is an hour away from Houston? Well we're about to have a "Katy is 30 minutes away from Katy" meme on our hands. If you have to get 2 or 3 miles, it won't take you more than 5-10 minutes to get where you need to go. If you're commuting 5-6 miles at any time of day, I'd expect it to take 15-20 minutes. Add 5-10 minutes to each of those ranges for any commuting during school drop-offs or dismissal, and regular rush hour traffic.
- Not Much Nightlife - If you're moving to Cinco Ranch, you're probably not looking for much nightlife, BUT I think it's important to know that most businesses close around 6pm or 7pm, and restaurants and bars are likely to close around 9pm or 10pm. This won't be a big deal all the time, but make sure to check where what time a business closes if you're trying to get somewhere after work!
👉 Want to know more? Watch our whole video on YouTube here!
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Carolyn Bauerschlag Brokered by Compass RE Texas LLC
