Check out my house if you are interested in a great house for the money in a Houston suburb. We absolutely love the house but our family has outgrown it. My husband and I built it in 2002 and have taken immaculate care of it. We live in Katy (west side suburb of Houston) and love the area. The house is loaded with upgrades and we have made many improvements on it since we moved in. We win yard of the month on an annual basis and the inside is even nicer than the outside. Here is the web site to check it out. We welcome FHA and conventional loans and we are providing a one year home warranty for your protection. http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cfm?mlnum=9669577&ba… Address: 4847 Monarch Glen Lane, Katy, TX

Mon May 12 2008, 12:49

Bayram…(posted April 25, 2008 at 11:39AM CST FRI)
Glad to hear you are considering a move to Houston. It's a great place to call home! I understand you want to BUY/HOLD & LEASE/FLIP properties in the Greater Houston, TX Metro Area. Real estate can be a little overwhelming for some folks, especially being new to the area, such as your case. It's important to 'connect' with someone you can trust. Let me take you on a tour of Houston to show you all the city has to offer, including behind-the-scenes things only the locals know about. Your question on Trulia was, “How is the rental property investment in Houston?”; "What is the Rent to acquisition cost ratio for cash flowing rentals in Houston?" Answer: “Great choices all around!” "The cost ratio depends on which area of town/neighborhood." (Visit the RSS feed/link under this message for marketplace happenings/trends or e-mail me for more info. This website has a wealth of information for investors/house flippers.) Houston is the 4th largest city in the nation; regional studies from the Texas A&M University Mays School of Business, College Station, TX, (which operates the Texas Real Estate Center), report the state of Texas is expected to double it’s population within the next 20+ years. This influx of folks will create a demand for housing (including rentals), jobs, schools, etc., along with a solid foundation for funding infrastructure (community needs) thru property taxes. Add to the fact Texas is one of the few states that doesn’t have a state income tax, families and businesses reduce their expenses, resulting in a better quality of life. Living in Texas is a no-brainer! Yes, it gets hot and humid, there are a variety of things to do, we have many fine restaurants (the most of any city in the nation), and affordable living—all these things make it a true shinning example of what can be done when people combine ‘work and play’ together. I often refer to Houston as the "New York City of the South". There are endless opportunities in the marketplace; lots of folks are moving here -- locally and nationally -- to take advantage of the healthy Texas economy (compared to the rest of the nation with the foreclosures and such). We are truly blessed! I wish you the best with your move. I'm here to help you anyway I can -- just call or email me: Karen Savage, REALTOR, Keller Williams Realty/North(west)--Hwy 290/FM1960 area near Willowbrook Mall; 8300 FM 1960 West, Suite 310, Houston, TX 77070, direct: 281-813-9769; office: 281-664-8300,x3004; http://www.KarenSavage-Realtor.com. (You got a friend in Texas! We aim to please! Your Greater Houston, Texas source for everything real estate.)

Fri Apr 25 2008, 09:46

Houston is one of the rare major metropolitan areas in North America where a rental property can cover 100% of the acquisition costs including taxes, insurance and maintenance. It is not as easy as you might think however. You should be careful to focus on areas supported by excellent schools as this will keep appreciation and demand solid for years to come. Best benchmark price range in my opinion in $125,000 - $140,000 . You can buy newly constructed home - smaller - say 1600 ish sf in some areas of The Woodlands - zoned to exemplary rated elementary and middle school. Contact me for specifics.

Wed Apr 23 2008, 12:27

Hello, I'd be happy to answer this question for you. I primarily deal with houston area investments, and all types of 1-4 family investments. Is there a specific property type you are looking to invest in. I ask this because that would possibly change my answer to your question. Typically i won't even start to evaluate a properties investment potential without a 1% rent to aquisition ratio. There are many factors that go into this that i would slightly adjust my 1% cutoff, but generally 1%.

I do some investing myself and own a local development company here in Houston. If you would like to discuss this further or we can go over some possible investment opportunities here in the area, please contact me.

Wed Apr 23 2008, 12:06

You should be able to do this no problem with 20% down.

Typically you'd like rent to be about 1% of the cost or better, but this is probably slightly less for most good investments in Houston. Since you're not getting any responses here, let me know if I can recommend a really good investment specialist to assist you there.

Sat Apr 12 2008, 13:18