Houston On Most Affordable Home Markets List

An article I found about the Houston Market...

April 25th, 2008 categories: Houston, Houston Real Estate, Real Estate News


Bizjournals recently conducted a study comparing real estate costs to income levels in the 50 largest metro areas in the United States. They did this by comparing median home payments alongside household income levels. The results showed that California is (not surprisingly) the most expensive place to try and own a home with the median California homeowner spending over 75% of their monthly income on their mortgage payments. That was not a typo… I said 75%! According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, home costs should not add up to more than one third of monthly income so other life necessities can be purchased… clothes, food, etc.

Lucky for us, Houston was in the Top 10 list for the most affordable home markets in the U.S. Good news for Houston! We came in at number 8 on the list. Not too shabby for this so called “market crisis” the media is painting for us.
While other parts of the country are definitely hurting, our market here in Houston along with others (mostly in the South) are actually enjoying price appreciation along with income growth which makes for a solid real estate market. According to Lawrence Yun, the National Association of Realtors’ chief economist, “The healthiest housing markets today generally are moderately priced and are experiencing job growth and often population growth, which in turn is supporting strong price growth.”

The moral of this story is that Houstonites can rest easy because our housing market is continuing to hold strong. I believe this quote summed it up best for me… “If the news predicted a snow storm in Denver, would you walk outside with your snow boots in Houston?”

10 Most Affordable Home Markets
1. Oklahoma City
2. San Antonio
3. Birmingham
4. Indianapolis
5. Pittsburgh
6. Kansas City
7. Buffalo
8. HOUSTON
9. Memphis
10. Rochester, NY

10 Most Expensive Home Markets
1. Los Angeles
2. San Francisco - Oakland
3. San Diego
4. San Jose
5. New York City
6. Sacramento
7. Riverside - San Bernardino, CA
8. Miami - Fort Lauderdale
9. Boston
10. Providence

Houston Lifestyle

A few words that describe the character of Houston: friendly, generous, energetic, diverse, versatile, lush/green, forward-thinking.

Houston is a thriving business hub for multi-national companies and offers a diverse population base with a correspondingly wide selection of lifestyle options and locations. The Houston metropolitan area stretches from the inner-Loop 610 area and downtown, north to The Woodlands, east to Kingwood and Atascocita, south to Clear Lake and Galveston, southwest to Sugar Land, and west to Katy.

Each of these areas offers neighborhoods with homes in a variety of prices and styles. The inner-Loop 610 area is a mix of luxury neighborhoods, historic homes, town homes, soaring residential high rise buildings, cutting-edge lofts, and gated patio home enclaves. Downtown Houston offers first class entertainment venues with theater, opera, symphony, ballet, traveling Broadway shows, and restaurants.

Let’s take “the road less traveled”. We specialize in the North Houston area. From The Woodlands to Kingwood, we have you covered. We really do have it all in North Houston.-Outstanding retail facilities; fine hotels and restaurants; trees; golf courses and parks for your enjoyment; the world-class Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH); and Hooks Airport, a private facility with full capabilities for corporate aircraft as well as stand-by relief for IAH. On the Northwest side, the Woodlands is one of Houston’s first and most successful master planned communities and offers expansive neighborhoods built around championship golf courses and luxury country clubs. Both The Woodlands and Conroe are located within minutes of beautiful Lake Conroe.. On the Northeast side, “The Livable Forest" Kingwood's beautifully wooded surrounds and innovative master-plan has helped it to grow into a charming small town, where residents find the ideal combination of new homes, amenities, conveniences and outstanding schools all close to home. Kingwood and Atascocita enjoy close proximity to Lake Houston.
I, Carol Arroyo and my associates serve the North Houston real estate market. We are Houston's foremost resource for master-planned communities with detailed information on The Woodlands, Creekside Park, Augusta Pines, Benders Landing, Lake Conroe, Bentwater, Glenloche Farms, Spring Trails, Kingwood, Oakhurst at Kingwood, Summerwood, Eagle Springs, Fall Creek, Lake Shore, in addition to many smaller enclave communities.

If you are relocating to Houston, our Houston Relocation Services and our “Welcome Home to Houston” relocation program will simplify your move to Houston. You will receive a package with Houston real estate information tailored to your individual needs.