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Family home budget

What a $650k family home budget means in Houston

37% salary-only, 31% with bonus — the right answer if school zone forces a stretch

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Budget posture

Stated budget

Target price

$650k

Total monthly

$5,550

Salary-only stress

37%

Neighborhoods in reach

The best short-list neighborhoods at this budget.

Pick 1

Spring Branch (Memorial HS feeder, north of I-10)

The single best fit for the report. You get the Memorial HS diploma, you stay west of 610, you’re 18 min from Energy Corridor, you’re close to Riya’s parents, and you fit your budget without a stretch. The only work is attendance-zone and floodplain discipline — non-negotiable, but doable.

Pick 2

Cinco Ranch (Katy ISD)

The ‘more house, longer commute, harder schools’ option. Best value on square footage. Loses on commute (David is over budget), loses on proximity to Riya’s parents, and the HS culture is closer to pressure-cooker than Memorial HS. A real option only if a Memorial-zoned house can’t be found.

Pick 3

Energy Corridor / Nottingham Forest (SBISD west)

If you find a Wilchester/Rummel-Creek-zoned home on a high-ground street with no Harvey history, this beats Top Zone #1 on commute by 10 min/day. That’s 80 hours/yr back to David. But the per-address discipline is the highest of any zone — one mistake here and you’re in a $200k repair situation.

Buying discipline

Budget rules from the sample report.

  • Never bid above $725k. Salary-only DTI at 41% is the line.
  • Keep at least $50k liquid post-close. With three kids and hurricane season, no exceptions.
  • Reject any property in FEMA AE, VE, or X-shaded (500-yr) zones — even if priced well.
  • Reject any property that flooded in Harvey, Imelda, Tax Day, or Memorial Day — pull HCAD repair history and ask the seller in writing.
  • Plan for the 6.75% rate we lock, not a refinance fantasy.
  • Texas property tax is brutal: 2.2-2.7% effective. Always size to the all-in monthly, not the P&I.
Make the math personal

A budget only matters when it is tied to your income, down payment, commute, and school priorities.

This page uses one sample family profile. A custom report recalculates affordability and neighborhood fit around your actual numbers.

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