I took this picture in my backyard last spring. There was a mushroom growing out of one of our trees. I had never seen a mushroom growing in a tree before, so I took a picture. We had a lot of rain last spring and mushrooms were growing in the grass as well. But the mushroom in the tree was not something I expected to see! There must be something unique about trees in Friendswood! 03/09/2011

There are homes for sale in Friendswood, Texas in many different price ranges. For example, the least expensive house listed in Friendswood today is a short sale in the Forest Bend subdivision. It is listed for $64,500. According to the MLS, it needs work, including foundation repair, new roof, AC and heating. This house might be a good buy for someone who can fix it up, because in the last few months, the average sales price of homes (that are not short sales or foreclosures) in that neighborhood has been around $105,000.  The most expensive house listed in Friendswood today is a 15,000 square-foot custom home on 12 acres, listed for $3,495,000. This is definitely a one-of-a-kind property! Whether you are looking for the least expensive home in Friendswood, the most expensive home, or ... 03/03/2011

Have you always wanted to learn how to waltz, or to do a country polka? Maybe you've had a hankering to try calligraphy or painting, or even karate or gardening. You can sign up for these classes and many others through the Friendswood ISD Community Education Program. The classes are part of a community service program, and you do not have to live in Friendswood to take the classes.  There are three sessions of classes offered each year and the classes cover a number of activities associated with general education, enrichment and recreation. Classes are available for children as well as adults. Most of the classes are held at Friendswood High School, 702 Greenbriar, on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Some of the classes can last as long as eight weeks, and others are just one day. The co... 02/20/2011

One of our favorite places in Friendswood to eat was jumping tonight. I hadn't been there in a while since it is always packed with people waiting to eat. But tonight I strapped on my big girl boots was determined to wait. We got lucky and got seated in 20 minutes or so. I think only because we ate at a tiny table for two. I didn't care I just wanted to eat and get out! I decided to start eating healthy again so we ordered and shared Pollo a  la Parria. Of course it was good. It is a grilled chicken breast with plenty of grilled onions and bell peppers. We opted out of the grilled mushrooms. We only care about stuffed mushrooms.  This is a picture of when I oredered the same meal some time ago. But this what I ate tonight. The bar was hopping too. But no one there has more respect from ... 02/18/2011

Friendswood has a new tea room! Actually it's a tea room/café with the emphasis on the café part. The Texas Tea Room & Café is located at 709 W. Parkwood Ave., just west of HEB. They are open for lunch daily from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. The lunch menu offers a selection of soups, salads, sandwiches and desserts. The Stampede Sampler Plate is a great choice for anyone who has a hard time deciding what to order. It comes with three sandwiches of your choice, served "Texas Style" on silver dollar buns.  You also get your choice of soup, a lunch salad or broccoli salad. I like the broccoli salad a lot! The meal is topped off with yummy banana pudding and your choice of strawberry or banana bread. You will definitely notice a Christian theme in the tea room decor, with many pretty crosses and o... 02/18/2011

WILDERNESS TRAILS is a quiet neighborhood in Friendswood, TX, located right behind Friendswood High School. Currently there are six homes listed for sale in Wilderness Trails. There are two sections of this nice neighborhood. Four of the homes for sale are in the Pines of Wilderness Trails section and two are in the original Wilderness Trails section. Pines of Wilderness Trails Active Listings on 2/18/2011 1301 Beechwood - $239,900 1406 Beechwood - $284,900 1311 Cambridge - $299,000 1411 Buttonwood - $339,900 Average list price - $290,925 Average price per square foot - $94.64 In the last six months, one home has sold in the Pines of Wilderness Trails section. It sold for $77.78 per square foot.     Wilderness Trails Active Listings on 2/18/2001 (original section) 1302 Piney Woods - $15... 02/17/2011

The Lake at San Joaquin is a small, quiet, gated community in Friendswood, TX, with homes priced in the $300,000s to the $500,000s. One of the nice amenities of The Lake at San Joaquin is a beautiful, serene lake with a nearby playground/park. Fishing is allowed, and residents can enjoy a canoe or paddle­boat ride on the lake.  Currently, Brighton Homes is building one and two-story homes from 3,000 to over 6,000 square feet on estate lots in the community. They have a few inventory homes available with prices starting around $390,000. They will also build a home for you on the lot of your choice. However, since the community is small, there are limited lots available. Occasionally there will be a resale home available in the neighborhood.  The Lake at San Joaquin is in the exemplary Fr... 02/12/2011

WEST RANCH is a great master-planned community in Friendswood, Texas. There are new sections opening up in West Ranch with 80-foot and 120-foot estate home sites. Additionally, West Ranch has opened a new section on the south side of FM 518. West Ranch is located in the exemplary-rated and highly desirable Friendswood Independent School District. The brand new Friendswood Junior High is located very close to West Ranch. All of the schools in Friendswood ISD received the top rating, exemplary, from the Texas Education Agency.  There are currently 10 resale homes on the market in West Ranch in addition to several new-construction inventory homes. New-home builders in West Ranch include Toll Brothers, Trendmaker Homes, Partners in Building, Coventry Homes, Highland Homes and Village Builde... 02/08/2011

This little orange guy comes to my backyard every morning and looks in the back door, waiting to be fed. He's healthy and seems to be well-cared for (except that he is not neutered), and very, very friendly. I usually put out a little bit of food for him, but I have noticed that what he really wants is something to drink. I will mix a little dry food in with some water, and he will drink all of the water and leave the food. Our big orange cat, Leo, doesn't like it when the little orange guy comes to the back door. Leo will fuss and whine when the little orange guy comes, but he won't go outside to chase him off. They just end up looking at each other through the door. I haven't found the owner of the little orange guy yet. I think he lives on the street behind me because he always comes... 01/25/2011

  R.A.D. (Rape Aggression Defense) is a program of realistic self defense tactics and techniques for women. The R.A.D. System is a comprehensive, fifteen (15) hour women-only course that begins with awareness, prevention, risk reduction and risk avoidance, while progressing on to the basics of hands-on defense training. R.A.D. is not a Martial Arts Program. Class is open to all women ages 12 and up. The course is a great mother & daughter program, as well as a great program for area REALTORS!! When is R.A.D. held?Thursday, February 17, 2010 6:00 pm to 9:30 pmFriday, February 18, 2010 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm  Saturday, February 19, 2010 4:00 pm to 8:00 pmSunday, February 20, 2010 2:00 pm to 6:00 pmTHIS IS A 4-DAY COURSE YOU MUST ATTEND ALL FOUR DAYS! R.A.D. being held at the Friendswood Comm... 01/22/2011

The Wilderness Trails HOA will be having its annual meeting January 26, 2011 at 7 p.m. at the Friendswood Library. One of the topics to be discussed at the meeting is a proposed improvement project for the Castlewood Park. There has been a request from a resident that improvements be made to the Castlewood park as a service project for a Girl Scout Gold Award. The Girl Scout wants to raise funds for the project and is asking the HOA to match the funds. Residents who would like to have some input on this proposed project should attend the meeting. Other items on the agenda for this year's meeting will be election of new board members and a presentation of volunteer opportunities for residents. Wilderness Trails is a great neighborhood tucked away in Friendswood, right behind Friendswood ... 01/18/2011

These listings are current as of posted date. Sign up to receive automatic new listings. Homes for Sale in Friendswood Lakes, Friendswood Real Estate. These are the lowest priced homes in Friendswood Lakes. SCROLL DOWN TO VIEW ALL CURRENT HOMES FOR SALE IN FRIENDSWOOD LAKES   Single-Family ML #: 41584047 Status: A LP: $252,000 County: GALVESTON KM: 656R Area: 33 - Galveston County LP/SF: $ 116.02 Addr: 1567 Garden Lakes City: Friendswood Zip: 77546- Sub: Friendswood Lakes Year Built: 2004/Appraisal District   Listing Firm: JLowe, Realtors  SqFt: 2172/Appraisal District # Bedrooms: 3 / 3 FB/HB: 2/0 Style: Traditional Lot Size: 7226/Appraisal District Garage: 2/Attached Garage Stories: 1 Tax w/o Exempt/Yr: $6100/2009 Tax Rate: 2.66 Dir: FM 518 (So. Frwd Dr) and FM 528 (W. Parkwood Dr.) go... 01/12/2011

These listings are current as of posted date. Sign up to receive automatic home listings in The Forest of Friendswood. SCROLL DOWN TO VIEW ALL HOMES FOR SALE IN THE FOREST OF FRIENDSWOOD. Single-Family ML #: 17344664 Status: A LP: $899,900 County: GALVESTON KM: 616V Area: 33 - Galveston County LP/SF: $ 178.45 Addr: 1108 PINE HURST CT City: FRIENDSWOOD Zip: 77546-3657 Sub: THE FOREST SEC 12 (2002) Year Built: 2003/Appraisal District   Listing Firm: Prudential Gary Greene, REALTORS  SqFt: 5043/Appraisal # Bedrooms: 5 / 5 FB/HB: 4/1 Style: Mediterranean Lot Size: 18834/Appraisal District Garage: 3/Attached Garage Stories: 2 Tax w/o Exempt/Yr: $19937/2009 Tax Rate: 2.6592 Dir: I45S EXIT FM2351 AND TURN RIGHT. RIGHT ON WOODLAND TRAIL, LEFT ON PARK LANE, RIGHT ON PINE HURST CT. Remarks: Maste... 01/12/2011

These are the lowest price homes in The Forest of Friendswood as of the posted date. More become available. Sign up to receive automatic listings alerts. Expect to see homes in the Forest of Friendswood listed at over $100 / foot. SCOLL DOWN TO SEARCH ALL HOMES IN THE FOREST OF FRIENDSWOOD. Single-Family ML #: 86045744 Status: A LP: $266,900* County: GALVESTON KM: 616U Area: 33 - Galveston County LP/SF: $ 103.29 Addr: 603 WOODVIEW City: FRIENDSWOOD Zip: 77546-3577 Sub: THE FOREST Year Built: 2000/Appraisal District   Listing Firm: RE/MAX Top Realty  SqFt: 2584/Appraisal District # Bedrooms: 3 / 4 FB/HB: 2/0 Style: Traditional Lot Size: 11700/Appraisal District Garage: 4/Detached Garage, Oversized Garage Stories: 1 Tax w/o Exempt/Yr: $6451/2009 Tax Rate: 2.6592 Dir: 2351/EDGEWOOD DR TO W... 01/12/2011

Wilderness Trails is a great neighborhood in Friendswood. Tucked back behind Friendswood High School, the community is off the beaten path just enough to provide a quiet and safe environment for families, yet still convenient to Houston, Galveston or Clear Lake. The neighborhood boasts a community pool, playground and picnic area and contains homes ranging in price from the $150's to the $350's. If you are looking for a home in Wilderness Trails, call me for a tour of available homes. Rose King, Your Friendswood Area Specialist 713-562-5888 rose@rosekingrealtor.com http://www.rosekingrealtor.com   01/06/2011

 Real Estate Market trends newsletter for Dec 2010. CLICK HERE to read the entire newsletter.     12/20/2010

Every year on the Saturday before Christmas, Santa takes a tour of the neighborhoods in Friendswood, Texas on top of a big red fire truck. The volunteer fire department turns on the siren, blasts the horn, and drives Santa up and down every residential street in Friendswood. Kids come running from their houses to wave to Santa and hopefully catch a handful of candy that Santa and his helpers throw out from the fire truck. Santa's yearly neighborhood tour is just one of the many things that make Friendswood such a great community.   HO, HO, HO! Merry Christmas from Friendswood, Texas! Rose King is your Friendswood area specialist. Contact Rose today if you need help finding new homes, or resales in Friendswood or surrounding communities.   12/18/2010

  Our article will print in the Pearland / Friendswood Journal next week. The topic is "Why should consumers choose an EXCLUSIVE BUYER'S AGENT when looking to buy a home." The journalist did a tag-a-long with me while viewing homes with a client. He took pictures of me inspecting the attic and interviewed my client. He also gathered testimonies from several past clients and other Real Estate companies in the area. This will certainly help homebuyers understand who represents who in a Real Estate transaction. By using an Exclusive Buyer's Agent, all potential conflicts of interest are eliminated. Visit www.NAEBA.org for more information about Exclusive Buyer's Agents. 12/18/2010

If you are like most people I know, your ears are listening to hear what the real estate market is doing.  Then you are even more interested if it is your neighborhood or a neighborhood that you would like to live in some day in the future.  Right?  With that thought in mind and my goal to keep clients and potential clients up to date on the local real estate market, I have compiled this overview for the week. This Week The median list price in Friendswood, TX 77546, this week is $249,944.  The 365 properties have been on the market for an average of 140 days. Inventory has been decreasing lately, but the Market Action Index is falling, also.  With days-on-market climbing, these are relatively negative implications for the market. Supply and Demand Home sales have been exceeding new inv... 10/12/2010

On Saturday, Oct. 2, Wilderness Trails in Friendswood will hold its semi-annual community garage sale. Homeowners in the neighborhood have been sorting through their closets and garages to gather up items for the community-wide sale. Looking for furniture, exercise equipment, bicycles, toys or gently used clothing? Chances are you'll find what you need at one of the many garage sales being held simultaneously in this great Friendswood subdivision. Wilderness Trails is located behind Friendswood High School. To get there, head east on either FM 2351 or FM 518 to Sunset. From 2351, turn left on Sunset, and from 518 turn right. At Castlewood, go east. Castlewood will take you directly into the Wilderness Trails subdivision. With the beautiful fall weather expected on Saturday, there are su... 09/30/2010