Know Traffic before You Lease

When you are touring apartments, think critically and seriously about how you'll get to and from the places you want to go from there.

On a previous version of my questionnaire, I would ask my clients to specify their desired travel time from their new apartment to their anchor location. I still ask that question these days, but later on in the process.

What surprised me is how often my clients said it didn't matter. They were unconcerned with how long it might take them.

Well, they - and you - may change your mind when you consider the numbers. According to the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, the average commuter in Houston spent 77 hours in traffic in 2024.

In other words, you spent more than 3 days of your life in traffic in a single year. Think about what you could do with 3 days - and all those experiences were flushed away while you were riding the brake pedal.

It's also costly. The same study indicated that the gas burned in traffic cost $1,819 during the same year. That's $150 a month. Most of us can think of ways that an extra $150 a month would help.

Manage the problem when you choose an apartment

Traffic is a fact of life in Houston. It always has been - I've lived here for most of my 46 years, and it's always been a problem.

However, that doesn't mean you have to take it lying down. Plan where to live based upon where you'll have to be.

The best choice would be to live next door to your central nexus. However, as you move farther away from it, some roads back are faster than others.

For instance (apologies if you live outside the Houston area), if your central area is the Galleria, you'll likely have a rougher commute if you live outside the Loop than if you live inside the Loop. So, you'll spend less time in traffic if you find a place inside the Loop.

However, there's always a flip side to that coin - literally. Generally speaking, apartments grow more expensive as you approach downtown - and that's true in almost all cities and towns.

That's part of the reason to use an apartment locator, though. I can help you find the hidden gems that may offer a reasonable intersection between affordability and traffic.

So, don't just give up. You're losing money, which can be hard to replace, and time, which can never be replaced.