Center of It All

Be surrounded by fun and friends in this community just outside Houston

Less than a hour northwest of downtown Houston, you'll find a lifestyle that's serene, family-friendly, and full of small-town friendliness.

That's what's waiting at Cypress Green, the master-planned community in Hockley. Its 635 acres are dotted with premium homes from seven renowned builders, plus a future amenity village and onsite school.

The community's lifestyle director plans year-round events like happy hours, movie nights, and holiday celebrations, while a plethora of clubs help residents form long-lasting connections.

You may never want to leave the neighborhood, but you'll also be pleased to know that Cypress Green is surrounded by tons of options for eating, drinking, entertainment, nature, and everyday services. Here's what's close by:

Food + drink

From Julio's Mexican Cantina to Fire Ant Brewing Company, Tejas Burgers to Bonfire Grill, choices abound for delicious meals.

Home chefs will delight at the prospect of two nearby HEB grocery stores, along with a Kroger, Costco, and Sprouts Farmers Market.

Fun + games

Two traditional movie theaters plus the Showboat Drive-In means you'll always see the latest flicks.

Both indoor and outdoor entertainment options are available, with Main Event offering air-conditioned fun and Oil Ranch giving you a hands-on look at life on the farm.

Enjoy more fresh air at nearby parks: A.D. Dyess Park, Spring Creek Park, Kleb Woods Nature Preserve Center, and Tomball Railroad Depot Plaza.

Shopping + more

Find everything you need at Target, Lowe's, and The Home Depot, and make sure the everyone in the fam is properly outfitted for sports at Academy.

Houston Premium Outlets features 140-plus designer and name-brand outlet stores, including Burberry, Nike, Michael Kors, Polo Ralph Lauren, Tory Burch, and Versace.

Schools + hospitals

Here, you're zoned to the excellent Waller ISD schools, including Evelyn Turlington Elementary, Wayne Schultz Junior High, and Waller High School.

Rosehill Christian School is another option, and high-school grads can start their college career at Lone Star College in Tomball.

Three hospitals are close: Memorial Hermann Cypress Hospital, Fairfield Emergency Room, and Tomball Hospital.

Learn more

Cypress Green is located between Highway 290 and Highway 249, which provides easy access to employment centers and even more premium shopping and dining.

Playgrounds galore are in the plans.

Rendering courtesy of Cypress Green

Playgrounds galore are in the plans.

Learn more about Cypress Green and schedule a visit here.

home for sale masterplanned community cypress green hockley promoted

rent report

New report reveals how many Texans are paying too much for rent

Photo by Francesca Tosolini on Unsplash

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Millions of Texas renters, both current residents and new arrivals, suffer from wallet whiplash.

A new report from the Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers shows 45 percent of the state’s renters spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing. Renters occupy more than 4.2 million Texas households, representing nearly half of the state’s residents.

Worse yet, 81 percent of extremely low-income households in Texas spend more than 50 percent of their income on housing, the report says. For that income group, Texas has a shortage of 864,000 affordable homes.

Thirty percent is the standard financial benchmark for spending too much income on rent, while 50 percent puts a renter in the “severely cost-burdened” bucket.

“To sustain growth and secure future prosperity, Texas will need more than 320,000 additional affordable homes [rented and owned] to address workforce housing affordability and meet the demands of a growing population,” says the report.

“Today, the state is creating thousands of new jobs,” the report adds, “but housing supply has not kept pace with demand, driving up housing costs and constraining continued economic growth.”

Not surprisingly, people who live in or move to three of Texas’ biggest metro areas get hit with the state’s highest apartment rental rates. Here’s Apartments.com’s list of the 10 most expensive places for renters in Texas, based on apartments whose average size ranges from 713 square feet in Austin to 771 square feet in Plano:

1. Frisco — $1,477 per month
2. Plano — $1,461 per month
3. Austin — $1,417 per month
4. Dallas — $1,413 per month
5. McKinney — $1,363 per month
6. Grand Prairie — $1,327 per month
7. Irving — $1,318 per month
8. Garland — $1,237 per month
9. Fort Worth — $1,217 per month
10. Houston — $1,183 per month

San Antonio boasts some of the lowest average rent among Texas’ 10 most affordable markets: $1,075 per month. Mesquite, a Dallas-Fort Worth suburb, also fits into that category, with average monthly rent of $1,052.

Earlier this month, Gov. Greg Abbott announced more than $114 million in grants to help develop or rehabilitate properties, providing more than 4,400 affordable rental units.

“As our state grows, we must ensure that Texans have access to the affordable housing they need to thrive,” Abbott says.

rent prices report apartments

Center of It All

Be surrounded by fun and friends in this community just outside Houston

Playgrounds galore are in the plans.

rent report

New report reveals how many Texans are paying too much for rent

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