Register Real Estate Advisors

Recently I have begun the adventure of trying new or unusual activities that are happening right here in my own community. Getting outside of the repeated hum drum let’s do the same thing as last week attitude I found a somewhat new event happening at the Woodlands Mall every Wednesday from 3 – 7pm. The Feast of the Artisans is a Farmers Market combined with an Artisan Market, thus the name Feast of Artisans.

Starting with a late lunch at Café Express my guests and I then caught The Woodlands Trolley at Market Street – Central Park. The air-conditioned Trolley dropped us off right where we needed to shop without having to move and then park our automobiles.

The Trolley stop above The Waterway located close to The Cheesecake Factory and Barnes & Noble is where you want to deboard. Then make your way to the tents of local vendors selling seasonal local fruits and vegetables, local honey, free-range chicken eggs, meats, olive oil, tie-dyed products, Indian food, bath sundries, ceramics and more. I personally found: squash, peaches, tomatoes, organic green beans, Luxurious Face & Body Cream, and wine.

We had a wonderfully relaxed time shopping, made our way back to the car via The Trolley and left our bags. Then we headed back into Market Square to finish the evening with Yogurt. Does this sound like an out of the ordinary evening to you? Try it!

What: Feast of Artisans Farmers Market
Where: The Woodlands Mall, I-45 north at Lake Woodlands Drive, south side of the shopping center.
When: Every Wednesday 3 – 7pm
Why: Support local farmers and Artisans making unique items conveniently available to area families.
Interested in Participating? feastofartisans.com

The Woodlands, Texas is a lovely place to live just north of Houston.  This master planned community offers a lifestyle with art, entertainment, and healthy living.  Here you will find wine bars, restaurants, entertainment, and art scattered among the landscape.  It began in the 1970′s and has grown significantly in recent years.  Currently, there is very little commercial property left for businesses to move to The Woodlands.  There are both resale homes and new construction to choose from if you are relocating.  With a variety of home builders to choose from the prices range from $100 Thousand to $2 Million.  Hiking and bike trails run through all the villages and there are many parks.  It is a nature preserve full of greenbelts and wooded forest.  If you like to golf, you will have three courses to choose from.

When visiting The Woodlands make sure you take both a trolly ride and a water taxi.  These tours offer newcomers a great perspective of the area.  The Woodlands Mall and Market Street offer lots of shopping, dining choices, and entertainment.  The Woodlands houses the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion is one of the most popular outdoor amphitheaters in the world.  At night, Waterway Square is a great tourest attraction.  The large water wall with dancing columns of water and fountains are choreographed to music with colored lights.

The Woodlands has so much to offer.  If you work downtown, you can get to Houston by taking I-45 South or the Hardy Toll Road.  However, there are many employment opportunites in The Woodlands.

Below is a video of The Woodllands.  If you need a Realtor to help guide you through the forest, give us a call at RREA 281.288.3500.  You will be glad you did!

Whether you are relocating to Conroe, The Woodlands, or Spring area; Do you need local information? Do you already live here, are stuck in a rut of doing the same thing over and over? Would you like to branch out with new ideas of where to play, shop, or dine? Do you need ideas of where to travel right here within our Lone Star State of Texas? Keep reading! I have just the spot for you to check out that will give you all kinds of ideas.

I confess, I was stuck in one of those do the same ‘ole thing over and over ruts myself. I started my day off with the idea – let’s see what is right here in my area of Montgomery County. I wanted to know what I can do new and then share my learned information. First stop was at the Shenandoah Visitors Center which, by the way, is open 7 days a week 8am-5pm.

Traveling on Interstate 45, Shenandoah is just 35 miles north of Houston and only 20 minutes north from Bush Intercontinental Airport. Shenandoah may be small in population but it makes a Big Impact on the Commercial Development for our entire community in Montgomery County. Just click on the home website for the Shenandoah Visitors Center and you will find tabs of :

• “Where to Shop” – Ideas both locally in Shenandoah such as The Portofino Shopping Center, it also includes “Area Shopping” – The Woodlands Mall, and Old Town Spring. New information to me was The Swim Shop of the Southwest, located inside the CISD Natatorium.
• “Where to Stay” – Shenandoah offers seven hotels.
• “What to Do” – choose from a drop down list of Recreation, Cultural, Entertainment and Sports Facilities.
• “Where to Dine” – some of my favorite Restaurants are on this list, now to try something new …

While inside the Visitors Center located at 19265 David Memorial Drive, Shenandoah, TX 77385 be sure to ask the attendant for local coupons. I am thrilled to have received the coupon book full of dollar savings $ specials to use right here within the home territory! I also picked up pamphlets that give local information:

• Dine – Fine Dining, Fast Food, or something in between in Shenandoah.
• Main Event Entertainment Shenandoah
• Conroe Texas Visitors Guide
• Lake Conroe Event Center
• Market Street The Woodlands
• Current – What’s New and Happening For Visitors in The Woodlands

Those were just some of the local ideas. In addition the Visitors Center is recognized by the State of Texas as a Texas Tourism Information Center because it is stocked with information from across the Lone Star State. This is a good starting point to plan your next road trip!

Now … think about it … it’s time to move and where are you going to live? That’s information I can help you with!

Currently Benders Landing has opened up thier estates section and is selling lots for future homes. If you are interested in purchasing a one to two acre lot in Spring, Texas, this is a fabulous community. Close to the Hardy Toll Road, it offers convenient access to The Woodlands and Houston. Purchase your lot now and build later. There are only a few lakefront lots left, so if you prefer to be on the water, call us today! Most are wooded lots. There are no MUD taxes in Benders Landing. This community is only 5 miles to the new ExxonMobil Headquarters. So go ahead and buy now and build later! Lots are going fast. If you want to be outside of the estates section, there are many resale lots also available in Benders Landing. Call us today at 281.288.3500 to find out more. See video below for more information on this community.

The city of Spring has grown over the last decade.  It has many restaurants, shopping areas, and offers entertainment.  One of the great summer spots is Splashtown located right off of I45 North.  The Hardy Toll Road gives Spring residents easy access to Houston’s downtown destinations and Bush International Airport.  Going north on I45, The Woodlands offers wonderful shopping and entertainment.  Even further north you can reach Lake Conroe for summer fun and many gold courses. The new ExxonMobil Campus is being built in Spring, Texas close to The Woodlands. This will bring a lot of demand for housing into the area over the next few years.

Old Town Spring is a quaint collection of turn-of-the-century buildings that are a favorite shopping spot and tourist destination. Over 150 restaurants, museums, art galleries, and shops occupy the vintage structures. If you live in Spring, you can enjoy the annual Crawfish Festival. The unique shopping opportunites in Old Town Spring draw people from all over Texas.

Spring’s housing inventory has many lovely median priced residents.  Benders Landing Estates is a beautiful acreage community located just minutes from the Hardy Toll Road.  Schools, restaurants, entertainment venues, and medical facilities are all close by when you live in Spring, Texas.  If you are interested in moving or relocating to the Spring, Woodlands, or Old Town Spring area, please give us a call at Register Real Estate Advisors.  We would love to help you with all of your real estate needs – 281.288.3500.

Video of Spring -

HOUSTON (TxDMV) – As if moving wasn’t already stressful enough, now consumers are being warned to watch out for illegal moving companies that may be out to take a person’s personal belongings on a permanent vacation.

As the summer moving season gears up, state and moving industry officials cautioned Texans to do their homework before hiring a moving company and encouraged the law enforcement community to take note of a new state law that imposes fines and jail time against unlicensed movers.

More than 60 percent of the moving complaints received at the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) deal with unlicensed movers. To operate legally, a moving company must display a valid TxDMV (TxDMV licenses moving companies) or United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) license number on the truck.

Perhaps the best advice is the most basic: always know who you are dealing with before starting a move.

“[Consumers] need to stop for a minute and ask themselves ‘Who am I about to let into my home?’ because it might just be some guy living in a basement or with a criminal record who is going to show up with a rented moving truck to cart off everything you own,” said Linda Bauer Darr, president and CEO of Virginia-based American Moving & Storage Association.

And where should you never go to hire a mover? Free internet advertising sites, said John Trevino of the Houston Police Department’s Special Investigation Command.

Before hiring a moving company, Texans can find out whether the company is licensed by going to Moving Companies on the TxDMV website.

Would you like to live on a golf course or close enough to golf anytime?  Join Canongate in The Woodlands and you may have membership to five courses;  The Oaks, Panther Trail, Lake Windcrest, South Shore Harbour, and Magnolia Creek.  At RREA, our agents know The Woodlands housing market and can help you find the perfect home for your family.  Then you can join Canongate and enjoy family dining, golf lessons, and low guest rates.  Call RREA today to get started 281.288.3500.

As a Buyer’s Agent, I believe it is my responsibility to tour Active Homes on the Real Estate Market. Today’s excursion from Spring heading just a few minutes north on Interstate 45, zipping through The Woodlands to Conroe exit Highway 105-West took me to the gated community of Blue Heron Bay on the South Side of Lake Conroe. Are you familiar with this quiet community that is tucked away by the mature cedar trees? There is an area within the community designated for preservation of local vegetation and wildlife. I totally was in my glory as we strolled through the homes and into private gardens. Kudos to my good friend and Listing Agent, Tonya Smith, for setting up two of her listings in Blue Heron Bay for several of us to preview. Let me share with you some tips that I found while on tour today that I felt were especially worth mentioning.

Remember, in a previous blog, I mentioned how important curb curb appeal is to the buyer pulling up in front of your home? Check out these pictures, and tell me if you are ready to put the car in park and tour this welcoming home.

This was just one of the properties we previewed today. Notice the terraced landscaping beds that line the front of the home with beautiful shrubs and annual flowers. Beautifully maintained and very attractive! Then to the side of the driveway your eye catches additional color. I simply wanted to stay and watch for butterflies and hummingbirds. This home owner seems to know what to do to draw attention with painting the outside color in order to hail the Buyers to stop and spend time lingering inside the property. Once inside the Buyer will admire hand scraped wood floors, 2 living areas and bedrooms that each have private baths. My favorite, an outside living area with tiled floors and screened walls enabling visual and audible enjoyment of the wildlife surrounding this dreamy home site.

Another property previewed in Blue Heron Bay was situated at the water’s edge. Grab binoculars before calling for a showing because you will want to watch the wildlife in the preserve that is visible from the patio. As you stand in awe, imagine that could be your permanent home!

Staying inside I got separated from the group today because I was admiring the Master Suite. From staging the bedroom complete with a breakfast tray; To faux painted pillars at the garden tub;

To the hand painted artistic creation of the water view outside the Master Bedroom;

To the remarkable organization in the Master Closet (complete with a rolling ladder); plentiful shoe space and hangers for seasonal purses. This area is for indulging the “Total Woman” and King of the Household in their Master Suite. It was organized to a T and truly a “moment to take my breath away!”

If you are interested in researching more about Blue Heron Bay then try the following website:

http://www.blueheronbay.org/index.html

If you want to live in a gated Lake Conroe community and would like to visit Blue Heron Bay, remember, I am standing by to be your Realtor and I’m ready to discuss your home dreams and qualification to your successful home purchase. Let’s make a showing appointment. Feel to call my cell phone during normal business hours, or email me 24 hours anytime!

This is a great list for getting your home ready to market.  Before you sell, spring clean!  It will make all of your marketing and advertising photos look better, too.  Buyers love a clean and clutter free home with curb appeal! 

• Remove and donate unwanted items, reorganize and clean closets, attic, basement and garage
• Power wash exterior walls, porch floors, deck, patio, driveway and sidewalks
• Clean outdoor furniture and outdoor light fixtures
• Clean out gutters or have new ones installed
• Clean out refrigerator and freezer, making sure to vacuum the grill and coil
• Remove lint from the hose attached to back of clothes dryer
• Vacuum baseboards, walls and ceilings, wipe down walls
• Steam clean carpets and area rugs and upholstery
• Reseal natural stone surfaces (travertine, etc)
• Reseal and repair grout in bathtubs and showers
• Clean window treatments, dust and clean blinds and shutters
• Remove items from all shelves, dust and clean
• Oil hinges

If you need a recommendation for anyone to help you with this list, call me for a referral.  And when you are ready to sell your home, give me a call!

Register Real Estate Advisors is a proud member of the Greater Houston Association of Builders. As the GHBA celebrates Professional Designation Month RREA decided to outline some of our Realtor Designations. At RREA, Shannon Register is both the Broker and Owner. A Broker’s License is probably the highest real estate designation available. We have several Realtors in our brokerage that are Broker Associates (they have a Broker’s license.) Another one of Shannon’s designations is the GRI – Graduate Realtor Institute. This designation includes training in marketing, brokerage, and general real estate buying and selling. The ABR – Accredited Buyer’s Representative Designation makes Realtors an expert when it comes to working with buyers. Shannon also has completed the Texas Realtor’s Leadership Program and is certified to work with the Texas Veterans Land Board. Many of our agents can work with Texas Vets. Shannon has been certified in new home construction sales. Through the local board of Realtors, she is a Social Media Pro. Through the National Association of Realtors she has her ePro Designation. In addition to all of these, Shannon holds the Short Sale and Foreclosure Certification and the Certified Distressed Property Expert Designation. Many of the RREA Agents have their ABR and CDPE. The Certified Negotiation Expert is another one that many of our agents have. This is an important one because you want whoever the Realtor is that is representing you to be a good negotiator. Shannon is also an Accredited Luxury Home Specialist. This designation is for Realtors who work with consumers that are purchasing homes over $400K in the Houston Market. When choosing a Realtor or Broker to represent you with your real estate needs, you want to choose one that is educated in that area and will work for you. To learn more about RREA’s agents, you can read their profiles at rrea.com/team.