For Sale in the family friendly neighborhood of Evangeline Oaks, Village of Alden Bridge, The Woodlands. One of the most convenient neighborhoods in The Woodlands, Evangeline Oaks is just minutes to 45 down either College Park / 242 or FM 1488.  The Woodlands Town Center, Market Street, College Park High, St. Lukes Medical Center, Lone Star College and Village shopping centers are also close by.  Its a short walk to the tot park, jogging loop and Alden Bridge pool and sports fields.

78 E Evangeline Oaks Cir

This two story Ryland home has been owned and occupied by the sellers since it was built in 2002. Exceptionally maintained, the home is move in ready.  Stepping into the home you are greeted by the large foyer.  Spacious formal dining and living areas are located to either side. The open kitchen and family room design along with the large back yard patio and deck are ideal for entertaining guests.

A bakers kitchen awaits!  Equipped with full-sized in-wall double ovens, island prep area, solid surface Avanza counter tops, 42″ Maple cabinetry, family work station and large pantry, the kitchen is family ready.

The master suite is privately tucked away on the lower level.  Enjoy views of the rear garden from the attached sitting area.  Counter and storage space is abundant in the master bath and closet.  His and her vanities, large garden tub and walk-in shower.

Low maintenance tile and wood flooring through out the first floor. The first floor guest bath is a full bath bringing the total baths to 4 full Baths!  The garage is 3 car wide with extra room for storage.  The single garage bay is large enough for the owner to store their boat in.  Check out the heated and cooled craft or workshop room with built in workbench.

The second floor was designed with privacy in mind.  Spacious bedrooms are separated by two full baths and the two story foyer area.  The game room has a wall of custom built bookshelves.  You’ll find ceiling fans in all the bedrooms.

Much more! Come see today!

Details:

Schools:

View 78 E Evangeline Oaks Cir in a larger map

New Home Inventory Sale! Up to 60K off inventory homes!

DR Horton opened the new May Valley Neighborhood of Golden Orchard in the Village of Sterling Ridge a couple months ago. They are having an inventory home sale. Home sizes available now are 3000+ square feet, 4 to 5 Bedroom, 3.5 bath, Game Room, Media Rooms, Formals and Study. French Country styled elevations are unique and fresh. Large Cul-de-sac lots and Wooded Reserve lots are available!
Take a look at the photos below of the fine details of these homes.

Contact me now and ask me how to save thousands more off the price of the homes!

Floor Plans

The Houston Business Journal reported a rumor that has been floating around. On the West side of 45 near the intersection of I-45 and Hardy Toll Rd just south of Spring Creek, development has been underway. The rumor is Exxon Mobil is building a new Campus to consolidate employees in VA and the Greenspoint area. More than 6000 employees now work in those locations. This is great news for The Woodlands and Spring residents.

Below is an excerpt from the original HBJ article:

Real estate professionals say a long-running rumor is now a sure thing — Exxon Mobil Corp. plans to build a large corporate campus near the town of Spring.

“Exxon Mobil’s campus is clearly happening,” according to Sanford Criner, an executive vice president with CB Richard Ellis Inc.

Criner’s declaration came during a Jan. 7 presentation at the real estate firm’s downtown offices.

He declined to disclose the source of his information concerning Exxon’s project slated for the west side of Interstate 45, where the Hardy Toll Road intersects the freeway.

The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Ends Its 20th Season Ranked Sixth in the World

According to the Jan. 18, 2010, edition of Pollstar magazine, the concert industry’s leading trade publication, The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion ranked sixth in its listing of the top 100 amphitheaters in the world based on the number of tickets sold in 2009. The Pavilion’s ticket sales totaled 346,519 for shows played between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2009.

The Pavilion’s sixth-place ranking is despite opening a month later than normal due to reconstruction from damage sustained by Hurricane Ike in September 2008. The Pavilion reopened May 1, 2009, after undergoing a $9.5 million renovation and expansion.

“Our 20th season could not have been better. Along with celebrating our 20 years, opened with a newly renovated and expanded venue to a sold-out weekend of performances by the Dave Matthews Band and Kenny Chesney,” said Jerry MacDonald, president and CEO of The Pavilion.

The Pavilion had 14 sold-out concerts in 2009 including the Dave Matthews Band May 1, Kenny Chesney May 3, Buzzfest XXII May 10, No Doubt May 31, Aerosmith July 17, Coldplay July 22, Def Leppard Aug. 19, Incubus Aug. 21, Lil’ Wayne Aug. 22, Crosby, Stills and Nash Aug. 28, Depeche Mode Aug. 30, Nickelback Sept. 12, Blink-182 Sept. 24 and Buzzfest XXIII Oct. 24.

In addition to its lineup of contemporary or mainstream entertainment in 2009, The Pavilion hosted eight Houston Symphony concerts, the Texas Music Festival Orchestra and The United States Army Field Band and Soldier’s Chorus and the 14th Annual
Children’s Festival.

“The Pavilion is such a unique venue because of the variety of events we offer. We can host Buzzfest one day and a Houston Symphony performance the next,” MacDonald said. “I think this sets us apart from most other venues in the United States.”

The Woodlands “Come Home For The Holidays” Program Offers $2,000 Mastercard To New Homebuyers

Free One-Year Family YMCA Membership or
Free Initiation Fee and Two Months Dues to Canongate Golf Clubs Included

The Woodlands is kicking off a special holiday promotion on October 31, 2009 offering buyers of selected new homes in the community a $2,000 Woodforest National Bank MasterCard if they purchase between October 31, 2009 and December 31, 2009 and close by February 28, 2010, according to Tim Welbes, president of The Woodlands Development Company (TWDC).
“Come Home for the Holidays” also offers incentives from nearly all of the home builders active in The Woodlands. The homes designated in the program range in price from the $140,000’s to more than $3 million. In addition, the buyer will receive their choice of either a free one-year family membership to the South Montgomery County YMCA or free initiation fee and two months free dues to Canongate Golf Clubs.

“There are more than 200 homes available in the Village of Creekside Park, the new May Valley area of the Village of Sterling Ridge and in East Shore, the “Garden District” of Town Center. With over 50 home builders, The Woodlands offers a wide variety of sizes, styles and price ranges,” Welbes said.

Home shoppers are being directed to The Woodlands Homefinder Center, where they can register for the program before visiting the sales offices. After the home closing, the buyer should notify the Homefinder Center and make arrangements to redeem their $2,000 MasterCard and YMCA or Canongate gift certificate by March 31, 2010. Details of the program are also available on The Woodlands’ website, www.thewoodlands.com.

The Woodlands is a 28,000-acre master-planned community located 27 miles north of downtown Houston. It is a project of The Woodlands Development Company, a limited partnership of Morgan Stanley and General Growth Properties, Inc.

Not all foreclosures are beat  up, run down rehabbers dreams.  This latest one in Wedgewood Forest, one of the best neighborhoods in The Woodlands Village of Panther Creek, is almost move in ready.  Well maintained, with some upgrades. Neutral paint scheme.  Quiet cul-de-sac location.  5 min to everything.  Great family friendly location.  One block from the neighborhood lake and bike/hike paths.  I could go on, but come visit and you can see for yourself.

The home was built by a local custom home builder Lyons Custom Homes.  Appraisal district has the home size at 2508 square feet.  After walking it, I’d say that’s pretty accurate.  Of course an Appraiser will be more precise.  The floor plan provides nice separation between living space and sleeping space.

master bath

Master suite is on the first floor.  No living space above the master bedroom makes the space nice and private.  The previous owners have upgraded the master bath counter tops with granite and updated the plumbing fixtures.  The original built-in cabinets have been updated with off-white paint and new hardware.  If you are like most of today’s buyers, the carpeting in the bath will be one of the first things to go.

A first floor study is located next to the master suite.  Book-shelves and desk area are already built in.

The family room is large and bright.  Original wainscot paneled walls have been painted white.  A wood or gas log fireplace accents the North wall.  The carpet in this room is stained in areas.  Wood floors would be a great addition to this space.

family room

I’m not sure what was going on the early 80’s but almost every home I’ve been in that was built during this time has a wet bar off the family room.  This one is no exception. A wine rack is also built-in.

No 80’s style home would be dating itself without a room covered in a nice flowery wall paper.  The formal dining in this home is that room.  Its up there on my list of the first things to go.

The kitchen has seen some minor changes since Lyon’s first built the home.  Birch and pine cabinetry that were once stained have been refinished in a lighter cream colored latex paint.  The appliances have been modernized a bit as has the recent tiled flooring. Counter tops remain a light colored laminate.

Kitchen

Update the room with some Granite or Quartz counter tops, under mount sink and replace the cabinets and vent over the cook top with a stainless vent hood and this kitchen will have a great modern look to it at a reasonable cost.  Some recessed lighting in place of the large florescent light fixture would be a nice touch as well.

To see more photos of the home, check out the media table at the end of this post.

Special Seller Purchase Program!!

Freddie Mac is the owner of this one.  The home qualifies for the HomeSteps Smart Buy Purchase Program.  The promotion currently offered EXPIRES 10.30.2009 so if you are interested in this program and this home, we need to get your offer in now!  Here are the details on the program:

SmartBuy Purchase Program provides the home owner with a two year HomeProtect Home Warranty.  Also HomeSteps will pay up to 3.5% of the Buyer’s closing costs.  Again this program EXPIRES on Oct 30 2009.  Offers must be presented on a HomeSteps home before Oct 30.  Closings must be completed before Dec 31 2009.

Interested?  Lets go take a look.  Call or email me for more details.

Travis

Students in the Conroe Independent School District continue to outperform state and national averages on standard college entrance exams.

The average combined score for the SAT, which included critical reading, math and writing, was 1605 for CISD students in 2009, compared to 1509 for the nation and 1467 for all Texas schools.

For the ACT test, CISD students achieved an average score of 23.2, compared to 21.1 nationwide and 20.8 for the state of Texas, said Chris Hines, Associate Superintendent of CISD.

Read Full Story Here:

Trick ‘R Treat at Panther Creek in The Woodlands Set for Friday, October 30

The popular tradition of Trick’ R Treat at Panther Creek continues on Friday, October 30, 2009, from 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm, according to Susan Vreeland-Wendt, director of marketing for The Woodlands Development Company (TWDC).

The event will take place at Panther Creek Village Center where participating merchants will be distributing free candy to children in costumes. Lovable mascot of The Woodlands, Puffy Pine Cone, will pose for free pictures from 5 pm to 6 pm under the Clock Tower.  Puffy will be handing out free gifts to the children while supplies last. Children will also enjoy clowns, balloonists and a juggler.

Trick ‘R Treat at Panther Creek is sponsored by the Panther Creek Merchants Association and The Woodlands Development Company.
Panther Creek Village Center is located on Woodlands Parkway at the intersection of West Panther Creek Drive.

The Woodlands is a 28,000-acre master-planned community located 27 miles north of downtown Houston.  It is a project of The Woodlands Development Company, a limited partnership of Morgan Stanley and General Growth Properties, Inc.

The skate park at Bear Branch Park will be expanded by the end of the year to include a streetscape plaza.

The Woodlands Community Association approved a new design-build plan for the community-wide skate facility, which will includes rails, ramps, a planter, benches and even a fire hydrant to mimic a street setting in the community. The streetscape plaza will cost $50,000, with another $8,000 to build a shade structure at the park.

“It will have more facilities to use than now,” said Jeff Long, president of The Woodlands Community Association, which represents older villages in the community.

Bear Branch is the largest skate park in The Woodlands and is designed for intermediate to advanced skaters. The facility already includes in-ground concrete bowls and above ground concrete plazas. The site also includes fencing and lighting.

The WCA originally voted in May to hire two separate companies to do the concrete work and provide ramps for the project, but staff decided instead to request a design-built contract because of the lack of a pad site at the location. The design-build option also would allow local skaters to have input on design.

The project was awarded to Parthenon Custom Concrete, which has built skate parks in Lockhart, Round Rock and San Antonio. The project should be complete by the end of the year.

Since skate parks were introduced in The Woodlands nine years ago, there had only been one serious accident at such a facility, said Kelly Dietrich, assistant director of parks and recreation. When asked about liability issues at skate parks, Dietrich said that insurance companies consider them to carry the same risk as playgrounds.

Dietrich said signs are posted at each skate park about the inherent risk of the activity and helmets and pads are required to be used at all skate parks. Dietrich said there have been no claims filed on the Bear Branch skate park.

Board member Everett Ison asked what skaters do with the fire hydrant located in the middle of the park.

“You want to jump it,” Dietrich said.

Claude Hunter, a member of The Woodlands Association, said while he supports skate parks, he is concerned that this facility will serve as a training ground to teach kids how to skate in the streets of the community.

WCA board member Bruce Tough said he was skeptical about skate parks when they were first introduced in the community nine years ago, but now he is sold on the idea.

“We set up a temporary skate park and I went to visit and there was 100 kids out there,” Tough said. “Our parks department has made incredible progress in staying ahead of the needs of the community.”

In another parks matter, the WCA approved the expansion of the community garden at the Bear Branch Sportsfield and agreed to share the cost of the project with The Woodlands Associations.

The Woodlands only community garden will be expanded by 30 plots this fall, just in time for the fall planting season. This will meet a growing need in the community, with 60 people on a waiting list for plots in the garden.

The improvements to the garden will include new fencing, two new water pipes, and new plots, ranging from small to large. The cost of the project is $13,600, which will be shared by the two homeowner associations.

Original Story

Inspired by the architecture of 19th Century Paddington Terraces in England, Southern Mark Homes new three story detached residences are a throw back to craftsmanship some would say has long been forgotten by most production builders.

Located in the Mid Lake area of The Woodlands East Shore Garden District, the urban inspired development is walking distance to the The Woodlands Town Center, Market Street, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion and the Waterway.

The homes feature high end finishes and arts and crafts style wood work.  11′ ceilings. Top quality cabinetry.  Viking appliances.

Award winning Design Firm, DVL Custom Custom Concepts, created floor plans that meet the desires of today’s buyer.  Optional configurations include one to five bedrooms, library, study, game room and media room. 3 car attached garage is standard.

Home sizes range from 2900 to 3700 sf. Pricing starts in the $700s.

The home featured here is the Chessington plan.  Configured with three bedrooms, game room, study, library, formal dining and family room.

Price: $775,000 available now.