Houston is one of the more affordable major metro real estate markets in the U.S., attracting many first-time buyers. However, the city’s vulnerability to severe weather, including flooding, high winds, and power outages, often means homeowners face unexpected expenses, particularly with older homes and properties in flood-prone areas.
Affordable Market Attracts Buyers
Amy Zachmeyer, 41, purchased a midcentury, two-bedroom home in Houston for $185,000 in 2021. She described the house as a “fixer-upper” and felt proud to finally own a home after years of renting and moving frequently during her childhood. “It has been really important to me to own a home,” she said.
Storm Damage Dampens Optimism
A year after purchasing, a storm damaged Zachmeyer’s roof when a tree limb fell through the ceiling. “The storm kind of came and just, I mean literally, this tree fell out of the sky and kind of crushed my dreams a little bit,” she said. Despite this setback and concerns about future hurricane seasons, Zachmeyer remains committed but stressed.
Hidden Costs for First-Time Buyers
Julia Orduña, who bought a Houston townhome last year, faces significant HOA fees of roughly $800 monthly on top of a $1,500 mortgage. She cited subsidence, or sinking ground near her property, as a persistent issue. “We just fixed half the roofs. That meant that everybody had to put $2,000 of our own money as a special assessment, out of the blue, to fix a roof that wasn’t mine,” she explained.
Insurance Costs and Disaster Proofing
Douglas Duckworth, another first-time buyer, has seen his homeowners’ insurance rise from $3,400 per year in 2022 to about $9,000 now. On top of that, he invested $26,000 in disaster-proofing upgrades, including a home generator and instant sandbags that expand to form water barriers. Duckworth acknowledged that many people lack the funds for such protections.
Risk Awareness
Bill Baldwin, a Houston real estate veteran, pointed out that many homeowners at high flood risk don’t have flood insurance, since lenders only require it for homes in the 100-year floodplain. “With rising insurance costs and the cost of housing, and higher interest rates. One of the first things that gets cut if it’s not required is flood insurance,” Baldwin said. He also noted that many rely on outdated FEMA flood maps, which don’t fully reflect true risk more claims occur outside the designated floodplain.
Ongoing Development Increases Flood Risks
Despite flooding concerns, homebuyers continue purchasing in vulnerable areas. Developers keep paving over prairielands that historically helped absorb floodwaters, while Houston’s population growth drives demand for housing in these risk-prone zones.
Homeownership’s Value Despite Challenges
For Zachmeyer, despite storm damage and the stress it brings, owning a home remains invaluable. “Even with the headaches of storm damage, I don’t regret buying the home. I have a stable place to live and an affordable mortgage,” she said. Still, she hopes for financial relief: “I just wish that maybe some money would fall through the hole in our roof as well so that I could get it fixed.”