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 |
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 Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
Fifteen-and-a-third acres, located at the intersection of Katy Terrace Drive and Hwy 1093, have been purchased to build apartments in the master-planned community of Cinco Ranch.
According to The Houston Business Journal, Judwin Realty Group LLC has acquired the land. “Judwin’s Jerry Wionograd says the firm is finishing plans for the 316-unit complex.”
Judwin hopes to break ground in the second or third quarter of 2010.
The Houston Business Journal reports, “Houston-based Judwin, which was founded in 1963, owns more than 13,000 apartment units in Texas and Georgia.
For 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 or via email. I have specialized in Katy real estate for over 20 years. Experience does count!
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 |
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 |
Just 32 miles from downtown and a short commute from the Energy Corridor is Katy’s Cinco Ranch, the largest master-planned community, 7,600 acres, in the Houston area. Cinco Ranch is renowned for its gorgeous homes built by prestigious builders, award-winning schools, recreational facilities, abundance of professional landscaping and vistas of untouched green space.
The majority of home values have remained stable in Cinco Ranch even during these unsure economic times. This is one of the benefits of living in a true master-planned community.
Single family properties in Cinco Ranch include everything from small, comfy patio homes to one-of-a-kind custom estates. There are lake and golf course lots. There is even an over-55 community, Heritage Grand, known for it’s fun lifestyle, security and easy maintenance. Cinco Ranch prices range from under $200,000 to over $1million.
While you will find professional singles and retirees making their home in Cinco Ranch, the population is Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
Compliments of Wikipedia
The Cinco Ranch community goes back to before Texas became a Republic. In the 1820s, pioneer Moses Austin was granted by the Spanish government the authority to settle 300 families in the valleys of the Brazos and Colorado rivers. He died before he was able to accomplish this, but his son Stephen F. Austin was able to complete his father’s wishes, even under the newly established Mexican government. One of the men who moved into these 300 slots of land (each one over 4000 acres (16 km²) was Randolph Foster, whose land spread across Fort Bend and Waller counties and upon which wild horses, deer, Indians and buffalo lived.
Foster’s daughter married Thomas Blakeley, cattleman and future sheriff of Fort Bend County. Their son, Bassett Blakeley, Read the rest of this entry »
Spoken by Julie Q. Fuelling |
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