Finding the Right Neighborhood

When I first moved to Montgomery County in 1975, Lake Conroe was only a few years old and Hwy 105 between Conroe and Montgomery was just a winding two lane road through the woods. Neighborhood choices for home buyers moving to the area were somewhat limited back then. With the population explosion since that time, home buyers now have a multitude of neighborhoods from which to choose. But with choices come decisions. Montgomery County is fortunate to have many cities, subdivisions, and rural areas with much to offer. And each neighborhood has its own unique attributes. In this article, I will lay out some neighborhood characteristics that should be kept in mind when searching for a new home.

1. School District – This is the most common concern buyers have when searching for a home. Not only for their children’s benefit, but for purposes of resale. The Texas Education Agency assigns each school district and individual school a rating based on certain criteria including TAKS testing and dropout rate. Although the TEA rating is a major factor for many buyers, there are significant others who believe that a child’s home environment, parental support and other resources can compensate for a school’s less than Exemplary rating. A school’s rating can fluctuate over time also, so it is difficult to predict a school’s rating at some future point in time, such as when a child enters a particular grade or when you plan to sell your home.
2. Convenience – Proximity to employment centers, schools, places of worship, shopping, restaurants, and entertainment are important to many buyers. For someone used to living in Conroe, living in one of the more remote areas of the county can require some adjustments. And vice versa. Buyers should carefully weigh the pros and cons before making any drastic changes to what they have become accustomed.
3. Deed Restrictions – To attract buyers to a new development, developers typically have deed restrictions put in place that limits the use of real property. Deed restrictions are generally welcomed by homebuyers as they are designed to improve the quality of life of homeowners, increase harmony within a community and maintain property values. But enforcement of deed restrictions is the hands of a homeowners’ association so the level of enforcement can range from very strict to very lax. If enforcement of deed restrictions is an important concern, it is in the buyer’s best interest to do some personal investigation to assess the enforcement level before deciding on a neighborhood.
4. Unrestricted Property - Some buyer’s prefer living on property unencumbered by deed restrictions. This can be a good choice for individuals as long as they realize that their neighbors’ properties are also unrestricted. One’s property value can be significantly impacted by a change in use of surrounding properties.
5. Gated Subdivisions – There have been an increased number of gated developments in recent years. Gates provide residents a feeling of security and exclusivity. The downside of gates is the lack of county services. While emergency services still are provided, sheriff patrols and road maintenance are not. Even though these neighborhoods pay county taxes on the same basis as ungated communities, those services have to be paid with homeowners’ association dues.
6. Taxes– One of the major costs associated with home ownership is real estate taxes. Taxes can vary significantly, depending on the neighborhood. Each property has an appraised value assigned by the county appraisal district. Each governmental entity providing services to that property applies a tax rate against the property’s appraised value to generate funds for their operations. Therefore, the tax rate can vary significantly between neighborhoods, depending on which and how many taxing entities that they lie in. While tax rates can differ substantially, the disparity is often made up elsewhere. For example, the tax on a home in a one particular gated acreage community is $2.01 and the rate on a property in Conroe is $2.36, or a difference of $350 per $100,000 of valuation. But in the acreage community, property owners have to pay HOA dues of $545 annually and purchase and maintain a septic system as sewer service is not provided.

These are a few of the differences in the types of neighborhoods. When buying a home, a buyer should pay careful attention to the type of neighborhood, so it doesn’t detract from the overall home owning experience.

To get a good understanding of the neighborhoods in Montgomery County, the best place to start is with a local, full-time Realtor. They understand the unique characteristics of our many neighborhood choices and can help you weigh the pros and cons of each.

Claudia Hohlt has been a local Realtor in Montgomery County since 2000. Claudia has earned the GRI designation, and was certified by HAR as a Top Production Realtor® in 2007 and 2008. Her office is between Conroe and Montgomery at 13080 Hwy 105W #130. Claudia Hohlt can be reached at 936-537-1656 or emailed at Claudia@ClaudiaHohlt.com. Her blog can be found at ClaudiaHohlt.com.