That evening when we got home I researched the homes in Forrest Lake that were on the market and found they were surprisingly very affordable and after seeing the property earlier we just had good feeling about the community and wanted to see some of the homes. I emailed the Realtor that we had been communicating with. She quickly responded back telling me that the area was not a nice part of town and that we should look closer to the loop. We just had a feeling so I did some more research on my own and we contacted a different Realtor and she showed us all the homes in Forrest Lake as well as many other properties nearby. After some time looking we decided to make an offer on our first home in Forrest Lake Townhomes. After a few weeks we moved in. I would be lying if I said the nearby apartments did not bother me but after doing my own research on crime within Forrest Lake I felt confident about our decision. We lived in Forrest Lake for a few years and loved it. We had great neighbors and we were always invited to their parties, etc.

Even after buying our first home I was still hooked on har.com and was constantly looking at nearby neighborhoods. Not being from Houston or the area we slowly discovered all the little pocket of really great neighborhoods in the area... all tucked away. It was when the real estate market started to slow down and more foreclosures came on the market that we got the itch to start looking for another house. Not because we were unhappy where we were but because we saw how much more house we could get. We looked everywhere... Forest West, Candlelight Oaks, Antoine Forest Estates and Inwood Forest. We decided on a home in Inwood Forest when the city announced that they were going to buy the old golf course. We were nervous about having two mortgages while trying to sell the townhome but to our surprise it only took us a few days to sell.

When we lived in Forrest Lake I became very active in volunteering in the community ultimately being asked to be on the board of the Greater Inwood Partnership. We also met many other GLBT people living in the area and have made a lot of good friends. It was our own research and courage that allowed us to find two great homes that we could not only afford but also love living in. Having lived in the greater Inwood community now for over five years I have seen firsthand how many Realtors only want to sell what’s easy... and trendy at the moment. We were able to purchase our first home with a ten year mortgage and then a few years later sell it in a matter of days for full asking price. We were then able to purchase a really great house in Inwood Forest with a fifteen year mortgage. Both of these mortgages were just a little more than we had been paying in rent when we had our apartment. Not bad when you consider that our original Realtor told us to avoid the area!  Our good friends also recently sold their house in Oak Forest and purchased a home around the corner once they saw what all we got for the money in Inwood Forest.

Was the Heights, Oak Forest or even Montrose always the trendy place to buy a home? Think about it, gays always discover the coolest neighborhoods first. Buying a home is a big decision and you should do what you feel is right for you but you definitely need to consider the Inwood community even if your Realtor is hesitant about it. Come take a look for yourself. We have some really gorgeous neighborhoods and lots of GLBT families!