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!
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
Firethorne continued its record-breaking ways in 2010, selling 254 new homes, an all-time high for the five-year-old Katy/Fulshear residential development. This represents a 6.7 percent increase in new home sales over 2009, when the 1,400-acre master-designed community marked its previous record-breaking 238 homes sold.
“The continued growth of the Katy/Fulshear/West Houston economy, the Federal tax credits for first-time homebuyers (offered earlier in the year), our outstanding public schools and ongoing support from the local Realtor ® community have fueled the success we achieved in 2010,” said Firethorne General Manager Wayne Meyer.
Project-to-date, Firethorne has sold 1,132 new homes. The Firethorne homebuilders are Coventry Homes, Highland Homes, Partners in Building, Perry Homes, Plantation Homes and David Weekley Homes.
In terms of growth, energy companies have relocated employees to the area, Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
The 18th Annual Katy Triathlon at Firethorne, the third largest co-ed triathlon in Texas, will be held Sunday, October 24, 7:30 a.m. – 11 a.m., in and around the 1,400-acre Firethorne residential community. The USA Triathlon-sanctioned race, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Katy, encompasses a 16-mile bike race, a three-mile run and a 500-meter swim in Lake Firethorne.
“Firethorne is a great partner on this event and we’re thrilled to be back,” said Rotary Club of Katy Treasurer Vicki Rao. “We really enjoy the residents — they’re phenomenal people. Their response was so incredible last year, especially those who live near Race Central (the Visitor Center).”
The 2010 race hopes to draw 1,000 participants — 900+ individual athletes, plus those on relay teams.
The cycling route will include sections of FM 1463 and US Hwy. 90, within the Katy city limits. Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
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 Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
In 2010 Firethorne broke all first-quarter new home sales records in its five-year history, highlighted by a 284 percent increase over its first quarter new home sales in 2009. This figure represents the greatest percentage increase in sales — double that of the next highest sales increase of 140 percent — of any of the top 14 Houston-area master-designed/master-planned communities researched by Metrostudy, the leading provider of primary and secondary market information to the housing and related industries nationwide.
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 Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
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. Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
The third largest co-ed triathlon in Texas, the Annual Katy Triathlon, has announced plans to move to Firethorne this fall. Renamed the “Katy Triathlon at Firethorne”, the USA Triathlon-sanctioned race will be held Sunday, October 25, 7:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., in and around the 1,400 Katy/Fulshear community.
“Hosting the Katy Triathlon is such a natural for us because of our involvement in competitive sports and fitness in Katy,” said Firethorne General Manager Wayne Meyer. Firethorne built the Houston area’s first regulation lacrosse fields. Hike/bike trails are sponsored by the SpinCycles cycling team and Tortoise and Hare 5K/1M Run/Walk. There is also an on-site fully-equipped Fitness Center featuring certified trainer Peggy Skaggs.
Individual athletes as well as relay teams will compete in a 1/3-mile swim around the 12-acre Lake Firethorne, as well as a 15-mile bike race and a 3-mile run through Firethorne. The cycling Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
How to choose a Katy neighborhood? The choices are almost overwhelming. There are older neighborhoods with lovely established landscaping. Should you purchase a resale house? A house that needs updating or a recently built resale?
Another wonderful choice is new construction. There are exciting new developments where you can choose a new home picking the exact amenities that fit your family’s wants and needs.
Let’s say you’ve decided on new construction. Now where? Again, the choices are many and varied. To keep your head from spinning, I’ve been featuring a series of articles that highlight new developments in the Katy area. This is Part Three of my Firethorne articles. (To see earlier Firethorne articles, click Part One and Part Two.) As you might have gathered, I love Firethorne and believe strongly in its value. 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 |
Firethorne, a relatively new Katy master-planned community, is strategically located on FM 1463 near the crossroads of the I-10 West Corridor, the Westpark Tollway and the Grand Parkway. Firethorne is a 1,400-acre residential development designed to combine the vibrancy of Katy with the small town charm of Fulshear.
Named for a resilient evergreen indigenous to the Texas prairie, Firethorne blends with the best nature has to offer: 150-acres devoted to parks and recreational amenities. There is a 12-acre lake with surrounding greenbelt, hike and bike trails, parks and playgrounds. There is a discovery-rich wildlife observation area, a natural bird habitat and more.
According to Firethorne Marketing Director Janet Burkett, “To date, Firethorne has opened two fully furnished Model Parks. Three more will open in the Fall of 2009.” The Visitor Center is pictured above. Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
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