Cinco Ranch it is!

We had a very busy few days in Houston. It was a very productive trip! One of our goals was to narrow down our search by checking out the various communities in Katy, and we have decided that we want to be in Cinco Ranch (www.cincoranch.com). We also looked at Seven Meadows and Grand Lakes, but the amenities in Cinco Ranch can't be beat.

When we arrived on Wednesday night, we met with our Realtor for the first time. We really like her, and we feel she has a good grasp on what we are looking for. We spent the evening touring model homes and meeting with builders. While we are not interested in building a home from scratch, we were intrigued to hear about the inventory homes available. After much discussion, however, we have decided not to go that route. We really do not want to be in a brand new area, surrounded by construction.

On Thursday we toured all of the resale property in which we were interested. We ended up seeing around 15 homes. Needless to say, it was overwhelming. We then narrowed the field to five, which we revisited on Friday morning. From that list we have three strong contenders, with one more that is still an option if all else fails. It is nice to have choices! As with any house hunt, each has its pros and cons, but we'd be happy in any one of the three. The next step is to wait a couple of weeks (still waiting on some company relo paperwork to go through), and then decide if there are additional properties we want to see (depending on what comes on the market) or if we are ready to make an offer. We also have a plan for one more trip in May.

Overall, we are feeling really positive about the move. The community offers so many amenities that will really be great: pools, waterpark/splash pad, kid events, shopping, etc. The area is growing; there are 4 hospitals slated to be opened in Katy in the next few years. There is also a branch of the University of Houston and Houston Community College, so I have some options for adjunct positions.

We did buy a "Don't Mess with Texas" shirt for Henry. I guess that's the first step to assimilation. But don't worry; he'll be inculcated into Notre Dame and U of Michigan football traditions. (And I think we all know who is more likely to have a winning season this year. Clearly, MOM is writing this blog.) In any case, we are NOT raising a Longhorns fan.

The Countdown in On!

We are a few days away from our first house hunting trip. Andy and I will be there from Wednesday until Saturday. We have quite a list of homes to see, and we are excited to start narrowing down the large area in which we are interested. It's been in the 80's so we'll have our first taste of the Texas heat in a mild form. With the snow showers predicted for Chicago today, I will take the heat! I will update about our trip upon our return, complete with pictures. Now just cross your fingers that American has their flight inspections done so Andy gets out of Chicago. (I'll be coming from Cleveland!)

The Busy Season Begins

For the past couple of months, the homes we have found on HAR.com (Houston's real estate hub) haven't really gone anywhere. From time to time I'd get a notice that a property I had saved in my bookmarks was no longer available, but it certainly hasn't been that often. Our agent told me that April marks the start of the busy season, but I wasn't sure how this would affect us. Texas schools get out at the end of May, so many people start their house hunts/searches based on that. Well, in the last week, three of the eight homes on our list to see in a couple of weeks are now gone. I know that more will come on the market, so it's not too much of a concern, but it is a sign that we may have to move fast if we find something we can't live without. We are also planning on looking at new construction inventory, in particular a few homes we saw back in November. Of course, the model homes are beautiful, so it's easy to get sucked in when it looks perfect. I have to picture these homes with toys and dog hair to really imagine what it'd be like for us to live there.

In other news, Andy is still waiting to submit the official paperwork. He still needs some info from his boss regarding budget matters. Most likely, July 1 will be the date on the paperwork; although, we don't plan on moving until mid-July.

When the Dust Settles

Last night, Andy and I were talking about what it will be like when we move. It's weird because, even though I feel like I am thinking about/talking about Texas all the time, I still think of actually living there as a hypothetical thing. So last night we went through the "What will we do when we live there?" talk. At first, of course, things will be chaotic: moving, unpacking, ordering furniture, decorating, finding the grocery store, etc. But, once the dust settles, will we just look at each other like "uh...now what?!"? I hope not, but, like any unknown, we wonder.

Fun for Kirby!

One of the best parts about living in Chicago is that it is a very dog-friendly city. In the summer, we frequent the Montrose Dog Beach, which Kirby LOVES. After doing a bit of research, I was happy to learn that Houston has an active dog park community. We'll be close to the Millie Bush Dog Park, which includes swimming pools for the pups and more. There is also a Katy dog park right in the area we are planning to live. You can check out the parks at www.houstondogpark.org
It looks like a good group.

Preparation and more Preparation

I must say, I am loving actually having something constructive to do concerning this move. Today I emailed our Houston agent with a list of the homes we're interested in seeing on our first trip. It's always fun to actually tour the houses as online pictures and tours only tell part of the story. We have also made the decision to look at some new construction, but only inventory homes (those already built) so we can compare. Many builders take a large amount off their inventory homes, especially depending on how long they have been available.

Our plan is to go on this initial trip, then once more in May to make our choice. It seems crazy to make such a big decision in a short amount of time (two visits), but, in reality, we've been weighing the pros and cons of the houses/areas/etc. since we first visited in November.

Our other big project involves getting our house ready for appraisal and sale. We already had a lot cleared out and put in storage from last summer when our place was listed (before we knew we were moving to TX) in anticipation of moving to the Chicago 'burbs. This past weekend we painted a wall in our kitchen and installed new 6-panel closet doors. Now we need to take another load to our storage unit--consisting mostly of toys Henry no longer likes. One thing I am definitely looking forward to in Texas is MORE SPACE!!

House Hunting Begins

We have our first house-hunting trip scheduled for mid-April. Our plan is to go, look at all the listings that interest us, narrow down the list/areas, and return in May for a final trip. We are anxious to meet our agent, tour Katy again, and see our new home. We will be traveling sans Henry, as a toddler and house hunting don't really mesh well.

We've seen quite a few homes that really interest us, both new inventory construction as well as resale. Our agent has advised us to look at homes newer than those built in 2002 because that is when the Houston builders were mandated to use double-pane windows in all new construction--an energy saver for sure. We are excited to see what's available and what our new home will be like.