Southern Trails Community In Pearland

[twgreen]

Well, I certainly agree about a buyer saving money on a lot at ST. I know I did. And you are right about Newmark at Arbor Lakes in SCR; the sales agent I talked with there last summer made it clear that their lots were sold at an extra price on top of the home price. The cheapest lot Newmark had was $4K and those with a backyard bordering the lake were $30K. That was too steep for us.

I hear what you are saying about not competing with SCR, but put on your homeowners hat again and think about it. To a buyer, you ARE competing. The entrance to ST is right across 518 from an entrance to SCR. People out house-hunting (like I was) are going to see the two subdivisions side-by-side and probably take a peek at both. ST competes with SCR by default, simply due to it's close proximity.

You have to find a way to get the house-hunters out of their car and into your sales office. Then you can show them why ST is better. However, without enough eye-appealing extras of the same level as SCR, many folks will just drive on by.

And that is exactly why im spending 80% of my time here in s trails. Your so correct sbout the buyers hat. I break a sales pros position down to PRO. Principle, Role, Objective. Principle (work smart, max opportunity) Role (extremely important!!!!!) councel, educate, and guide (NOT SELL). All builders teach a "Sales Process". Thats useless unless one understands the "Buyers Process" or buyer hat. Most Sales people try to sell you. I alwyas just tried to help someone make a good decsion.

Your right though. 100% correct in your last paragraph. One must differentiate. And some will just drive on by. Thats why referrals, and realtor relations are huge for us. Signage is important but our City of Pearland folks say no way.

Call me sometime 2815411013

[Chamo]

I see you guys are talking about some fences inside Southern Trails. I have to go and take a look, but I want to add to the fence discussion.

I live in SCR (Heron Bay - Coventry Homes) which is very close to Southern Trails entrance.

When I built my house, Southern Trails was not an option yet, but most probably I would have gone for a TrendMaker home if they were available at that time building their first section. I was also very impressed with both Ashton Woods and David Weekly and their first areas of development.

But now when I drive on 518 west of Sothern Trails entrance and west of the church and see that wooden fence they put and that will only get uglier with time, there is no way I would consider buying in that section and to be honest, Southern Trails lost some appeal to me. I would be one of those that would prefer to pay a little more to have a nicer look around.

On the same note, the new section of Newmark/Trophy did a great job with their entrance/wall along CR 48.

[twgreen]

I see you guys are talking about some fences inside Southern Trails. I have to go and take a look, but I want to add to the fence discussion.

I live in SCR (Heron Bay - Coventry Homes) which is very close to Southern Trails entrance.

When I built my house, Southern Trails was not an option yet, but most probably I would have gone for a TrendMaker home if they were available at that time building their first section. I was also very impressed with both Ashton Woods and David Weekly and their first areas of development.

But now when I drive on 518 west of Sothern Trails entrance and west of the church and see that wooden fence they put and that will only get uglier with time, there is no way I would consider buying in that section and to be honest, Southern Trails lost some appeal to me. I would be one of those that would prefer to pay a little more to have a nicer look around.

On the same note, the new section of Newmark/Trophy did a great job with their entrance/wall along CR 48.

ive never said i didnt prefer brick. and we as developer built their entrance and it is nice. i jut drove through SCR and 75% of the brick has green mildew and water stains on it, which isnt all that appealing to me. bottom line gentleman, it comes down to dollars and cents (sense). all of those amenities get absorbed in lot cost. We have already absorbed some addtional items and thanks to the builders for agreeing to support the rise in lot cost. As far as appeal of Southern trails. We arent even close to finshed with the entry and perimeter of the community. Within 4 months its gonna have a look i think our homeowners will be proud of. I welcome any ideas and things to improve the community. And i will shoot straight and be honest on what we can and cant do and even try to explain why. It may not always be what you want to hear, but please believe me when i say i have only the best intentions (im actually condsidering moving here......anyone know someone who wants a 5400 sq ft home in Waterbury Estates in Silverlake?)

[Timnwendy]

I look forward to seeing those improvements.

Here is a suggestion that seems obvious, but since you did ask...why can't you at least paint the wood fences that run along the streets? The fences between the homes are different, of course, but if you paint the ones that run along the roads and perimeter, where first impressions are made, it would add alot to the appeal of ST. Paint is alot cheaper than brick walling, correct? Could you squeeze in that cost to the budget?

[sarahiki]

twgreen, I just tried your AOL address and it didn't work. I'd like to get in touch and have a look at Southern Trails. How can I reach you?

ive never said i didnt prefer brick. and we as developer built their entrance and it is nice. i jut drove through SCR and 75% of the brick has green mildew and water stains on it, which isnt all that appealing to me. bottom line gentleman, it comes down to dollars and cents (sense). all of those amenities get absorbed in lot cost. We have already absorbed some addtional items and thanks to the builders for agreeing to support the rise in lot cost. As far as appeal of Southern trails. We arent even close to finshed with the entry and perimeter of the community. Within 4 months its gonna have a look i think our homeowners will be proud of. I welcome any ideas and things to improve the community. And i will shoot straight and be honest on what we can and cant do and even try to explain why. It may not always be what you want to hear, but please believe me when i say i have only the best intentions (im actually condsidering moving here......anyone know someone who wants a 5400 sq ft home in Waterbury Estates in Silverlake?)

[Trae]

I look forward to seeing those improvements.

Here is a suggestion that seems obvious, but since you did ask...why can't you at least paint the wood fences that run along the streets? The fences between the homes are different, of course, but if you paint the ones that run along the roads and perimeter, where first impressions are made, it would add alot to the appeal of ST. Paint is alot cheaper than brick walling, correct? Could you squeeze in that cost to the budget?

I was just about to say this. You can paint the wood fences a nice dark brown and that color will stay there for a while. Also, you could do a brick/fence pattern. One brick column, then a line of fence (one homeowner lot), then another brick.

[Timnwendy]

I was just about to say this. You can paint the wood fences a nice dark brown and that color will stay there for a while. Also, you could do a brick/fence pattern. One brick column, then a line of fence (one homeowner lot), then another brick.

You are quite right. I was driving through the Teal Run subdivision last weekend and noticed this type of dark paint (or stain?) along the wooden fences on both sides of Teal Run Blvd. It looks much, much better than plain unpainted fences.

At Southern Trails, some of the streets have a brick & wood pattern to the fences (this is true along Southern Trails Drive, the main entrance road). There, the wooden fences are anchored by brick columns spaced out every so often. However, I noticed that the new fencing put up along ST's border with 518 on the northwest edge of the subdivision is not achored by brick columns. Too bad.

Regardless, a nice stain or paint on the wood fencing would do wonders for the appeal in all sections of the subdivision.

I've been trading pms with twgreen about this too.

[twgreen]

twgreen, I just tried your AOL address and it didn't work. I'd like to get in touch and have a look at Southern Trails. How can I reach you?

hmmm. thats weird. Wgreen@ashtonwoodshomes.com or 281-541-1013 direct. I look forward to talking with you.

Wayne

[sarahiki]

Thanks. This week I'm off Pearland. But I change my mind almost daily so I'll probably be wildly interested again in 3 days. I'll keep your info for the next mood swing.

hmmm. thats weird. Wgreen@ashtonwoodshomes.com or 281-541-1013 direct. I look forward to talking with you.

Wayne

[Timnwendy]

twgreen, can you tell me if the landscaping at the entrance to Southern Trails will eventually look like the photo I've attached? I pulled the photo from David Weekley's site advertising Southern Trails. Can you tell me if that little forest of trees will indeed be planted as frontage, or was that just an artist's conception? Thanks.

[njvisitor]

twgreen, can you tell me if the landscaping at the entrance to Southern Trails will eventually look like the photo I've attached? I pulled the photo from David Weekley's site advertising Southern Trails. Can you tell me if that little forest of trees will indeed be planted as frontage, or was that just an artist's conception? Thanks.

Wow! That looks extraordinary!

Southern Trails would, hands down, be the most appealing development if it had a entrance like that...

[TAK]

you will all have moved to the woodlands by the time the non-existent trees mature to that size...

[Timnwendy]

you will all have moved to the woodlands by the time the non-existent trees mature to that size...

True...but I'd settle for little trees right now, because it would prove the land behind the entrance won't be sold for retail development.

[dizzyedge]

twgreen, can you tell me if the landscaping at the entrance to Southern Trails will eventually look like the photo I've attached? I pulled the photo from David Weekley's site advertising Southern Trails. Can you tell me if that little forest of trees will indeed be planted as frontage, or was that just an artist's conception? Thanks.

I hope not..i'm not so into it.

It looks like a Sienna Plantation section.

It'll block the view of the beautiful Trendmaker homes in the front.

[twgreen]

I hope not..i'm not so into it.

It looks like a Sienna Plantation section.

It'll block the view of the beautiful Trendmaker homes in the front.

Group

That pic is a little fuzzy. Are those trees directly behind the entrance?

[twgreen]

Group

That pic is a little fuzzy. Are those trees directly behind the entrance?

No. haha. How and why would they add those? There will be homes. No retail in the community,

[Timnwendy]

twgreen, do you know what will be built on the land due east of Southern trails, on the vacant land between ST and the new Kirby Drive extension?

[Timnwendy]

In the last two weeks, we have noticed a sudden rash of 'sold' signs on inventory homes and lots in our section of Southern Trails (Sage Meadows, 60'). These sales are on Weekley and Ashton Woods homes. I emailed my sales agent and she confirmed that they have made about half-a-dozen sales recently. Maybe word is getting out about this quality community, and its location. Maybe the new year is bringing out the buyers who have been sitting on the fence. Maybe both.

[dizzyedge]

In the last two weeks, we have noticed a sudden rash of 'sold' signs on inventory homes and lots in our section of Southern Trails (Sage Meadows, 60'). These sales are on Weekley and Ashton Woods homes. I emailed my sales agent and she confirmed that they have made about half-a-dozen sales recently. Maybe word is getting out about this quality community, and its location. Maybe the new year is bringing out the buyers who have been sitting on the fence. Maybe both.

Yea..Imperial homes also signed on a 3 homes in the past month, offering extra incentives to get some more sales in, in '07.

[Timnwendy]

I know Trendmaker has sold at least one home too, because the guy who is inspecting my house told me he inspected a 4600 sq ft Trendmaker that a family was closing on.

[stresident]

what is going to be developed directly east of st?

[sarahiki]

what is going to be developed directly east of st?

I was told by the salespeople at Weekley that it was going to be residential over there.

[Timnwendy]

I'm not sure, but I suspect retail. My suspicion is based on the fact that Kirby has been extended south, right along the west edge of the new Pearland Town Center, which makes it prime real estate for retail development (a.k.a. strip malls). I really hope I'm wrong.

I seem to recall a map on the city of Pearland site that showed some different zoning around the Pearland Town Center, including the Southern Trails area. I'll see if I can find it. It might help us figure out what the heck is going to happen to that land.

[TammyB]

Weekley told me the same. That area just east is zoned for residential that is of equal or greater value than the current houses that are at the eastern border.

[Timnwendy]

I really hope you guys are right. But if a subdivision is built on that plot of land, I'd be really leering of buying a home there. The folks could end up like those up in ShadowCreek who built $300K+ homes on the east edge of the SCR property, only to find apartment buildings going up a few feet away, right across their fenceline, a couple of years later (as HoustonRealtor pointed out to us).

Last night I spent an hour on the City of Pearland's website, looking at their maps. They have lots and lots of pretty maps showing zoning, projects, water, schools, and whatnot, but they hadn't been updated since early 2007! I saw lots of out-dated stuff like the extension of Kirby was missing, the Pearland Town Center project, etc. Even their zip code map was wrong. Southern Trails and SCR both showed up color-coded for commercial use, not residential, even though they showed the streets accurately. I believe these maps on their site are pretty much useless, in their current state. There has just been too many changes in the last year. On the bright side, most of them seemed to have been updated in Jan-Feb '07, so maybe they will replace them with new versions soon, now that '08 is here.

You can find the maps here and see for yourself.

[stresident]

i saw all those maps before we originally moved here and since they haven't been updated i was just wondering if anyone had any newer info. thanks.

[hbcu]

I attended Willowridge High School........lets be real, why isn't it much of an appeal? I don't want to hear about TAKS test, etc. because that's an individual test when its all said and done....I know why but I want the sales rep or whomever to come in here and just give me the bottom line since she/he brought it up...The new Pearland Dawson High School is going to end up like Willowridge when its all said and done as the same things Willowridge encountered in its infancy stage is occuring in Pearland down Cullen...what will be the excuse then?

Jones, Sterling, Willowridge, Madison, Westbury, etc. opened one way and demographics changed over the years as the same things people are doing now was done then.....so why not stay in once place, develop that, and focus on building the area up as opposed to running away for one petty reason? Anyone will tell you South Park was a beautiful area once.....are you all prepared to face the music when we say Pearland was a beautiful area at one tme? The biggest difference now and then...people didn't have to pay a mortgage of a half-million to live in a decent area

All these Pearland/Alvin ISD schools are now jam packed with kids so the student teacher ratio pretty much sucks...Willowridge's ratio is much better now with the enrollment drop so you have a better chance for a kid to succeed...

In 10 years, you all will pump up the new neighborhood in Angleton because Manvel and Pearland Dawson is not an attractive school...

[Timnwendy]

I attended Willowridge High School........lets be real, why isn't it much of an appeal? I don't want to hear about TAKS test, etc. because that's an individual test when its all said and done....I know why but I want the sales rep or whomever to come in here and just give me the bottom line since she/he brought it up...The new Pearland Dawson High School is going to end up like Willowridge when its all said and done as the same things Willowridge encountered in its infancy stage is occuring in Pearland down Cullen...what will be the excuse then?

Jones, Sterling, Willowridge, Madison, Westbury, etc. opened one way and demographics changed over the years as the same things people are doing now was done then.....so why not stay in once place, develop that, and focus on building the area up as opposed to running away for one petty reason? Anyone will tell you South Park was a beautiful area once.....are you all prepared to face the music when we say Pearland was a beautiful area at one tme? The biggest difference now and then...people didn't have to pay a mortgage of a half-million to live in a decent area

All these Pearland/Alvin ISD schools are now jam packed with kids so the student teacher ratio pretty much sucks...Willowridge's ratio is much better now with the enrollment drop so you have a better chance for a kid to succeed...

In 10 years, you all will pump up the new neighborhood in Angleton because Manvel and Pearland Dawson is not an attractive school...

hi hbcu, I'm sorry but you totally lost me with your reply here. Are you commenting on one of the posts in this thread? Thanks.

[hbcu]

I will give SCR this, there is a heck of alot of brick walls over there. Also, being zoned to Willowridge HS isnt doing much for their sales velocity either. These are all just my opinion.

TW Green said that

[brerrabbit]

I really hope you guys are right. But if a subdivision is built on that plot of land, I'd be really leering of buying a home there. The folks could end up like those up in ShadowCreek who built $300K+ homes on the east edge of the SCR property, only to find apartment buildings going up a few feet away, right across their fenceline, a couple of years later (as HoustonRealtor pointed out to us).

I find it interesting that you comment about the apartments in SCR. I have lived in Pearland going on 15 years and can remember when SCR was soybean fields. Then came the announcement that SCR was to be built. From day one the developers said that it was going to be a multi housing development which would be home to more than 12,000 residents living in houses, townhomes, and apartments. For someone to be surprised by the fact that apartments were built in SCR is quite frankly surprising to me. When the negotiations were occuring between Alvin and Pearlad ISD's about who would take in SCR to their district one of PISD's stumbling points were they did not want it because of the planned apartments. I will try to find some of the old initial announcements about SCR, but can assure you that if someone did not know apartments were coming it is only because the builder they bought from never mentioned it to them because SCR's original developers were very upfront about the type housing that was going to be part of the development.