The Gorilla Hole

The Woodlands Township Recreation Center operates the Gorilla Hole, a fun, safe, social program for 5th and 6th graders, in The Woodlands Recreation Center. The Gorilla Hole servers as a night out for you and your kids! It provides a safe and fun social program that includes indoor and outdoor games, music, snacks and competitions. The Gorilla Hole activities are held on the First and Third Fridays each month. Entry fee is $7 per person. Activities begin at 7:00pm and end around 9:45pm.

The Woodlands Gorilla Hole Address:
5310 Research Forest Drive
The Woodlands, TX 77381

The Woodlands Gorilla Hole Phone #:
(281) 210-3950

Dress code and proper behavior are enforced.

The Township Recreation facility includes indoor / outdoor basketball courts, a fitness room, game room, and smaller breakout rooms.

The Gorilla Hole Schedule, Fall 2010:

• Nov. 5, 2010 — Rock Night (listen to rock music and play Rock Band)
• Nov. 19, 2010 — Tween Talent Night (tweens can showcase their talent to win prizes)
• Dec. 3, 2010 — A Not-So-Silent Night (enjoy holiday jams, crafts and food)
• Dec. 17, 2010 — Jingle All Night (join Santa for a candy cane hunt in a winter wonderland)

Real Estate The Woodlands Lifestyle

Real Estate the Woodlands

Woodlands Texas area has grown tremendously in the last thirty years. Long time ago you could not see the beautiful houses and the incredible architecture designs you are admiring now. In this lengthy period of development, many people started to construct stylish homes in the area and build their own business to improve the place. Due to this, the area recorded a high population count so real estates emerged and investors flocked to build massive apartments and buildings for sale. Several factors which influence high demand of houses are the location, type of houses, available facilities, the neighborhood and total budget.

Location is very important for real estate in the Woodlands because it goes hand in hand with cost.  You may think that it is cheap to live in the suburbs. That is a lie because you will have to spend more on gasoline, buying groceries and transportation thus losing a lot of money. The best place to live is in the Town Centers.  Here you will be near the shopping centers and you will find many stores which you can easily purchase what you like. 

The Woodlands has nine villages which has many facilities. Finding a house will seem difficult so you will require the assistant of an experienced agent. The person must have spent or lived in the area for more than twenty years and must have had a vast experience and knowledge on the homes.

The Village of Carlton Woods is a private, gated community of homes in the woodland Texas. In the communities you can find Town houses and condos at affordable prices compared to single family houses. Single family houses are expensive because they occupy a large chunk of land and have stylish architecture. These houses are very private and heavily guarded with state of the art equipments. Children from Carlton Woods attend schools in two different districts. Conroe and Tomball. The schools are exemplary rated and are filled with the latest equipments for students.

In the Woodlands one community that stands above the rest is the Grogan’s Mill. It is a very old community which was founded in 1974. It is mainly referred as the original village in the woodlands and is home to over 12000 residents. If you want to go shopping, it is strategically placed enhancing easy accessibility to the shopping malls. Those eager to move in the village will find lots of recreational opportunities including golf courses, the panther Trail Course and hiking.

 A house does not exist in a vacuum. There are neighbors who have different personalities and behavior. You should get to know the surroundings and determine whether it’s fit for you or not. If you enjoy nature, find a house where there are various species of trees.

For a community that has so much to offer, the woodlands have a lot of exciting attractions. You will have to visit the place to get the first hand excitement. To get expert advice on Woodland area real estate, consult an experienced realtor.

Market Street Continues to Grow!

Business continues to grow as The Madison Boutique, Langford Market and Stadia Sports Grill & Bar open their doors at Market Street this week.
As one of the fastest-growing women’s fashion retailers, The Madison Boutique offers shoppers a wide selection of unique women’s clothing and accessories in an upscale, boutique-style shopping atmosphere. The luxury women’s apparel shop is located next to Sweet & Sassy.

Also new to Market Street in The Woodlands is Langford Market, an American Apparel store where shabby chic meets modern sophistication. This is evident in the clothing, which includes women’s fashions and accessories. The trendy retailer also has a wide variety of excellently refurbished furniture, lamps and art with a vintage eco-trendy feel. Langford Market is located between Norton Ditto and J. Jill in the North Commons Building and is open Monday – Saturday from 10:00 am-9:00 pm and Noon – 6:00pm on Sundays.

After a long afternoon of shopping, stop by Stadia Sports Grill & Bar, a unique sports-themed restaurant and bar featuring contemporary décor and high-resolution TV’s where you can enjoy a hearty selection of ballpark favorites including mini sliders, grand slam burgers and stadium-size nachos. Stadia Sports Grill & Bar is located next to Charming Charlie below the new AVIA Hotel and is open for lunch, dinner and late night dining.

Other tenants joining Market Street in the early summer months include State Farm Insurance and Bobby Chan, an exclusive designer for casual menswear.
The opening of these tenants follows the recent Market Street announcement of Glo Sun Spa, a luxury tanning and skin-care salon; 1252 Tapas Bar, a Spanish restaurant featuring items from traditional tapas dishes and paellas to sangria blends and Spanish wines and beers and Charming Charlie, a popular Houston-based fashion accessories retailer.

In the past year, Market Street has leased over 33,000 square feet of retail and dining space. For more information on stores, events and other offerings at Market Street, visit www.marketstreet-thewoodlands.com.

Located across the street from The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Market Street is bound by Lake Woodlands Drive, Lake Robbins Drive, Grogan’s Mill Road and Six Pines Drive.  Market Street is owned by a joint venture between an affiliate of Trademark Property Company and Institutional Mall Investors.

Should I Move Up?

If you’ve found your dream home, or if there are homes available in a neighborhood where you’d love to live, move up while the market is still tipped in your favor! Right now really is the PERFECT time to buy.

These questions will help you decide whether you’re ready for a home that’s larger or in a more desirable location. If you answer yes to most of the questions, it’s a sign that you may be ready to move.

1. Have you built substantial equity in your current home? Look at your annual mortgage statement or call your lender to find out. Usually, you don’t build up much equity in the first few years of your mortgage, as monthly payments are mostly interest, but if you’ve owned your home for five or more years, you may have significant, unrealized gains.

2. Has your income or financial situation improved? If you’re making more money, you may be able to afford higher mortgage payments and cover the costs of moving.

3. Have you outgrown your neighborhood? The neighborhood you pick for your first home might not be the same neighborhood you want to settle down in for good. For example, you may have realized that you’d like to be closer to your job or live in a better school district.

4. Are there reasons why you can’t remodel or add on? Sometimes you can create a bigger home by adding a new room or building up. But if your property isn’t large enough, your municipality doesn’t allow it, or you’re simply not interested in remodeling, then moving to a bigger home may be your best option.

5. Are you comfortable moving in the current housing market? If your market is hot, your home may sell quickly and for top dollar, but the home you buy also will be more expensive. If your market is slow, finding a buyer may take longer, but you’ll have more selection and better pricing as you seek your new home.

6. Are interest rates attractive? A low rate not only helps you buy a larger home, but also makes it easier to find a buyer.

Jutta “Utah” Burden’s Real Estate Market Update

The Woodlands Market Update

 As expected, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported a decline in existing home sales at the end of 2009, as first time    buyers rushed to beat the tax credit deadline and close their transactions by November 30. Although Existing home sales fell by 16.7 percent in December, sales remained brisk enough to break the 5 million unit mark, bringing total the number of existing homes sales up to 5,156,000 for all of 2009. The 2009 sales figures were almost 5 percent higher than the year before, creating first year-over-year sales gain since 2005.

Chief NAR economist Lawrence Yun remains cautiously optimistic about the national housing market. “It’s significant that home sales remain above year-ago levels, but the market is going through a period of swings driven by the tax credit,” he said. ‘We’ll likely have another surge in the spring as home buyers take advantage of the extended and expanded tax credit. By early summer the overall market should benefit from more balanced inventory, and sales are on track to rise again in 2010. However, the job market remains a concern and could dampen the housing recovery – job creation is key to a continued recovery in the second half of the year.”

Great Opportunity for Buyers

Historically low interest rates and the extended federal tax credit have helped millions of buyers take advantage of one of the best buyers markets in history. Market conditions have improved considerably with the help of these stabilizing forces. Expect to see continued market activity through the winter and spring as savvy buyers take advantage of the extended $8,000 tax credit. Freddie Mac reports that 30 year conventional loans available in the high-4 to low-5 percent range.

Increased demand has shrunk inventory while slightly raising homes prices. The national median existing home price rose to $178,300 in December, up 1.5 percent over 2008 prices. The increase was attributed in part to an increase in mid- to upper-priced homes.

The reduction of housing inventory has brought stability to many parts of the country, creating more competition for available homes, and multiple offers in some areas.

Five Winter Staging Tips

When selling your home in the winter, the art of staging the inside becomes more important. Here are five simple tips that can help you sell your home shine even when the outside landscaping has faded:

Keep your house warm. In the winter people tend to turn the thermostat down to save money, however a warmer house is more welcoming to a potential buyer.
Clear your walkways and driveways of any snow or ice. Make it easy for buyers to get to your home.
Clean the windows and blinds. Letting in the natural light can brighten up a room and cheer up the home. This also brings attention to the windows and blinds so make sure they are clean even during winter. Dirty windows will make the home seem as those it’s not well maintained.
Background music played softly can completely change the atmosphere making the home seem cozy and keep potential buyers around longer. Stick with classical music which can appeal to anyone.
Leave the light on. Before showing a home, make sure it’s well lit. A well lit home is more inviting. If you’re not home, consider setting up timers.
Following these simple tips can give your house that added boost in today’s competitive market. For information on selling in our local market, please feel free to call and ask for a computer analysis of our recent market activity. We would be more than happy answer any questions you might have!