Sonja Patterson REALTOR for Cypress, Houston, Katy, TX

For the last six months, there have been 22 SOLD signs for FAIRWOOD!! There is actually a NEED for MORE homes to go on the market in this subdivision! Currently there are only 14 on the market and FIVE already have a contract on them!!

Pricing your home does NOT have to be a tough balancing act!! :) I will share with you what homes have been selling for!! The lowest price/sq. foot was $51.79 while the highest price/sq. ft. was $72.47. Of the 22 homes SOLD, an AMAZING NINETEEN were FHA financed, only one cash, one conventional, and one VA loan. Also good news: only 2 of the 22 were foreclosures :)

***FAIRWOOD COMMUNITY POOL***

Avg. price /sq ft. was 62.79. Of course, this number could go up or down depending on age, condition of the home, upgrades, and LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!! Fairwood has great schools, wonderful facilities, and mature trees which makes it a highly sought-after neighborhood.

If you are thinking of selling your Fairwood home, give me a call!! I'd love to discuss my marketing plan with you and add you to my list of satisfied customers!!

A tranquil, cozy community, the Park at Arbordale is situated on Spring Cypress in between Telge and Barker Cypress roads, adjacent to the Coles Crossing community. Floorplans range in size from 2422 up to 4230 square feet to meet most every family's needs. Below I have included a few shots from the Barrington floorplan.

What an exquisite formal living room!

One of the SPACIOUS upstairs bedrooms!

Kids and adults alike will LOVE this gameroom for entertaining guests!!

With easy access to Spring Cypress, you are able to commute easily to Highway 290 OR 249!If you would like to take a look for yourself, give me a call at 713.303.9463 . I'd love to show you these impressive homes with EXCELLENT SCHOOLS!

JANUARY REAL ESTATE NEWS

Though the national real estate market has taken a beating this past year, the Houston area has fared well for the most part. There are some subdivisions that have a high foreclosure rate which is a death blow to the homeowner who absolutely MUST sell. On the other hand, these subdivisions are a goldmine for the investor who wants to buy a property for rental income. NOW is a great time to invest in lower income, recent construction housing. One of my clients purchased such a home just before Thanksgiving and has already leased it out. This particular client is so pleased with his first property, he has opted to purchase two more! With the financial climate being what it is, he sees the value in owning real estate!

Onto my featured subdivision of the quarter-Coles Crossing! I have been watching the market in Coles Crossing on a weekly basis. There have been quite a few homes for sale. Some that did not sell quickly enough for the owner ended up being leased out. My focus in this analysis is on home sales for the last 6 months.

Sixty-nine homes SOLD in Coles Crossing from July 1, 2008 until January 13, 2009. Nineteen of those homes were located in the cottage sections of Coles Crossing. The average price per square foot was $84.96 without a pool, and slightly more $86.59 with a pool (only one home). I did not include 2 homes in the data, because they were unusually low. (One was a foreclosure that backed to Telge which sold for $67.82/sq. ft.; the other simply backed to Telge and sold for $65.88/square ft.)

Of the remaining homes in Coles Crossing's non-gated sections, thirty-four homes without a pool SOLD for an average price/sq. ft. of $83.95. Fourteen homes in the non-gated area did have a pool and SOLD at an average price/sq. ft. of $93.49. If you are thinking of putting in a pool this summer, you might want to factor in the value it will add to your home vs. the cost incurred. In other words, less (fewer bells and whistles for your pool) is more when it comes time to sell your property.

Finally, in the gated section there was one home sale. The price/sq. ft for this home was $110.16.

There are many factors that determine the strength of a subdivision. Are the homes well-maintained? Is the crime rate low? How are the schools rated? One factor that is a little harder to measure-neighborliness. Are the people friendly?? Well, Coles Crossing passed our litmus test with flying colors. The true test of friendliness is--

"How many people will stop to buy lemonade from kids on a weekday?" I am happy to report lemonade sales are UP in Coles Crossing during the last six months. Aren't they the cutest??

If you have any questions regarding YOUR neighborhood sales prices/home values, I would be more than happy to answer them! If you are thinking of moving or know someone who is, I would love to become your/their favorite realtor!!

Best wishes for a Happy 2009!

Sonja Patterson

RE/MAX Realty Center spatterson1@remax.net www.SoarWithTheBalloon.com 13611 Skinner Road, St. 100 Cypress, Texas 77429 Phone 281.213.8039 Cellular 713.303.9463

Award-winning schools, great ammenities, and beautiful lakes throughout are just three of the many factors contributing to the popularity of Northlake Forest in Cypress, TX. From the moment you enter the subdivision, you will notice the picturesque pines and oaks which line Northlake Forest Drive.

The community pool provides a shallow area and splash pad for little ones. While those who are more serious swimmers can do laps or play "sharks and minnows"!

For those who love tennis, there are lighted tennis courts next to the playground and pool areas.

Have your own neighborhood basketball tournament!! There are lots of kids to play with in Northlake Forest!!

Many homes have a lakeside view!!

Directions: Coming 290 West, take the Spring Cypress exit and turn R onto Spring Cypress. Continue down until you reach Huffmeister. Turn left onto Huffmeister and then a left onto Northlake Forest.

Adjoining the beautiful Longwood subdivision, is a small well-kept secret -- the Fairwood subdivision. Established in 1979, Fairwood is located along Spring Cypress in between Louetta and Grant. This quaint subdivision has award-winning Cy-Fair schools, GREAT ammenities, and affordable prices for the first-time buyer or those looking to downsize. No other neighborhood I know of has a playground, park, tennis courts, a swimming pool, AND clubhouse for ONLY $350 per year.

In addition, Fairwood has a GREAT location in that it is not too far from highways 249 or 290, so commuters have options in driving to and from the office. If you are interested in viewing homes in this subdivision, please give me a call. I would love to show you around!!

A portion of the community park and playground area.

The beautiful community pool with large clubhouse in the background!

A shot overlooking the deep end of the pool. Makes me want to go swimming!!