Today we observed a touching sight.  You know, one of those visions that make you say: “ahhhh!”   As we approached Beautiful Downtown Tomball TX on SH 249, there was suddenly a bottleneck in the traffic flow.  At 1:00 on a HOT Saturday afternoon this is not normal.   As we got closer to the source of the tie up we saw an SUV under the propulsion of two country gents, giving it all they had pushing it.  Since it was approximately 102 degrees on our patio just a short distance and time ago, I am guessing it felt like 110 degrees or more on the asphalt.  The SUV was at the bottom of an incline over a bridge abutment.  Not a good place to be without horsepower.  No place to pull over.   Just a few feet further past the assisted vehicle, at the top of the hill just past the bridge, was a pa... 06/20/2011

  Quite a tasty Lasagna lookalike but far healthier than pasta.   Use a rectangular casserole pan Serves about 12 people generously   Ingredients: 2 large yellow squash 3 large zucchini 1 medium eggplant One and a half cups crumbled feta cheese 1 cup Parmesan cheese 1 and a half cups marinara. 2 tablespoons of Jeanne's cajun spice (patterned after Emeril's Bayou Blast)   Cut the squash lengthwise very thinly. (preferably on a mandolin) The squash should look like lasagna noodles....  The egglant should be peeled and sliced in pretty little circles as thin as you can get them. Place a layer of marinara and a layer of feta on top of each layer of squash alternating till you get the pan filled. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top, add a dash of parsley and a dash of “ Louisiana Lightning S... 06/19/2011

Excuse me, but when did the technology in our lives go from nice to essential?     I am more and more aware that we have little or no control over how we are treated in the cell phone realm.  We have become slaves to those electronic leashes.  In most cases we are dependent upon these things being reliable.   Today we spent several hours sitting in one phone place or another (ATT store and service center.)  The repair center was our final destination, and it is not on our way to anything.  This is the fourth time in six weeks that my e-mail has refused to be transmitted to my  Blackberry, and it would not send anything either.  The e-mail worked fine from my desk top which is wired to my desk at the office, but when it came time to hit the road, I was without it.   Sure, I accept that ... 06/16/2011

One of the most heart rending experiences we have ever been through involved making some folks leave their home.  We worked for many banks and savings and loan establishments at the time, doing BPOs and REOs for distressed properties.   It was just a matter of time before we got a request to drive out into the country and visit with some people who were very delinquent with their payments.  We were told to offer them a coupe of thousand dollars in exchange for their moving their stuff off the property.   We went out, no one was home.  We left a notice that they had until the following week to move all their things out and leave the property broom swept.  If they would do that, we would be able to give them the money.   A few days later they dropped by our office.  Ralph took them to th... 06/15/2011

Yesterday afternoon, Principal Carol Houston of the new Tomball Memorial High School (opening Fall 2011) conducted an informal 45 minute tour for fifteen area Realtors this afternoon.  The freshly finished facility (well... almost finished) is located at the back of Northpointe Subdivision just a few miles south of Beautiful Downtown Tomball.   Any youngster would love learning how to learn here.  There are state of the art rooms for drama, flower arranging, dance, computer labs, library, a huge auditorium, a professional quality gymnasium and so much more.  We were just astounded.  It kind of made us want to go back to High School!   Our guide was informative, gracious and very knowledgeable and you can tell she is truly excited and ready to bring this new facility on line and begin m... 06/15/2011

Flag day rolls around every year at this time.  It appears to be being observed less and less.  Sort of like the National Day of Prayer was basically ignored a few days ago.  Does anyone see a pattern here?  I did not hear anything to remind us about the day.  Wonder why?   As we were out driving around two counties today, I was making a special effort to see how many flags were being displayed.  They were out at all the usual places, banks, municipal buildings and cemeteries.  It seems that we once saw many more homeowners displaying the flag on this special patriotic day.  Some entire subdivisions once made it a visual delight...  Did you fly your flag today?   06/14/2011

A few months back Houston and some of its outlying areas started using Chloramine in the water system instead of Chlorine.  There were notices up all over the place that if you had this illness or that malady then you should not drink the stuff.  You shouldn't put it in aquariums because it would not play well with your fish. Hmmmmm...... doesn't speak well of this junk does it?   Now I'm noticing that any plants that I water with it out in the yard are turning yellow and looking a bit puny....  Seems to me that this just might be a clue that we shouldn't be drinking it, bathing in it or using it for any thing.  I think I'm going to have to look into filtration systems and get this vile concoction out of our water. If you're thinking of buying a home, I suggest that you also look into p... 06/12/2011

A favorite older person once told me that God did not give me extra hours in my days even when I committed to do more than time would allow.   It was a concept that I fought for years but have finally come to accept.   I think fondly of my friend and her wisdom on days like today.  When even getting up earlier than is comfortable will not allow me to get everything done that has been scheduled.     We started out with a walk through report on a partially finished home that is under construction.  Then we will drive to one of our listings to put out flyers with a price reduction.  After that we will enjoy a pleasant drive to Conroe to do more marketing and add some signage to a new listing, While we are out there we will do some freshening up since that property has been vacant for a wh... 06/11/2011

Good Morning -- Pictures of a Magnificent Sunset Last Night I saw this sunset last night as I was leaving my office and decided to go over to the parking lot of Lone Star CollegeTomball so I wouldn't have any wires or obstructions in the picture. The lining to this cloud is what first caught my eye.  This was about 8pm. The sun is fully behind the cloud and it is making the edges of the cloud look really beautiful.    As I got closer to my house I happed to look down the bayou when I was crossing a bridge and the sun was breath taking.  This picture does not do it justice.  It was a huge red ball, just glorious. This picture may be a little distorted.  It was shot with a 16X zoom. When you are ready to zoom in on a new home purchase, make sure and call me to make the home purchase an en... 06/07/2011

$$FREE List of Tomball Rental Properties$$ From Your Tomball Real Estate Professional Email me at liz.flint@hotmail.comfor a FREE list of Tomball Rental Properties.  Make sure and give the following information so I can find the right house for you: Min # Bedrooms Min # Baths Min # Garage spaces price range location (Tomball proper or outlying areas) When do you need to move # and type of pets Anything else that is important to you Give me email address where you want the listings sent Once I receive your email, I will pull the listings that correspond to what you are looking for, and send them to you.  Email a list of the MLS#'s to me along with a preferred time to view the properties, and then I will set up appointments.  Please make sure ALL the decision makers go on the first outing... 06/07/2011

  After running the roads around Tomball and Rosehill since 1978 it is always a thrill to find something new and different! What a find it is too! Fresh, beautiful fruits and vegetables uniquely displayed among ceramic and wood art or yard art...   On FM 2920 just west of “Beautiful Downtown Tomball is “Fresh Pickings Farm & Garden Market.” It is next door to a Mexican restaurant named “Julios.” Convenient to Tomball, Rosehill, Cypress, Hockley and Magnolia, there is nothing else quite like it anywhere nearby, or that shows as much potential to be a super source for special shopping.  We're betting it will grow to be like the original Farmers Market down in Houston.     From watermelons to peaches, okra to cilantro, this place has quality freshly picked produce. It is not a truck farm, ... 06/06/2011

One of the purposes of having a home, is to have a place to enjoy life from.   If your health is not good, there is very little about life to enjoy. We have watched this premise on many levels over the past several years.   For the past four years we have found that there is a way to boost the healing going on in your body. The body is “fearfully and wonderfully made.” It can overcome a lot of the daily abuses we put it through if we give it a little extra care from time to time. Since we are caring people, we felt that this extra healthy benefit that we have tripped over should be shared.   Are you aware that there is a part of your feet, and your hands that has a corresponding part of your body? Wow! It is not as much a surprise if you have truly ingested the concept that YOU are a wo... 06/06/2011

    We frequently hear people admonish us to Stop and smell the roses. That is bound to be healthy advise. Life is full of beauty and fragrance that is fleeting, and we can never get too much of either one.   A couple of years ago we were cleaning up around a house we had listed where the owners had moved on and left a lot of stuff behind. There by the garage was a spindly plant with two green leaves coming from the top. It was not clear what it was. It was clear that the weather was getting very cold and since this plant looked tender, we put it in the car and took it home to keep it safe from the winter weather. We babied it through two winters and both times it rewarded us with shedding all its leaves.   About a week ago when it was moved out from the safety of the covered patio int... 06/03/2011

***Do You Need A Rental HouseIn Tomball Or Magnolia?*** When you need a rental property in Tomball or Magnolia, contact me and we will start the process to find the perfect house for you.  Call or email me and give me your search criteria and your email, and I will send listings for you to choose from.  I will then make appointments for your favorites, and then we will go to see the properties.  Finally, you fill out an application and I process it along the following documents: Texas Drivers License Two months worth of paycheck stubs (2 years tax returns if self-employed) Social Security card (not all landlords recommend this, but most do) A credit report if you have it (you can pull this for free once a year) Money for an application fee (this can run between $35 - 110 depending on th... 06/03/2011

  There are many wonderful gated communities in Tomball Independent School District, including . . . . . .. Canyon Gate at Northpointe:  A Master Planned Community.  (Some sections are gated, some are not.) Location:  Off of Hwy. 249 between Spring Cypress and Boudreaux. Tomball Independent School District (Tomball ISD) Approx. Price Range of Homes: $125,000 to $250,000 Approx. Age of Homes:  1998 to 2006 Approx. Size of Homes: 1,450 sq.ft. to 4,900 sq.ft. Approx. Lot Sizes:4,700 to 24,500 . .. Carlton Woods Creekside - A Gated Golf Course Community Location: Just off of Kuykendahl and just south of The Woodlands Tomball Independent School District (Tomball ISD) Approx. Price Range of Homes:  $1,000,000 to $4,600,000 Approx. Age of Homes:  2005 to Present Approx. Size of Homes: 4,000 sq... 05/29/2011

10 Easy Stress Busters, an excerpt from an article in First for Women, April 25, 2011. Make someone smile-- this evaporates tension. Reach for the sky -- exercise for at least 30 seconds reduces the stress hormone output. Put on comfy clothes/pj's -- reduces stress level in 60 seconds. Crunch on raw vegetables - chewing on crunchy foods puts out endorphins and slashes stress levels by up to 20 percent. Lower your voice -- talking softly reduces stress levels within two minutes. Open a window for 10 minutes twice daily cuts levels of carbon dioxide and ozone gases. Eat 1 oz chocolate -- the phenylethylamine in chocolate boots production of serotonin. Sneak in beans -- add 1 cup to your daily diet to quell chronic anxiety in as little as 72 hours. Cuddle up with a heating pad - can switch... 05/23/2011

***Carnival in Tomball, TX**** For two more weeks, this carnival will be in Tomball.  This Ferris wheel is visible for miles up and down FM 249 (Tomball Parkway). This kiddie ride looks cute. What little boy doesn't like motorcycles? Do the bumper cars bring back memories from childhood? A jeep driving ride.  (Kind of reminds me of Jurassic Park minus the dinosaurs.) They have lots of flashing lights to attract business. This fun slide used to be know as a super slide when I was a kid. This looks like an interesting ride.  Hope you can get by and visit this carnival and have some fun.  It is behind the Silverado Theather on FM249 between Northpointe and Boudreaux, and next to the nursery. 05/22/2011

I was at lunch at Schlotzsky's yesterday and couldn't resist taking a picture of this darling little smart car in the parking lot. The eyelashes are just adorable.  Someone was really creative to imagine and follow through with the invention of the eyelashes.  The symbol on the front looks like a mercedes, is it??? I'm glad she has her god fish to help protect her.  I would not want to get into an accident in one of these cars.  This is an adorable little car, the eyelashes only enhance the "cuteness". Here is a matching blue smart car.  This purple hibiscus is next to the side door at the Century 21 Hardee-Team Realty Office in Tomball.  It blooms every year, but this year it seems like the blooms started coming on very late in the spring. Here is another of the flowers.  The mini peta... 05/18/2011

Canyon Gate at NorthpointeTomball, TX   Market Report April 30, 2011   Active Listings in Canyon Gate at Northpointe (Always up-to-date)   As of April 30, 2011 . . .    No. of Homes CURRENTLY ON THE MARKET:  27 Homes Price Range                                                    $114,900 to $250,000 Average Days on the Market:   .                 . . .  94 Days Average Price per Sq. Ft.:  $61.17      No. of Homes CURRENTLY IN PENDING: 4 Homes Price Range:     ..............                      $124,000 to $185,900 Average Days on the Market:......             96 Days      No. of Homes SOLD  in 2011 -- (January 1, 2011 to April 30, 2011):  . . . . 16 Homes Price Range:  ............................................ $99,000 to $260,000 Average Days on the Market:  .......             78 ... 05/11/2011

Fire at Tomball Parkway and Holderreith Rd Tuesday May 10th, 2011.  Here was the scene as I approached Holderreith.  The grass is VERY dry here. I saw this fire yesterday when I was driving home from the Century 21 office.   There were lots of emergency vehicles. I must commend the fire department and the police officers on duty.  They handled the whole situation with only shutting down one lane and not blocking the traffic at all. There is a burn ban in effect, please do not throw your cigarette butts out the window. 05/11/2011