Real Estate Information

The Woodlands Wildflower Festival will boast 14 varieties of free wildflower seeds, distributed by local businesses in The Woodlands, plus displays of native plants, environmental exhibits and booths with nature-related gift items for sale on Saturday, October 23, 2010 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Rob Fleming Park in the Village of Creekside Park.

For the children: free giant inflatable rides, a free petting zoo, pony rides, face painting, balloon artists and Puffy Pine Cone will pose for free photographs with children from 11 a.m. - noon.

The official Wildflower Festival poster and tee-shirt, selected from the annual Wildflower Festival contest, will be on sale at the booth of The Woodlands Lions Club. Proceeds from the event benefit Lions Club charities. The Lions Club provides services for the blind and visually impaired, and assists youth and senior citizen programs.

The Woodlands Development Company (TWDC) and The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau are the presenting sponsors of The Woodlands Wildflower Festival. The Brickman Group, Ltd., a professional landscape service company with a branch office in The Woodlands, is the participating sponsor.

Source: WOL

The Woodlands Township Recreation Center operates the Gorilla Hole, a fun, safe, social program for 5th and 6th graders, in The Woodlands Recreation Center. The Gorilla Hole servers as a night out for you and your kids! It provides a safe and fun social program that includes indoor and outdoor games, music, snacks and competitions. The Gorilla Hole activities are held on the First and Third Fridays each month. Entry fee is $7 per person. Activities begin at 7:00pm and end around 9:45pm.

The Woodlands Gorilla Hole Address:
5310 Research Forest Drive
The Woodlands, TX 77381

The Woodlands Gorilla Hole Phone #:
(281) 210-3950

Dress code and proper behavior are enforced.

The Township Recreation facility includes indoor / outdoor basketball courts, a fitness room, game room, and smaller breakout rooms.

The Gorilla Hole Schedule, Fall 2010:

• Nov. 5, 2010 -- Rock Night (listen to rock music and play Rock Band)
• Nov. 19, 2010 -- Tween Talent Night (tweens can showcase their talent to win prizes)
• Dec. 3, 2010 -- A Not-So-Silent Night (enjoy holiday jams, crafts and food)
• Dec. 17, 2010 -- Jingle All Night (join Santa for a candy cane hunt in a winter wonderland)

Magnolia Minute – Assessing an Equestrian Property

Real estate in The Woodlands, Spring and Magnolia, we have it all!  In this Magnolia Minute Utah “turned the reins” over to me, her horse loving, Realtor sidekick!  As a person who has owned and developed several horse properties I know from experience that there are several critical elements that impact the enjoyment and use of any acreage.

To begin with, you need to be sure that you will be able to use the property the way you intend.   You may see the terms “restricted” or “unrestricted” when property is listed. Chapter 202 of the Texas Property code defines a “Restrictive covenant” to mean any covenant, condition, or restriction contained in a dedicatory instrument, whether mandatory, prohibitive, permissive, or administrative.  A real estate agent can be aware of these designations, but I always advise buyers and sellers to consult an attorney if they have any questions regarding how restrictions, if any, impact the proposed land use of the subject property. 

The challenges of keeping a horse on two acres of land vary in degree from those on twenty acres.  However, there are some common concerns.  Once we “pass go” on the land use it is important to look at how the land lays relative to access and drainage.   If the road into the property is aggregate/stone/dirt, I check for signs of ruts or low spots that could limit access during rainy periods. I envision how a horse trailer or delivery truck could enter and exit the property.  If improved, I note where the house and barn/paddocks are located to assure that there is positive drainage away from all structures.  Here in Texas, we sometimes have more rain than can easily drain from a property.  Standing water is a breeding source for mosquitoes and kills out grass.  There needs to be some area on the property where an animal could stand up out of water and mud. 

Next, I consider the improvements.  I look for the functional layout of paddocks and perimeter fences, the type of materials used,  and if the structures have been maintained.   On smaller acreages the issue of manure disposal is a very practical concern.  When properly managed neighbors will welcome a ready source of premium compost for their yards and gardens. If not managed, it can become a source of run-off pollution, nuisance and unhappy neighbors.

I have only touched on a few of the practical concerns when assessing acreage and encourage buyers and sellers alike to enlist the services of an experienced real estate professional to assist in the assessment

October 10, 2010
Waterway Square
5 p.m. to 7: 30 p.m.

Trick or Treat down a festive trail through Waterway Square and
enjoy kid’s activities, entertainment and a costume contest!

PARKING

Parking for The Fountains at Waterway Square – Prices Vary
• 24 Waterway Parking Garage (corner of Fountain Plaza & Lake Robbins Drive)
• Surface Parking (corner of Waterway Avenue & Timberloch Place)
• Waterway Square Parking Garage (between Fountain Plaza and Woodloch Court)

Parking for the Waterway Square District – Prices Vary
• 24 Waterway Parking Garage (corner of Fountain Plaza & Lake Robbins Drive)
• Surface Parking (corner of Waterway Avenue & Timberloch Place)
• Surface Parking (corner of Six Pines & Lake Robbins Drive)
• Waterway Square Parking Garage (between Fountain Plaza and Woodloch Court
• Limited Free Street parking on Lake Robbins Drive, Waterway Avenue, Waterway Square Place, and Timberloch Place

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM)

Walk A Mile In Her Shoes, featuring the Cut-N-Shoot HOGS, along with the community-at-large turn out for the community awareness event to Stop the Violence in our community. The event takes place at Market Street, Sunday, October 10, 2-4pm, rain or shine.

This event launches the month-long Domestic Violence Awareness Month campaign for the Montgomery County Women's Center.

Sponsored by Verizon, everyone is invited to march the interior of Market Street, red high heels available for all, but are optional. Groups are invited to join in and are invited to wear their own corporate T-shirts as a sign of their support

How Much House Can You Afford

Determining how much home you can afford, or what payment you feel comfortable with, can be a trying process. Calling lenders, looking at mortgage loan programs and interest rates can be confusing, to say the least. There is an easy way to get started, and give yourself an idea of where you stand.

The first step is to find out what mortgage interest rates are at the current time. You can typically do this with a couple of phone calls to lenders or some quick looking on the internet. Get your rates on conventional fixed rate loans. Now use this handy table to see what your payment would be at different price ranges and interest rates. Payments might be higher or lower than those shown in the chart depending on current interest rates.

To obtain a very clear picture of how much home you can actually qualify for, the best idea is to contact a reputable local lender and let them analyze your entire situation. The lender can calculate your income-to-debt ratio, do a quick credit score and give you the information you need. Typically, lenders like to see a ratio not exceeding about 28%. This does not take into consideration long term monthly debt. As an example, to qualify for a loan, lenders may require ratios of 28% or 36%. This means you can spend up to 28% of your gross monthly income on a mortgage payment, and no more than 36% of your gross monthly income on all forms of debt, mortgage included.

We work with a number of loan officers and would be happy to recommend one right for you. Click here to contact us today. We are happy to help!

Today's low interest rates and stabilized home prices have created some great investment opportunities! Investing in real estate has unique advantages over other types of investments:

•Interest in mortgage loans are tax-deductable. Investors can lower their tax liability while increasing their equity.
•Renters pay down your mortgage loan. Investors reap the benefits of rental income, which offsets your mortgage cost and build equity.
•Real Estate values increase over the long term. Real Estate is limited and will always be in demand.
•1031 exchanges are available to defer taxable income when you are ready to sell.
Many investors are taking advantage of these great market conditions. Have questions? Give us a call. We are happy to help!

But,  there are also some unexpected surprises!  There is a “village” just up highway 1774 for Magnolia that magically appears for two months each year!  Of course, I am referring to The Texas Renaissance Festival!  During the dates of October 1 through November 28 this 53 acre site transforms into a fantasy land… our own Texas Disney World! 

I was walking out of HEB at Market Street with my friend.  She just relocated from Arizona to a wonderful acreage in the Magnolia area.  She spotted an advertisement for the Festival and was immediately curious.  The directions on the website were foreign to her, but when I knew it was just down 1488 just 10 miles from my friend‘s home.  With the opening of Woodlands Parkway and 2978 it is an easy hop up to 1488, west to Magnolia and right up 1774.  I convinced her that she would not see Arizona cowboys, but she may see some Scottsmen in kilts and fierce Norse warriors.  But, I assured her that her entire family would have a great time! 

I remember he first time I set foot on the site I thought I was at the town center of the Woodlands except a few centuries earlier!  This was a village with over 340 shops!  Could that do some financial damage!?  Yes, of course!  There was shopping, entertainment and dining for nearly everyone and every age!  There were funky little jewelry shops, hand hewn furniture, clothes and costumes.  

I don’t know what she expected, but the next time I saw her she assured me it was a blast!  Running from the first week of October through the end of November, there is a theme for each weekend.  Don’t miss it! A Magnolia Minute 

Magnolia, Texas is the place to live in if you want the comforts of a country home and conveniences of a city lifestyle.   In Magnolia, the country and the city blend harmoniously. 

More information on Magnolia

 http://www.UtahBurden.com   

 Selling a home in Magnolia : http://www.MagnoliaMarketValue.com