What’s Life Like in The Alden Bridge Village in The Woodlands, Texas?

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Jarrod Frenzel

Definitive of living in the Woodlands, you will find the environment in the Alden Bridge village to be both homey and organic, filled with parks, forestry and lakes. As one of the largest villages in The Woodlands, Alden Bridge makes a great place for any family looking to relocate to this master planned community. This little subdivision located in the northwestern corner of the community has a median price point in the $250,000 -$300,000 range looking for a single-family home.

So, what sets Alden Bridge apart from the rest of The Woodlands? Well, you’ll enjoy shopping at the Alden Bridge Village Center and Windvale Village Center, but perhaps more noteworthy is the Alden Bridge’s relative seclusion compared to the surrounding villages. You’re set back a little bit further from I-45, and while some may view this as a hassle for commute, the plus-side is you get that much more peace and quiet. Pretty much the only people driving through your little corner of the Woodlands will be your direct neighbors.

Of course, in keeping with the rest of The Woodlands you will enjoy multiple hiking trails, parks, walkways, restaurants and other amenities, all for a very outdoors-oriented lifestyle. There is no better place to raise a healthy family then in the Woodlands, Texas. Your kids will begin their education attending one of the exemplary rated elementary schools or one of the several private schools in a fairly close radius around Alden Bridge, but you can rest assured that any school in The Woodlands is going to be top-notch. Perhaps the most noteworthy advantage of living in a master planned community, however, is that you’re much more likely to end up living in proximity to families on a similar budget and with a similar lifestyle; it’s very easy to make friends in this welcoming community.

If throughout this article it sounded like you were listening to a description of your dream-neighborhood, then check out listings in Alden Bridge, The Woodlands today, or visit our home page at www.woodlandshomelistings.com !

Posted in Community | Leave a comment

Wizard of Oz in The Woodlands TX

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Jarrod Frenzel

“Here comes the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz…” to The Woodlands Texas, that is! On Saturday, May 5, 2012 your invited to head over to the Nancy Rock Center for Performing Arts to enjoy Wizard of Oz by Christian Youth Theater. Both the cast and the crew are made up entirely of kids under the age of 18, and they’ll bring you the nostalgic tale of Dorothy and her dog Toto as they make their trek through the magical world of Oz, meeting both friend and foe along the way.

Bring the whole family down to the Nancy Rock Center, just off Woodland Parkway on Panther Creek Drive for a fairly budget-friendly few hours of entertainment. You can order tickets in advance for $12 apiece, or you can buy them the day of the box office for $15. If you’re bringing a group you can contact one of the coordinators to arrange a special $10 per ticket price. Show times are May 4 at 7 PM, May 5 at 1:30 and 7 PM, and May 6 at 2 PM this will be the last weekend to see it, so don’t miss this heartwarming children’s production before it’s too late.

Want to make a day out of it? Why not head over to one of the nearby restaurants. Of course, fast food is generally available, but you can do better than that at Los Cucos (Mexican food), Crust Pizza (some of the best Pizza in The Woodlands) or The Lucky Cafe (really distinctive and tasty Vietnemese), all of which are very close to the Nancy Rock Center for Performing Arts. There are also several luscious parks nearby, such as Creekwood Park which also has tennis courts or Rob Fleming Park.

Come support The Woodlands/Spring Area Christian Youth Theater on May 4-6 by taking you and your family to The Wizard of Oz – It’ll be a memorable and enjoyable night for everyone!

Posted in Community | Tagged | Comments Off

7 Reasons to Live in The Woodlands Texas

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Jarrod Frenzel

Here are 7 great reasons you should look for your next home in the masterplanned community of The Woodlands, Texas:

 #1. It’s Affordable, No Matter Who You Are

Since there are housing options for every possible walk of life – From apartments to custom estates – there is virtually guaranteed to be at least one property that strikes your fancy, and at a budget that you can stomach, too.

 #2. Give Your Family the Life They Were Meant to Live

One of the most important ideas behind The Woodlands is maintaining a high quality of life for all residents. The whole community is structured around your convenience and pleasure…From the golf courses to the shopping centers to the location of the community itself, everything was designed with you, the resident, in mind. That’s one of the benefits of living in a master-planned community – everything has a place

 #3. Stable Real Estate Market

The Woodlands real estate market has sustained the most active of any master-planned community in Texas for almost 20 years now. This means that property values are much more stable here than in other areas of the United States.

 #4. Lively and Diverse Religious Community

One unique characteristic of The Woodlands is the community’s emphasis on religious expression and accomodation. Within each village are multiple churches and other places of worship, so no matter who you are you can find a place that promotes inner-serenity to improve your spiritual life, too.

 #5. Almost Impossible Not to Live a Healthy Lifestyle

There’s something to be said about living in a community that was developed in harmony with its natural surroundings instead of in spite of them. The feeling of contentment and belonging that you experience simply walking outside through this forest community is difficult to express with words; everything feels in place, and it makes it easy to stay focused on keeping yourself healthy, and that includes both you and your family.

 #6. Give Your Kids Premium Education

The most family-friendly feature of The Woodlands is the fact that there are 3 public school districts all represented within the confines of the community, and each one of them is nothing short of exemplary. Your children will get a premier educational experience in a safe and social environment that promotes healthy growth and development.

#7. Thriving Business Community Built-In

Last but not least, the Woodlands has devoted 5,000 of its 28,000 acres to commercial development. They WANT you to develop your business; they have made space for you to do so. For a business owner, this is perhaps the best possible feature one could wish for in a community – you can support yourself and your family and give back to your neighbors while you do it!

Throughout this article I have listed 7 great reasons to check out The Woodlands, Texas. I have only touched the tip of the iceberg, so to speak, when it comes to amenities and features, so I hope that you will do further research. Especially if you’re looking for a place to raise a family, you will have a hard time beating the lifestyle available inside this natural, masterplanned community.

Posted in Community | Comments Off

The Woodlands Mall

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Jarrod Frenzel

The Woodlands Mall is a sprawling indoor-outdoor facility located in The Woodlands, which is a planned community near Houston, Texas.  The mall opened in 1994, and has undergone several expansions since that time. It currently boasts over 1.3 million square feet of retail space.  The larger, “anchor” department stores are Macy’s Dillard’s, Sears, J.C. Penny, and Forever 21.  In addition, there are clothing stores like Abercrombie and Fitch, Ann Taylor, and American Eagle Outfitters.  There are also numerous jewelry stores, shoe stores, home stores, and specialty shops like Swarovski, Oil and Vinegar and Y’Alls Texas Store.

The Mall also includes a food court and several restaurants for the convenience of its customers.  There are places to grab a snack like Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, Cinnabon and the Great American Cookie Company.  Need a light meal? There are a number of options including Wendy’s, Great Wraps, Panera Bread, and Charley’s Grilled Subs.   Or, if you and a “special someone” want a lovely dinner -The Woodlands Mall won’t fail you!  Again, there are a number of choices including The Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang’s, Mi Cocina and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse.

If you want to check out stores outside the shopping mall, Market Street is located just across the street from the Woodlands Mall.  It offers additional stores, boutique shops and restaurants for the veteran shopper to sample.  And to make shopping in the mall and Market Street as convenient as possible, transportation is available by waterway taxi and waterway trolley.  So, grab your friends or family and make a day of it. The Woodlands Texas has such a variety of stores available, it truly is a “shop ‘till you drop” experience!

Posted in Community | Tagged , | Comments Off

Mega Millions Lottery Numbers

Posted on March 31, 2012 by Jarrod Frenzel

The winning numbers for 03/30/2012 are the following:

46 – 23 – 38 – 4 – 2 Powerball is 23

Good luck to everyone.  I didn’t win so I won’t be retiring anytime soon.  But if you won, The Woodlands has a lot of fabulous luxury homes I would love to show you.  Good luck.

Posted in News | Tagged | 1 Comment

How Big Is The Woodlands

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Jarrod Frenzel

When I’m showing folks around The Woodlands for the first time, the most common feedback that I get is “It’s much bigger than I imagined”.  I think the term master planned community causes most people to think in terms of a large planned neighborhood, which is far from the reality of it.  Under the responsible stewardship of The Woodlands Development company, this community has been steadily growing for almost 40 years now and has really developed its own identity.

The Woodlands Township encompasses approximately 28,000 acres, or 44 square miles.  To put this into perspective, The Woodlands is larger than New Mexico’s state capital, Santa Fe.  George Mitchell, the original developer, had the vision of creating smaller villages within The Woodlands in order to keep a small town feel.  Now totaling 7 villages within the Township, the population just exceeded 100,000 residents in 2011.  Residents have the best of both worlds, the small community feel of the villages and all the benefits of a thriving urban city via The Woodlands Town Center.

The Woodlands Town Center serves as a downtown business district for the entire region.  The Town Center includes a 1.3 million square foot regional shopping mall, 2 hospitals, class A office space, luxury apartments and condos, and 4 star hotels.  Market Street is a 34 acre open air shopping center with many upscale stores, complimenting the regional shopping mall.  The developers built a unique navigable waterway system that connects all of the office space, restaurants, and retail space together.  The Woodlands has become quite the tourist attraction.

The Woodlands is home to over 1,700 companies, with over 50,000 employees within the Town Ship.  Spread throughout the community, there is 9.3 million square feet of retail/hospitality/general commercial space, 7.9 million square feet of office space, 3.3 million square feet of industrial/technical space, and 6.6 million square feet of institutional space.  ExxonMobil is currently building a large campus in very close proximity to The Woodlands Town Ship, projected to house almost 10,000 employees.  This is expected to have a major impact on the local economy.

The Woodlands real estate market is very diverse featuring homes in all prices ranges.  If you are thinking about relocating to The Woodlands soon, contact Jarrod Frenzel @ 281-658-7389.

Posted in Community | Tagged , | Comments Off

What Is An Aggie??

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Jarrod Frenzel

Born and raised in this part of Texas, I have naturally been a Texas A&M Aggie fan all my life.  Since the A&M mascott is not an animal of some sort, some people are a little confused on what it is.  Aggie is a nickname used to describe the student body at Texas A&M.  I hope to clarify in this post exactly what an aggie is.

The name “aggie” stems from the rich history of Texas A&M University.  The University started in 1871 with the establishment of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas.  In the 1920′s, the yearbook changed its name to Aggieland and thats where the new nickname for the student body was derived from.  Prior to that, the student body’s nickname was “the farmers”, it’s a good thing someone thought of something else.  In 1963 the Texas Legislature officially renamed the school to Texas A&M University, and the terms aggieland and aggies are still used today.

Texas A&M is respected across the country for its top academic and athletic programming.  A&M is one of only 3 Tier 1 universities in Texas and is well know for its great College of Engineering, Business School, and has the only veterinary medicine school in the state of Texas.  The Texas A&M Aggies will play their very first season next year in the SEC conference, as they will be leaving the Big 12 Conference behind them.

The main campus of Texas A&M is located in College Station, which is a commutable distance from The Woodlands Texas.  The University Center located here in The Woodlands offers courses for Texas A&M, so residents have the opportunity to take A&M courses without making the commute.  If you have any questions about The Woodlands Houston real estate, call Jarrod Frenzel @ 281-658-7389.

Posted in Community | Tagged | Comments Off

Texas Economic Outlook 2012 and Beyond

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Jarrod Frenzel

We’ve made it to 2012 and the Texas economic future looks very promising, both for the short and long term.  Of course no one has a crystal ball, but lead indicators suggest the Texas economy will outperform most other states around the country this year and beyond.

Texas outperformed the US in 2011 with job growth in the energy sector, construction, manufacturing, retail, health care, and hospitality.   With over 11 million people currently working in Texas, this number is higher than in 2008, before the recession even started.  Texas has recovered all jobs lost and then some.

Job growth continues in almost all Texas metro areas.  With lower costs of living and lower wage structures, Texas is more equipped to compete in the global market and the state is able to keep jobs in the US instead of shipping them overseas.  Most of the job growth and population growth in Texas has occurred within a defined area some refer to as the Texas Triangle.

The Texas Triangle consists of the 4 major cities Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, and San Antonio.  In a sense, these economies function together complimenting each other to form a “megaregion”.  Each city has their own economic strengths and together, Texas is able to complete in the global markets better than one lone city can.  There are other known megaregions in the country, but what makes the Texas Triangle unique is that it’s all under one state government jurisdiction, making it easier to nurture and grow this economic force of the future.

The world is becoming flatter every day, and local economies have to compete on a global level like never before.  I think Texas is positioned well moving forward in these changing times.  If you are thinking about relocating here and have questions about Texas real estate, call Jarrod Frenzel with The North Star Group @ 281-658-7389.

Posted in News | Comments Off

Houston Americas Fastest Growing Millionaire City

Posted on December 26, 2011 by Jarrod Frenzel

With all the talk about the self made millionaire and billionaire internet guru’s out on the west coast, most people overlook Houston when thinking about wealthy cities.  According to Forbes, Houston has had the fastest growing number of millionaires for the past 2 years in a row.  The definition of millionaire that forbes is using is an individual with at least $1 million in investable assets.  Houston’s total number of millionaires grew to almost 97,000 by the end of 2010.

Houston is considered to be the world hub for the oil and gas industry, and has played a huge part in creating many millionaires in the city with over 5,000 energy firms in the area.  As oil prices went up in 2010, so did the number of millionaires in the region.  During the recent national recession, energy helped keep Houston’s economy much more stable than other cities around the county.  This strong energy backbone has led to job creation in other industries as well.

Energy is not the only game in town, the Houston economy base has become very diverse.  The city is the largest manufacturer of petrochemicals, with a large presence at the ship channel.  The Port of Houston is #1 in the country for international commerce and the 6th largest port in the world.  Other industries that are vital to the region include banking and financial services, aerospace, health care and biomedical, education, and real estate.  Through the recent recession, the Houston real estate market has held its own when compared to other major cities.

Houston has always been a working city and people around the nation are starting to take notice.  This economy is built on a solid foundation and the future looks very promising.  While the city is ranked 7th in the country for total millionaires (New York #1 and Los Angeles #2), who knows what 2012 will bring.  I think Houston’s best years are still to come.

Posted in News | Tagged | Comments Off

Is Zillow Accurate

Posted on November 26, 2011 by Jarrod Frenzel

How much trust can you put in Zillow’s “zestimate” of a property value.  Being a real estate professional in The Woodlands Texas, I have been asked this question numerous times and seen consumers throw this website’s estimates around like it is THE authority on home values.  So that one can have proper perspective on this, we will take a close look at Zillow’s valuation process, and how it compares to other forms of valuations.

Lets first talk about different types of valuation products.  The most trusted valuation is a home appraisal, which can only be performed by a state licensed appraiser.  Appraisers have to adhere to strict national guidelines called the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) and usually produce the most accurate results.  Realtors perform comparative market analysis (CMA’s) or broker price opinions.  I have seen the realtors opinions vary greatly, it just depends on how good the agent is and how well they understand their local market.  Agents usually don’t have formal training in this area and there is no real concrete model they have to adhere to.  Zillow is nothing more than an automated valuation model (AVM) which consists of a bunch of algorithyms, taking the human factor completely out of the process.

All of these products share one thing in common, they are all rooted in the sales comparison approach to value and depend greatly on the quality and quantity of historical sales data that can be gathered.  Some states around the country are non disclosure property states, meaning the public can’t see how much a property sold for.  Appraisers and agents usually have access to their local MLS system, providing for a large database of recently closed sales.  In non disclosure states, Zillow would have to depend on what ever public data they could fine, usually pulling only sales that have been reported to the taxing authorities.  The current non disclosure states include Texas, Alaska, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.  Zillow even admits that their Texas real estate valuations have low accuracy.

Another point to consider is that the AVM’s don’t understand the dynamics of each individual sub-market, the way a local professional would.  Appraisers and agents take into consideration what types of amenities and characteristics are important to a typical buyer in a specific sub-market or price point, and are able to include this knowledge when synthesizing all the sales data.  Also, local professionals know which recent sales should be included in the data set while most of the time AVM’s are simply comparing any and every recent sale they can find based on geographical location.

While AVM’s can be helpful in some cases, they are no substitute for a valualtion rendered by a local professional.  Be careful how much trust you put in a site like Zillow, I wouldn’t bet the farm on it.

Posted in News, Tips | Tagged , | 1 Comment