M/I Homes is the newest homebuilder to join the builder team at Firethorne, a 1,400-acre master-designed residential community located in Katy/Fulshear.   The builder’s 60-foot lot model home will be constructed in the new Firethorne West Model Park.  Firethorne is situated 10 and 15 miles west of the Texas Medical Center-West Campus and Houston’s Energy Corridor, respectively.

M/I Homes’ one- and two-story homes, available in brick, stone and stucco exterior elevations, will range from 2,000 to 3,400 square feet and priced from the $220,000s. The builder’s signature features include soaring windows, rotundas, structural and designer options and a 30-year transferable structural warranty.

“We hand-select each of our builders based upon their high standards for design, quality, customer satisfaction and reputation,” said Firethorne General Manager Wayne Meyer. Currently completing the Firethorne builder team are: Ashton Woods Homes, Coventry Homes, Highland Homes, Partners in Building, Perry Homes, Plantation Homes and David Weekley Homes.

Firethorne, located in the top-ranked Katy Independent School District and Lamar Consolidated Independent School District, features 150 acres devoted to parks and recreational amenities, a 12-acre lake with surrounding greenbelt, resort-style swim center, new competitive swim center, sports fields, hike/bike trails, parks and playgrounds, discovery-rich wildlife observation area and a natural bird habitat. 

To tour Firethorne, visiting both new construction and resale homes, call me at 713-818-2404. I have sold Katy real estate for over 22 years and would be delighted to hear from you!

Katy’s reputation as the nation’s number one “most notable high-growth area” has attracted a major national homebuilder, Columbus, Ohio-based M/I Homes. This top national builder is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (MHO).

M/I Homes now has a model home under construction in Cinco Ranch. It plans to open the model in early April to showcase all-new floor plans and architectural designs created especially for the Houston market after extensive research with local homebuyers.

M/I Homes will offer new homes priced from the $450,000s to $550,000s in Cinco Ranch, with plans ranging from 3,200 to 5,200 square feet. M/I Homes will build on 80-foot-wide homesites in the Cedar Grove Village neighborhood in Cinco Ranch.

Founded in 1976, M/I Homes is one of the nation’s leading homebuilders, currently operating in 10 additional markets outside of Houston, mostly located in the Midwest and Eastern United States.

“With its strong employment base, Houston has one of the most vibrant economies in the United States, and it was a good fit for expansion outside of our current template in the Midwest and Southeast region,” said Dennis Bailey, region president for M/I Homes.

Bailey noted that Katy’s growth was particularly impressive within the Houston region, with the Gadberry Group naming it as the nation’s top high-growth area for 2010.

With its high customer satisfaction ratings from J.D. Power Associates and features such as a 30-year structural warranty on all new homes, M/I Homes is the type of homebuilder that Cinco Ranch developer Newland Communities looks for when expanding the community’s new-home offerings, said Heather Gould, marketing director for Newland Communities.

M/I Homes’ new plans for Cinco Ranch emphasize traditionally styled exteriors with lots of stately curb appeal. With steeply pitched roof lines, these one- and two-story plans blend timeless materials such as stone, brick and stucco. Inside, the plans emphasize dramatic volume spaces such as soaring foyers and wide-open family rooms. The plans combine high-design details with functionality and flexibility.

A rotunda-shaped foyer in one plan, for example, creates a memorable first impression while also providing easy access to several different rooms off the foyer. One plan has a master suite closet with a secret door to the laundry room, providing for convenience while preserving the suite’s privacy!

This coming Saturday, November 20th, from 5:30 to 7:30, LaCenterra and the Katy Chamber of Commerce will present the Seventh Annual “Home for the Holidays” festival and tree lighting ceremony.

Fun for the entire family, “Home for the Holidays” features Alexander and Stanley Elementary School student performances and the Members Choice Credit Union holiday express train. There will be children’s activities, huggable holiday characters and a visit from the Big Guy himself!

The celebration also includes “Bears and Blankets”, a drive benefiting the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program. Guests are encouraged to bring new teddy bears and stuffed animals along with new blankets and cold-weather clothing. Items collected during the event will be donated and distributed to area children and seniors.

“Home for the Holidays” will be held at LaCenterra’s Heritage Square, the center courtyard. LaCenterra is located at 23501 Cinco Ranch Blvd.

Japan’s largest homebuilder, Sekisui House, Ltd. and Cinco Ranch’s developer, Newland Real Estate Group, have announced a 500-acre expansion of Cinco Ranch. The land was acquired as a joint venture.

Cinco Ranch is Newland’s top selling, master-planned community. This expansion will add 1,200 new homes. This new section will be delivered in approximately three years as the community’s final southwest neighborhoods are completed.

The expansion is located on the east side of FM 1463 at Corbitt Road in northwest Fort Bend County. With the addition of the land, Cinco Ranch will total 8,092 acres with an expected 14,000 homes at build-out.
 
Located 32 miles west of downtown Houston, Cinco Ranch first opened with new homes for sale in 1991. Over the past 10 years, the community has consistently been rated among the top five best-selling communities in the Houston area. In 2009, Cinco Ranch was the #1 best-selling planned community in the U.S.

2030 Crystal Downs in Cinco Ranch North Lake Village, Saturday, July 24, 2-4. $390,000. Very tastefully updated with new paint inside and outside. Granite counter top, Jennaire cook top, stainless steel kitchen sink, kitchen faucet. Wood flooring in living room, dining room and family room. The house has rich marble in entry. Two story foyer, plus carpet and other amenities suitable for Cinco Ranch Golf Course community life style. Five bedrooms, large library and game room.

Directions: I-10 West. Exit Mason Rd. Left on Mason. Right on Highland Knolls. Left on S. Peek. Left on North Lake Village. Right on Tryburn Trail. Left on t-junction onto Crystal Downs. House on left.

Pictures below of beautiful 2030 Crystal Downs in Cinco Ranch North Lake Village:

3226 Markstone Court in Cinco Ranch Town Center, Sunday, July 25, 2-4. $215,000. Beautiful on a quiet culdesac with huge pie-shaped lot in the heart of Cinco Ranch. Walk to everything including Beach Club, Lakes, Tennis, Fishing, Park, YMCA and exemplary Williams Elementary! Recent flooring and fixtures. Low tax rate. Save energy $ with double pane windows. A++ curb appeal, elegant two-story appeal with popular diagonal tile entry, recent paint and updates. One of the best houses currently on the market for premium lot, location, amenities and triple exemplary school track.

Directions: I-10 Katy Freeway, south on 99 Grand Parkway, exit and left on Cinco Ranch Blvd., right on Peek, right on Centerton, at stop sign turn left and go to the end of the culdesac.

Enjoy the photos below of gorgeous 3226 Markstone Court:

]]> http://fuellingkaty.com/2010/07/20/you-are-invited-to-tour-two-outstanding-homes-in-cinco-ranch-july-24-and-25/feed/ 0 http://fuellingkaty.com/2010/06/30/fulshearkatys-firethorne-launches-tennis-program/ http://fuellingkaty.com/2010/06/30/fulshearkatys-firethorne-launches-tennis-program/#comments Wed, 30 Jun 2010 23:09:39 +0000 Julie Q. Fuelling http://fuellingkaty.com/?p=3066

If you think Firethorne’s tennis coach is just an ace on the tennis court, you couldn’t be more wrong. Resident athlete/sports coach Chris Dante didn’t even take up the sport until he was 30, after excelling in baseball, (in 1988 he made it as far as the Olympic Trials), basketball, (City University of New York team captain), and football, as well as boxing and Taekwondo, (he has a black belt)!

“But after one too many broken noses, I turned to something less brutal — tennis,” said Dante, who helped launch Firethorne’s premiere tennis program this spring. With the new Women’s Tennis League and beginner tennis clinics now in full swing, Firethorne continues to demonstrate the Katy/Fulshear community’s commitment to fitness and competitive sports, through its hike and bike trails, swimming and running, regulation lacrosse fields and personal training at the on-site exercise facility.

During the summer, Coach Dante offers two morning clinics for resident children, (9 and 10 a.m.), and one 6 p.m. clinic for adult beginners. He also teaches private lessons. The tennis courts are open to Firethorne residents and their invited guests.

(Pictured above: Firethorne Resident Tennis Coach Chris Dante is on the court during a summer children’s clinic with residents (bottom/center, then clockwise): Boston Blake, Hannah Blake, Julian Martinez (far left with basket of tennis balls), Najee Boyd, Alissa Basaldua, Roel Martinez (hidden), and Jean Basaldua.)

“Coaching is a labor of love,” said Dante. “I love being outside with the kids — teaching and coaching them.” He also enjoys introducing many of their parents to tennis.

The four fully-lit hard courts are located adjacent to the lacrosse fields in the 1,400-acre Katy/Fulshear master-designed development.

Firethorne, located 15 miles west of Houston’s Energy Corridor, blends the best nature has to offer: 150 acres devoted to parks and recreational amenities, a 12-acre lake with surrounding greenbelt, hike/bike trails, parks and playgrounds, discovery-rich wildlife observation area and a natural bird habitat. Served by the award-winning Katy I.S.D., Firethorne combines the vibrancy of West Houston with the small-town charm of Katy/Fulshear.

Life is great in Firethorne! To tour homes in Firethorne, contact me. To search all the houses currently on the market in Katy/Houston see Home Search. I have sold Katy real estate for over 20 years and would be pleased to work together.

Katy’s Grand Lakes Master Planned Community residents are invited to the Grand Lakes First Annual Fourth of July Celebration on Saturday, July 3, from 4 to 6 p.m. The festivities will be held at 3650 Hollow Trace Drive by the Lazy River Pool.

Activities include:

• Mike Amabile and the Run Over Twice Band
• Solo singer Destiny Houston
• U.S. Navy Color Guard
• James Coney Island’s hot dogs, hamburgers and drinks
• Snow cones, cotton candy and popcorn
• Bucky Loo the Clown
• Uncle Sam stilt walker
• Water slides
• Pony rides
• Face painters
• Crafts

Life is great in Grand Lakes! To tour homes in Grand Lakes, contact me. To search all the houses currently on the market in Katy/Houston see Home Search. I have sold Katy real estate for over 20 years and would be pleased to work together.

Firethorne, a 1,400-acre master-designed community is located in Katy/Fulshear, 15 miles west of the Energy Corridor.

“We are extremely pleased with the results of our Firethorne sales and marketing teams and appreciate the tremendous support of the local Realtor® community,” said Firethorne Marketing Director Janet Burkett. Realtors® generate 75 percent of all new home sales.

While she suggests the federal tax credits for first-time homebuyers may have planted a seed in people’s minds, she attributes the strong new home sales in the Firethorne community to the continued growth in the Katy and Fulshear areas and for being part of one of the best school districts in the state. The fact that there are three major Houston hospitals expanding in the area, plus energy companies relocating employees there, have contributed to the sales activity, as well, she said.

Firethorne blends with the best nature has to offer: 150 acres devoted to parks and recreational amenities, a 12-acre lake with surrounding greenbelt, hike/bike trails, parks and playgrounds, discovery-rich wildlife observation area and a natural bird habitat. Firethorne combines the vibrancy of West Houston with the small-town charm of Katy/Fulshear.he community is strategically located on FM 1463 near the crossroads of the 1-10 West corridor, the Westpark Tollway and the Grand Parkway.

To tour Firethorne, take I-10 West and exit Pin Oak to FM 1463, call the Visitor Center, 281-693-1011, or visit www.firethorne.info.

For information about Firethorne  homes, contact me directly at 713-818-2404 or via email. When buying new construction, it is always best to have a Realtor to represent you in negotiations; there is no cost to you and a multitude of benefits. I have specialized in Katy real estate for over 20 years. Experience does count!

Cinco Ranch was the nation’s number one master-planned community (MPC) for new-home sales in 2009, according to a report by RCLCO, an independent real estate advisory firm.

With 887 new-home sales in 2009, Cinco Ranch was one of only two Houston MPCs on RCLCO’s top 10 list to report a sales increase from the previous year.

Sales increased 14% last year in the 7,600-acre community, located at Grand Parkway and Cinco Ranch Blvd. in Katy. The increase helped Cinco Ranch grab the top spot in the study, after ranking number two in 2008 behind a Las Vegas development.

The only other Houston area community with a sales increase for 2009 was Telfair in Sugar Land, also by Newland Communities. With 450 new-home sales in 2009, Telfair ranked fourth nationally in the RCLCO study.

“These results are outstanding for us,” said Bob McLeod, Chairman and CEO of Newland Communities. “This marks the first time ever in more than 40 years we’ve had the top-selling community in the nation, and to do it during a year as tough as 2009 makes it an even bigger achievement.”

RCLCO’s study showed that total number of net sales in 2009 for the majority of the best-selling MPCs dropped from 2008 levels with sales volume declining by as little as 8% and as much as 84%. Newland’s Cinco Ranch and Telfair were a strong exception to this trend, posting increased sales for the third year in a row. Also, 2009 proved to be the best sales year ever for Telfair since opening in 2006 and the third best sales year for the 19-year-old Cinco Ranch.

“Newland’s sales success at Cinco Ranch and Telfair can be attributed to the product diversity our homebuilders offer, the proven established track records of these communities, and a highly focused marketing approach that speaks to our customer needs,” McLeod continued.

“Buyers needs have changed and they will continue to change. The communities Newland creates will continue to adapt to meet those needs. Value doesn’t just mean a lower price, or a smaller home. It means what fits their family and lifestyle needs. The way we market our communities, taking time to really understand our buyers and engaging with them on a more personal level, has changed as well,” he indicated.

Houston’s strong showing in the RCLCO study underscores the fact that the city is a bright spot in the national economy.

Ted Nelson, Central Region President for Newland Communities said, “In the past few months, Houston has ranked very high in studies ranging from the nation’s healthiest housing markets to cities where the recession is easing. Overall, the Houston communities on the top 10 list represented 2,250 new-home sales, more than double those of the second ranked metro, Las Vegas.”

RCLCO has been releasing its top-selling MPC rankings since 1994.

Cinco Ranch offers new homes priced from the $170,000s to over $1 million.

For information about all Katy area homes, you can search the entire Houston MLS from this blog. For questions or to tour any area homes, contact me directly at 713-818-2404 or via email. I have specialized in Katy real estate for over 20 years. Experience does count!

Firethorne sold 238 new homes in 2009, achieving a record high for annual sales for the Katy/Fulshear residential development.   Last year’s home sales represent a 16.6 percent increase over 2008 (204 homes). The previous record for the four-year-old development was 218 sales in 2007.  The 1,400-acre master-designed community is located 15 miles west of Houston’s Energy Corridor.

“We’re very pleased with these figures,” noted Firethorne General Manager Wayne Meyer.  According to Meyer, Firethorne has been holding its own thanks to continued growth in the Katy and Fulshear areas and for being part of one of the greatest school districts in the state. “BP America and Conoco/Phillips have relocated employees here, plus three major Houston hospitals are expanding in this area — two under construction and one on the drawing board,” he noted.

Firethorne has sold a total of 918 homes project-to-date. The Firethorne builder team consists of Coventry Homes, Highland Homes, Parkwood Builders, Partners in Building, Perry Homes, Plantation Homes and David Weekley Homes.

Firethorne is attractive to the Houston relocation market with its proximity to the Energy Corridor, location in the top-ranked Katy Independent School District, and availability of estate-sized lots typically found in the country with all of conveniences of master-designed recreational amenities, such as state-of-the-art technology and nearby shopping, retail, dining, entertainment, schools and medical facilities.

The community features 150 acres devoted to parks and recreational amenities, a 12-acre lake with surrounding greenbelt, resort-style swim center, sports fields, hike/bike trails, parks and playgrounds, discovery-rich wildlife observation area and a natural bird habitat.  It’s where the vibrancy of West Houston meets the small-town charm of Katy/Fulshear. Take I-10 West and exit Pin Oak to FM 1463, go to www.firethorne.info, or call 281-693-1011.

For information about Firethorne and all Katy area homes, you can search the entire Houston MLS from this blog. For questions or to tour any area homes, contact me directly at 713-818-2404 or via email. I have specialized in Katy real estate for over 20 years. Experience does count!