Photos from Jill Wente - Spring TX Real Estate
Collins Park in Spring TX has a playground for kids ages 2 to 5 and a more adventurous playground for kids ages 5 to 12Located in: Spring, TX
Imagination Toys & Shoes is now open at Vintage Park, an upscale outdoor shopping plaza at 249 and Louetta in Northwest Houston. They offer educational toys for children of all ages. If you are looking for the latest Crocs or Webkinz, look no further. My nine year old nephew has just discovered Webkinz and has started a growing collection of these plush pets.
Imagination Toys & Shoes carry one of the largest selections of shoes including the popular Stride Rite brand. Who would have thought that toys and shoes together under one roof would make business sense? Well, apparently they do because Imagination Toys & Shoes have been serving the Spring area for over 15 years.
It moved from its previous location at Louetta and Champion Forest to be closer to what is sure to the mecca of activity at the new upscale shopping plaza of Vintage Park.
Imagination Toys & Shoes join Vintage Park's other tenants of Potbelly Sandwich Works, Starbucks, and Alan Murphy Salon. The list of future tenants include Brix Cellars, Mia Bella, Coco's, Peli Peli, and Shogun.
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(281) 804-8626 - jwente@garygreene.com
If your Spring Texas home is on the market for between $270,432 and $206,350, you need to say "Thank You" to the FHA. Because yesterday, they just made it possible for more buyers to qualify to purchase your home.
As the requirements for subprime loans have become stricter and 100% financing loans are being eliminated, the popularity of Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans has been increasing. FHA loans require only a 3% minimum down payment, FICO scores do not apply, they have higher allowable debt ratios than the debt ratios imposed on conventional loans, and the interest rates are competitive with conventional loans. All good reasons that make a FHA loan a great choice for the first-time home buyer with little money for a down payments and less than stellar credit.
Yesterday's increase in the loan limit from $200,160 to $271,050 is bound to further increase the popularity of FHA loans. But this source of of newly qualified buyers may just disappear as soon as they appeared if Congress does not approve legislation making the new loan limit increase permanent. Otherwise, the loan limits will expire at the end of 2008.
So don't be surprised Spring Texas home sellers if the buyer of your home is getting an FHA instead of a conventional loan. Instead say "Thank You" to the FHA.
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(281) 804-8626 - jwente@garygreene.com
In previous years, we typically would receive the notice of appraisal value of our homes in April. We would have until May 31st or 30 days after the date the appraisal district sent the notice whichever is later to protest the value. But for 2008, the dates have changed.
You now have until April 30th or 30 days after the date the appraisal district sent the notice whichever is later to protest. The Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD) has not provided a reason for the early protest deadline, but I would suspect that it has to do with the larger quantity of protests the appraisal district received in 2007. This caused our tax bills to be sent out about a month later.
The entire process of protesting HCAD's appraised value of your home can feel overwhelming and intimidating. I know I felt that way the first time I protested our valuation. But remember, it is your constitutional right to have equal and fair taxation. So don't let the bureaucratic process intimidate you.
Now here's a couple of quick tips on how to reduce your Spring Texas property tax liability:
1) Make sure your tax account reflects all exemptions that you have applied for. If it does not immediately contact the Harris County Appraisal District at 713.957.7800. The available exemptions are general homestead, over 65, disability, and over 55 surviving spouse.
2) If you purchased your home in 2007 and HCAD has the appraised value higher than your sales price, you should without hesitation protest the value. Just dig out your HUD-1, the closing statement, from the stack of documents you received at closing and bring it with you to your scheduled protest hearing. Based upon your HUD-1, the HCAD representative will immediately reduce the appraised value of your home to your sales price.
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(281) 804-8626 - jwente@garygreene.com
On March 7th at 8:00 pm the joint a.k.a The Centrum will be a rocking to the sounds of big band swing jazz performed by Gordon Goodwin and his Big Phat Band.
Comprised of L.A.'s finest musicians this 18-piece ensemble has quickly become one of the most hard swinging jazz ensembles around. The Big Phat Band's debut album "Swinging for the Fences" received two Grammy nominations and Goodwin won a 2006 Grammy for Instrumental Arrangement of Incredits from the film, The Incredibles.
If you are lover of jazz, swing, or big band, you won't want to miss The Big Phat Band's first appearance in Spring Texas. Get your tickets now. Tickets range in price from $30 to $60.
The Centrum is located at 6823 Cypresswood Dr Spring TX 77379.
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(281) 804-8626 - jwente@garygreene.com
2008 - The year of the Mustang? I know you probably thought it was the year of the Rat. Well its both the year of the Rat and the year of the Mustang. At least it is in Houston Texas.
At the end of February, a herd of 28 hand-painted mustangs will go on display to celebrate the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The majority of the horses will be on display at the rodeo, but a select few will be roaming the streets of downtown Houston. After the rodeo is over, the mustangs will make their way back to their owners. Many of them will later be auctioned off for charity or put on display in business lobbies.
This is not the first time that larger than life hand-painted items were displayed around the city. Last year in conjunction with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, 85 six-foot high cowboy boots were on display.
In 2001, Houston sponsored its first cow parade. Our city was inundated with 300 fiberglass cows. It seemed like they were everywhere. The Houston Chronicle, our local newspaper, even got in on the fun and gave away miniature versions of the cows. I was lucky enough to get one of the miniature versions.
Months later when I was in a major decluttering mode I put the cow up for auction on eBay. And you know what that little cow brought me $180. It wasn't my first experience selling on eBay but it was the first time I ever sold a cow.
Personally I liked the cows better than the boots because I thought that the designs on the cows were more creative than the boots.
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(281) 804-8626
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Spring TX is in Northwest Houston with the majority of it being in unincorporated Harris County. Since Spring Texas is unincorporated, there is no actual city of Spring. Spring's origins go back to the 1840s when it was settled by German immigrants. The German influence is still felt today as its reflected in its street names of Kuykendahl, Wunderlich, Mittlestadt, and Wunsche.
Why do people choose to live in Spring TX? The answer is the comfortable lifestyle. A lifestyle of easy access to everything you need, public schools that provide a quality education to our children, and affordable homes.
Spring Texas is located about 25 miles North of downtown Houston. A short distance from many attractions including Minute Maid Park - the home of the Astros, the Toyota Center - the home of the Houston Rockets, the Aquarium, the theater district which is second only behind New York City in quantity of theater seats, the museum district, and the Houston Zoo.
Looking for things to do in Spring TX? Shopping is always a good choice. You will find strip center shops, over 150 quaint shops at Old Town Spring, and the regional malls of Willowbrook, Greenspoint, and the Woodlands all within 20 minutes. How about enjoying the outdoors at one of our parks of Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens, Meyer Park, or Collins Park? Does a day at the Splashtown waterpark sound like the thing for you?
Is it golf you seek? We have several golf courses in the area including the public courses of Gleannloch Pines and Windrose and private courses of Champions, Northgate Forest, Raveneaux, and Willow Creek. Still looking for more ideas? Check out the things to do in Northwest Houston.
Our children attend schools in either the Conroe, Klein, or Spring school district. Harris County residents with Spring addresses attend schools in either Klein ISD or Spring ISD. Montgomery County residents with Spring addresses attend schools in Conroe ISD. We also have many excellent private schools in the area.
Spring Texas Real Estate has a wide variety of home styles, neighborhoods, and prices. You can find condos, townhomes, patio homes with zero lot lines, and executive homes. Homes with golf course and water views. We have master planned communities, gated communities, and established neighborhoods with tree lined streets and culdesacs. In Spring TX, you are bound to find just the right house to call "Home".
Spring Texas Links
Northwest Houston is defined as the area north of Loop 610, south of the Harris - Montgomery County line, east of interstate 290, and west of interstate 45. Northwest Houston includes the cities of Cypress, Houston, Spring, and Tomball. It also includes the area known as Champions/1960. Our close proximity to the George Bush International Airport makes Northwest Houston a great place for the frequent business traveler to call home. In addition to Northwest Houston being linked to downtown Houston via interstates 290 and 45, commuters alternatively travel the Hardy Toll Road.
Numerous housing options abound in Northwest Houston from established neighborhoods with towering pines and hardwoods to master planned communities with numerous amenities to low maintenance townhomes. You are sure to find a neighborhood and a lifestyle that matches your desires.
In Northwest Houston, our children attend public schools in either the Conroe, Cy-Fair which is the third largest independent school district in the state of Texas, Klein, Spring, or Tomball school districts.
Shopping options galore await you. If you want to shop at a regional mall we have three (Greenspoint, Willowbrook, and the Woodlands) from which you may choose. Looking for something different? Maybe an outdoor, upscale shopping area is what you seek. Then try Champions Village, Market Street, or Vintage Park. Whatever it is you seek, you are sure to find it located in a shop in Northwest Houston.
Is it entertainment you desire? Northwest Houston will not disappoint you. Exciting thoroughbred and quarter horse racing can be enjoyed at Sam Houston Race Park during most of the year. But don't think of Sam Houston Race Park as only a place to watch the ponies because they host numerous concert series. Speaking of concerts, another great venue is the Cynthia Mitchell Woods Pavillion. An outdoor ampitheater that accomodates 16,550 guests hosts performing arts, family events, and live concerts. And let us not forget to mention the Centrum. The Centrum is a 900 seat concert hall that hosts concerts performed by touring artists, the Houston Symphony, school choirs, and even the United States Navy Band.
Exceptional healthcare can be found close to home at our many medical facilities including Houston Northwest Medical Center, a 500 bed hospital with 600 doctors on staff, Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center, a 160 bed hospital, Methodist Willowbrook Hospital, a 119 bed hospital, Tomball Regional Hospital, a 550 bed hospital, and Memorial Hermann the Woodlands Hospital, a 180 bed hospital.
Northwest Houston Links
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