By Kassandra Reyes
Looking to buy a house? Don’t know where to start? Do you want to invest in the future of your family? The Bryan College Station Regional Association of Realtors provides information, resources, and tips for future homeowners of all types.
“What we’re seeing is buyers are interested in neighborhoods based on school, especially if they’ve got families with young children,” Nathan Cook, the 2018 president of BCSRAOR, says. “There’s a school for everyone and a neighborhood for everyone.”
Factors many families take into consideration are the transportation routes, traffic, construction, safety, school excellence rating, and proximity to parks and community pools. A major emphasis is often placed on traffic and transportation to and from the school the kids will attend. Would it be easier to bike? Walk? Take the bus? Or drive them directly? These are important questions parents must ask when thinking of buying a home for their family. Something else to keep in mind: if a neighborhood has a homeowner association, there may be an association fee in addition to the cost of living.
As of February, the median price of a house in Bryan is $204,751 versus a median of $230,000 in College Station. Compared to last February, BCSRAOR reports Bryan housing prices have increased 33.4 percent while College Station housing prices have increased 9 percent. BCSRAOR also reports months of inventory in College Station and Bryan. College Station and Bryan were reported to have 3.5 and 3.4 months of inventory compared to 2.3 and 1.9 respectively, last February.
A problem buyers sometimes run into is a shortage of inventory in homes. B/CS experiences an influx of families who want a particular neighborhood in a particular school district. This will cause competition between those areas and create a shortage of homes. The only thing Cook suggests people do in this situation is to watch the market diligently and work with their realtor.
“What [we] do is help families realize their dreams of homeownership,” Cook says.
Brazos County has three independent school districts: Bryan ISD, College Station ISD, and Navasota ISD. Each school district has information any future homeowner can access to look at desired districts and neighborhoods.
Once families have a specific house or neighborhood in mind, Cook recommends calling the school district to ensure their choice is within the attendance zone. Attendance zones are also found on school district websites. College Station ISD for example, has an online map of streets and neighborhoods with attendance zones. Elementary, Intermediate, Middle, and High School attendance zones are outlined for the current year.
Aside from public schools, Cook mentions that buyers also look into private schools like Brazos Christian School, St. Joseph Catholic School, Allen Academy, and the new charter school in College Station opening in the fall of this year. Neighborhoods like Carter Creek, Southwood Valley, Edelweiss, and Pebble Creek are some of the locations families will look into depending on desire and distance from public or private schools.
B/CS has a unique community made up of varying age groups in different regions. BCSRAOR is made up of 1,050 members who dedicate their time to fundraise and give back to the community. On Saturday, April 7, the association is having their 20th annual Fun Run & Walk with Pride. The proceeds will be used to purchase shoes for children in need. The BCSRAOR also has a committee called “BCS Realtors Give Back” where the realtors serve their community again.
For more information on neighborhoods, homeowner market, the fun run, and more, visit www.bcsrealtor.com.
