Houston Apartments

Alexan at Grand Mission is the newest Alexan apartments from the Trammell Crow line in the Richmond, Texas area.  It is a 328 luxury apartment community with tons of amenities and features that renters would not expect to come across in this southwest Texas city.  Square footage for one bedroom apartment homes starts 767 and 1167 for one and two bedrooms respectively.   Renters will find dollar to square footage ratios close to $1 after specials.  This just reflects the cost savings of living in a non urban area.  Renters will gain all the luxury including roman soaking tubs, gourmet kitchens, and expansive bay windows in the apartment home.  Community features include a high speed Internet lounge and a state of the art fitness center.

The Fairmont on San Felipe is the newest addition in the Houston Galleria area. It is located in close proximity to both Gables 6464  and the Woodway Square apartments.  The Fairmont has 359 total units on the premises and will showcase a plethora of amenities similar to many of the other properties in the area.  I had a chance to view the property while it was still under construction.  They have a sales center in a T-Shack currently.  The competition in this 2 mile radius is pretty fierce as Gables 6464, Tanglewood at Voss, and The Fairmont have all opened withing a 1.5 year period.   The Gables community only contains 163 units and is one of the most luxurious communities in the immediate area. The Fairmont will probably offer 1-2 months free if they want to compete with the others.

These Galleria area properties are strikingly similar in apartment construction; however The Montierra apartments were constructed in 2003 and has more available units for lease.  This community will also have more upgrades including cherry cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, marble tile, and higher end equipment in their two story state of the art fitness center. The Montierra is directly across the street from the Houston Galleria and it is managed by Greystar  Walking to this indoor shopping mall definitely has its advantages.

The Montecito is older (constructed 1997) and has only 299 units compared to 346 at The Montierra.  When you enter the premises you can see the similarities as both have identical entrances each with their own gate attendant.  The private parking garages are also extremely similar.  But the amenities in their interiors are where the similarities end.  The Montectio will have the normal interiors one would expect.  Simple carpet and counters.  This community is located off of McCue Street which also has direct access on foot to the Galleria too.

The Montierra will actually be a little cheaper as they usually offer a better special than The Montecito and the one bedrooms are larger. However The Montecito has fewer units too rent which probably impacts what sorts of discounts they can offer.

Riverstone Residential manages a few apartments in the Galleria that contain a smaller number of units compared to apartment communities built today.  Apartment developers and builders have made attempts to save constructions costs and increase profitability which have resulted in smaller square footage for apartment homes built today.

San Melia on El Mundo was constructed in 2002 and has a total of 252 units on the premises. Square footage for one and two bedrooms begin at 737 and 1104 square feet respectively.  Compare that too the Equinox which was constructed in 2008. Their one bedroom apartment homes start at 646 square feet. So you can see that almost 100 square feet have been trimmed off comparable apartment homes. The Equinox also has 304 units on the premises.

The Phoenician apartments off Bering were constructed in 1993 and contain 264 total apartment homes. Square footage begins at an enormous 850 square feet for one bedrooms.  Compared to the Tuscany, (one bedrooms 617 square feet) o we can see almost 200 square feet have been trimmed off units. However The Phoenician has been remodeled in 2007.  The only drawbacks to leasing at these communities are the lack of amenities and features that new property construction offers.  Granite Counters, state of the art fitness centers, resort style pools, and other technology like WiFi will likely be absent. We may see more properties upgrading their facilities to compete with the newer apartment communities. Other properties like La Tour Fontaine have upgraded their interiors too.

Broadstone communities has continued their construction of luxurious apartment homes in west Houston. This community is managed by Alliance Communities who manages all of the other Broadstone communities in Houston, Tx at this time. Broadstone Memorial is one of the latest apartment homes which sites just off of Eldridge near the Interstate 10 freeway.  Renters will find this especially agreeable as the Interstate has undergone heavy construction, and with the additional lanes commute times to the Downtown and Houston Galleria locations has been substantially reduced.  The amenities are robust as renters will discover the ever popular cherry cabinetry in the kitchen along with hardwood flooring in the living room area. Kitchens also are furnished with double compartment sinks which are especially handy for cooking.  Bathrooms showcase tile and granite counter with additional walk-in closets. There will be more than enough space to store apparel and other personal items too.

The fitness center is state of the art.  Exercise bikes, treadmills, elliptical machines, and weights machines will be available for use by all residents. And true enthusiasts will find that free weights are also a part of the mix. If you enjoy pools then you must take advantage of the resort style pool with a sunning ledge (we are not sure what this is) and stunning water fall on the premises. The Broadstone Memorial Apartments pool area also boasts community WiFi.  If you are a renter looking for new construction WiFi should be available at almost all of the properties along with a business center that contains a fax, phones, and high speed internet.

Apartments have their extremely busy times when they receive tons of traffic. They also have blocks of time when the leasing agents have nothing to do but stand around and answer questions from current tenants. Depending on the day of the week, time during the day, and what time of year you view the properties, the traffic inside an apartment community can vary dramatically.  The busiest time of year is usually the summer months.  Houston has many major universities including the University of Houston and Rice University. So students from outside of the city will most likely want to view Houston medical center apartments beginning in late May or June, through the first couple weeks of August. Many students and their families will make the mistake of trying to secure apartment housing in August for late August.  This is a terrible mistake and you will be rushed to make a decision.  Normally those sorts of decisions tend to not be the correct ones.  If you can view properties in November and December you will usually secure a better rate and have more attention from the leasing agents.

Now during the day, most apartment communities will have more traffic after 4 o’clock.  Many Apartments in Houston will not show any units 30 minutes before they close. Most renters will leave work early so they can check a few properties out before they make a final decision. Also the blocks of time during lunch will also cause a spike in the number of showings.  If you can stop by to view a property the first thing in the morning or around 2:30 then you may be less likely to stand in line. And with most renters view up to 10 different properties standing in line can cause frustation.  And remember the leasing agents will need to ask you several questions and make a copy of your diver’s license.

Try to view a property on a Friday.  Most renters do not want to spend their lunch hour or Friday afternoon at an apartment complex. But this is precisely when you should view them. You will receive more attention. The worst days of the week are of course Saturday and Sunday.

Even though our company does not do much business in the Pasadena area we have dedicated portions of our business to assist renters who live in the area.  Pasadena is strongly connected to the refinery industry, Houston Ship Channel, and Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center.  There are tons and tons of tax credit communities in the area.  Usually these sorts of communities are not very locator friendly.  Pasadena Texas apartments are extremely affordable. Residents here don’t expect an apartment full of amenities and apartments don’t provide them.  Most websites don’t even dedicate much to the Pasadena area.  There are not many high priced communities and apartment developers are not targeting the area for new apartment construction.  We have completed a search of all Pasadena area properties in the area that were constructed within the last five years. Of the five only one is not a tax credit property.  Tax credit properties require future renters to make a certain yearly salary.  If they exceed this amount they may be automatically declined. However, some tax credit communities keep units available at normall rates. However if you don’t qualifty for a tax credit community we have others in the surrounding arear that may be of interest to you.  And this community is also the most expensive one of the bunch  However, we have a full list of communities for our clients.

The Royalton at River Oaks may be the most recognizable high rise apartment community in the greater Houston area.  It is also the most expensive commercial rental property in Houston, Texas. The community was constructed in 2003 and has a total of 252 units and 33 total stories with astonishing views of the city. Of course residents should expect nothing but the best.  The lavish amenities include valet parking, concierge services, a movie theater, wine room, and much more.  One of my personal favorite features are the floor to ceiling windows.  This is one of the only apartment communities in the area that offers this extravagant feature. Interiors will boast stainless steel appliances, granite counters, wood cabinetry, double vanity sinks, and spacious walk-in closets.  Square footage begins at a generous 1273 square feet in the one bedroom apartment homes.  This is also one of the most expensive Houston River Oaks apartments for Rent.  Prices for one bedrooms begin  near $2715 and $3300 for one and two bedrooms respectively.  Three bedrooms apartment homes begin in the $8000 dollar range. However, they do offer up to two months free on a 12 month lease.  And with a location that sits right on Allen Parkway, residents can expect to be near the most popular and trendy areas including River Oaks, Midtown, and Rice University. This community is really a sight to see and one that is a known landmark in the city.  Income requirements normally state you must make between 3 to 3.5 times the monthly rent.

The Ventana at Midtown is more of a mid-rise than a high-rise apartment located in the Midtown area of Houston, Texas.  You can see the community on your left hand side if you drive on Highway 59 from the Houston Galleria area on your left hand side. It is a large yellow structure built like a fortress.  It is heavily gated and is almost like a fortress. Some do not consider the Ventana in the Midtown area.  However they charge lower rents at this location with renters being able to secure apartment housing under $1000 per month for one bedroom apartment homes. Sometimes they are the only midtown property that will offer an incentive of any kind.  The Midtown area in Houston provides loads of entertainment and a spectacular location.  Midtown is close to all of the popular inner loop locations including the Texas Medical Center, River Oaks area, and Rice Village.  If you are a young professional its a great place to meets lots of people in the area. And with several popular bars and night clubs in the immediate area renters don’t have to worry about driving home.  The Metro Rail is located just across the street from the Ventana.  The light rail will transport you north towards the Downtown area or south towards the medical center. It is one of Houston’s most popular public transportation systems.  If you require an apartment community off the light rail The Greenbriar apartments are just off the light rail and make transportation easy.

The River Oaks area is a section of town in the Inner Loop of Houston that is one of the most affluent sections of Texas. The area covers around 1,100 hundred total acres and real estate values are in the millions.  These homes easily have the largest square footage’s in the entire city of Houston.  Many of our customers desire Apartments in River Oaks, however, since it is actually contains mostly homes, apartments are almost entirely absent. The area is bordered by Shepherd to the east, Westheimer to the South, and Buffalo Bayou to the North.  And some of the most expensive and lavish homes in Texas are located in River Oaks.  Contrary to popular belief, apartments in River Oaks are generally not as expensive as some other communities in the Inner Loop area. And when you factor in costs per square footage the apartment specials in the area are extremely favorable.  The Park at River Oaks is a fingers community and usually has some fantastic discounts off their monthly rent.  Square footage costs are less than $1.50 per square foot. And when compared to other properties this is cheap.  Memorial Towers apartments also have a spectacular location of Memorial and provide great deals to the residents. It is a great Houston High Rise apartments as the views of the Downtown area are spectacular.  When you tour properties be sure to calculate square footage pricing.  The corporations know exactly what they can build and at what cost. Be a knowledgeable consumer and bring a calculator with you.  You will appear very intelligent to the leasing agents and managers and you may be able to secure better rates for yourself.  If you visit Memorial Towers be sure to check Bayou on The Bend across the street. Compare rates, amenities, parking, and apartment views. I believe you will know which apartment community offers a better deal.

Houston Inner Loop apartments may have seen higher price increases in the last two years compared to other sections of Houston.  And for students who attend one of the universities in the area, this may be a little problematic as most students are on a tight budget.  The majority of class “A” properties start well over the $1000 price range. And when I refer to a class “A” property, usually it is less than 10 years old and contains some of the latest features and amenities including granite counters, hardwood flooring, and walk-in closets in the units themselves.  Community areas will contain WiFi, billiards tables, a movie theatre, a resort style pool, and a state of the art fitness center.  As the rents have increased,  class “B” and “C” properties have seen their vacancies all but disappear. These communities will generally not have any amenities at all.  They will have a pool and gym, but there is usually not much resident activity around.  Many of these properties that used to have availability, now have wait lists for future renters. Renters have seen their dollar not stretch as far and specials at these communities disappear.  “B” and “C” properties can sometimes be 20 years old or more and they typically will have more maintenance issues than a newer property.  The most economical properties are usually Houston medical center apartments.  They are normally near Reliant Stadium and renter can still find properties that are priced near $600 per month. As newer communities open up, older properties may see an opportunity to remodel their units and charge higher prices as well.