The Houston property market is not something you should step into lightly. While there are a lot of good investments to be made for both value and growth focused investors, there are also some pitfalls out there if you do not know the market and you do not enlist the help of a qualified estate agent to help you in the house hunting, negotiation, purchase and transfer phases.

At first glance the market is most definitely a growth investor's dream. Solid, consistent growth over the last decade makes Houston one of the best new places to live in the United States. If it is peace of mind and long term capital appreciation through real estate investment that you are after, then going for some of top homes for sale in Houston will definitely pay off long before you retire. The price range to look out for is $250,000 - $650,000 as these homes show the most stable property prices and the best long term appreciation.

If you are more of a balanced investor but you still want to dip into some of the top homes for sale in Houston then you might want to take a look at some of the new developments that are in the pipeline. For around $200,000 or less you can buy pre-selling units that are looking to turn into excellent properties to rent out as holiday homes, guest houses or on a permanent lease basis. Developments like the Tuscan Lakes luxury estate complex offer secluded living in a natural setting at a far lower price than you would pay outside of such a development.

The security you get for both your home and your financial investment make these developments some of the best new places to live in Texas. You get the benefits of living in a secure estate development, without being right on top of your neighbors. Most of these properties have significant back yard space and are for the most part fully detached. Investing in the property developments is a sure way to secure your future by means of savvy property investment.

Last, but not least, there are some property investments going for the value investor, and these represent slightly lower risk than value property investors are accustomed to. Fortunately most of these higher risk, higher potential homes are under the $140,000 price range, which makes them easily accessible and represent an amount of risk that is acceptable even to smaller private investors. The average return on property in some of the lower priced areas is sometimes as high as 20% per annum, but this is obviously only a representative figure.

While most of the top homes for sale in Houston are brand new, a lot of the older homes might need significant renovations. This is most probably one of the factors that contribute to the large price disparity in the area, although not all low priced homes are in need of major repairs. If you are buying for hidden value in Houston it will pay to investigate each buy case thoroughly. If you do your homework and enlist the services of a knowledgeable realtor who knows the area your investment will most likely pay off very well indeed.

If you are becoming anxious at the steadily decreasing value of your home, why don't you consider moving to one of the best new places to live in America: Houston TX. Whether you are a first time buyer looking for a condominium or a small single bedroom home, a family wanting to relocate and put their children into good schools or a property investor wanting to grow capital long term, Houston is always a good place to buy.

In fact, with the recent activity in the property market buying into some of the top homes for sale in Houston is one of the wisest real estate investment decisions you can make at this point in time. There is virtually no telling what the real estate markets in this country are going to do in the next decade, but most indicators show that Houston is one of the safest places to put your money.