I love this photo and immediately thought it would be a great analogy for the recovering real estate market. Steadily and most assuredly the Katy real estate market is making great strides.
Certain areas of Katy, especially those houses south of I-10, are experiencing a very competitive market. In most sections of Cinco Ranch, it is not a buyers market.
Public perception seems to lag behind the current market movement. Sometimes a buyer has to lose several houses when they make low-ball offers before they enter into competitive negotiations.
To tour Katy homes and work with a Realtor who can assist you in selecting a home, navigate repairs and negotiations, call me at 713-818-2404. I have sold Katy real estate for over 21 years. Experience does count!
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
Beazer Homes, an Atlanta based builder, recently closed on 209 acres on FM 1463 for a development to be called Churchhill Farms. According to The Houston Chronicle, ”Named after the founder of Fulshear, Churchill Fulshear, Churchill Farms will have 550 lots, more than 40 acres of open space, a 10-acre lake and a community pool and clubhouse.” The first model homes are scheduled to open in January 2012.
The Cardiff family, one of Katy’s oldest families, retained this last tract of the old family homestead. The land was purchased by the Cardiff family in 1924 and recently sold to Beazer.
The Chronicle went on to say, “Homes will range from $150,000 to $250,000, depending on the lot sizes. The smaller lots are targeting single professionals working in the Energy Corridor in west Houston or medical professionals working in the hospitals along I-10. The larger lots will likely house move-ups.”
Beazer has announced that preliminary plans include 16 acres of retail and commercial development.
To tour Katy or Fulshear homes and work with a Realtor who can assist you in negotiations, call me at 713-818-2404. I have sold Katy real estate for over 21 years. Experience does count!
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
About today’s real estate market:
Courtesy of federalhousingtaxcredit.com
It seems like every time we turn on the evening news or read a newspaper headline, the bad news deepens our fear and concerns about the economy. With the news media in full throttle, using terms like “meltdown” and “crises”, it’s easy to see why you might lack confidence in buying and selling a home.
We have to remind ourselves that the media reports negative news, not positive. Their key objective is to pull in an audience and advertisers, not to make you feel good about yourself. They announce the unemployment rate rising despite the fact that millions of people are still working, making money, eating at restaurants and even buying and selling homes.
Are we really spinning out of control? Let’s look at the facts remembering that Katy is far ahead in financial recovery than other parts of the nation. The following data in based on national averages:
- The U.S. Gross Domestic Product is greater than Japan’s, Germany’s and China’s combined.
- Approximately 30% of American homes are owned free and clear and Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
PathFinder Energy Services, Inc., a Houston based company, has announced it has begun work on their new corporate location in Katy. The 34-acre site is located near the northwest corner of Colonial Parkway and the Grand Parkway on the north side of I-10. The site is adjacent to the 800,000 square-foot 99-Cents-Only warehouse.
This influx of PathFinder employees to the Katy area will be a boon to Katy real estate particularly to homes on the market.
According to The Houston Chronicle, “The firm anticipates spending more than $20 million on the technology center. Plans are to build a two-story facility and Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
Recently, the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce visited the David Weekley “Hansboro” model in Firethorne and enjoyed a “Business After Hours” event. A large group of members, approximately 90 people, attended the reception. It was quite the honor for David Weekley as it was the very first time that a Firethorne homebuilder has hosted such a Katy Chamber event.
The 1,400-acre Firethorne master-planned community, where the vibrancy of West Houston meets the small-town charm of Fulshear, is located in the acclaimed Katy Independent School District. It features 150-acres devoted to parks and recreational amenities including a 12-acre lake with surrounding greenbelt. There is also a sports field, hike-and-bike trails, parks and playgrounds. One of the nicest features is a wildlife observation area and a natural bird habitat–unique features for a Katy Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
Don’t believe everything you read or hear. Yes, the national economy seems to be in the toilet but, happily, Katy continues to defy dire predictions!
Although many Houston commercial developments have been canceled, Katy will soon be home to a major real estate project, Katy Main Street. The mixed-use project will occupy 86-acres located at the southwest corner of Interstate 10 and Pin Oak Road in Katy. Plans for Katy Main Street were unveiled by Katy’s Economic Development Council.
Occupants will include entertainment, retail and office space. Specifically, Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
Despite doomsday media reports, Katy home sales, particularly those south of I-10, are occurring at a healthy economic rate. Let’s look at the facts and figures by comparing December 2007 sales to December 2008. As you will see there is a negligible difference in the numbers.
- In December 2007, there were 133 pending sales; this is the exact same number as in December 2008.
- There were 212 actual sales in the month of December 2007 and 199 in December 2008.
- In December 2007, there were 810 houses on the market. Last month, there were 891 houses for sale.
- Monthly inventory describes how long it would take to sell the current inventory if not another house was put on the market. In December 2007 there was a 3.3 month inventory. The most current figures are 3.9 months to sell all the existing inventory.
For more information about 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. I have specialized in Katy real estate for over 20 years. Experience does count!
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
After the indefinite postponement of KBR’s Katy campus, Katy business leaders have looked to the new medical developments as the major vehicles to bring new jobs to the Katy area and help Katy property values recover. Thank goodness, it’s all happy news concerning the construction of Katy’s Texas Children’s Hospital, Methodist Hospital and St. Luke’s Hospital. Construction proceeds “full speed ahead”!
Despite the economic downturn, all three major Houston hospitals are committed to their ongoing construction. Texas Children’s and Methodist are already under construction and St. Luke’s is in the final phase of architectural planning. According to The Houston Chronicle, “Officials at these hospitals say a shaky economy hasn’t halted plans to proceed with the facilities, which all will serve a rapidly expanding population and community.”
Located at the northwest corner of Barker Cypress and I-10, Texas Children’s Hospital is building a Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
I like to joke that Katy development will grow all the way to San Antonio! Well…we are on our way. Trendmaker Development’s Cross Creek Ranch will be a huge master-planned community in Fulshear and Ryland Homes has just announced a new development, Willow Creek Farms, in Brookshire, five miles west of Katy Mills Mall.
Cross Creek Ranch will be one of the most phenomenal developments in the Katy area and will have a huge impact on area real estate. Cross Creek Ranch is unlike anything that has come to far-west Katy, technically Fulshear. I remember when Fulshear was a real country town and the only high-end development was Weston Lakes, a guard-gated development built around a natural waterway and a golf course/club house. There was a tiny grocery store and a famous bar-barbecue café that attracted Houstonians.
Cross Creek Ranch will incorporate 3,200 acres. There will be a southeastern Texas ranch architectural Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
Despite what the national media says, the real estate market, at least here in Katy, is not belly-up. Granted, there is more inventory and it usually takes several months to sell even the nicest, priced-correctly house, houses are selling and prices are stable if not what they were several years ago when we were in a frenzied seller’s market. This is a buyer’s market but not a bottom-less pit where sellers are lucky to get even the most paltry offer.
We are in a safe zone, meaning we don’t know if the market has bottomed out but it is certainly less expensive than it was a year ago. Waiting to hit the very bottom is a dangerous proposition, just ask anyone Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
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