Kings Gate · First-Time Buyers
First-time buyers in Kings Gate
Know what your budget really buys and what a home will cost to own before you fall for one.
Can first-time buyers in Kings Gate find a fit?
First-time buyers in Kings Gate can find something rare for a first home: mature trees, a generous lot and a central southwest Lubbock location. Kings Gate homes vary widely in size and condition, from modest traditional brick homes to larger properties with pools or basements. The smaller and less updated homes are where a first-time budget is most likely to fit.
The trade-off is age. Most homes date from the late 1970s through the 1990s, and a first home here comes with systems that may be closer to replacement than in a newer subdivision. A first purchase in Kings Gate works best with a budget that includes a repair reserve.
The payoff is location. Kingsgate Center, restaurants, medical services and Loop 289 are all close, and you won't be driving in from the edge of town.
Start with a planning conversation
Why first-time buyers work with Shelby Cotton
I'm Shelby Cotton, a REALTOR® with eXp Realty, LLC in Lubbock. With first-time buyers, I explain every step and every term, because a first purchase goes better when you understand it.
In Kings Gate I also explain the house. My background in architecture and civil design helps me separate cosmetic issues from costly ones. Dated paint, carpet and light fixtures cost little to change. A tired roof, an aging air conditioner or a sewer line with roots in it cost a great deal. I'll help you know which is which before you commit.
If a home has a pool, we'll talk about what it costs to keep up, not only how it looks in the listing photos.
Your first Kings Gate purchase, step by step
- Rent or buy. Whether buying makes sense now, given your plans and savings.
- Pre-approval plus a reserve. What a lender will approve, and what you'll keep aside for repairs on an older home.
- Our agreement. The Texas buyer representation agreement, explained before you sign. Every term is negotiable.
- A reality check. Which Kings Gate homes your budget reaches, and what condition they're in.
- Touring. A short list, with notes on what's cosmetic and what's costly.
- Your offer. Earnest money of typically 1% to 3%, held by the title company.
- The option period. Usually about seven days for my buyers, and the most important week on an older home.
- Closing. At the title company, usually with no attorney required.
More detail is on how I help you buy and first-time home buyers in Lubbock.
What to look for in an older first home
The best first-time buys in Kings Gate tend to have sound systems and dated finishes. Look for a roof with years left, heating and cooling in good working order and a sewer line that passes a camera inspection. Those three protect your savings in the first years.
Then weigh the finishes. Kitchens, bathrooms, flooring and lighting vary dramatically across Kings Gate. A home with a dated kitchen and a newer roof may be a better first buy than one with the reverse, even if the photos favor the second.
Keep a reserve anyway. Older homes send surprises, and a small fund turns one into an inconvenience rather than a crisis.
The monthly number for a Kings Gate home
Your mortgage payment is only part of owning. Add property taxes and homeowner's insurance, and in West Texas ask insurers how wind and hail claims are covered and what the deductible is. Add utilities, which run higher in larger and older homes. Add pool upkeep if there is one.
Kings Gate is generally in Lubbock ISD, with Honey Elementary, Evans Middle School and Monterey High School the campuses buyers ask about. Verify by address before you buy.
If the total fits comfortably, Kings Gate can be a first home with room to grow. If it doesn't, compare first-time buying in Remington Park or first homes in Uptown West.
Your first year in a Kings Gate home
An older first home rewards a little attention early. Keep your inspection report and work through it in order: anything involving water or safety first, then comfort, then the projects you'll enjoy.
Learn the house. Find the main water shut-off and the electrical panel, change the air filters and note which rooms run warm or cool. After the first heavy rain, walk the yard and see where the water goes. With mature trees on the lot, keep the gutters clear and watch for slow drains, which can be the first sign of roots in a sewer line.
Spread the bigger projects over a few years. You'll make better choices once you've lived in the space through a full set of seasons, and you'll keep a cushion in the bank while you do. I'm always glad to answer questions about your home after closing, too.
Ask your first question
No question is too basic. Send me a note or call (806) 630-0455, and we'll see whether Kings Gate fits your first purchase. The Kings Gate guide covers the neighborhood. Move wisely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kings Gate realistic for a first home?
It can be, especially with one of the smaller or less updated homes. Plan for the costs of an older home, not only the payment.
What matters most on an older first home?
The roof, heating and cooling and sewer line. Those protect your savings more than any finish.
Should a first-time buyer take on a pool?
Only with a clear idea of the upkeep cost. We'll talk through it before you offer on a home with one.
Kings Gate
What first-time buyers looks like in Kings Gate
Mature trees, larger lots and a location that has become more central as Lubbock has grown.
- The homes
- Predominantly traditional brick homes from the late 1970s through the 1990s, most from the 1980s. Floor plans vary considerably. Many have rear-entry garages, substantial living areas and mature landscaping, and larger properties may have pools, basements or multiple living areas.
- Why people choose it
- Move-up buyers, relocating buyers who want mature surroundings, buyers wanting larger rooms and lots and mature trees, buyers who don't want to live on Lubbock's outer edge, and buyers comfortable evaluating an older home property by property.
- Schools people ask about
- Lubbock ISD. Buyers ask about Honey Elementary, Evans Middle School and Monterey High School. Verify by address with Lubbock ISD. It is sometimes confused with neighborhoods farther south in Lubbock-Cooper ISD.
- Getting around
- Southwest Lubbock between Quaker and Memphis Avenues, roughly 82nd to 98th Street. Locals say "around 82nd and Quaker, south toward 98th." Loop 289 is a short drive.
- Nearby
- Kingsgate Center at 82nd and Quaker, Charles A. Guy Park, and neighboring Lakeridge and Raintree. Shopping, restaurants and medical services all around.
- The trade-off
- Not cookie-cutter: homes differ in size, condition, lot, garage, pool, basement and renovation. Buyers compare them with smaller, newer homes farther south or west, so sellers have to show the value of location, lot, trees and construction, not only price per square foot.
First-Time Buyers: keep exploring
Ready to make your move with Shelby Cotton?