3 ms·

> Why buy a place in the loop if I still have to get in my car for most things I need or places to be? Because traffic is a total nightmare, because they keep

> Why buy a place in the loop if I still have to get in my car for most things I need or places to be? Because traffic is a total nightmare, because they keep building bigger freeways and making it possible for people to live further and further out. They're exacerbating the problem, not helping it. That road planning is done 100% without zoning too, I might add. But I agree with your point that doing smarter stuff at the denser core might make it easier to entice people inwards and perhaps start Houston growing up instead of out. What's interesting is that people are actually starting to do that now; suburban houses inside the loop are incredibly expensive so most of the new development goes like: 1. buy a $500k, tiny house for the land 2. tear it down 3. build 4-8 townhomes instead 4. sell each for 200k-300k It's getting denser, though not fast enough to make traffic any better.

ska 10y ago
It's interesting that the pricing is changing. In 2007-2009 or so a house in the loop would be $300k (Houston pricing wasn't really affected by 2008). So clearly things are changing. For what it's worth, $500k is still very cheap compared to many metros - a comparable house in many cities would be twice that. 3-4 times in (much of) NY, the bay area, Toronto, Chicago, Vancouver. I think we are making the same point about infrastructure progams there - but traffic still sucks (although it's nothing like some cities) if you live in the core, but you still have to drive all over to do basic things.
- msandford 10y ago
  That's "new" development. If you want a cute little house in the Heights, prepare to shell out very close to a million. Those houses aren't getting bought and torn down. But where prices are low enough and lots are big enough, that's absolutely how new housing is being built.
  - ska 10y ago
    When I was there not so long ago, a cute little house in the heights was $350k. I knew people who bought detached homes for less than 100k (not in the heights, and definitely fixer uppers), and that was only 10 years ago. You can't buy nearly any detached homes in some metro cores today for less than a million. "Cute little house in the Heights" equivalent is more like 2-3 million.
    - emodendroket 10y ago
      The idea of a home for < $100k is mind-boggling to me.

ska 10y ago

It's interesting that the pricing is changing. In 2007-2009 or so a house in the loop would be $300k (Houston pricing wasn't really affected by 2008). So clearly things are changing. For what it's worth, $500k is still very cheap compared to many metros - a comparable house in many cities would be twice that. 3-4 times in (much of) NY, the bay area, Toronto, Chicago, Vancouver. I think we are making the same point about infrastructure progams there - but traffic still sucks (although it's nothing like some cities) if you live in the core, but you still have to drive all over to do basic things.

msandford 10y ago
That's "new" development. If you want a cute little house in the Heights, prepare to shell out very close to a million. Those houses aren't getting bought and torn down. But where prices are low enough and lots are big enough, that's absolutely how new housing is being built.
- ska 10y ago
  When I was there not so long ago, a cute little house in the heights was $350k. I knew people who bought detached homes for less than 100k (not in the heights, and definitely fixer uppers), and that was only 10 years ago. You can't buy nearly any detached homes in some metro cores today for less than a million. "Cute little house in the Heights" equivalent is more like 2-3 million.
  - emodendroket 10y ago
    The idea of a home for < $100k is mind-boggling to me.