Amid pandemic, home buyers eye Lake Conroe for vacation getaway

Lake Conroe is trending as a destination for homeowners seeking a second home, said Jerry Santiago, a Realtor with Better Homes and Gardens Gary Greene in Spring.

Santiago said June 22 that in the past month, he had two such customers close on Lake Conroe waterfront homes, and a third is under contract. Boating was important to the buyers, he said.

“Because of COVID[-19], they wanted a second home,” he said. “In all three cases, a boat lift was a very important part of the search.”

And while summer is usually peak buying time, certain lakefront neighborhoods have seen a surprising uptick this year, Santiago said. For instance, the Walden lakefront community had 37 home closings and 69 properties under contract in the last 30 days, Santiago said.

Although last year’s pending and under-contract data is no longer available, Santiago said this year’s information still shows 2.53 months of inventory—a measurement of how long existing supply can feed housing demand—in Walden. A balanced market is considered six months of inventory, he said.

“That’s a super strong seller’s market,” he said.

According to lake officials, lake activity has increased during the pandemic.

“There is nothing normal about lake activities at all this year,” said Lt. Tim Cade with the Montgomery County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office. “In all my years working Lake Conroe, I’ve never seen it to be as busy as we have been since March. Being one of the only things left untouched and open, it’s been a getaway for many people.”