In this video, I put myself in the buyer’s shoes. I pulled up Zillow and walked through the areas I would personally look at if I were buying in Cypress, based on budget.
I stayed only in Cypres,s and I used the filters most relocating families care about. Good schools, safe, family-friendly neighborhoods, and as updated as possible.
Here’s the quick breakdown of what I covered in the video.
$1M to $2M
If I had one to two million dollars, I’d be looking for land or acreage first. I would start with the pocket areas behind Coles Crossingthe . There are little roads back there with homes on beautiful lots, tons of trees and mature landscaping, and usually lower property taxes.
It takes time for homes to pop up in there because they’re kind of few and far between, but if you want that type of home, it’s a really nice area.
If I wanted new and modern finishes and I was still set on new construction, then I’d go to Bridgeland. I’d stick to the newer area on the other side of 99, and I’d lean Prairieland over Creekland right now.
$800K to Just Under $1M
In this range, I usually look at resale before new construction.
A lot of buyers in this price point can buy a really nice new construction home, but the lot tends to be smaller and the homes are closer together. Your money gets stretched more.
With resale, you can usually get a better backyard setup, more upgrades, and often a much lower property tax rate. In this price point, the value difference between resale and new construction is just bigger.
The first area I like here is Lakes of Rosehill. It’s hit or miss depending on inventory, but when homes come up, you can find a beautiful house with land, trees, and strong schools for under $900K, and the tax rate is lower.
I also like Cypress Creek Lakes in this range. You can get some really nice homes that you wouldn’t be able to get in Bridgeland or Towne Lake, but you still get a lot of the same benefits for a better price.
$600K to $800K
This is where families have the most wiggle room in Cypress.
You’re going to get a nice house whether you go resale or new construction. This is also the range where I tend to encourage new construction the most because I feel like you’re getting good value for what you’re spending.
If you can buy an inventory home in a strong community like Bridgeland or Towne Lake in this price range, you’re getting a community that holds value well, top rated schools, and the family friendly master planned community benefits people want.
If you look at resale in this range, this is where you start to see more deferred maintenance or things that need updating, and sometimes the value just doesn’t match as well.
My first choice in this range is Bridgeland. For new construction, I’d go Prairieland.
If you want resale and you want a neighborhood that people stay in, I really like Coles Crossing. Turnover is low. When the right house comes up, people move fast.
$500K to $600K
Same idea as the last range. I usually encourage new construction here too.
You can get a good house, good incentives, and a good community at this price point. For new construction in Cypress, $500K and up is where things start to make a lot more sense long term.
My first choice here is still Bridgeland. It’s one of the better options Cypress has right now for new construction and long term stability.
$400K to $500K
This is where tradeoffs start coming in, especially for relocating families.
At this budget you’re usually choosing between a more average home with excellent schools, or a brand new home with modern finishes but more average schools.
One area I love in this range is Cypress Ridge and around Cypresswood Drive. I like driving through it. It’s well kept, and it just feels nice. Inventory can be limited, but when something comes up you can still find homes under $500K.
Another one I like here, and honestly for a lot of budgets, is Fairfield. You get Bridgeland High School and a prime Cypress location, but the property tax rate is much lower than some areas of Bridgeland. Fairfield is usually low twos compared to mid threes in parts of Bridgeland, and that matters.
If you absolutely want new construction under $500K, I talk in the video about the newer parts of Towne Lake. You’re farther from the main hub, but you’re still in the community and school system, and there are options.
$300K to $400K
This is where you really have to start making tradeoffs if you want to stay in Cypress.
I like areas like Stonegate and Riata Ranch. You can find good homes under $400K, but it’s going to be more rare to find something fully updated. A lot of them will need cosmetic work.
One thing I mentioned in the video is Zillow zoning to the wrong schools in this area sometimes, so if you’re searching by school filters, you can miss good options.
If you have to have new construction under $400K, I show in the video where the newer Towne Lake inventory is. The tradeoff is size. A lot of these are under 2,000 square feet.
Also, you’ll notice I don’t spend much time on some of the other new construction under $400K in Cypress. You can get deals today, but I’m not as confident about long-term appreciation and developer quality in some of those areas.
Under $300K
Under $300K is where it gets slim if you’re trying to stay zoned to strong schools.
If it were me, I’d stick to Canyon Village and Fairfield first. Riata Ranch can sometimes have something under $300K too, but it takes patience.
These won’t be brand new and most will need cosmetic updates, but they’re in strong locations and the school zoning tends to be better than what you’ll find if you go too far out.
And if you’re relocating and want help narrowing this down to the areas that actually fit your budget, schools, and lifestyle, you can reach me through the contact page on my site.
