Friendswood - Special Animal Adoption Event Tomorrow, Saturday, November 10, 2012; the City of Friendswood will be holding a Special Animal Adoption Event. This event will be located at the Animal Shelter located at 3000 West Parkwood. There will be a discount of $30 for each pet adopted and the second one is FREE! The discounts are being sponsored by FAA a nonprofit organization. So if you are in the area or just want a pet be sure to drop by between the hours of 1 to 4 p.m. Hope I see you there! 11/09/2012

Spicy Mexican Meat Loaf This is my cook book entry and I decided to post it for those of you who love very spicy foods. I created this recipe. My kids don’t like meatloaf and I decided to revamp the recipe and make it spicy and see if they would eat it. It was an immediate winner in our household. If you decide to prepare this dish beware it can get spicy hot. If you enjoy it please let me know. Spicy Mexican Meat Loaf 2 pounds of hamburger meat 1.5 oz. of tomato sauce 1 can of Rotel Tomato Diced Tomatoes & Chilies 1 large Poblano Pepper diced 1 Bell Pepper diced 1 Onion diced 2 Stalks of Celery diced 1 Egg Salt & Pepper to taste Bottle Ketchup Mix all ingredients in a large baking pan and hand press into an oval shape. Drizzle ketchup on top.   11/08/2012

  This great house at 1004 Pine Hollow in Friendswood went under contract after just four days on the market, with Friendswood Realtor Rose King representing the seller! With the contract now in the “pending” period, we are just a few weeks away from closing on this lovely custom home. Homes are selling in Friendswood! Rose King, Friendswood resident and area Realtor, is your go-to real estate agent if you are looking to buy or sell in the fabulous community of Friendswood, Texas. Rose treats her buyers and sellers right. She knows the home values in every Friendswood neighborhood, and knows how to successfully market a property to the right buyers. You can count on Rose King for excellent service when buying or selling a home in Friendswood or the surrounding communities!   11/08/2012

A couple of Sundays ago I attended my grandsons birthday party. There were many new families there.  My granddaughter introduced me to a young married couple who are interested in buying their first home. They were really excited and we conversed for a long time.  For now they are my customer but will be my clients very soon.  These first time buyers hope to be in their home by February. While enjoying a coffee at Starbucks Patio, my friend said, “My son has been talking about you to some people at work.  He has a friend who wants to buy a home with his girlfriend. Can I give them your name and number?” I plan to hostess a candle party in the near future. I really don’t care about being a hostess to anything but… I plan on giving a door prize.  Usually at a hostess “type” party the host... 11/08/2012

With Veteran’s Day just around the corner, Friendswood residents will be hosting the third annual “Honoring Our Veterans – Never to be Forgotten” event on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at the Hanger in Leavesly Park from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.   Local veterans will be sharing the stories of their encounters during their tours of duty. They will be recounting the sacrifices they made for us in places such as Pearl Harbor, Hill 303 Korea, Merrill’s Marauders, Bataan March, LaDrang Valley, Heartbreak Ridge, Vietnam, OIF and OEF.   The stories will be recorded on a CD, so they will live on forever.   There will also be displays of memorabilia that the veterans are sharing, and performances by the “Our Name is America” band.   This event is sponsored by AT&T Pioneers and the Friendswood Senior Center. Lea... 11/06/2012

Do you remember the first time you voted in a presidential election? I have voted in 11 of them, but the first time was in 1972. I was 19 years old, and it was the first presidential election after the voting age had been lowered from 21 to 18. I don’t remember that we had early voting back then, but it’s possible that we had it, and I just didn’t know about it. So, I drove home from college on Election Day to vote in my home precinct.  I arrived at the polling place in the late afternoon, and the lines were incredibly long. There were hundreds of people waiting outside the building to get in to vote. The election judge finally had everyone take a number and said we could come back later. I left for about an hour, and came back, only to have to wait in line for a couple of hours before ... 11/05/2012

  If you are ready for a little exercise prior to the approaching holidays, or just looking for someone to walk with. Then look no more! Friendswood has a waking club. Starting on November 7th, the meeting place will be at Stevenson Park located at 1100 South Friendswood, Texas. The meeting time starts at 6:00 a.m. to 6:45 a.m. So be there or be square. 11/05/2012

  Do you have the paperwork for the new air conditioner and the roof replacement? How about the new hot water heater? And do you have the warranty papers and the instruction manuals for the new appliances in the kitchen? These questions were recently asked by the buyers of one of my listings. Having all of the paperwork and instruction manuals for improvements, repairs, or upgrades to your home is important when you are ready to sell. The buyer will want to know who did the work and if there is a warranty, and will want to have the instruction manuals when they move into the home. It’s a good idea to have a file box where you can keep all of the paperwork related to your home, including any improvements or repairs you have done. That way, when you are ready to sell, all of the documenta... 11/04/2012

Who Said Blogging Doesn’t Work? It was pretty early this morning; about 8 a.m. when my cell phone rang. I was wondering who was calling me from the Austin area. I have many relatives there. As it turns out it was a little boy wanting to know about the skate park in Alvin! I had written a post about that park last month. He asked me how much it would cost to skate there. I told him it was free and where it was located. He told me he was just interested in skate parks and wanted to know how it worked. He was very polite and thanked me for my time. So you never know who is reading your posts! From 9 year olds to 90 year olds…who said Blogging doesn’t work? 10/28/2012

Is That Property Zoned or Encumbered by Ordinances? Most cities and towns are now zoned to state what and what cannot be constructed on a tract of land; or what type of business can be open in certain locations.  What happens when there is no zoning? Cities that have no zoning care for their city with ordinances. All cities, towns, and villages have ordinances.   I recently had the opportunity to represent the buyer of a five acre tract of land in a town that had no zoning. The property held: ·       One 122’ x 66’ metal manufacturing building; ·       And a smaller 104’ X 65’ same type metal building located toward the back of the property. ·       One carport type/ RV Storage shed metal building; ·       With a bay for washing large trucks; ·       And a bay for painting trucks with d... 10/28/2012

  At the Antique Weekend in Round Top, Texas last week, I saw a lot of beautiful old trees, but this one caught my eye. The scar left after the removal of one of its branches formed a perfect heart.   It just goes to show… God can turn anything into something beautiful, even scars!   “He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3)   10/10/2012

  If you are looking for an opportunity to purchase some fantastic items at great prices, come and check out the HUGE ESTATE SALE going on this week at my new listing in Friendswood!   The owner of this house has decided to down-size and liquidate EVERYTHING before putting the house on the market. The estate sale will be held Thursday-Sunday, October 11-15.   1004 Pine Hollow Drive Friendswood, Texas   The hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 1-6 p.m. on Sunday. Come early for the best selection!   While you’re there, check out the house! It’s a 4200 square-foot custom home on a beautiful one-and-a-half acre lot in Friendswood’s prestigious Coward Creek subdivision. It goes on the market as soon as the estate sale is over!   See you there! 10/09/2012

Lovely Home in Friendswood! Overview Maps Photos Features Description Virtual Tour Market Stats $101,900 Single Family Home Main Features 3 Bedrooms2 Bathrooms1 UnitInterior: 1,224 sqftLot: 6,600 sqft Location 16631 David Glen Dr.Friendswood, TX 77546USA To get updates on open home dates and other property events, please click the "Like" button below: Maggie McFarland RE/MAX Pearland - Maggie McFarland(281) 412-2022PearlandHomeTeam@aol.comhttp://www.thehomesourceonline.com      Listed by: Maggie McFarland Our recent listings Great Home on a Large Lot!Gorgeous Home in Shadow Creek Ranch!Beautiful Pearland Home in Dixie Woods!Beautiful, Spacious Home!Great Home With Lots of Potential! Subscribe to our listing feed Nearby properties for sale 10/03/2012

I headed out to buy a new pair of athletic walking shoes last weekend, hoping to find a pair made in the USA. I have heard that the only company still making athletic shoes in the United States is New Balance.   Academy had a large selection of athletic shoes, all made in other countries, with the exception of a (very) few pairs of New Balance that were “Made in the USA of imported materials.” I found three pairs in my size, and settled on some snappy silver and pink ones.   New Balance had some great-looking shoes with the pink Breast Cancer Awareness ribbon on the side, and I really would like to have purchased them, since October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. But, those shoes were made in another country.   So…I’m happy with what I got; but I sure do wish that more shoes were mad... 10/01/2012

Selling The Inside of Your Home Part Three   In previous posts we have reviewed curb appeal and the low cost items that can be performed to update the inside of your home. It is now time to address the last two rooms which sell most homes; your kitchen and bathrooms. Let’s start with kitchens. At this point you should already have a Realtor® of your choice on board. Ask him or her to do a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) on what similar homes like yours are selling in your neighborhood, or the surrounding area. You need this information so that you will not over spend preparing your home for sale. The other steps we previously covered were mostly maintenance and you should not expect those expenses to be added to your asking price. So let us take a look at what can be done in kitchens ... 10/01/2012

Having friends in various municipalities I sometimes get wind of projects coming up the pipeline. I received this heads up last Thursday.... The Texas Department of Transportation’s contractor is currently working to repave all lanes of FM 518 (also known as Friendswood Drive) that spans from approximately FM 2351 to Castlewood Drive in Friendswood.  This project also consists of replacing car sensors for traffic signals that are located underneath the roadway.   While rehabilitation has already begun on the northbound lanes of Friendswood Drive, more asphalt will be laid down on this side of the road before this section is complete.  This includes adding another layer of asphalt on the outside lane that already contains one layer of new asphalt.  The striping that currently exists alon... 09/29/2012

A couple of years ago, I vowed I would never have another garage sale…ever! Well, here we are just a week away from the annual Fall Garage Sale for the Wilderness Trails neighborhood in Friendswood, and I hate to say it, but I am considering putting one together last minute.   There are usually at least 50 sales going on for the fall garage sale in Wilderness Trails, and there is always a lot of traffic through the neighborhood with shoppers looking for good deals. So, it’s a really good time to get rid of unwanted stuff!   I’m not sure yet if I will give in and do a garage sale, but even if I don’t, I plan to get out and visit the neighbors, and see what I can find.   The Wilderness Trails Fall Garage Sale will be held Saturday, October 6, 2012. Most garage sales in the neighborhood wi... 09/29/2012

The pool table stays…how many times have you heard that? I am working with a young couple right now who have made an offer on a home with a pool table in the den. The sellers said, “As an added BONUS,” they will leave the pool table. What a deal!   At first, my buyers were thrilled. But after a while, they started thinking that they might want to use that space for something else. Where could they put that big pool table besides in the den? Would they use it that much? They have decided to tell the sellers they don’t want it.   I don’t know how many homes I have sold where the pool table stays with the house, but it happens a lot. Why do so many people leave their pool tables behind? Probably because they are so much trouble to move!   I have a new listing coming up that has a pool tabl... 09/26/2012

Keep Friendswood Beautiful Committee was established to keep city beautification awareness in the forefront of our citizens. This committee is constantly looking for ways to clean up our city streets and unsightly areas. They suggest merging art into the city’s landscape and other worthy projects throughout the city. The committee has developed Park Pals which is a volunteer group to help bring park needs and beautification to local parks. Park Pals is having a fund raiser to offset some of the park financial needs. The notice below was posted on the city’s web site. If you are looking for a tax write off perhaps this is the ticket! Hope to see you there!                   09/25/2012

National Night Out will be celebrated in Texas on October 2, 2012. The rest of the country celebrates NNO in August, but if you have ever spent an August evening outdoors in Texas with all of the mosquitoes, heat and humidity, you will understand why Texans prefer the October date.   In Friendswood, neighborhoods will be hosting block parties and community events to help build community spirit, help neighbors get to know each other, and send a message to criminals that they are not welcome in our neighborhoods.   National Night Out is designed to accomplish several goals, including:   ·        Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness ·        Generate support for, and participation in, local anti-crime programs ·        Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnership... 09/22/2012