Kings Park · First-Time Buyers
First-time buyers in Kings Park
Know what your budget really buys and what a home will cost to own before you fall for one.
First-time buyers in Kings Park: a clear-eyed look
First-time buyers in Kings Park are uncommon. The neighborhood is a small pocket of larger homes, many roughly 3,000 to 6,000 square feet, and few come up for sale in any year. For most first purchases, the size, price and carrying costs of a Kings Park home are more than a first budget should take on.
Some first-time buyers are ready for more. A buyer relocating with savings from another city, or one who has rented for years while building a large down payment, may be able to start with a larger home. If that's you, Kings Park deserves a look.
Either way, a first purchase here needs a clear view of what a large home costs to own, not only what it costs to buy.
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, from pre-approval and our agreement to the option period and closing. You should understand everything you sign.
On a large home, I also explain the house. My background in architecture and civil design helps me show you what costs little to change and what costs a lot. Paint and lighting are modest projects. A roof on a 4,000-square-foot home, a second heating and cooling unit or a sewer line under mature trees can take a large bite out of a first owner's savings.
Your first Kings Park purchase, step by step
- Rent or buy, and how much. Whether buying makes sense now, and whether a large home fits your plans.
- Pre-approval plus a real reserve. What a lender will approve, and what you'll keep for repairs on a large home.
- Our agreement. The Texas buyer representation agreement, explained before you sign. Every term is negotiable.
- Patience. Few Kings Park homes sell each year, so the search may take time.
- Your offer. Earnest money of typically 1% to 3%, held by the title company.
- The option period. Usually about seven days for my buyers, with a thorough inspection of a large 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 a larger first home really costs
The payment. Principal, interest, property taxes and homeowner's insurance, all higher on a larger home.
Utilities. Heating and cooling thousands of square feet costs more every month. Ask for the seller's recent bills.
Insurance. In West Texas, ask how wind and hail claims are covered and what the deductible is.
Upkeep. More roof, more windows, more yard and mature trees to maintain.
A reserve. One repair on a large home can cost what several would on a small one.
If the total leaves room to breathe, Kings Park can be a first home you grow into. If not, there's no shame in starting smaller.
Other places to start
Next door, first-time buying in Kings Gate offers the same central location and mature trees across a much wider range of home sizes. First-time buying in Remington Park offers tree-lined streets and more usable space for the money. Many buyers start in one of those and move up later.
What to inspect on a large first home
If you do buy a Kings Park home as your first, the option period matters more than ever. A general inspection is the start. On a large home from the 1980s or 1990s, it may point to specialists worth calling before the option period ends.
Look closely at the roof, because a roof on a home this size is a major expense. Check the age and capacity of each heating and cooling unit, since larger homes often have more than one. Have the windows, plumbing and electrical reviewed. With mature trees on the lot, ask your inspector whether a sewer line camera inspection makes sense.
Then look at the lot and drainage. Substantial lots are part of the appeal, and they also mean more ground to grade and maintain around the foundation.
The findings shape your decision. We'll go through them together and decide whether to go forward, ask for repairs or ask for a price change, while there's still time to act.
Ask your first question
Not sure whether Kings Park fits a first purchase? Send me a note or call (806) 630-0455. The Kings Park guide covers the neighborhood. Move wisely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kings Park a good first neighborhood?
For most first-time buyers it's a stretch, because the homes are large and few come up for sale. With substantial savings, it can work.
Where else should a first-time buyer look nearby?
Kings Gate, next door, has a much wider range of home sizes. Remington Park offers more usable space for the money.
What should I budget for a large first home?
Higher taxes, insurance and utilities, plus a real repair reserve. We'll build the full monthly number before you tour.
Kings Park
What first-time buyers looks like in Kings Park
Larger homes, a mature setting and limited availability, north of 82nd Street around Quaker.
- The homes
- Larger homes, many roughly 3,000 to 6,000 square feet, with brick or stone exteriors on substantial lots. Mainly 1980s and 1990s, with some later custom construction, so age and architectural style vary.
- Why people choose it
- Buyers seeking larger homes in a mature setting, professionals wanting central southwest access, move-up buyers, relocating buyers used to mature suburban neighborhoods, and buyers who value lot size and individuality over new construction.
- Schools people ask about
- Lubbock ISD. Buyers ask about Honey Elementary, Evans Middle School and Monterey High School. Southcrest Christian School is nearby. Verify the campus for each address with Lubbock ISD.
- Getting around
- Southwest Lubbock, roughly 74th to 82nd Street from Quaker Avenue toward Memphis Avenue. Locals say "north of 82nd around Quaker." Streets include 74th, 75th Street and 75th Place, 77th and Norfolk Avenue.
- Nearby
- Kingsgate Center at 82nd and Quaker for shopping and dining. Clifford Andrews Park and Bill & Ann Miller Park.
- The trade-off
- A small market with very few sales in a typical year, so each home is priced on its own evidence. Larger homes carry larger running costs, and buyers at this level expect kitchens, baths and finishes to feel current.
First-Time Buyers: keep exploring
Ready to make your move with Shelby Cotton?