This stunning four-bedroom Trendmaker home which features a wonderful floorplan with study, gameroom and open family room – kitchen area is located in Gleannloch Farms near the pool and tennis courts.   This home is zoned to outstanding Klein schools.

This is the perfect home for a family looking for a 1.5 story home--four bedrooms plus a study down and a large gameroom up!  Other extras:  a full drive-in three-car garage; an oversized look with plenty of room for a future pool; low tax rate for the area (2.88%); plus zoned to outstanding Katy schools (WoodCreek Elementary & Junior High and Seven Lakes High School).

This lovely two bedroom plus study home is located in Heritage Grand, a gated 55+ community located within Cinco Ranch.  Heritage Grand amenities include a 14,000-square-foot grand club house with a billiard room, arts-and-crafts room, fitness center, heated pool and spa and access to all of the sought-after features and amenities found in Cinco Ranch.

Every market indicator for the month was positive, except pending sales which dipped 15% below last November.

Houston Milestone: 

November YTD 2009 was the first month in 2009 where sales improved from double-digit declines to single-digit decline.  Single-family home sales year-to-date are now only 8% below last year – quite an improvement from YTD February sales which were 24% below 2008. 

Fabulous custom four-bedroom home features a versatile floorplan with two bedrooms down, open family room - kitchen area and a spacious gameroom up.  This home is located in Katy Lakes Estates on apx. 1.9 acres.  Country living at its best--spacious lots near outstanding Katy schools, shopping and the energy corridor.

Dubbed “Gloworama,” the parade will feature a procession of illuminated art cars and a 3-D light show projected on the exterior of the convention center.

The Invincible Czars will perform “Nutcracker Suite” in Discovery Green before the event, and there will be a balcony viewing party on top of the convention center. A late-night event called AfterGlow will allow Houstonians to party into the wee hours of the night with live music.

The parade is also sponsored by the Houston Downtown Alliance, Art Cars of Houston, ABC-13 KTRK, City of Houston Convention & Entertainment Facilities of Houston, City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, Bud Light, LD Systems, Continental Airlines Inc. (NYSE: CAL) and Autorama.

Houston makes best-performing city list

Houston Business Journal

Stunning four-bedroom Highland home features a fabulous floorplan with two bedrooms and two full baths down; gameroom up; and an open family room - kitchen area ideal for today's active households!

HAR MLS HOTNESS INDEX OCTOBER 2009
Rank	Area	Area Name	Hotness Ratio	Pending Sales	Sales	Active Listings	Months Inventory
1	25	Far West	19.4	173	244	892	4.1
2	28	Alief Area	19.3	64	74	332	5.9
3	12	North	18.7	121	175	647	4.4
4	11	Near North	18.6	75	94	404	5.4
5	36	South Katy Area	18.3	127	222	693	3.1
6	32	Far Northeast	17.8	71	98	400	4.8
7	19	Montgomery County Northeast	15.8	70	85	444	7.1
8	38	Ft. Bend East	15.3	107	132	698	5.6
9	8	Bear Creek	15.1	106	193	703	4.6
10	37	Ft. Bend West	14.9	116	166	776	4.9
11	21	Bellaire West	14.8	12	20	81	4.2
12	35	Hempstead West	14.7	84	100	572	5.3
13	34	Aldine-Westfield Area	14.1	25	18	177	8.4
14	55	Wharton County	14	16	12	114	11.1
15	29	Ft. Bend Central	13.9	80	138	576	4.8
16	10	Hempstead East	13.8	97	160	702	4.8
17	3	Southeast	13.3	98	148	735	5.7
18	14	Far Northwest	12.9	99	142	765	5.8
19	1	Northeast	12.8	133	194	1037	5.7
20	2	East	12.6	141	157	1115	7.3
21	30	Ft. Bend Southwest	12.6	74	90	587	5.9
22	6	Pasadena Area	12	51	92	424	5.1
23	13	Northwest	11.8	124	192	1050	5.7
24	7	Clear Lake Area	11.4	69	139	607	4.5
25	26	Waller County	11.3	17	14	151	9.5
26	40	Montgomery County Southeast	10.8	33	60	305	7.5
27	5	Brazoria County	10.4	138	268	1329	6.1
28	20	Bellaire South	10	36	75	360	4.7
29	15	Montgomery County Southwest	9.8	149	279	1521	6.0
30	4	South	8.9	27	30	302	10.3
31	53	Chambers County	8.6	13	18	152	7.6
32	18	South Central	8.5	11	18	130	6.7
33	33	Galveston County	7.6	176	257	2309	8.6
34	43	Walker County	7.2	13	30	181	8.4
35	9	Central North	7.2	74	159	1031	6.8
36	52	Liberty County	7.1	16	20	225	9.2
37	31	West	7	25	61	358	6.3
38	23	Memorial	6.4	21	50	328	7.7
39	42	Trinity County	5.8	7	13	120	16.9
40	39	Montgomery County Northwest	5.8	44	86	765	8.2
41	24	Spring Branch	5.2	17	48	326	6.8
42	16	Central	4.7	26	48	550	11.3
43	22	Central West	4.6	16	48	349	10.3
44	44	Polk County	4.1	14	33	343	13.8
45	17	Southwest	3.5	22	74	635	9.1
46	64	San Jacinto County	3.3	6	17	184	13.3
47	57	Austin County	2.3	4	14	176	14.4

Houston Business Journal

Stunning four-bedroom Hammonds

Home featuring a versatile floorplan with study, media room, gameroom and open family room – kitchen area.  Located on a cul-de-sac street this home overlooks a tropical backyard complete with pool, spa, waterfall and removable safety fencing.  An added plus is the full drive three-car garage.  This home is zoned to outstanding Katy schools & boasts a low tax rate for the area (2.88%).

The rankings were determined by median income, cost of living, job growth and the quality of the business environment.

Most importantly, the magazine stated that "if you are worried about the economic situation changing in Houston, Dallas or Austin, in the next few years, don't be.  As health care, technology and energy take more employees into their ranks, cities that specialize in these core industries will continue to draw skilled workers and dole out attractive compensations."

According to Forbes.com, "Expect this list to look similar next year--but you might not need it if by then you've moved to Texas for a job."

Eco-friendly. Carbon footprint. Global warming. Energy-efficient. These catch phrases have become part of our lexicon as we’ve become more aware of our impact on the environment and our role in protecting it. As a homeowner, there are some simple, inexpensive steps you can take to make your home energy-efficient. Get started on the road to being “green” with these five tips:

1. Change Your Light Bulbs

By replacing just five incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs, you can save $100 per year on electric bills while using up to 75 percent less energy and removing greenhouse gases from the environment.

2. Buy ENERGY STAR® Appliances

ENERGY STAR-qualified appliances, such as refrigerators, washers and air conditioners, meet a higher level of energy efficiency set by the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy than standard models. According to ENERGY STAR, if just one in 10 homes used ENERGY STAR-qualified appliances, the impact could be compared to planting 1.7 million new acres of trees. And, switching to these appliances is not only good for the environment, but easy on your pocketbook. Although these appliances may costs more, you can reduce your energy bill by $80 per year.

3. Seal Up

Cracks and air leaks represent cash seeping from your doors and windows. Get rid of air leaks in doors, windows and other areas by caulking gaps and cracks. This will help decrease your heating and air conditioning bill. But make sure you use silicone sealants. Acrylic caulk tends to shrink, while silicone sealants are waterproof and won’t shrink or crack, creating less waste.

4. Use Less Water

Did you know that roughly 60 percent of a home's water consumption takes place in the bathroom, according to the California Urban Water Conservation Council? The largest culprit is the toilet, which accounts for 27 percent of your household supply every year. By installing low-flow toilets, showerheads and faucets, you can save thousands of gallons of water each year. In addition, replace leaky fixtures. That slow-dripping faucet can waste as much as 2,400 gallons of water per year.

5. Adjust the Thermostat

When adjusting your home’s thermostat, the rule of thumb should be: turn up the dial in the summer and down in the winter. Lowering the temperature by just one degree will reduce your electrical costs. And if you use a programmable thermostat, you can program your air-conditioning and heating systems to reduce output while no one is at home or at night while you sleep. Ceiling fans are also helpful in circulating the air to keep the room cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Going green doesn’t have to be overwhelming or costly. By making just a few small changes within your home, you can help decrease energy consumption and help make the world a “greener” place.

The Sugar Land branch of the Houston Museum of Natural Science is slated to open October 3^rd and will host The Chronicles of Narnia, a 10,000 sq.ft. traveling exhibit which will cover the entire 2^nd floor.   Permanent areas of interest will include a Hall of Minerals, a Hall of Life Sciences, a planetarium and a frog exhibit.  There will also be an interactive Dig Pit, where children can unearth fossils; and Discover Works, where they can participate in hands-on activities.  The branch is located at 13016 University Blvd. in the Telfair community.            

For soccer fans you will be happy to know that Houston is still in the 2018 or

2022 Federation International de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup soccer tournament bid.  Reliant is on a list of 32 stadiums under consideration.  Houston was already selected as host city for the 2010 Major League Soccer all-star game which pits a group of MLS stars against an international soccer club.  It will be played at either Robertson Stadium or Reliant Stadium.  It takes place following the 2010 FIFA World Cup. 

The Greater Houston Convention Visitors Bureau noted other accomplishments for Houston such as hosting the AAU Junior Olympics in 2012, the National Rifle Association’s annual meeting in 2013 and the NCAA Final Four in 2016.  As

Houston continues to expand its host role, we see an expansion in hotels & airline accessibility.  Continental announced nonstop service from Houston to both

Washington Dulles and Edmonton, Alberta.  In the Katy area future hotels include a Hilton Garden Inn (opening early 2010 with 101 rooms); a Marriott Residence Inn (opening early 2010 with 126-suites); and a Comfort Inn & Suites (still in the planning stages).  The Merrill Center and PetroSkills Conference Center should help draw visitors into the area. 

Men’s Wearhouse is launching its second “suit drive” from September 1 – 30.  They will accept donations of gently used office attire at any of its store locations.  The donations will be provided to nonprofit organizations for distribution to job seekers to help them “sell themselves” during job interviews.  Frito-Lay and Kroger are teaming up to build a new park on Galveston’s Seawall Boulevard.  Between Aug. 23 – Sept. 19 they donate $1 every time a consumer purchases two bags of SunChips.  As our oldest daughter worked on the SunChip project at Frito-Lay, I am a bit biased on this project. 

Fabulous single story Perry Home situated on an oversized cul-de-sac lot in the premier neighborhood of Firethorne.  This four-bedroom energy star home features tile floors, a spacious kitchen with granite counters which opens to the family room plus many features such as TechShiled© radiant barrier roof decking and 14.0 SEER Carrier air conditioner with Pruon© refrigerant.