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Kingly Houston community is the No. 2 friendliest American neighborhood

Living in Kingswood makes for a friendly experience for families.

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Homebuyers and families yearn for living in tight-knit communities with neighbors that will look out for each other, and one Houston-area neighborhood is going above and beyond to fulfill that role: the friendly neighborhood of Kingwood.

Kingwood's time in the spotlight comes after a new report from home improvement services website All Star Home named it the No. 2 most friendly American neighborhood. According to the findings, 18.75 percent of reviews for Kingwood-based businesses were described as "friendly."

Kingwood is known for its heavily forested land, numerous parks, and its family-friendly attractions, truly living up to its “Livable Forest” nickname. The neighborhood is so large, spanning over 14,000 acres, that it's split up further into smaller "villages."

Kingwood's popularity has risen in recent years, as the area was deemed the No. 1 most sought-after neighborhood in Houston in 2023.

All Star Home also took a deep dive into the friendliest well-known businesses and retailers across the U.S. Several of the friendliest big-box stores in the report have a presence in Kingwood, including The UPS Store, Great Clips, Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, Aldi, and more.

"Some trends emerged when [digging] into data for ten business types: coffee shops, dry cleaners, and pharmacies ruled the top 10 friendliest list," the report said. "On the other hand, banks barely made it, and post offices got left off the list entirely."

Elsewhere in the top 50 are Houston's Memorial neighborhood (No. 44) and the suburb of Alief (No. 45). 12.42 percent of reviews for Memorial businesses were described of as "friendly," compared to 12.37 percent in Alief.

Here's how other Houston-area neighborhoods stacked up in the report:

No. 59 – Briarforest Area
No. 67 – Briarforest Area
No. 89 – Clear Lake
No. 109 – Lake Houston
No. 112 – Washington Avenue Coalition - Memorial Park
No. 194 – Greater Uptown

The only neighborhood to outperform Kingwood's friendliness to take the No. 1 spot was the Magnolia neighborhood in Seattle, Washington. Nearly 20 percent of reviews for businesses in Magnolia were described of as "friendly."

Two other Texas neighborhoods made it into the top 10 friendliest American 'hoods, residing in North Texas: South Boulevard-Park Row Historic District in Dallas (No. 5) and Fort Worth's South Hills neighborhood (No. 10).

The top 10 friendliest American neighborhoods are:

No. 1 – Magnolia in Seattle, Washington
No. 2 – Kingwood, Texas
No. 3 – Highland in Saint Paul, Minnesota
No. 4 – Rancho Bernardo in San Diego, California
No. 5 – South Boulevard-Park Row Historic District in Dallas, Texas
No. 6 – Casas Adobes in Tuscon, Arizona
No. 7 – Mount Tabor in Portland, Oregon
No. 8 – Catalina Foothills in Tuscon, Arizona
No. 9 – Rancho Penasquitos in San Diego, California
No. 10 – South Hills in Fort Worth, Texas

The study determined its rankings based on the number of positive Google reviews for businesses in 200 of the most-viewed city neighborhoods on Zillow in 2022.

The report can be found on allstarhome.com.

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spring homebuying season

The best time to sell a house in Houston is coming in April, experts say

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The best window for Houstonians to sell their home is coming up on April 12.

Houstonans that are considering selling their home have the perfect opportunity coming up in April, according to a new housing report from Realtor.com.

The real estate experts said the week of April 12-18 will offer sellers the best combination of strong and stable housing prices, buyer interest, and a competitive market.

Based on historical market data, homes listings in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro are expected to receive 17.5 percent more views during the week of April 12 compared to the average week, and homes may spend seven fewer days on the market compared to the average. This surge in demand will also affect housing prices in the area. Homes put on the market during this window are expected to list for $19,000 higher than what they were listed at the start of the year, or 5.4 percent more.

"After years of being squeezed by limited inventory and high rates, the 2026 housing market is starting to feel more approachable for those who have been sidelined," said Realtor.com chief economist Danielle Hale.

In general, experts predict homebuyers will start "re-engaging" with the housing market now that mortgage rates stabilized in late 2025. National commercial banker U.S. Bank said the current 30-year fixed mortgage rate is roughly 6.38 percent.

"For sellers, the mid-April window represents an opportunity to enter a market that feels more within reach for buyers while benefiting from a seasonal advantage in terms of pricing and competition," Hale said.

Residential homes in the Houston area had a median price of $322,078 in February, the Houston Association of Realtors said in its latest report, and prices are down 0.9 percent year-over-year.

Two more Texas metros – Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth – are expected to follow Houston with the same April 12 window as the best time for residents to sell their homes. In San Antonio, the best time for owners to sell their homes will begin on April 19.

Senior economic research analyst Hannah Jones warned some home sellers in Southern metros might "face softer conditions" due to an abundance of inventory.

"In those metros, optimizing timing to this early spring window is even more critical to differentiate a property from the growing competition," she said.

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