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That’s amazing, I hope y’all are enjoying your time here! Kingwood is THE BEST! 😁 Most definitely, shoot me a text 310-293-1677 and I’ll send you my wife’s number. She works in a new salon at the main HEB shopping plaza off of Kingwood Dr and West Lake Houston Pkwy.

@@NoName-wv4pw hey there! Did I miss something?

As a licensed agent there’s certain things I am not allowed to talk about, political stuff being one of them. I’ll say that I am also from CA (L.A.) We left CA for a reason and have been very happy here in Texas. It is the change that we were looking for 😁

@@MakingHoustonHome thank you

HOA is paid annually and it’s $650 for the year.

Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it! That’s amazing, let me know if you have questions or need any help along the way to finding your home and making the move. Where will you be moving from?

I totally understand, I moved to Houston from Orange County CA, grew up in L.A. What part of California are you in?

Thanks for the compliment and thanks for the advice! 👍🏽

Pretty nice homes, great deals too! 👍🏽

That’s cool, I’d live anywhere if they paid me enough lol

Good point! I didn’t even realize that while walking through. Maybe the designers figured since there are so many lower cabinets for storage there wasn’t a need for more uppers? Thinking about being in there, it would also feel kind of dark without those windows. That kitchen is kind of tucked back far from the living room windows…🤷🏽‍♂️ but what do I know lol Good thing about this builder is that they are semi-custom. I bet they’d build it however someone wanted it.

@@arsalanumer2032 good evening. I’d be glad to chat with you about those areas. Text me at (310)293-1677

That church is South of downtown, about 45-60 minutes this area.

Yeah depending on which area. I drove from Katy (far west Katy) back to my house in Kingwood during prime traffic yesterday. It was a 67 mile drive and took me an hour and 20 minutes. For me that’s not bad at all, comparing to Los Angeles/Orange County CA where I’m from. Driving 67 miles in prime traffic time in Southern California would be 2 hours at best.

I get that. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, so anything inside of an hour and a half commute is awesome to me lol. I lived 35 miles from my work in LA and it would take me 2 hours to get home 😫

It’s definitely one of the more popular areas that I’m seeing people move to. Now that The Woodlands is completely built out (and expensive), Conroe is the next best option to find a decent priced home and still be within a reasonable commute to The Woodlands.

❤️ thanks so much! I appreciate that!

Yes that’s exactly what a mud room is. That’s interesting, I see them all the time. Especially in new construction homes. They’re almost always combining the laundry and “mud room” right off of a garage entry. So you have a space to enter the home and drop your things, take muddy/wet shoes & clothes off, kids drop their school bags etc. I live in an older part of Kingwood and we have one in our house. Actually most of the homes in my area have them.

@@MakingHoustonHome Maybe because a lot more people don't wear shoes in their home these days, like myself. Interesting. Thank you for sharing. I might be contacting you in a month or so.

@@MW713 of course, thanks for commenting and asking the question. Awesome, I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you 👍🏽

Exactly, the data shows that the current unemployment rate isn’t enough to tank the market on its own. Inflation is still up but people are still spending money.

I gotta be honest, I’ve never been to Teaswood. I just did some quick research and see that it’s a Toll Brothers community, which means the houses are going to be beautiful and the neighborhood will too. Toll Brothers is an awesome builder. My first thought when combining the 2 areas is at Evergreen you’ll have more options with a couple builders at lower price points, into the $300k range. Then there’s location, depending on how far/close someone wants to be from different spots is key. The Woodlands, Bush Airport, Downtown Houston etc. are all a bit closer to Evergreen. Teaswood is in a great area close to a lot of new development happening. I might have to head out to Teaswood for my next video! Thanks for asking the question, you really peaked my attention on it too!

Hey! I appreciate the response and thoughtful analysis. You are correct in all of that. We had a late start to the busy spring season this year. With rates so high (7%+) range early in the year, a lot of sellers didn’t want to list. Over the last month or so we’ve had a ton of listings come on market and the average days on market shot up from about 32 to 46. As you mentioned, kids going back to school next week, holidays coming up…the next 5-6 months are normally the slow season when the market naturally dips. I think if rates go down, closer to 5.5% even, we will see buyers come back and take advantage despite having to move at an inconvenient time. There’s so much pent up frustration from both buyers and sellers right now…I’m interested to see how these next few months play out too!

Yes, honestly there’s just not much in the immediate area yet. I think once they build out some more, add amenities etc. we’ll start to see more people talk about it.

@@MakingHoustonHome I appreciate the reply and informative videos you make but aren't the prices going to rise once the area is built out? Again thanks for the great content.

Porter is literally a suburb of the Houston Metropolitan area. The vast majority of people looking to move to Houston are not moving to “Houston” as you would call it. They are moving to the suburbs located in the Houston metro area. Furthermore, most of the people watching are not from here and have no clue what any of these suburbs are called or where they are located. If the video title said “Porter” only, no one would even know that it is located in the Houston area. That is why I say Houston and then I take the time in all of my videos to do a detailed map tour and show people exactly where the area is and things to do around the area. My goal is to educate those that are not from here, many of which have never even been to Houston. It doesn’t have anything to do with the word Houston being more desirable (that’s simply your opinion anyway). As seen in this video (if you watch it) Porter/New Caney are the #1 hottest communities in all of Houston. Yes that’s actual data from HAR, not my opinion. There is massive investment and development happening now and will continue for the next 20+ years.

Yes there is an HOA, the fee is $650 annually.

Yes you actually have a couple nearby. The Kingwood HCA is about 15-20 minutes away going East. Then you have The Woodlands medical center which is about 25-30 minutes away. Part of the Valley Ranch planned development (I talk about this in the map section of the video) which is only like 5-10 minutes away is a brand new medical center as well.

@@MakingHoustonHome oh ok probably missed that part! Thanks

I think I only talked about the shopping and restaurants etc. at Valley Ranch. I don’t know that I mentioned the plan for the medical center. Either way if you wanted to see exactly where it’s at, go to the 23 minute mark in this video and that’s when I start talking about the Valley Ranch Town Center.

lol I’m going to assume that you’re being sarcastic 😂 They always build model homes with landscaping in front of the garages. It’s funny but I guess their thought is that it’s nicer looking than just a concrete driveway.

@@MakingHoustonHome Definitely being sarcastic, I dont know why they do that either, looks stupid to me

@@balloonhead204 🤣

I personally would say that flooding is a valid concern pretty much anywhere around the Houston metro area. Being so close to the Gulf Coast puts it at risk. The best thing to do if you are to move is to make sure that your home is not in a flood zone. Parts of The Woodlands have flooded before and other parts haven’t. The heat is relative to your own personally tolerance. I was born and raised in Los Angeles/Orange County CA area, where it’s beautiful all the time. It took us a couple years to adapt to the weather here. We’ve learned to live with it (as do most people) but it’s definitely hot & humid during peak summer season. Power going out would probably be the least of the concerns that you mentioned. We just had a hurricane come through which knocked the power out for a few days for most people, but some took 2 weeks to get back. That doesn’t happen often.

@@user-ck2zh9xe2w these are definitely some beautiful homes!

Yes correct, this is the price of the home only. Insurance is getting pretty ridiculous around here, however, rates for new construction homes are still pretty reasonable. As far as interest rates go, this particular builder is giving fha & va buyers a 4.875% interest rate. Market rate has dropped to right around 6% over the last couple weeks. I’ve even seen some of my buyers with great credit in the 5’s recently.

Also, don't forget taxes, expensive electricity costs, and those pesky HOA fees that go up annually.

@@kathleenepugh9495 all valid points, I guess it’s relative to each individuals situation. Many of my clients are coming from expensive states such as CA, NY, a lot from the upper east coast, where taxes and general goods are extremely expensive. A lot of which can’t even afford to purchase to begin with. In CA I was paying 2.875% property tax on an $800k home 🤢 so coming to Texas and paying 2.5% on a $350k house was a huge win for us. Not to mention getting an immediate pay raise by not having to pay state income tax 🙌 HOA dues are relatively inexpensive here, again when comparing to other states. We pay about $360 a year, and in the 6 years I’ve been here it’s only gone up $10. Not bad in my opinion. In regard to electricity, I suppose that’s all relative as well. I pay about 11 cents per kWh…in CA it was about 37 cents per kWh. On top of that SoCal Edison has a monopoly on power so they’ve created a system where they can charge people whatever they feel like. In Texas there are literally hundreds of energy providers competing for business, which is why the rates are so low. From what I understand, past clients that have purchased new construction homes around this size are paying about $100-$150 a month during peak summer seasons.

why everyone forgets propety tax which is like close to 3% ???? is there a way to avoid it? because no home buyer talks about it which is like 600 per month

@@arunkumaracharya9641 that is true. Property taxes are probably the biggest financial downside to living here. Although it is relative to where people are moving from, it still is a big expense when considering the mortgage payment. Although I’m paying less in taxes than I was in CA, taxes and insurance are about 50% of my current mortgage payment. It’s pretty crazy lol

Thank you I appreciate that! I totally get that. It’s actually really tough to find a place with no HOA in Houston. Almost every subdivision will have one, and they are generally pretty inexpensive. Where I live it’s only about $350/year. It was weird for me because I’m from Los Angeles/Orange County CA area and there were not many HOA’s and if you did come across them they were super expensive.

You bet! I suppose “affordable” is a relative term depending on who is watching. But these homes are most definitely the best prices without being way off in the middle of nowhere. With home prices still so high it’s tough to find anything in the $200k’s these days.

Most definitely a great option for starter homes. Not too far from everything you need and probably the best price point when considering location.

I totally understand. It was hard for us too but it’s actually been great for us and our family. Reach out anytime, even id you just have questions and want to run something’s by me to get a better understanding of how things are here compared to CA.

Thanks for the feedback! I’m always nervous about having my kids making noice in the background…but it’s part of life so I’m learning to just let it ride and it is what it is lol. I appreciate your comment!

I do agree Kingwood Taco Shop is good....but the fact you don't like Tex Mex means you've got to leave Texas, sorry but rules are rules

🤣 sorry! I do love everything else about Texas…just not the Tex mex food 😆

I get you. It’s unfortunate but the truth is this is what you get for the price these days. I have plenty of friends that are from Texas and they are always in disbelief of how much “starter” homes cost these days. This community is really one of the most affordable developments where you are still located within a reasonable drive to everything someone would need.

Hey! Unfortunately no, I don’t speak much Spanish. Honestly I can kind of understand for the most part, but I’m not fluent.

@@MakingHoustonHome no worries, I do speak English haha! I was just wondering, I kinda feel more comfortable in my own language sometimes! But all good… I’ll contacting you to talk about this community, I love it so is my wife! Thanks Rene!

@@eduardorodas3378 lol all good! Sounds great, reach out whenever y’all are ready to talk 👍🏽

does that mean they are not hurricane proof?

No houses in the USA are hurricane proof these are good starter homes good vid at least they affordable not like rest of them out there claim affordable cite 800k 😅

I’m no contractor or home builder myself so I can’t say just by looking what type of shingle is on that roof. I do know that insurance companies are covering these homes and others like them all around Houston (I see it with my clients all the time). Insurance rates for new construction are actually pretty reasonable. The sad truth is that home affordability is tough right now. This same builder had another community nearby and they did brick all the way around (plus more upgrades inside the home) but those homes were in the $300k+ range. For people that want to invest in themselves and buy rather than rent, these are some of the best options out there in the Houston area. At least where you’re still close to civilization lol.

@@purasasothanks! I appreciate it and I’m glad that you enjoyed the video!

Yes Kingwood is known for not having sidewalks, I’ve always felt like it’s because we have 75+ miles of greenbelt trails that snake through the entire area. If you’re going for a walk, bike ride, run etc most people use the trails.

The Texas Veteran benefits really are amazing. I’ve had so many vets move here because of it. Thank you for your service! 👍🏽

I don’t have any videos however there are some great options around the Houston area for what you’re looking for. Email me at rene@makinghtxhome.com and I will send you some properties.

@@lisascott6178 hey! It’s currently listed at $289,900. Yes the primary bedroom has 2 separate closets, one on each side of the stand up shower. The 2 secondary bedrooms have standard sized closets. Here is the link to view more details: s.hartech.io/w4E2sFej734

@@user-tb4hr2ry3u this community is Woodson’s Reserve. If you’d like more information email me at rene@makinghtxhome.com or text at 310-293-1677. If you contact them directly be sure to let them know that you were referred by Rene Lara, that’s the only way that the builders will give me credit for marketing their products.

@@user-vf6tq2sx6p glad I was able to provide some value for you!

It’s woodsons reserve.

@@Juicetra10🙏🏾🙏🏾

It is Woodson’s Reserve. I’ve unfortunately had to stop putting builders info in my videos. I’ve found that A LOT of viewers are using my videos for information and then contacting the builders, which is fine, but in those cases I don’t get credit from the builders for marketing their products. I have relationships with these builders, but the only way they compensate me for marketing is if the potential buyer tells them that they called because of my video.

I really like this model home how hard is it to get a house these days? Any down payment assistance?

@@user-ck2zh9xe2w there are some down payment assistance programs out there. It depends on the individuals financial and credit details. Reach out and I can give you info for a local lender that I work with who has down payment assistance programs, they would be worth having having conversation with to see if you qualify. Rene@makinghtxhome.com

lol I guess it depends on each individuals idea of “country”. I’m probably the furthest from being country, growing up in South Los Angeles. I’d say I have a handful of friends in Kingwood that are a tad country, but the vast majority of people that I know from The Woodlands and Kingwood are not country at all. I mean they like country music though lol

Which home? first, second, or third one in this video?

@@MakingHoustonHome the 1st one

@@jbless1978 they have one that will be available in August priced at $419,990.