Auburn Lakes is a Golf Course Community in Spring TX; one that I like to call one of the area's best kept secrets.  With a Community Center, Golf Course and Country Club, and Gorgeous Landscaped Lakes with Fountains you drive in to a breathtaking Community. There are several sections still being built-One of those is the Estates section with many of the same Custom Builders as Carlton Woods starting about $500K all the way up to $1 Million.  In other sections you will find Lennar and Imperial for example that are building below $300,000.  The Courts at Auburn Lakes is a section of Custom Patio Homes built by Cannon Custom Homes.   November and December were not too active in Auburn Lakes.  Many of the homes availabe are currently under construction in all price ranges.  Auburn Lakes Nov... 01/03/2008

Well, we have approached our Second Season of the year in Houston which also means that it is a New Year!  It's January 2008! Houston and its' Suburbs have maintained quite well this year in comparison to many parts of the Nation.  More specifically, Imperial Oaks continues to attract many buyers and keep several Move Up Sellers. Imperial Oaks opened their new section, The Falls, this year.  A Beautiful setting around Nature where you will find Ponds, Walking Trails, a Dog Park, Fitness Center and anything else you can imagine.  As usual, I will start out with a couple of properties currently available in the Community. This first one, although you may never know by looking at it, is a Foreclosure.  It has New Paint, New Carpet, and some amazing Curb Appeal.  With 4 Bedrooms, 2 1/2 Bath... 01/03/2008

PROPERTY TAXES SPRING TEXASOne of the easiest ways to Reduce your Spring Texas property taxes is by filing for your homestead exemption.  The homestead exemption removes part of the assessed value of your property from taxation and thus lowers your taxes. The assessed value of your home is the value placed on your home by either the Harris or Montgomery County for the purposes of determining your local property taxes. The three types of homestead exemptions, which you may be eligible for are general homestead, over 65 homeowner, and homeowner with disability. In order to qualify for the homestead exemption:    You must own your home on January 1st of the tax year.     You must use the home as your principal residence.  The main thing to remember is even if you qualify for the homestead ... 01/02/2008

CANDLELIGHT HILLS: SPRING TX REAL ESTATECandlelight Hills is conveniently located 2 miles west of I45 off of Louetta in Spring TX. The neighborhood also stretches to the south of Cypresswood. Candlelight Hills is an established wooded subdivision with sidewalks. Some of the trees that you will find providing shade to their owners are tall old majestic live oaks, crepe myrtles, tall skinny pines, and beautifully fragrant Magnolias. The neighborhood has numerous culdesac streets and 1/4 acre lots. Grocery stores, fast food restaurants, home improvement stores, day care, Walmart, and Super Target are within 3 miles.         Candlelight Hill's amenities of a swimming pool, tennis courts, playground area, picnic tables, and clubhouse. Their pool is home to the division winning Candlelight Hi... 12/30/2007

CYPRESSWOOD GLEN: SPRING TX REAL ESTATECypresswood Glen is conveniently located 2.5 miles from I45 off of Louetta in Spring TX. There are over 270 families that call the wooded, pine and hardwood tree neighborhood of Cypresswood Glen "Home". Grocery stores, fast food restaurants, home improvement stores, day care, Walmart, and Super Target are within 3 miles.        Situated on about 3 acres of land are Cypresswood Glen's amenities of a basketball court, swimming pool, tennis courts, playground area, picnic tables, and pavilion.        The HOA publishes a FREE monthly newsletter titled The Gazette to inform the residents of subdivision news. Organized neighborhood activities include Yard of the month contests, Holiday lighting contests, Breakfast in the park with Santa, annual garage sa... 12/30/2007

COUNTRY LAKE ESTATES: SPRING TX REAL ESTATECountry Lake Estates is conveniently located 2.5 miles from 145 off of Louetta in Spring TX. Its three entrances to the South and one entrance to the West provides easy access into and out of the neighborhood. There are 486 lots in the subdivision. Village Builders, a Lennar Company, was the builder of the first 389 homes. Gehan is expected to be the builder of the remaining 97 homes in Country Lake Estates.        Location, quality of homes, quality of public school education, and neighborhood amenities are the reasons why people choose to call Country Lake Estates "HOME". Haven't decided what's for dinner? Kroger is five minutes away. Don't want to cook tonight? McDonalds, Wendys, Boston Home Market, Pizza Hut and Sonic are all within five mi... 12/29/2007

Are you spending New Year's Eve in Spring Texas? Here are a few ideas on how to ring in the New Year. The information below is for 2007:  Sam Houston Race Park - Spend the evening at the Race Park. Live Racing starts at 7 pm. Package deals are available. The $35 Winner's Circle Package includes admission, live racing program, reserved seat, grande buffet, party favors, champagne, live music, and fireworks at midnight. A good price for a lot of entertainment. The Centrum- Spend the evening listening to the Houston Symphony play at the Centrum. The Houston Symphony will be performing Rossini's Overture to La cenerentola, several character dances from Tchanikovsky's The Nutcracker, the Overture from Bernstein's West Side Story, selections from Gershwin's Porgy & Bess, and more. The perform... 12/29/2007

In a comparison with other school districts in the greater Houston Texas metropolitan area, Klein school district has the second lowest property tax rate. Klein school district is located in Spring Texas. The Klein school district property tax rate for 2007 is $1.26 per $100 valuation. The award winning Klein schools offer a good public education for a relatively low tax rate and is one of the many reasons that people enjoy the lifestyle available to them in Spring Texas. The school district tax rate is one of the three components of the overall property tax rate paid by Spring TX homeowners. The other two components of the tax rate are the county and the MUD with the school and the MUD being the two largest components. Read also:Why are Texas Property Taxes so HIGH? Jill Wente - for al... 12/28/2007

 Home for the Holidays. Nov. 10-Dec. 24. Over 150 shops decorated with thousands of twinkling lights welcome visitors to a season of unique Christmas gift shopping. Location: Old Town Spring, 403 Main Street, Spring, TX. Call 888-U-STOP-IN for more info.  Visit www.redesignetc.com a full-service Home Staging & Redesign Company serving Houston & Galveston. 12/20/2007

ATM Scam Card Skimming Spring TX The ATM scammers are getting quite technical on their scams.  I had a REALTOR friend here in Spring TX who was contacted by his bank and told to cancel his debit card and get a new one because an ATM scam (card skimming) had happened at the ATM machine he used.  Click here to see how it works.  According to the bank the equipment they used here in Spring was a little different but very similiar.  You can also check this out at Snopes.   Click here to watch a video showing how one version of this scam works. I rarely use my debit card at ATM machines as I find it convenient to get extra cash out when I do my grocery shopping.  After watching that video I think I will try to steer clear of the debit machines.  I have heard of this scam before but never tho... 12/20/2007

The Preserve in Spring Texas market report The Preserve is located in Spring TX in Northwest Harris County off of Kuykendah, with easy access to the Woodlands. The Preserve has around 250 homes.  The homes were built within the last 5 to 7 years.  There are towering pines and hardwoods throughout the subdivision.  The subdivision is close to Augusta Pines Golf Club with a road that connects the two subdivisions. The Preserve is divided in to three different communities.  Oakmont Village is a private gated enclave with 61 home sites.  Oak Trace is located between the gated community of Oakmont Village and the estate community of Oak Hill Estates with 140 home sites.  Oak Hill Estates is the Estate community with 59 home sites.  Active - 4 Properties Found   Square Feet Bedrooms Baths Gar... 12/13/2007

$5000 off Dirt Sales$2000 off Spec SalesFOR DECEMBER ONLY!!!!!  12/13/2007

$5000 off Dirt Sales$2000 off Spec SalesFOR DECEMBER ONLY!!!!!  12/13/2007

OLD TOWN SPRING IN SPRING TEXASOld Town Spring in Spring Texas is much more than just a quaint shopping and dining area of over 150 stores, restaurants, and art galleries. It also has a lot of history to offer its visitors. Spring was named by railroad workers that were laying the tracks to the south. When they reached the area after a harsh winter it was Springtime. The workers were so excited about the end of winter they named it "Camp Spring". In 1873, Camp was dropped from the name and Spring became the base of operation for railroad workers. In 1901, Spring Texas became a crossroads for two intersecting railroad lines and added a roundhouse and 14 track yards. Business flourished in Spring until 1923. The year the railroad relocated their base of operations to Houston. The move cri... 12/13/2007

Spring Trails: Spring TX Real EstateSpring Trails, a 2,100 acre Master Plan Community, is located off of Riley Fuzzel / the proposed grand parkway in Spring TX. Many homeowners are attracted to Spring Trails because of its convenient location. It is a mere 1.5 miles from the Hardy Toll Road provided a quick commute into downtown Houston. In addition, Spring Trails is in close proximity to Old Town Spring (a shopping area of 150 quaint shops), The Woodlands Mall, Bush Intercontinental Airport, Splashtown (a waterpark), and many restaurants. Location attracts people and the allure of Spring Trails amenities turn them into homeowners. Including in the amenities is a 10 mile hike and bike nature trail system which runs throughout the neighborhood connecting its 16 residential villages to th... 12/11/2007

TOP 10 REASONS WHY NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO BUY A HOMEInterest Rates are still near historically 40 year lows.  I remember when I purchased my first home in 1990, 17 years ago. The interest rate on the loan was 10% and I qualified for that rate because I had a high credit score. It was not a sub-prime rate. Builders offer some of their best prices and incentives at year end. Builders need to reduce their year end inventory to avoid carrying them on their books into the new year. The level of discounts and incentives always decrease the first of the year. Resale home prices are lower during the winter months. Since there are less buyers looking to purchase homes during the winter months, sellers are more willing to negotiate. Home prices are lower during the winter months than during the su... 12/10/2007

STAGING YOUR SPRING TEXAS HOMEWhen you place your Spring Texas home on the market it becomes a product and it is now competing with other products. In order to gain an edge in the marketplace and get top dollar for your home, it must be priced right and look better than the competition. Staging is an integral part in this process. The reason model homes and staged homes work is because it looks like someone lives there but no one in particular, which increases the potential pool of Spring Texas buyers. The following are a list of pointers that will help you in staging your Spring Texas home: Remove the clutter. No matter how many great elements are in the house, buyer's eyes are drawn to the negative features. If they are greeted by clutter, they will tour the home with the perception t... 12/10/2007

Some of my best holiday memories involve the traditions that my parents created for us. One of my favorite traditions was the going to pick out the Christmas Tree. We all bundled up, piled into our wood paneled station wagon and headed to a small Christmas Tree Farm to find THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS TREE. We ran up and down the rows of Christmas trees looking for just the right one to display in our living room. We debated and debated until we agreed that we had found the perfect Christmas tree. We cut it down and tied it the roof of our wagon. Away we went to bring home our treasure. It was a wonderful tradition. One that we looked forward to each year. You too can start a family tradition of going to pick out the perfect Christmas Tree. And no you do not have to drive an hour. Located in ... 12/08/2007

VINTAGE PARKVintage Park, an upscale shopping center, under development in Northwest Houston has opened its first store, Potbelly Sandwich Works. Potbelly Sandwich Works serves made to order sandwiches and salads along with homemade desserts and hand dipped ice cream. They have a winning combination of great tasting food in a unique setting. Vintage Park is a planned 84 acre mixed use development that is designed as a towncenter. It is located at the corner of Highway 249 and Louetta. Vintage Park is reminiscent of an Italian shopping promenade with hand-laid pavers for a cobblestone street effect. The Piazza will consist of a series of fountains and gardens surrounded by restaurants and covered by an arched portico. Some of the other merchants that will be joining Potbelly Sandwich Wor... 12/07/2007

The Hardy Toll Road which provides great access to Spring Texas residents to Loop 610 will be connected to downtown Houston. Yesterday the Houston City Council approved an agreement with Harris County which will build and pay for the road.Construction of the $200 million project is scheduled to begin in August 2009 and to be completed by the end of 2011. An estimated 32,000 vehicles are expected to use the Hardy Toll Road extension. Officials have envisioned extending the Hardy Toll Road into downtown Houston since it opened in June of 1988.We, as residents of Spring Texas, currently enjoy a manageable commute into downtown of between 20 and 45 minutes. But we are just like everybody else of always wanting to decrease our commute time. We have heard rumors of the Hardy Toll Road being e... 12/06/2007