Find the right home, neighborhood in Houston
Even through the coronavirus may have sidelined the plans of many home buyers and sellers for the time being, there are still many people who are active in the local real estate market, including those who are relocating to the Houston area.
And, while Realtors are still able to conduct business at this time, it’s important for their clients to know that they have adopted new critical measures and protocol in order to reduce the potential health risks of everyone involved in the process.
So, whether someone is looking to buy a home now or in the near future, the good news is that the Houston area offers an abundance of different communities and neighborhoods to suit pretty much every kind of lifestyle and budget.
Coupled with historically low mortgage interest rates, this could be the ideal time for buyers to find their dream home in Houston.
According to Trent Johnson, a Realtor with Bernstein Realty, people who move here from other cities have specific preferences that they look for in a home and a community, which is often driven by the aspects that they like best about their previous homes.
“They might like big open spaces in the kitchen and the living room, or big backyards, or connectivity to shopping and entertainment, or living close to parks, and having good schools nearby,” explained Johnson.
“Those are all trigger points that lead the buyer into some of the more appropriate neighborhoods for their needs.”
For that reason, he said that his first conversation with his relocation clients always involves a detailed discussion about their home preferences and lifestyle needs, as well as their school needs, and their desired commute time.
Likewise, Diane Grim, a Realtor with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene, said that while it’s important to know the priorities of her relocation clients, that she also tries to set their expectations.
“Sometimes a buyer has to list their needs in order of priority. They may know the best school that they want their kids to go to, but that might mean that it’s going to take them an hour to get to work. So, I have to ask them if they are willing to make that sacrifice,” said Grim.
As far as housing budgets are concerned, both Grim and Johnson pointed out how much pricing can vary depending on the location of the community or neighborhood.
Additionally, neighborhoods located in town versus those found in one of the many suburbs and master-planned communities throughout the Houston area, will have a completely different look and feel.
“When a relocation buyer isn’t sure if they want to be in the city or in the suburbs, you have to show them both examples, because it’s very difficult to compare apples to oranges,” said Johnson. “In the city, the square footage likely goes down and the age of the home likely goes up, so a lot of things change when looking at a suburban home versus a resale home in the city.”
Grim added that if a client is looking to spend $300,000 on a home and wants to have a yard, that their options will be significantly limited when looking inside the Loop, as opposed to looking in Sugar Land or Katy, for example.
“You can talk to them and show them data, but when you get out there and show them, it helps them to gain trust in you, because they can see what they can get in Sugar
Land and what the 45minute commute is like, and what they can get in town for that same amount of money,” Grim said.
Of course, not everyone is looking for their dream home when they move to Houston. Some might only intend on being here for a couple of years before they are relocated again. In those cases, Johnson said that the home-buying decision is still typically driven by lifestyle, budget, schools, and commute time, but that the idea of resale potential becomes more important.
“A lot of times people ask me the crystal ball question about resale, but I tell them that when it comes to the market, that past performance does not indicate future results,” said Johnson. “So, looking at what has happened in a neighborhood in the past is a helpful tool for buyers as they are analyzing the market, but it doesn’t necessarily certify anything moving forward.”
In a similar vein, Grim said that where relocation home buyers get their information really matters today if they want to have the most current market data.
“There are so many amazing sites out there with awesome consumer mobile apps, but I always guide my clients to go directly to HAR.com for the most accurate information,” said Grim.