You’ll find everything you want and much more while living in The Woodlands, Texas. The Woodlands is located about 30 minutes north of downtown Houston. This idyllic community is one of the first master planned communities. As it continues to grow, it has already surpassed the plans of the original developers. Contractors are developing new neighborhoods within The Woodlands and continued growth is expected. The Woodlands, Texas is a great place to raise a family, a great place to retire, and an overall great place to live. There is something for everyone in the family, all located in one centralized area. Living in The Woodlands offers numerous advantages. The Woodlands is a great place to raise a family. The schools in the area exceed expectations. Currently there are 26 preschools, 1... 11/12/2014

  Santa is popping up all over the place here in The Woodlands.  Head out with your loved ones early to beat the rush and avoid the long lines.  Santa can be seen at many locations so be sure to find one that works with your schedule:   The Woodlands Mall   Market Street   Rob Fleming Park   Tradition Bank   YMCA   Hope to see your smiling faces soon as you visit with Santa this year!  Merry Christmas to all!  May your holidays be filled with love and laughter! 11/12/2014

  This weekend November November 8 & 9, 2014 will be the 19th Annual Children's Festival at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.  Admission is $8 in advance or $10 in person at the door.  Children ages 2 and under are admitted free.   This exceptional event is packed full of wonderful art activities, performances, science zone, train rides and more!  Be prepared for a full day of really unique things to do!  Bring your own picnic or just enjoy the great food provided at the venue.   Bring the entire family out and enjoy a day at the Pavilion!  Stay late and enjoy a meal on The Waterway, take a Water Cruiser or just stroll along the water!     See you this weekend at the Children's Festival!       11/07/2014

If you are wondering how to stage a house for sale while living in it, here are some tips for you. Rick Raanes at The Rock Star Group is an expert in The Woodlands Real Estate. One of the items that is critically important and that Rick can help you with, is referred to as staging. Rick Raanes knows your buyer's market and is very well versed in what works and what doesn't, this in depth knowledge comes in handy when you're wondering "what is it that they are looking for?" Staging your home in The Woodlands properly can help you sell your woodlands home. Here are some items to consider when staging your home: Walk Into The Light - How to stage a house for sale while living in it starts with opening up those windows and let the light in, natural light is a great feature to have in a home... 11/06/2014

  We have reached the final post in this series of 100 Things to Do in The Woodlands.  If you have missed the first three simply click on the links below!  Enjoy!   76. Stay at a Woodlands Hotel 77. The Woodlands Resort 78. Ride a Trolley 79. Visit a Spa 80. Holly Holly Jingle 81. The Woodlands Antique & Vintage Market 82. Mom's Holiday Market 83. Dance lessons 84. Volunteer for the Vote 85. Superhero Dash 86. Nike Cross Country Invitational 87. The Woodlands Idol 88. Winter Wonderland 89. Brunch in The Woodlands 90. YMCA Dancing With the Stars 91. Holiday Carriage Rides 92. Picnic With Santa 93. Breakfast With Santa 94. Sci Tech 95. In the Pink Luncheon 96. Heart Ball 97. Hometown Heros Gala 98. Hocus Pocus Pops 99. Take a Cooking Class 100. Buy a New House!   We have come to the end o... 11/05/2014

  Continuing on with the 100 things to do here in The Woodlands is Part 3 of this series.  If you have missed the first two installments you can click on the links below to access them.  Enjoy!   51. TWCC Cars & Coffee For A Cause 52. Insperity Invitational Golf Tournament 53. Tennis 54. Children's Museum 55. Jr. League Holiday Market 56. The Woodlands Mall 57. Market Street 58. Market Street Art Show 59. Hubbell & Hudson 60. Easter at The Pavilion 61. Volunteer at a hospital in The Woodlands 62. Libraries 63. East Shore 64. Hughes Landing 65. Cinemark Theatres 66. Trick or Treat Trail 67.  Muddy Bash 68. 4th of July Celebration 69. New Years Celebrations 70. Pizza on the Plaza 71. Community Flea Market 72. Story Time at the Library 73. Gorilla Hole 74. Woodlands Art Gallery 75. Koi Ga... 11/05/2014

There are many things to do in The Woodlands, TX with your family. Keeping kids entertained can be exhausting. If you are looking for entertainment that will keep your kids happy and away from the gaming system for a few hours, The Woodlands, Texas has a lot to offer. Living in the Woodlands, TX, there are plenty of activities that will keep your child engaged, active and entertained. With theaters, parks, museums and pools, there is plenty to keep the entire family entertained all year round. Active Activities and Parks Wonderwild Woodlands This indoor playground is a great way to let your little ones blow off some steam, even when the weather is less than ideal. The indoor area features a jungle gym area, a crocodile themed slide and even a party room for birthday kids. There is a ch... 11/05/2014

This is the 2nd part of the 4 part series, 100 Things To Do In The Woodlands, TX.    Take a minute to click on the different links and try something new this weekend!  Enjoy!   26. YMCA's 27. Villa Sport 28. Ice Skating 29. iWOW  30. Red, White & Hot Festival 31. Community Swimming Pools 32. Parks in The Woodlands 33. Panther Creek Fall Craft Show 34. Creekside Outdoor Movie Night 35. Creekside Pavilion 36. Run Thru The Woods 37. Christmas Church Services 38. Buzz Fest 39. Visit With Santa 40. Local Restaurants 41. Trader Joe's 42. Taste of The Village - Indian Springs 43. OctoberFest 44. Farmer's Market 45. Memorial Day  46. Veteran's Day 47. Local High School Football Games 48. Aquatics Center 49. Restaurants on The Waterway 50. Shopping   Here are the other three blog posts for this... 11/04/2014

Need some ideas for what to do today or perhaps this weekend?  There are always lost of fun things to do here in The Woodlands.  No matter what your interests are, there is something you will find to do here!   This will be a 4-part series on 100 things to do right here in The Woodlands, TX.  Maybe you have experienced some of these and possibly you may find some new things to try!   These are in no particular order!  Each has a link so go and check them out!  Here are the first 25:   1.  Woodlands Waterway Cruisers 2.  Waterway Fountains 3.  Hike & Bike Trails 4.  Kayak Lake Woodlands 5.  Lighting of the Christmas Tree at Market Street 6.  Nordstroms at The Woodlands Mall 7.  Concerts at Northshore Park 8.  Waterway Square Concerts 9.  Market Street Concert Series 10. The Cynthia Wood... 11/04/2014

The Rock Star Group with Keller Williams Realty in The Woodland Texas has experienced real estate agents, who employ unique marketing systems and the latest real estate technology aimed at maximizing your property exposure. Contact Rick Raanes of The Rock Star Group at 281-960-1900 or visit www.TheWoodlandsRockStar.com to get assistance with all your real estate home selling needs. Selling a home can be a cumbersome task, especially in the modern real estate market. Most home sellers find it best to entrust the sale of their most significant investment to a professional, rather than attempting to sell on trial-and-error basis. This is especially because of the complexities of modern real estate transactions, including the legal and financial components. Selecting the ideal agent can ma... 10/30/2014

New FHA Collections guidance that set new guidelines for dealing with collections, judgments & disputed credit accounts First a Few definitions are in order Automated Underwriting System (AUS) - This is where the loan is approved by any ofseveral automated loan risk systems from Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or in the case of FHA the system is called the FHA Total Scorecard Manual Underwriting - In the Case of FHA either the FHA Total Scorecard System cannot approve a loan or in some cases as noted below a loan must be downgraded to a manual underwrite.  In the case of a manual underwrite the allowable debt to income ratios and other factors have lower thresholds so the borrower is not put in a position that would create a higher risk of foreclosure. Ok now we've got that out of the way here ... 10/29/2014

To search The Woodlands Real Estate for sale, visit TheWoodlandsRockStar.com. Want to find out what your home is worth? Check out our home valuation or contact Rick Raanes at 281-960-1900 Sometimes, even a beautifully-staged home listed at an attractive price will not sell because the buyer is hindered by financial constraints. As mortgage lending criteria grow ever tougher, one option sellers might consider is a seller financing arrangement. The Mechanics of Selling on a Contract Seller financing, also known as selling on a contract, is a way to sell The Woodlands real estate property to a non-cash buyer who cannot obtain traditional mortgage finance. When you sell on a contract, the buyer makes monthly payments to the seller in return for the right to live in the home. The loan is usu... 10/29/2014

A home Construction loan otherwise known as an Interim home Construction Loan is an easy way to get the home of your dreams.  No more are you stuck in a cookie cutter tract home subdivision that has as much personality as a cardboard box.  Instead you can start with the blank sheet of paper and have an Architect design the home of you dreams and contract a builder to build that home and in most cases for less cost and better workmanship than a comparable tract home development project. We are one of the few home constriction loan specialists in The Woodlands, Texas area that can do both the one-time and two-time Interim home Construction Loan more about those later. Home Construction Loan differences versus regular purchase loans Interim home Construction loans are an unique because th... 10/28/2014

If you are looking to sell your home in The Woodlands, TX, contact the Rock Star Group at 281-960-1900. Want to know how much your home is worth in The Woodlands, TX? Visit TheWoodlandsRockStar.com to find out. Bidding wars were big news in the crazy days of the real estate bubble. Then, stories of multiple offers and frenzied buyers paying well over the asking price were commonplace. While we are a far cry from the frenetic buying activity that took place pre-housing crash, bidding wars are making a comeback. This spells opportunity for sellers who know how to spur this type of buyer interest in their property. Here are six strategies for homeowners in The Woodlands, TX on driving your own bidding war. Price to sell Bidding wars happen when inventory is tight. Keen home seekers know e... 10/23/2014

I love this time of year when the Pumpkin Patches start popping up all over town.  There are many churches that have great pumpkin patches as well as farmers in the area.  Grab your kids, your grandchildren and your camera and head out to a fun pumpkin patch!   Faith United Methodist Church September 28, 2014 - October 25, 20149:00 AM - 4:00 PM   Christ Church United Methodist October 12, 2014 - October 31, 2014 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM  First Christian Church         October 19, 2014 - October 31, 2014  / Mondays-Saturdays 10:00 a.m. - dusk / Sundays                    noon - dusk.   Old Time Christmas Tree Farm        October 2014 - Saturdays & Sundays 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.   7 Acre Wood - Conroe, TX       Tuesday - Friday  9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.  Saturday 9:00 - 5:00 p.m.  Sunday noon - 5:... 10/23/2014

Is renting or owning a home in The Woodlands TX better for you? To make the right decision, there are a number of things to take into consideration such as your finances, lifestyle, the economy, and the housing market in the neighborhood that interests you.   The Housing Market and You It’s always wise to consider the economy and what’s happening in the housing market where you want to live when considering buying a house. Take into consideration anything in the city that has contributed towards an economic downturn such as the closing of a major industry, a long-term strike, work slow-downs due to a natural disaster, and so forth. An economic downturn will work in your favour if you aren’t affected and if you plan to stay long term. On the other hand, if you will need to resell in a f... 10/22/2014

Conventional 30 year Mortgage: 4.125% Credit score:740 LTV:80% Loan Amount:$200k APR: 4.39% FHA 30 year:3.875% Credit Score:640 LTV:96.5% loan amount:$200k APR:5.37% Conventional 15 year:3.25% Credit score:740 LTV:80% Loan Amount:$200k APR:3.42%   Rates are Subject to Change Call me today if you are thinking of refinancing or buying a home, for the best mortgage rate possible. 10/22/2014

Trey Dean Properties, a Woodlands Texas real estate service, are anything but ordinary. From the first initial contact to the closing of your real estate transaction you will experience the highest level professionalism and sense of comfort knowing that Trey Dean Properties is committed to providing you with the service and results you want. Trey Dean Properties, is experienced in all areas of buying and selling of real estate process however we specialize in luxury / high-end real estate in the Woodlands, Magnolia, Tomball, Conroe, Spring Texas area. We also have partnered with some the industries best and brightest that in turn provide you the client unparalleled service and complete satisfaction. Benefits of working with Trey Dean Properties Trey Dean Properties is a "Boutique style"... 10/21/2014

10 Easy Ways to Stage Your Home in The Woodlands TX Staging a property presents the building and surrounding landscape in the best light possible. Use these simple and effective staging activities to make any property look better, sell faster and fetch a higher price.   1. Remove clutter Your house in The Woodlands TX should be completely free of clutter everywhere. This means no junk drawers, closets stacked full of things, or stacks of papers on countertops. If you cannot de-clutter because you no longer fit in the house, rent a storage unit and move some of your things there until you sell the house.   2. Make it smell good Have you ever noticed that every house has an odor to it? If you’re not sure about the odor in your house, just assume it’s not very good and proceed accordingly... 10/18/2014

  Traffic as we most commonly refer to it is something that most of us dread!  When it comes to listing your home however, TRAFFIC IS A GOOD THING!  The kind of traffic I am referring to is Internet traffic and showing traffic!  Selling your home in The Woodlands, TX is a good thing since we are knee-deep into a Seller's market!   Having the ability to check on your Internet traffic report 24/7 can tell you many things:   How many people are looking at your home online and what links are they clicking on. The traffic data is a great way to evaluate what is going on in the market. Lots of Internet traffic with few showings after the first few days on the market can indicate a red flag somewhere.  Re-evaluate comparative market analysis with your agent.  Look at time of year.   Real estat... 10/09/2014