Let's face it.  Home Maintenance is NOT fun, especially down here in Texas where it is Hot, Humid...then to put work on top of it.  Maintenance just slips our mind sometimes.  Hurricane Ike was a small reminder that we should not forget about these things. When Ike rolled through, it pointed out all of the weak areas of our homes.  For some homes it was siding- Others it was fencing and trees.  How about roof damage? One thing that I think would be good for us to consider is maybe once a year, the Spring in Coastal areas, to take a look around the exterior of our homes to see if there is anything that needs to be done.  Once Hurricane season rolls through, it could be too late.  So, here is a list that I recommend us to check out ATLEAST once a year. Fences-  So, they may look a little ... 09/22/2008

Finally got power on Day 8 after Hurrican Ike.  It has been crazy.  Neighbors starting to put fences back up, debris starting to get taken away, Insurance Adjusters coming out and making some people happy, others not so much.  Overall, most of us were lucky and walked away alive and well. Up here in the Suburbs on the North side of Houston called Spring- Just south of The Woodlands, North of Downtown.  Something I often hear from folks relocating in to Houston is "Do we need to be concerned with Hurricanes this Far North?"  Well, the answer depends on what you are worried about.  Flooding? Winds?  Tornadoes?  Although not often, we can get some damage up here atleast 75 miles from the coast. Typically there is not a whole lot to worry about.  The storm will come through, we have a littl... 09/21/2008

The Aftermath of Hurricane Ike in Spring TX!! The last time I wrote a post I was getting prepared for Hurricane Ike.  That was a week ago and a week later these are scenes from the aftermath in my little part of the world in Spring TX.  In my last post I was concerned about being on the bad side of the hurricane which actually didn't happen; these are scenes from being on the good side of Hurricane Ike.  We missed the eye by about 15 miles from what I hear but that was quite okay with me.  We are really blessed that we didn't have fatalities in Harris County from the actual hurricane.  From what I understand we really didn't have that many deaths in all of Texas from the actual hurricane.  I'm glad that we prepared the way we did because at this point we still don't have power and we he... 09/17/2008

The complete flip was under 90 days!  Once back on the market it SOLD in 21 days!  This home was originally over priced and eventually sold after 97 days for $18,000 under the beginning asking price.  This amazing Home Flip shows how importatant a few things are: Paint Gorgeous photo's Staging De-clutter and Clean Excellent location in Spring, Texas Great School District The right Realtor Before: AFTER:    Before: AFTER:    Before: AFTER:    Before:  AFTER: Before:  AFTER:    Before:  AFTER:  Before:    AFTER:  (granite counters and new appliances were added)   Before:    AFTER:  Before:    AFTER:      Before: AFTER:   House Flip SOLD in 19 days ~ BEFORE & AFTER photo's Amazing Home Flip .. Before & AFTER photo's .. $80,000 foreclosure Houston Texas Celebrity Home is Painted & Staged fo... 09/06/2008

  Windrose is a master planned community in Spring TX.  It is located between Kuykendahl and 2920 with easy access to I-45, the Beltway and SH 249.  It sprawls over an area of 1121 acres of land and has approximately 2000 homes. As one of the premier communities in Spring it includes an 18 hole golf championship golf course winding through the neighborhood.  The club includes a full service golf shop, PGA golf teaching center, and full service grill. The fairways meander through century old Oak and Pine trees.  The Club Amenities include a Twelve acre driving range, 10,000 square foot driving green.   There's a Meeting house for the residents to get together.  There are lots of programs and ways to get involved in the community.  Located near the Meeting house you will find tennis court... 09/03/2008

ExploreSpring.com celebrates its 1 year anniversary as the online community guide for Spring, TX and "the place to be" for businesses and residents this month! In honor of its 1st Anniversary, ExploreSpring.com is seeking entries for its online photo contest that capture the essence of Spring, Texas into a single image and inspire ExploreSpring.com’s viewers to explore the destination themselves. Spring, TX, September 1, 2008. – Launching on September 25, 2007 ExploreSpring.com set out to provide user friendly resources for businesses, travelers, and residents to connect online and find all information pertinent to Spring and the surrounding area. From up-to-date information on Local News, Events, to Restaurants, Places to Stay, Shopping, Services, Weddings, Events, Real Estate, Local A... 09/01/2008

I say tattered flags in Spring TX but these tattered flags probably also occur in Anywhere USA.  I counted tattered flags on my way home from appointments the other day.  Within about a 6 mile stretch of road I counted 6 tattered United States flags and that didn't even take in to account the tattered Texas flags.  Texas is a very patriotic state and we love flying our flags but I just think we need to be more respectful of their condition.  The only flag that was not tattered in that stretch of road was the flag that flies in my own subdivision.  I have to be honest on that one though.  A few years ago it was looking very sad and I called the President of our Association and asked her about getting a new flag.  She was very apologetic and a new flag appeared very shortly after my phone... 08/27/2008

Spring Texas Real Estate: Market Report July 2008 What's going on with the Spring TX Real Estate Market? •  Decrease in closed sales. The 2008 YTD closed sales for MLS area 13 was 1,629 which is a decrease of 14.6%. •  Decrease in single-family median homes price of 1.8%.  Even though the Spring Texas Real Estate market is experiencing a decrease in closed sales the GOOD NEWS is that our home prices are still remaining stable with only a small decrease over 2007.   • Spring Texas homes remain affordable.  At $143,400, our area's single-family median home price is over 30% less than the national median explaining why Spring Texas homes were ranked #14 for affordability.    •  Increase in Days on Market (DOM) from 72 to 90.  With fewer buyers in the market and plenty of homes to choose fr... 08/26/2008

There is no denying that our real estate taxes in Spring Texas are higher than in other states. But you shouldn't ONLY take into consideration real estate taxes when considering whether its affordable to live in Spring Texas.   For 18 consecutive years the nonpartisan Tax Foundation has published an estimate of the combined state-local burden of each of the 50 states. And they have just released the State and Local tax burden estimates for 2008 and our big state of Texas came in as the 8th lowest state in state-local tax burden.  And this rating of being in the top 10 lowest states in state-local tax burden is not a flux. We have enjoyed this ranking for the last four years.  We, Texans, pay 8.4 percent of our income in state and local taxes, compared to New Jersey at 11.8 percent, New ... 08/26/2008

One of our family favorite places to beat the summer heat in Houston is SplashTown USA! Located off I-45 and 2920 it is a summer fun destination since the 1980's. SplashTown offers fun in the sun with lots of water activities. As you approach the palm tree-lined entrance you escape to a 53 acre water world were age boundaries drop away and everyone is young again.         From sun bathing to wild rides SplashTown offers a little of everything in a safe family environment. With plenty of lifeguards and multiple aquatic activity areas even the smallest of tots can find a water haven to let their imagination run wild playing pirates and shooting water cannons in the Crocodile Isle   Sit by the wave pool and soak up the rays or swim down the Guadalupe River Ride and let your troubles drift ... 08/23/2008

Its always amazing what can be done with professional decorating, designer paint choices, new flooring and FANTASTIC photo's! The Dining Room received fresh paint and stone flooring Formal Living Room and view of the gorgeous Study with built-ins:   Master Bedroom:    The Master Bath:  The Kitchen: GORGEOUS Breakfast Room: Huge Game / Billiards Room: The Backyard: Its incredible what you can get for your money in the Spring, Houston, Texas area ... This stunning 7357sf home, located on over one acre, overlooking the golf course in the Raveneaux Champions / Champion Forest area is only 1.1 million.  Relocation clients are always amazed at the prices of homes here! House Flip sells in 21 days! ~ Before & AFTER photo's!!!!!!! Celebrity Home is Painted & Staged for 90k Profit ~ Before & AFT... 08/23/2008

Coventry in Spring TX celebrates National Night out! I live in the subdivision of Coventry and I'm on our Coventry social committee.  I have been on lots of committees for lots of different organizations but if you want to be on a fun committee choose the social committee.  We basically plan our Coventry subdivision parties.  We recently had our first very successful Coventry Night out.  We thought we were planning the event for the National Night out but when we checked with Target to see about getting some of their freebies we found out that Texas is the only state in the Union who changed their National Night out to October.  We had already made the plans for the event so we decided to continue on; or so we thought. A little tropical storm/hurricane called Eduardo complicated our Nat... 08/20/2008

We have lived in the Spring Texas area for 11 years and we LOVE living here. I have to be honest we had reservations about moving here. My husband's job transferred us out of Denver and Houston was one of our options but we wanted no part of Houston. In our mind it was a big dirty city with lots of oil refineries. Instead we went to North Carolina which is a beautiful state but far away from all our friends and family who were in Kansas, Colorado and Texas. 2 ½ years later we were transferred again. This time we bit the dust and came to the Houston area. God knew what he was doing because I don't know that we would have been as happy here had we not traveled so far from family to begin with. We love living in Spring! We have a Spring mailing but are very close to Tomball, The Woodlands... 08/17/2008

In its latest issue, Money Magazine, announced the "Top 25″ cities where homes are affordable. And coming in at #14 on the list of affordability is Spring Texas homes. With an annual median family income of $74,298 and a 2007 median home price of $131,005, its easy to understand why the residents of Spring Texas enjoy a comfortable lifestyle. Often I receive calls from potential Spring Texas homebuyers asking "What's wrong with the house that you have on the market for $155,000?"  The answer is nothing's wrong with the house. Its just our market prices. Or the other question is "Why are all the houses so cheap?"  The answer is a two-part answer. First, the Spring Texas real estate market has not experienced the huge price appreciation that other parts of the U.S. has keeping our housing... 08/16/2008

Spring Texas - Explore Forest RidgeForest Ridge is a new community tucked away in Spring TX off Spring-Stuebner Rd built by KB Homes. Beautiful new homes in Forest Ridge, North Harris County, Texas. An Energy Star qualified community, Forest Ridge features a Lake entry with fountains and benches and great amenities. Residents enjoy a volleyball and basketball courts, walking trails, park and covered pavilion. Homes start in the low hundreds and range from 1,200 – 2,500 square feet. With easy access to great shopping and dining in Old Town Spring and The Woodlands, I-45, Bush Intercontinental Airport, and the Hardy Toll Road Forest Ridge is a great place to raise a family. Students in Forest Ridge attend acclaimed Klein ISD Schools—Kreinhop Elementary, Schindwolf Intermediate, and Klein ... 08/15/2008

The release of the latest TEA (Texas Education Agency) school ratings have left some Spring Texas school teachers and principals beaming with joy and some down right crowing from their accomplishments.  The TEA rates schools and districts primarily based upon the test results of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS). A standardized test that is administered to students in grades 3 - 11. The ratings given by the TEA to the schools and districts are (E) - Exemplary, (R) - Recognized, (A) - Academically Acceptable, and (U) - Unacceptable.  The ratings are one of the ways parents evaluate Spring Texas schools in determining the quality of education provided to their children.    13 schools (37% of the campuses) in the Klein School District improved their ratings.  The most not... 08/15/2008

Vintage Park, an upscale town center shopping center, announces its first Summer Events schedule. On the following Saturdays, August 2 and 16, September 13 and 20 from 4 - 6 pm enjoy live music plus additional entertainment for the kids at Vintage Park. The recently opened Vintage Park is located at the HWY 249 and Louetta intersection in Northwest Houston. Careful attention to detail has been paid in the construction of the Mediterranean architecture structure including hand-laid pavers, stone columns, clay tile roofs, and hand painted murals.  Vintage Park's first tenant of Potbelly Sandwich Works opened its doors in December of 2007. Since then construction has been completed on additional buildings with more tenants moving in including Imagination Toys and Shoes, Eminence Fine Furni... 08/15/2008

  Property Type:   SingleFamily       Status:   Sold SubjectProperty                                 MLS# Closed Date Address Subdiv. BR Bths # Gar Pool Lot SqFt Bldg SqFt Yr List Price Sold Price SP/ SF Adjusted SP Adj. SP/SF DOM LP/SP % 9511626  7/25/2008  5327 SPRINGTON LN  TERRANOVA SEC 2  4  2/1  2  Y  9,375  2,662  1979  $99,500  $105,000  $39.44  $101,850  $38.26  292*  1.06  7308504  7/25/2008  5210 Cobble Lane  Terranova  4  2/1  2  N  9,375  2,623  1979  $154,950  $154,950  $59.07  $148,150  $56.48  45  1.00  3569720  7/11/2008  5603 SPRINGTON LN  TERRANOVA WEST SEC 1  4  2/1  3  N  14,172  3,116  1982  $174,900  $168,250  $54.00  $168,250  $54.00  126*  0.96  6704863  7/06/2008  17718 TERRANOVA WEST DR  TERRANOVA WEST SEC 1  4  2/1  2  Y  9,480  2,476  1981  $179,000  $174,00... 08/09/2008

"Quality, Affordability, and Tranquility in the Heart of the Spring Independent District!"Spring Texas - Explore Lexington Woods NorthLexington Woods North is a vibrant community located in the Spring Independent School District (SISD) 20 miles north of Houston. A quaint community located in Spring, Texas near the Hardy Toll Road, contains over 1400 homes, ranging from 10 year to 30 years. With a mixture of single- and two-story home, priced from the low 80’s to the 130’s makes Lexington Woods North a great neighborhood for the 1st time buyer, a family or a couple looking to retire. Property tax rates are normal to low for the area, with a rate before homestead exemptions of approximately 3 %, including school district, county taxes and water district taxes. An extremely popular subdivi... 08/08/2008

The first day of school is around the corner, and on August 25, all Spring Schools will be back in session. Spring, Klein, and Conroe ISD have all published their back to school events in one form or another. To help the parents get ready ExploreSpring has consolidated all of the Back 2 School information for you on one calendar.  From tax free weekend to orientations, to textbook pickup, ExploreSpring, has pulled all the information together for you on one resource. So check out August's calendar to see what your local Spring elementary, intermediate, junior high, or high school is doing, so you don't miss a beat! About ExploreSpring.comExplore Spring Texas is a locally owned and operated online city guide and business directory for Spring TX. Here you can find all kinds of services - ... 08/07/2008