AndreaD

It turns out that the photos that were uploaded for the home at 11 N. Mossrock show a nicely updated interior -- not shabby at all. New SS appliances, including a SS fridge, and some new lighting. Yesterday (3/13/12) its price was reduced to $174,900. Did you ever go and take a look at it?

Gigijen22,

The house at 2 Shallow Pond Place is too small for you, you said (it has 2129 sq. ft.). Well, I have a new possibility for you. This past week a Life Forms home at 11 North Mossrock Rd. came on the market; the listing says it's at 11 Mossrock Rd., which is incorrect. It's in the heart of Grogan's Mill. This one has 2601 sq. ft., so it's quite a bit larger. The lot is also larger, at 7480 sq. ft. The asking price is $179,900, or just $9200 more than the one on Shallow Pond.

Unfortunately the agent hasn't posted a single picture of this new listing, but you can get a very good look at the front of the house with Google maps' street view. With that low of an asking price, I suspect that the inside hasn't been updated at all, but it's in a great location. See it at http://search.har.com/engine/dispSearch.cfm?mlnum=14366867

Andrea

Yesterday evening the article below announced that they are finally going to open a store in The Woodlands -- NOT in the former Alabama Theater, inside Loop 610, as was rumored before.

http://blog.chron.co...-the-woodlands/

The grocery chain spokeswoman confirmed that in spring 2012, they will open a store in the new Woodlands Crossing Shopping Center, located at the SE corner of Woodlands Parkway and Kuykendahl Rd. On opposite corners of that intersection are HEB and Kroger stores. The only other store Trader Joe’s is opening in Texas will be in Ft. Worth. You can find out more about the Woodlands Crossing Shopping Center (including maps) at http://www.realmreal.../woodlands2.htm.

I am very, very familiar with the chain because they have a huge presence in California, where I used to live. Their prices are very reasonable – this is not a Whole Foods kind of place. For example, Trader Joe’s is home of “Two Buck Chuck” wines. You can find out more about the stores at http://www.traderjoes.com.

we are looking to move to the woodlands?

also Could someone convey in why Lifeforms closed?

What I read elsewhere is that they shut down their business around 2005, after they got hit with several lawsuits relating to their use of EIFS (artificial stucco). They felt they just couldn't survive with the expense of so many lawsuits facing them. I imagine that a lot of homeowners who chose EIFS probably ended up replacing the siding with real, hard-coat stucco at their own expense. But Life Forms wasn't the only builder this happened to: many others across the country also used EIFS and had subsequent warranty problems.

Andrea

Life Form houses are not being buit anymore, they were the brainchild of Mitchell's son, an architect, but they stopped building them in the 80's I think. You will only find existing houses. I actually found 4 Life Form houses for sale (I added the two others on the other life form post since I had created this one by mistake). Most of them are in the 77381 zip code which is technically Spring and not the Woodlands. I did my seach on the HAR website.

There are probably even more Life Forms homes for sale currently. As far as I know, that builder built homes only in The Woodlands. They shut down their business a lot later than the 1980s, more like 2004-05, after they got hit with several lawsuits relating to their use of EIFS (artificial stucco).

You mentioned Spring vs. the Woodlands. I don't know how it evolved that Spring became the address for so many homes in the Woodlands; if you go by the post offices for 77381 and 77380, etc., you'll see plainly that "The Woodlands Texas" is written on the front of those buildings. And in May 2014 or later, the residents will be able to vote for incorporating The Woodlands as a real city. Right now it's officially organized as The Woodlands Township. Read more about this incorporation at http://www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/FAQ.aspx?TID=14

Just make sure to title the list, "What to watch for in the Town Center area in 2010" to clarify it. I wasn't aware of Exxon planning to build a campus there: that sounds great! Is it supposed to be in addition to their research center in the Greenspoint office complex? Or replace it? I know a PhD who works at Greenspoint and he might know more.

Andrea

you've tried entering his name here ?

http://www.mcad-tx.org/html/records.html

A better, more direct URL is this: http://orion.mcad-tx.org/appraisal/publica...=&NodeID=11

1. When a result comes up, click on the Rxxxxx Property ID link to the left of your cousin's name.

2. The next page will be the Property Detail Sheet with lots more info, including the value that MCAD wants to assess it at for 2009.

3. Click on the GIS Map link at the top, and a new window will appear, showing a map ... usually. But as the other people in this forum have shown you, that property is not mapped and available online, unfortunately. The message I got was: "MCAD GIS Error: The parcel requested was not found in the Database." I think you'll have to call the MCAD office to find out where it's located.

Good luck, Andrea

... If anyone can provide information about other subdivisions with one story Life Forms, I would really appreciate it. Thanks in advance!!!

Lori,

I can tell you that there are a number of patio homes/townhomes/condos or whatever you want to call them, previously sold and now for sale. They are mostly one story, and are in the Ashbury Square subdivision, all on Douvaine Ct. in Sterling Ridge, near the intersection of Lake Woodlands Dr. and Sterling Ridge Dr. They're not cheap, though; the lowest one of the three currently for sale is asking $210,000. The other two are in the $240s. They were built in 2004 and are very nicely finished inside. Of the 4 floorplans there, only one was a two-story (the largest one). These are legally structured as condos, I think, but many/most resales are marketed as single-family homes. I don't know why the Realtors do that.

The other Life Forms subdivisions I looked at rarely had one-story single-family homes, which is why I pretty much ruled them out in my home search. The only one recently sold that I could find was at 78 Winter Wheat Pl. in the Reedy Pond subdivision (it had 1837 sq. ft.). It was last asking $181,900 before being sold; it closed in Aug. 2007.

Andrea

Subsidence? Creekside Park was built up to a 500-year or higher floodplain. It appears that there is lot of additional flood plain on this map. I was not following the new maps, but did they change the elevation specifications or did they just remeasure and map the elevations?

I think the answer is your 2nd choice: they remapped the floodplain elevations. As the Chronicle article said, "The new flood map would be an upgrade over the one currently in effect, which was established in 1999, he said. The new version is digital, providing a more accurate representation of the flood plain." So blame it on newer technology. I just wonder now if this digital imaging will affect other areas near creeks elsewhere in The Woodlands.

Andrea

I read on Feb. 26th in the Chronicle that the city of Shenandoah got new proposed floodplain maps from a consultant. This news doesn't only affect Shenandoah, but also a lot of the Grogan's Forest area, especially the newly-built areas on both sides of Grogan's Mill Road

... There

I speak from the perspective of searching for a retirement home in East Shore. While they were constructed, I watched Village Builders

Hi Y'All ,

Tell me what you know about the Woodlands Parkway expansion---when is it due to start--how many lanes will they "expand" on each side---and how far down will this expansion project go/what area(s) will it cover?

Will it go all the way to 2978 eventally?

Also--The rumor mill grinds on about Research Forest---not "will" it go thru to the 2978 area--but when?

Off of 2978 there is "already" a "Research Forest"---is that where it is slated to connect?

All you in the "know" please set the record straight!

Celiene,

One year ago (on Oct. 17th, 2007), the Chronicle published a story about all the major road expansions that The Woodlands Development Co. plans to do. That article is no longer available online, unless you have a paid subscription to the newspaper, maybe. Two days after that story was published, I captured the article as a PDF and added maps with markups to show where the roads are being widened: see the file I've uploaded. I don't know how accurate these plans are, now that one year is passed.

For more up-to-date info, see another topic in the Woodlands forum: "Mobility project for The Woodlands." I think that has more details.

Road_widening_in_The_Woodlands.pdf

Been looking for new digs and I think Settler's Corner is what I need. I'm tired of dealing with a yard, especially after last week. I read that it was the 1st housing built at the beginning of TW. They were sold in the high $20's. Anybody know anything else interesting about them?

How the noise coming off Millbend & Grogan's Mill? How the noise inside the neighborhood? I've driven through several times and it's always been really quiet. Is that a park in the middle? Are the townhouses built well? I'm in a dumpy rental in Windsong, I swear the walls are made out of newpaper, and the roof, and the carpet, and the cabinets.....

I looked up in my copy of the book, "The Woodlands: The Inside Story of Creating a Better Hometown" by Roger Galatas. On page 49 it says that The Woodlands' grand opening was on Oct. 19, 1974. On Jan. 1, 1975, the first family moved into a townhome in Settler's Corner, and within days, 10 more townhomes were occupied. So you’re right: Settler's Corner was the first subdivision to be built in The Woodlands. All townhomes there were built in 1975, as far as I have seen. Some single-family homes in the nearby neighborhoods off Red Cedar Circle and Timberwild St. were also finished in 1975.

I can tell you from my research that Settler's Corner is a good choice for a townhome, because of its convenient location across the street from Grogan's Mill Village Shopping Center and possibly walking distance to the Town Center and Mall (it’s 2 miles to Market Street, so it depends on how energetic you are). In the last two years, the highest asking price for previously-sold townhomes here was $140,000 (for the largest unit that has 1954 sq. ft.). But many smaller units without a golf course view are asking in the low-$100s. The highest-priced unit for sale right now is asking $149,900 and has the largest floor plan (1954 sq. ft.) with lots of upgrades. See it at Settler's Corner listing. Others here are asking around $120K.

Some people have very nicely upgraded their townhomes inside, from what I've seen in listing pictures. And many plans have high ceilings for a spacious feeling. But keep in mind that a lot of units here are rentals, and many have only one-car garages, if that matters to you. And their appreciation in general hasn't been huge in the last five years; maybe this year will be different. The best homes to look for are those with a golf course view; they are along the northern and eastern perimeter of this complex.

I don’t know about the build quality; you’ll have to get another HAIF member’s opinion, if you can. Or better, walk through the neighborhood and try to find someone who lives there and ask them how good the soundproofing is. I’d also recommend that when you make an offer, ask the seller to pay for one year of home warranty coverage, and get the townhome inspected before you buy.

The green space in the middle of Settler’s Corner is an open forested common area; I suppose you could call it a park. To see the best aerial views of this complex, go to Microsoft’s Virtual Earth site at: Bird's eye aerial view of Settler's Corner

You can pan, zoom in and rotate the viewpoint to any of the four compass directions; the default is facing north, of course.

Good luck in your home search!

In discussions, someone (I do not recall who) told me that the current resales inventory is half of what the industry normally expects and that is pushing the prices up. The norm I was told is a 6-month inventory whereas we currently have a 3-month inventory. Anyone know for certain if this is true or false? I

No, it's a bit off. I can direct you to an excellent website that says in June 2008, The Woodlands now stands at 5.9 months of inventory, so whoever told you it was 3 months was perhaps talking about a different area of Houston. See this page (scroll down almost to the bottom):

http://home.earthlink.net/~acihou/images/m...ketmainpage.htm

I got to that page from http://www.micheleflory.com/Community/Curr...ket-Conditions/. Her website is excellent because it slices and dices all the data, she updates it every month, and even breaks down the market activity by $100K price ranges ($100K-200K, $200k-300K, etc.).

Hope this info helps.

Andrea

One thing that we've yet to find is a really good Italian place out here.

Amerigo's has gone WAY downhill, and is coasting on its reputation.

Sweet Bella on Sawdust had promise, but (IMO) the food and service just aren't up to par. Pallotta's is mediocre.

The chains are, well, chains: Olive Garden, Macaroni Grill, Carrabba's, etc.

The best we've found is Grazi, on 2920 about a half mile west of Kuykendahl. It's not real close, but it's where we end up going lately when we're in the mood for Italian.

Suggestions?

It's strange why no one's mentioned Brio Tuscan Grille in front of TW Mall. They have fabulous pork chops that they marinate for 3 days before cooking them. Also, their bread is really a basket full of thin crackers with wonderful seeds of all kinds on them -- just to die for.

1 dewthread ct has either been sold or leased. haven't been able to find out which. i noticed a golf course home, 185 timber mill, on the market for 180k with minimal upgrades.

FYI, 1 Dewthread Ct. came back on the market on 5/30/08, at $189,000 and as an investment property (it's currently leased). So it was leased earlier this spring. Its address isn't disclosed, but you can find it by entering the street name or its new MLS no. 8906414. There's a big disparity between what the listing says its size is (2459 sq. ft.) and what MCCAD says (2176). I don't know who to believe. It's been nicely fixed up.

... i noticed a golf course home, 185 timber mill, on the market for 180k with minimal upgrades.

Well, apparently no one was interested at the original high price of $180K. I believe on 5/27/08 (yesterday), the price was slashed $20K to $160K ($114.29/sq. ft.) and that makes it a lot closer to the market reality. My agent looked inside of it when it first came on the market, and she said the bathrooms were both small but clean.

Andrea

i'm anxious to see how 1 dewthread does. if it sells anywhere near asking price it will be a heads up to flippers. like you, i don't think they can sell it for that.

did you get the comp list?

No, I didn't get the comp list from you. You said you would email it several nights ago.

I looked for two evenings on the Town Center's websites (old and new), and unfortunately couldn't find anything to do with the economic impact on housing prices in the immediate area. The only thing I can think of is to call someone at the Town Center's office next week and ask if they have a copy of the study.

But it's sort of a moot point, because I'm seeing its effects very plainly in the asking prices of N. Timber Top homes vs. 1 mile further south. How fast the homes sell is also very revealing. Another person somewhere else on HAIF (I think in the Life Forms forum) called this the "Town Center effect" and it's very real. There's no doubt about it. That's why I'm looking for a retirement home in this area and not further away.

welcome to the forum andrea! i'm glad to see you registered.

i have a recent comp. report for north timber top. if you do not have it, i can email it to you. a cousin, who is a realtor, sent it to me. i'm interested to see what they paid for 1 dewthread. it is on the market for 199k. it is a complete renovation.

thanks for the other bits of info.

also, there is an annual impact study TCID puts out. last year, homes within one mile of town center were doing really well when comped with the same home two miles or further out.

Yes, I'd love to get that comp. report for N. Timber Top Dr. from you! Also, I'd like the annual impact study by TCID.

I tried to look up that 1 Dewthread Ct. listing in past sales, but it wasn't shown. So that must mean it was a private sale and was never listed on the MLS last September. I have my doubts about that owner being able to sell it for even the high $190's, in spite of all its remodeling: it's pretty noisy at that end of Timber Top, and until recently, the agent didn't post any photos of the "gourmet-style kitchen with new appliances." So where's this wonderful kitchen? It gripes me how many Realtors and owners still haven't grasped the significance of GOOD photography. You're selling merchandise here, folks! Show it at its best, please. And that means 640 x 480 resolution, not little bitty pix. Otherwise, I won't bother. At least now, there are lots of new photos of this home.

Also, this Dewthread listing says the house has 2490 sq. ft., but MCCAD says it only has 2176 sq. ft. inside. Why the big discrepancy?? I always check a home's interior space on the MCCAD website, to see how truthful the agent is. A surprising number of them fudge the truth, which is another gripe I have. At least some of them state in the description that MCCAD has made an error in interior space info.

By the way, Hedgebell Ct., I found out, is 50% rentals (non-owner occupied). Also, 58% of the homes from #2 to #24 N. Timber Top Dr. on the golf course are rentals. So I look at those kinds of streets as ones I'm not interested in living on. I'm sure it's because of the traffic noise from Woodlands Parkway.

Anyone know how the values are doing in this neighborhood? any realtors want to share recent sales prices?

thanks in advance.

edit: upon closer, daytime examination, the tear down is actually a complete renovation made to look like a cookie cutter home.

=============

I'm not a Realtor, but an intensively searching buyer. Since early 2007 I've found that the Timber Top Drive area has become a hot market. In the summer of 2005, it was a struggle to sell a non-updated home there, but not anymore, if the price is right. In late January 2008, a 1968-sq.-ft. two-story golf course home on Timber Mill sold in one day flat, even though it had ALL old kitchen components. It was asking about $190K, which my Realtor said was a pretty good price. To compare, another home with the same floor plan, also on the golf course but near the northern end of Timber Top Drive, was asking $158,000 in Feb. 2005. It took one week to sell it then, which is still pretty fast.

My mortgage broker was a savvy buyer: a while ago he bought two of those golf course homes, both 1968 sq. ft., in the North Timber Top Drive area. He'll do very well on the day he sells those homes.

The key here is priced right. Ask a ridiculous amount, and the market will just say "No." I'm seeing this throughout The Woodlands. Homes in subdivisions that used to sell almost instantly, in all price ranges, are now sitting on the market for a while, especially if they aren't on a golf course. I don't know if the reason is the subprime mess, the declining economy, a general belt-tightening, or what. But last June it was a different story. Luckily for home buyers now, the interest rates have dropped a lot since last June.