Tips on buying a new home in Houston, TX
The Woodlands: Why Master Planned Communities are Thriving
by Sherry Karasik
When you buy a home, you are literally buying a neighborhood and a community. Today, master planned communities are thriving across the United States, reflecting a trend in the housing market for well-planned, multi-generational, and diversely populated communities. Sophisticated singles, young families, executive couples, move-ups, and active adults are buying into these communities in search of a higher quality of life.
What exactly is a master planned community? It is a large, new home, "self-contained" community that typically features entries, parks, recreational areas, schools and shopping. Within the community are smaller communities with varying home styles and price ranges to choose from.
A look at one of the country's highest rated master planned communities, and the highest rated in Texas -- The Woodlands -- explains why this trend is gaining momentum. Located 27 miles north of Houston, the 27,000-acre community consists of eight separate and diverse villages, with neighborhoods that "meet every budget, every lifestyle, and every dream." And the community just keeps on growing.
Click here to read more about The Woodlands in Houston, Texas
The Scoop on Buying Green with New Homes in Houston
Potential home buyers in today's real estate market are more environmentally conscious than home buyers have been in the past. We all understand the importance of being as resource- and energy-efficient as possible, especially when it comes to our homes, where steps to conserve energy and resources also have a monetary benefit. In Houston, this fact couldn't be any more evident, especially in summer months, when people crank up their air-conditioning.
Retrofitting a used home to be green can be very expensive and time-consuming. Homes built in earlier times just weren't designed to be energy- and resource-efficient to the standards we have now. Modern new home builders, however, have green construction top-of-mind from the very beginning. From foundation to roof, these new homes are greener than at any other time in modern history.
New appliances, like the modern front-loading washers and dryers, and amazingly quiet HVAC units installed in new houses also do much to reduce your carbon footprint as well as your energy costs. In a city like Houston, where commute times are among the nation's highest, this is a huge benefit. You have enough stress in your life.
So, while you may find some incredible deals in used homes, keep in mind the potential long-term costs associated with a home that is neither energy- nor resource-efficient. One of the many new home communities in Houston may hold exactly what you're looking for in your pursuit of a greener lifestyle.