Southern Charm Against An Urban Backdrop

There’s much more to this Texas city than barbecue and baseball. With friendly southern charm set against a modern urban backdrop, Houston is a city that welcomes everyone. It’s my home city, where I was born and raised. The metro area is home to acres of green space, a plethora of diverse communities, a robust local job market, and plenty of affordable housing. Master plan communities and new construction continue to pop up at a rapid pace, attracting residents from all over the country to call H-Town home. No matter where you choose to live in Houston, you can be sure your home is close to world-class cultural attractions, entertainment, dining, sports, and other recreational options.

Families and young professionals alike will have no trouble finding the perfect neighborhood to suit their tastes. With a cost of living that’s entirely unheard of for a major American city, the lifestyle made possible by a move to Houston will blow you away. Everything from housing to groceries is cheaper in Houston when compared to most large cities around the nation. Best of all, there’s no state income tax.

The food scene in Houston is famous for its diverse offerings, and residents count themselves lucky to have such great restaurants at their fingertips. Tex-Mex is the city’s most famous culinary offering but, as you’d expect in such a diverse city, there Is food of all kinds available. Prices range from the high-end restaurants catering to the city’s oil millionaires to humble food trucks. Texas Forever!

Schools and Education

The Houston Independent School District happens to be one of the largest. Actually, HISD is the largest in the state of Texas and operates 283 schools. While your primary education will be limited to schools located within the Houston area, secondary education for students is ample due to the many top-rated universities in the state. College-age students and residents of Houston will have the option of all colleges within Texas and will qualify for a significantly discounted in-state tuition rate. While not a state school, Rice University, located adjacent to the Medical Center and West U, is considered the Ivy League of the South.

Top Texas Universities:

• The University of Texas — Located in Austin, TX
• Texas A&M — Located in College Station, TX
• The University of Houston — Located in Houston, TX
• Texas Tech University — Located in Lubbock, TX

Safe Place to Live

Even if you have a young family, you can still find some of the safest neighborhoods in Houston to raise your children. These areas have lower crime rates, but they still offer the extraordinary neighborhood feel that so many people crave when moving to Houston. 

Many of the suburbs served by Soho also provide a safe place to live and raise a family. Neighborhoods such as Sugar Land have a great reputation for being safe and we can give you extensive advice and information to help you decide the best location for you.

Diverse Community

Houston is home to more than 30% of Texas’ African American population and is the nation’s 9th largest black population.

• Houston was ranked number five in the U.S. for African Americans by Black Enterprise Magazine (2008)
• Ranked in the top 5 cities for African-American families by Black Enterprise Magazine (2004)
• Ranked as the third best city for expanding or starting an African-American-owned business by ING U.S. Financial Services Gazelle Index (2004)
• Ranked as the top city for African-American families by BET.com (2002)

Job Opportunity

While a hot real estate market like Houston can be frustrating for homeowners, it can be ideal for single-family rental property investors. That’s because the strong job market in Houston is attracting more people, and when the housing market is tight they rent instead.

Any move to Houston is a smart one, particularly for those in the energy or medical fields. With multiple business districts, several Fortune 500 headquarters, strong international ties, two major airports and a bustling port, there’s no shortage of jobs in this city. Houston’s unemployment rate saw record lows in 2019. Even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Houston’s job outlook has remained strong.

Affordable Living

With a cost of living that’s entirely unheard of for a major American city, the lifestyle made possible by a move to Houston will blow you away. Everything from housing to groceries is cheaper in Houston when compared to most large cities around the nation. Best of all, there’s no state income tax. 

Vibrant Downtown Food Scene

While Houston’s TexMex and BBQ options are every bit as good as their reputations suggest, Houston has so much more to offer. Anthony Bourdain called Houston, “a Wonderland of Strange and Diverse.”

In this city, you can eat at a different restaurant every night for a year without running out of options! Classic American, vegan, Thai, Indian, Italian (the original Carrabba’s is in Houston), you name it! Houston’s profusion of taco trucks serving up classic street tacos make grabbing a quick, cheap, and tasty snack easy and enjoyable.  

Houston also has a wide variety of pubs, cafes, and cocktail bars.

Katy

This tiny suburb is home to nearly 16,000 people and is more affordable than The Woodlands for housing. As more companies move to the nearby Energy Corridor and Memorial City area, Katy is quickly becoming more popular. It also has one of the top-ranked school districts in the city