The Woodlands is growing ...and....stretching!!

The Woodlands is a fantastic planned community, one of the very best in the nation! And soon (hopefully) we will call ourselves a "city." As we grow, however, many changes have to be made so that traffic will continue to flow well . Our friend, Randy Scott, wrote a full article on the road expansion plans for this area. We invite you to visit his blog (below) for his commentary on the Master Plan for Mobility in The Woodlands. The Woodlands is growing!!! http://woodlandscommentary.com/2009/07/master-plan-for-mobility-in-woodlands.html

The Summer Tanager summers in The Woodlands!!

What IS that bird in your backyard?? (It's 6.7" long, smaller than an American Robin, but look at that huge beak!) Well, by golly, might be a Summer Tanager. Take a close look .... If it's a bright red bird with NO other colors, it's the striking male Summer Tanager. If it's a dull yellow bird, with some olive green wash on the sides, and grayish-brown wings, it is (alas) the female. The immature bird looks like the adult female, but (as you can see in our third photo), the young male can have a pretty splotched appearance with oranges and reds. He can be very colorful!!

The Summer Tanager is a bee and wasp specialist. It catches the bee in flight and kills it by beating it against a branch. Before it eats the bee, however, the tanager removes the stinger by rubbing it on a branch. The tanager eats bee and wasp larvae as well. Bee keepers hate them, but they can sure keep our wasp population down!

These birds have a pretty whistle with short pauses. Usually one set has something that sounds like "peanut-butter." And their call is a clicking "pit-i-tuck." Personally, it's a lot easier to identify these birds by their appearance on a birdbath than by listening for "peanut-butter" in the treetops, but often that's the only way you would know that they're around!

We have these beautiful birds in The Woodlands during the summer.

Enjoy them - enjoy their beauty - enjoy their song!!

Strike Up the Band!! The Woodlands is ranked #14!!

It's true! We've been telling you all along, but Forbes now agrees!!

They have ranked The Woodlands as #14 in their list of the

Top 25 Best Places to Move in America!!

Forbes chose suburbs near major corporate plants and offices with populations exceeding 25,000. They looked at how many people in each town were born out of state or abroad, who had moved to town from a great distance away within one to five years, and who had moved for a job. They also considered population growth, family income, professional and executive employment, and the price, size and age of the homes. Added to that were reports of moving van companies, enrollment changes in schools, the proximity of multinational companies.

Tell your friends - tell your relatives - tell your company!! We have miles and miles of hike-bike trails, pools, trees, lakes, restaurants, nature. When it's time for a move, call us and head for The Woodlands, Texas. We'd love to help them find that special home!!

New Rating for our FIRE Department!!

The Woodlands Fire Department has a new rating ("ISO 2") which means your homeowner insurance premiums may be decreased. In the whole nation, only 0.1% have an ISO 1 rating; only 0.7% are rated ISO 2. This rating will last for ten years. Be sure to notify your insurance company!!

So when you go by a fire station, stop by and thank them for their service.

Not only do they save lives,
but they save you money!!

Restaurant Review - Thai Cottage in The Woodlands

So I admit it. Our friend suggested that we dine at the new Thai Cottage (off of Hwy 242, near I-45). Mike grumbled ("I don't like Thai food!"), but agreed to join us. We had a wonderful dinner!! The atmosphere was very pleasant, the service fine, and the food that we ordered came quickly and was delicious! Was it highly seasoned? No, not ours, but we could have asked for more heat -- all the way up to five levels!

For the record, we ordered two appetizers ("Crispy Twin Rolls and "Sa-Te Chicken"). The (egg)rolls were very fresh. The chicken was dry - we would suggest something else. But our main entrees themselves were delightful -- three dishes that combined well on our plates: the chicken with peanut sauce, the garlic fish fillet, and the seafood "Double Pleasure."

Would we go there again? Absolutely! Would Mike go there again? You bet! Give it a try and report back!!

Selling you home?? LESS is Definitely MORE!!

When you are planning to sell your house, it's important that the buyers be able to "see" your home as their home. How can you do this? First of all, you need to ....

De-clutter:

Clean out closets, pick up clutter, hide those treasured family photos too. Why? Besides making the home feel more spacious, it's easier for buyers to envision themselves and their own family photos in the house.

• Pack away special collections usually displayed in cabinets and hutches, and move a few pieces of furniture into storage. This will help buyers to better see where their own furniture might go.
• Keep the house clean every minute it's on the market. This takes great effort, but the buyer may need to see your home within 20 minutes, and you'll be ready!

Tone down your creativity!

• You like your house to "say something" about your personality. Well, it's time to tone it down! Buy some neutral paint to cover those red or lime-green walls. All buyers are comfortable with neutral colors.
• Does the buyer remember your home or your decorations? If you've got an Italian fresco on a living room wall that stops people in their tracks, they may lose sight of the rest of the home's wonderful features.

Remember, by "paring down" and organizing, you're ensuring that your home will appeal to the greatest number of potential buyers, and you'll be ahead of the game when it comes to packing up and moving out!

Ask us, your Realtors, if the house looks cluttered or if any colors are too bright.
We know what detracts a buyer. We've sold a lot of houses!!