About Fort Bend County, TX

Katy Real Estate News - Seniors Flourish in Neighborhoods Around West Houston and Katy

Written By Timothy Sojka, Realtor ® / Broker

713-822-2152 - shop for a home on-line at www.search-katy-homes.com

(If you would like more information on Royal Oaks, Heritage Grand or other Senior Communities or to arrange a tour call Tim at 713-822-2152 or shop for a Katy or West Houston home online at www.Search-Katy-Homes.com)

Communities for seniors continue to be one of the fastest growing segments of the Real Estate. In West Houston / Katy the most talked about subdivision for seniors is probably Heritage Grand. This active senior community is flourishing.

Residents can take advantage of the great community center and pool. The community center is almost always hosting activities. Additionally, residents can take advantage of nearby hiking and biking trails.

However, there is another community that people may not think of as a great senior community, Royal Oaks. Although the community is not devoted to seniors there are many advantages for seniors. This country club community has a guarded and gated entrance. The community also features an awesome clubhouse and offers a fantastic golf course and great walking trails. The proximity to Beltway 8 and Westpark Tollway and Royal Oaks are a plus.

Royal Oaks and Heritage Grand are both fantastic communities. Heritage Grand has advantages because of affordability, a complete devotion to seniors and great access to trails. Royal Oaks is pricier but offers a guarded gate and a country club within the community. Royal Oaks also has special housing areas is senior friendly homes.

Both communities are purely fantastic and both have available inventory right now.

For more information about Katy Texas, Royal Oaks, Heritage Grand or other Senior Communities or the beautiful homes within the confines contact Katy realtor Tim Sojka at 713-822-2152. To shop for a home online go to www.Search-Katy-Homes.com . To find out the value of your home go to www.seetimsell.com

The Cinco Ranch school orchestra will be having the Trick or Treat Concert on October 29th. You can bring the whole family to this event...it is set up to be casual and fun for the kids. They have set up some fun music and instruments are available for the kids to play with before the concert.

The program will be held at the Cinco Ranch High School Performing Arts Center on October 29th between 6:30 and 8pm. The instrument petting zoo will be open from 6-8pm

Admission is free and kids are encouraged to dress for the holiday!

Have you ever wondered about all the lingo that is associated with Green Homes and Energy Efficiency? Well, let me clear up a few things and give you a reference as to what different things mean.

• ACH- Air Changes per Hour- This is part of the Energy Star & Diamond Level testing to determine how much air leaks through the walls and ceilings (Hint: A lower number, the more efficient)
• AFUE- Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. A furnace's heating efficiency. Measures the heat delivered vs. the fuel used. Measures in percentages. The higher number is better.

• ASHRAE-American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. This is the primary organization used in the United States for the design standards in our HVAC systems.

• ENERGY STAR-A joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.

• FRESH AIR SYSTEM-An electronic system connected to the HVAC system that brings in filtered outside air on a timed basis.

• HVAC-Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning. HVAC includes the furnace, air conditioning components, fan and ductwork installed in a home.

• IAQ-Indoor Air Quality. IAQ is the quality of the air breathed by occupants of an indoor or enclosed environment.

• IRC- International Residential Code. First published in 2000, the IRC is the Building Code for the State of Texas.

• JUMP DUCT- A flexible, short, u-shaped duct that connects a room to a common space as a pressure balancing mechanism.

• LOW E2- Low emissivity. Glass is coated with a metallic oxide layer that improves thermal performance. The primary function is to reduce heat gain in the summer and heat loss in the winter.

• MANUAL J- The ASHRAE method for calculating residential home cooling loads and the sizing of the system.

• MERV-Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. The ASHRAE standard for filter efficiency. Higher rating is better.

• RADIANT BARRIER- Low emissivity attic decking under shingled roofs that reduces summer heat gain, reduces cooling energy usage.

• R-410a- Environmentally-friendly refrigerant used in our HVAC systems.

• R-VALUE- Resistance - Value. The resistance a material has to heat flow. The higher the R-Value, the greater the resistance.

• SEER- Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating. It measures the efficiency of the air conditioner once it is up and running. Higher number is better.

• SHGC- Solar Heat Gain Co-efficient. The solar radiation entering a home through the windows. The lower the number, the better the window is at blocking heat gain.

• U-VALUE- A measure of heat transmission due to the air temperature difference from inside to outside. The lower the U-value, the better.

I hope you find this useful!!! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me!!

The Seven Lakes High School Sensations Show Choir will be presenting "The World Goes "Round" at the SLHS Performing Arts Center. The show is a review of the musicals of Kander & Ebb including Chicago, Cabaret, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Funny Lady, and New York, New York.

the dates and times are as follows:

Thursday Oct 15 at 7pm

Friday Oct 16 at 7pm

Saturday, Oct 17 at 7pm

Adult tickets are $12 and student tickets are $8

The Willowfork Fire Department is going to hold an open house at the Willowfork Fire Station located at 24655 Westheimer Parkway in Cinco Ranch, Katy, TX

The station will display the equipment they use during fire and safety missions. The fire fighters who work at the fire station will be available to answer questions about the equipment (so you may want to bring the kids!).

The Willowfork Fire Station is now manned by a combination of paid firefighters and volunteers. Many of the cadets from the first graduating class will be on hand. The second class of volunteers is being formed right now (deadline to apply is Oct 31st) and will begin training in January, 2010. Anyone who would like an application should contact Joe Horak at jhorak@geo-quip.com or John Adkins at john@sfadkins.com

The Willowfork Fire Department services many of the subdivisions in the South Katy area...including much of Cinco Ranch.

If you have any Katy area questions please contact Team DiMuria at 281-492-5916 or e-mail us at jeffreydimuria@garygreene.com

Team DiMuria can be found on the web at www.KatyHomeFinder.com