Friendswood Boy Scout Troop 445 is once again sponsoring Flags Across Communities so residents can show their patriotism on special holidays year-round.   For the bargain price of just $35, the Boy Scouts will place a 3’x5’ American flag on an 8’ pole which will be posted in your front lawn on patriotic holidays. The flag will be posted prior to and taken down following five holidays, which include:   Memorial Day: May 27 Flag Day: June 14 Independence Day: July 4 Patriot Day: September 11 Veteran’s Day: November 11   The Boy Scouts use the proceeds to offset the costs of attending summer camp where they will learn life skills, including swimming, camping, first aid, wilderness survival, canoeing, rifle, archery, metalwork, astronomy and much more!   To subscribe to this service, emai... 03/16/2013

  Tuesday's Treasures: The Color of Friendship ~ Rose King   They say that a yellow rose stands for friendship.    I've said it before, and I will say it again... I believe Rose King lives up to her name. She is our 'ActiveRain Yellow Rose of Texas.' Rose King is a friend. It doesn't hurt that she is beautiful as well... but that is just icing on the cake. She is even more beautiful on the inside -- where it really counts!     If you don't know Rose King, click here, subscribe, and get to know her.   You'll soon understand what I mean. Our Rose is a Rose.   A TRUE Tuesday Treasure!     P.S. It may come as no surprise that Rose is a TEXAS REALTOR® in FRIENDSwood, Texas!!! ☺   Tuesday's Treasures: The Color of Friendship ~ Rose King     03/12/2013

This morning I woke up and did not even have the slightest idea that today was that day. This is the day that I really dislike. I hate it when we have to change the time forward or backward one hour. Why can't the SUITS just leave the time alone? This yearly event messes with my inner body clock for weeks on end. I hope all my peeps remember to move their clock forward one hour as March 10th is the date to do so.... So don't forget!    03/09/2013

Great new listing in Friendswood! 1505 Azalea, 4 bedrooms, 3 car garage, 3 full baths, 2 half baths, hot tub!!! Welcome to this fabulous custom built home located in Friendswood. The entrance is grand with a spiral staircase and views of the amazing backyard through the floor to ceiling windows in the two story living room. The master bedroom is relaxing with a sitting area, high ceilings, and doors leading to the magnificent backyard. Unwind in the spa like master bath complete with a huge whirlpool tub, large separate shower, his/her vanities, tons of storage space an extra large closet. The kitchen is a chefs dream with granite countertops, center island, a breakfast area, updated appliances and a large laundry room with sink. The family room is off the kitchen. Upstairs are three se... 03/07/2013

The City of Friendswood The City of Friendswood has received a recognition award. Recently the City of Friendswood Police Department (Texas) released its 2012 Crime Report. The information shows that Friendswood has the lowest crime rate per 1,000 residents in the Houston metro area. This information is based on information received from the Texas Department of Public Safety.  A national research firm, “Neighborhood Scout” gave Friendswood the recognition of naming Friendswood the 20th Safest City in America. They calculate their information on cities that have at least 25,000 persons and based on the number of crimes per 1,000 residents. According to this organization The City of Friendswood is the second safest city in the State of Texas! Additionally, Friendswood is one of five in Te... 03/07/2013

  I have always known that Active Rain gets good Google-juice, but imagine my surprise when the author of the book I wrote about in yesterday’s blog post called me to say she found my blog, and to thank me for getting the word out about her book-signing at the Friendswood library this coming Wednesday! Rene’ Armstrong called today and gave me a lot of additional information about her book, Wings and a Ring: Letters of War and Love from a WWII Pilot.   Her phone call was sparked by a comment on my post left by Joyce Kelley, who wondered how close Armstrong got to the real story. Armstrong saw the comment, and wanted to tell me how she was able to document the actual events that occurred during the time the love letters were written.   Armstrong said she was able to obtain declassified mi... 03/02/2013

  There is a real treat coming to the Friendswood Public Library March 6 at 7 p.m. Book lovers and history buffs will enjoy hearing local author Rene’ Armstrong discuss her book, Wings and a Ring: Letters of War and Love from a WWII Pilot.   Armstrong’s husband found a box of 295 letters in a junk store, and had no idea what a profound piece of history he had in his possession.   James Richard Jones and Helen Elnora Bartlett had a wartime romance and communicated to each other over three years through love letters while Jones was in the jungles of New Guinea. Fifty-eight years later, their war-time voices can be heard through the pages of Armstrong’s book.   Armstrong wove together the love letters and official declassified government documents to tell the story of these two young peopl... 03/01/2013

  Whoa! Covered wagons and cowboys were riding down FM 518 in Friendswood today, stopping traffic on both sides of the road as onlookers waved and shouted, “Ride-em!”   I was on my way to show houses in Alvin when I passed by the Texas Independence Trail Riders who were making their 108-mile ride from Brazoria to Houston’s Memorial Park for the official kick-off of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo events.  I was able to get a quick photo while driving past the riders.   Every year, riders from all over Texas, and as far away as Reynosa, Mexico, hit the trails to recreate the Old West, spending days and weeks traveling on horseback and in covered wagons along well-known old-time Texas cattle trails.   There are 13 trail rides that will converge in Memorial park on Friday, Feb. 22, an... 02/19/2013

  A set of two wooden spoons, each one hand-carved, with strands of tiny colorful beads wrapped around the handles - a twelve-dollar treasure that I purchased as part of a closing gift for a client. Here is their story: In Nairobi, Kenya there is one square mile where over 1.2 million desperately poor people live. Kiberia, the largest slum in Africa, is located in the middle of Nairobi. The people living there are considered squatters – the poorest of the poor. They are unable to obtain nutritional food, clean water, an education or a safe home. Most people in the Kiberia slum live on less than a dollar a day and live in a shack that is about 12 feet by 12 feet. About 75 percent of them are under the age of 25. The women who live there are often unable to feed or care for their children... 02/15/2013

  I love tulips – they are probably my favorite flower. I love their bright, beautiful colors and the way their soft petals form little cups that contrast against their long, dark­-green leaves. These lovely pink tulips were found in the front yard of a Friendswood home off of Sunset Drive. I was on my way out of the neighborhood today, and noticed the lovely bed of tulips that seemed to have popped up overnight. I couldn’t resist stopping to take a picture!   ♥♥ Happy Valentine’s Day! ♥♥ 02/13/2013

  There are certain events that happen in your lifetime that you will always remember – Some of us will remember the day President Kennedy was killed, the day Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, and of course, 9-11.You’ll always be able to recall where you were and what you were doing when the news broke, and you’ll remember how you felt at the moment.   Do you remember where you were on the morning of February 1, 2003 – the day the of the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster? That day will always be etched in my mind, because I heard the explosion happen. I was in Lufkin, Texas with a group of Alvin High School students who were participating in an academic competition at Lufkin High School. Six students, one other teacher and I made the three-hour drive from Alvin to Lufkin very early that ... 01/29/2013

What Inspections?   What do you think about when it comes to the types of inspections you may want to get during your option period? Oh yes you will most assuredly say a Home Inspection. Yes you really want to do that one. However, you may want to also do a termite inspection and a plumber’s inspection. You may wonder what in the world could a plumber inspection be all about. Well if you are purchasing a re-sale you may want to have a plumber run a camera down the sewer line.  With the camera you can see if there are any broken connections along the sewer pipeline; or a separation at the city’s connection main. Buying a home with this type of problem can be quite expensive to fix. We have cover three types of inspections. Can you think of another? Yes you can it would be a foundation in... 01/27/2013

  There is always something interesting going on at the Friendswood Public Library. A special presentation is coming up that should interest all space program buffs and enthusiasts.   A former Apollo era EECOM Flight controller will present a program entitled Apollo 13: The Longest Hour. Sy Liebergot will speak about being a front-line flight controller in Mission Control when the failure occurred during the Apollo 13 mission. He will provide details of the explosion as they really happened.   Liebergot will be using actual audio from his Mission Control console, and will include comments on the Apollo 13 film’s accuracy.   The program will be presented Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. at the Friendswood Public Library.  The library is located at 416 S. Friendswood Drive.   See you there! Th... 01/26/2013

  A special group of animal lovers in Friendswood has been instrumental in providing services to lost or abandoned pets that end up at the Friendswood animal control facility.   This group, Friendswood Animal Advocates, provides animals with medical attention when needed, and promotes animals that are available for adoption. They also furnish pet owners with cat/dog food, provide funds for pet sterilization, and support mandated animal control policies that will save animals’ lives.   The Friendswood Animal Advocates was instrumental in pushing the city to build a much-needed new animal control facility. This new building has a larger capacity than the old building, with enough room for 30 dog kennels and 40 cat cages. There is also an adoption room where residents can find adoptable pe... 01/25/2013

  Homeowners in Friendswood are not waiting until spring to put their homes on the market! Since January 1 of this year, there have been 61 new listings on the market in Friendswood, and ten of those are already pending!   Savvy sellers know that they should get their homes on the market ASAP. There are serious buyers looking for homes NOW, and they are buying! In fact, since January 1, ten Friendswood homes have already sold and closed!   If you are thinking of selling your Friendswood home, don’t wait too long! And, be sure to call Friendswood Realtor Rose King for excellent service! 01/24/2013

Friendswood is known for having many beautiful oak trees. Some of the most beautiful trees grow naturally along the creeks around town, but there are also many beautiful tree-lined streets in residential areas of Friendswood, and large lovely trees in Friendswood’s many parks.   This particular oak tree makes its home just outside of City Hall. The city named the tree after a former mayor, and it is now known as the Brizendine Oak.   There are a lot of benefits to having nice trees in your community. They add beauty and value to properties and provide shade which helps to lower electric bills during the summer. They also provide food and shelter for area wildlife.   If you are looking for a place to live where the residents know the value of beautiful trees, consider Friendswood! And, c... 01/23/2013

  I found a funny website today that listed some unusual monthly observances for January. Apparently, January is Bath Safety Month, International Brain Teaser Month, National Polka Music Month, and Oatmeal Month, just to name a few.   I also saw that January is Be Kind to Food Servers Month. I mentioned this today to the food server who was our waiter at the Berryhill Grill near Baybrook Mall where my daughter, my grandson and I stopped for lunch. This young man, Thomas, was very happy to hear the news about Be Kind to Food Servers Month.   Thomas was a very good waiter. Not only did he bring everything on time, and refill our drinks when needed, but he also entertained my grandson and told us some funny stories about his nieces. He was a delightful food server, and certainly deserving ... 01/22/2013

  When I was doing a preview of a possible listing yesterday, the homeowner showed me the original master bath in the home. It was a small bath with a toilet, sink and very small shower, but no tub. She said she didn’t know what it was called, because it was bigger than a half-bath, but it didn’t have a tub.   “It’s a three-quarter bath!” I said.   The homeowner had never heard that term before, but I have been calling those bathrooms three-quarter baths since I was young. In the 60’s, it was pretty common in the “working class neighborhoods” where I lived for the master bedroom to have just a half-bath. My parents wanted a home with at least a three­-quarter bath in the master, so my dad could have his own shower.   Bathrooms with a shower, but no tub, are not described as “three-quart... 01/21/2013

  Inauguration day is a reminder to me that we live in the greatest country in the world, where the government is of the people, by the people and for the people. Today, I was also reminded that we enjoy all of our freedoms, including the freedom to elect our government officials, because of the sacrifices of our awesome military. Right next to Friendswood City Hall is the Friendswood Veteran’s Memorial, which honors all men and women who have served in the armed forces of the United States. The memorial was constructed without the use of tax dollars, and was fully funded by donations from local residents. The eight by sixteen foot stainless steel flag at the center of the memorial was designed by Jay Horecky, a Friendswood resident and former city councilman, who spearheaded the effort... 01/20/2013

West Ranch is Friendswood’s newest master-planned community, with 766 acres bordered by Centennial Park, Chigger Creek, and Clear Creek. When complete, West Ranch will have 68 acres of commercial development and will be home to 1,300 families.   Currently, four new-home builders are building single-family homes, garden homes, and estate homes in West Ranch, with prices ranging from the $260,000s to over $800,000. Highland Homes, Coventry Homes, Partners in Building and Village Builders are constructing homes in West Ranch.   There are 33 homes in West Ranch actively listed for sale on the MLS (on Jan. 19, 2013). Most are new-construction homes; only six are resales. List prices range from $291,929 to $632,900, with an average price per square foot of $115.32.   The recreational amenity ... 01/19/2013