Houston Apartment Information

Real Estate Houston apartment rental housing guide 494,853 apt rentals, with 13,864 new units added in 2007.

Houstons area apartments in 160 cities/towns, 240 different zip codes, 53 public school districts (1,127 individual schools), 39 Universities & Colleges and 41 major areas.

Real Estate apartments in Houston are classified as either being inside or outside Interstate 610, known as the 610 Loop which include the Central business district and cities of West University (West U.), Southside Place, and a portion of Bellaire. The outlying areas of Houston, as well as the rest of Bellaire, the airports and the suburbs and enclaves are outside the loop.

Another ring road, Beltway 8 (also known simply as the Beltway), encircles the city another 5 miles further out. Yet a third - the Grand Parkway, has begun construction roughly 10 miles beyond that around the outer suburbs and currently extends from Katy to Sugar Land.

We chronicle all sizes and price ranges, the average monthly Houston rent is $605 making Houston Texas one of the lowest of the major cites in the country, by comparison rent in Chicago Illinois $965, Denver Colorado $795, Dallas Texas $695, Ft. Lauderdale $844, Boston Massachusetts $1425, Los Angles California $890, San Diego California $1,009, San Francisco California $2,030. Renters in Houston can thank Hurricane Katrina for boosting rent. Due in part to the influx of evacuees last fall, Houston’s apartment occupancy rate jumped almost 5% to 94%, and rents climbed 3%.

The Katrina effect

Renters in Houston can thank Hurricane Katrina for boosting their rents. Due in part to the influx of evacuees last fall, Houston’s apartment occupancy rate jumped almost 5% to 94%, and rents climbed 3% to an average of $692. Atlanta, Dallas, Birmingham Ala., and Nashville, Tenn. also reported gains as relocations from Katrina began setting down roots.

While some of these new apartment residents could return home in the next year, analysts believe many will remain in their new homes. Probably somewhere around half of the people who spread out to new locations will end up staying in those locations.

A recent survey by the National Multi-Housing Council of large apartment owners showed that 42% had seen "modest" improvement in leasing as these new residents moved from hotels to apartments.Houston has four major bayous passing through the city. The Buffalo Bayou, which runs into downtown, the Brays Bayou, which runs along the Texas Medical Center, White Oak Bayou runs through the Heights and near northwest area and the Sims Bayou in the south of Houston merge in downtown Houston into the Houston Ship Channel. The Ship Channel goes past Galveston, Texas into the Gulf of Mexico.

Houston has four major bayous passing through the city. The Buffalo Bayou, which runs into downtown, the Brays Bayou, which runs along the Texas Medical Center, White Oak Bayou runs through the Heights and near northwest area and the Sims Bayou in the south of Houston merge in downtown Houston into the Houston Ship Channel. The Ship Channel goes past Galveston, Texas into the Gulf of Mexico.

Most of Houston is very flat and is about fifty feet above sea level in elevation; the Houston Heights area has the highest elevation in the city. The city once relied on groundwater for its water needs. Land subsidence forced the city to turn to ground-level water sources such as Lake Houston.

Houston's climate is often compared to that of Dallas, Texas. Dallas has a hot and dry climate while Houston has a hot and humid climate. While Dallas gets hotter temperatures, Houston's heat index is often higher.

Locations Houston city limits that are inside the 610 Loop traditionally used the 713 area code. Those outside the 610 Loop that are within the city limits normally receive the 281 or 832 area code. However, the geographic division between 713, 281, and 832 has been eliminated, and newly issued phone numbers especially for cell phones and fax machines, within that zone may be assigned any of the three codes.http://www.apartmentshoustonmovingrelocation.com/moving_to_houston.htm