About Katy's Grand Lakes

Almost total Disaster turns out very well

Have you ever experienced situation where circumstances deteriorated quickly and almost became a total disaster? Friday evening this situation hit me right between the eyes. It was raining extremely hard Friday afternoon and I decided to leave my CPA client’s office early at 4:00 P.M. as the raining was coming down in buckets. As anyone who lives here knows when the rain falls that fast the streets flood rather quickly. My objective was to drive back to Katy as quickly as possible and then stop at Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Church so I could pick up dinner from their Lenten Fish Fry. I had written a blog about this Lenten Fish Fry and planned my whole evening around making sure I would get our dinner from Epiphany. Unfortunately in a snap of your fingers I was in trouble.

I was hurrying out of the office in Cypress Texas which with no traffic using the freeway is at best a 35-40 minute drive to get home carrying two lap tops (mine plus office lap top from client). A full backpack and a Green friendly shopping bag loaded with work papers I hoped to use over the weekend. The ground in the parking lot was already full of water and the rain as I said was still coming down in torrents. I was afraid of placing the lap tops on the ground with the amount of water already there. My keys including the key/auto drive opener were all connected to several key rings and were in my right hand pocket. OK cool I try to get my keys out and they are stuck in a small hole in my jacket pocket. I am now getting anxious and pull hard on the key ring. The auto drive opener and device that opens my door actually pulls off of the metal key ring. Now I am holding my key ring and the car key in my hand but separated. The rain is falling harder and I am pretty well drenched and my glasses are covered in water. I believe I put my key ring and the now separated car key in my pocket with my left hand as I jockey around all the lap tops, backpack and bag I am holding to barely so they don’t fall into the water.

I open the car door and quickly toss in all of my stuff as I am still afraid of this rain water’s potential bad effect on my lap tops. To my total shock and horror I hear the noise my car makes when the door is locked. I am locked out of my car by a freak accident and its Friday evening with terrible weather. I go back inside my client’s office and start to make several phone calls. I quickly realize I do not have many options to get my car opened.

I call my home and my father-in-law looks for the backup key with no success. My wife is away with my step-sons on a Spring break trip (I could not go)and there goes out the window 3 drivers who could have picked me up and helped. Our close friend is still at work and having his own car crisis. I cannot get him to fetch me or help. I start praying quickly as I realize I cannot leave my valuable luggage (lap tops) in my car and exposed in the back seat and somehow go home. Cabs in the burbs of Houston are rare site and very costly option if you can get one to drive to Katy. My father-in-law is 80 years old and him driving in a major rain storm when its dark does not work at all. I resign myself that I might have to spend the night at this office as a locksmith I find quotes me a maybe on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 P.M. as his ETA to help me. There are no car rental offices anywhere I could somehow get to and they all close at 5 or 6 P.M.

First piece of my good fortunate is I belong to AAA and I call them now in a panic. They call back with first bad news as a locksmith quotes at least 5 plus hours (if at all) to arrive). I suggest we keep looking and I am told there are not many choices. I get a call back from AA and they have found a locksmith who can open the car and will be there in 2 plus hours. Thank you LORD as of course with no other alternatives I say please ask him to come.

My almost total disaster turns good quickly as Richard Sanchez of LockBusters Inc. arrives about 7:45 P.M. and he knows exactly how to open my car. I now have anew go to friend and locksmith in Richard as after less than 10 minutes or so the car magically opens and I find my key lying next to all the bags in the backseat.

Richard was supposed to be at a family function near Galveston when he was out in the pouring and cold rain helping me. I want to Richard a major shout out and recommend him to anyone needing a locksmith. He saved my butt that is for sure. He told me he will do locksmith work pretty much anywhere in the Houston area including Cypress, Katy, Sugarland, and many areas. His phone number is 281-561-0060 or 281-265-3335 and tell him you read my blog.

Obviously I missed the Lenten Fish Fry but I was able to drive home and sleep in my own bed. It is amazing how we all take these conveniences for granted.

Thank you to Mr. Richard Sanchez and to his family for helping me out.

Market Trends 2012 Update for Current Homes Available in Grand Lakes Katy Texas

What is happening in Grand Lakes Real Estate Market?

The Real Estate market in South Katy Texas (MLS area 36) is basically defined by what occurs in the numerous Master Planned Communities which are scattered across the whole area. I have written several detail market reports about Grand Lakes in the past with the last on being a December 2011 Year to Date report which you can see right here.

The Chart is showing current listings of homes for sale in Grand Lakes in Katy Texas by price point ranges during March, 2012.

As shown there are 41 homes currently available in Grand Lakes with only 1 home or 2.4 % of the total being classified as Distressed (Foreclosure or Short Sale). The Distressed Homes are not having any significant impact on the market in Grand Lakes or for that matter a vast majority of the submarkets in Katy Texas. Since January 2012, there has been a slight increase in available homes by 2 homes or 5.1 %. However, there has been a decrease of 6 homes priced at less than $300 K as the inventory of reasonably priced homes in Grand Lakes continues to diminish as it has through most of 2011. Right now only 31.7 % of the available homes are priced at less than $300 K while during January and December those same numbers were 40.5 % and 48.7 % respectively. On the other side of the coin, homes priced at $400 K or higher have risen to 36.6 % of the total reflecting a 4.2% increase.

Grand Lakes is a great place to live with many amenities and conveniences close at hand. If you or your family would like to learn more about this wonderful family neighborhood contact me . I have been saying this for several months the inventory of the lower priced homes in this neighborhood probably will continue to get smaller as 2012 goes on even though there will be new listing coming on the market. Time to take action is right now as interest rates continue to hover around historical lows. What are you waiting for A miracle?

Please see Active Rain’s article on Real Estate Recovery or Not?

Continuing Book sale at local Katy Library

There is an ongoing book sale at the Cinco Ranch Branch Library being held by the Friends of the Library group. The sale is inside the library which is located at 2620 Commercial Blvd Katy Texas. Book prices are extremely reasonable with children’s books priced at $.50 to $1.00 per book and adult books priced from $.50 to $2.00 per book. There are also a large selection of DVD’s and CD’s and these have various different prices.

If anyone has books lying around and not being used, the library will take donations of gently used fiction and children’s books. However, they do not want textbooks, magazines or encyclopedias. You can drop off donations at the library (barrel inside the library is provided for these donated books) and at Tradition Bank on the Grand Parkway in Katy.

All proceeds from the book sale will support all the great programs the Fort Bend Branch Library system is offering to local residents.

I know I personally like to hold a real book and not look at another type of computer screen. I already spend way too many hours every day staring at a lap top, or IPhone or IPad screen.

Carbon Monoxide can be a deadly gas in Katy and everywhere else

Every winter we all see a number of reports in the press of Carbon Monoxide poisoning and this year is no different. Listed below are salient points all of us should be aware of regarding this dangerous gas as it applies to our homes:

· Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas which is lighter than air. The gas can be very toxic to both humans and animals if the victim is subjected to high concentration levels. The gas is produced in natural animal breakdown but this type of carbon monoxide gas is in very low concentrations and should not harm anyone or thing.

· CO is produced when there is not sufficient oxygen available to create Carbon Dioxide when carbon containing mixtures are dissolved.

· All of us need to know the symptoms of CO poisoning such as sudden headaches, shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea and sudden fatigue.

· If you suspect CO poisoning is occurring then immediately phone 911 and leave the location where you are at.

· Every home should have at least one CO detector. Batteries should be checked on a regular basis and replaced when needed. The sound given off when the battery is low is extremely distributing.

· All home heating systems should be serviced at least once a year by a qualified technician and this includes vents, chimneys and flues.

· Check all fuel burning types of appliances such as generators space heaters and etc. are properly maintained and working in the manner they should.

· Don’t warm up your car in a garage or any enclosed space where the door is closed. I also believe that you should crack your window in the car when you are sitting at one spot for a long period of time and not driving forward. Don’t leave children or pets alone in an auo with the motor running and all the windows totally closed.

I have been to Hell and back and survived!

My wife and I recently came back from a cruise to the Caribbean. The Celebrity Millennium made two stops taking us to Jamaica and Grand Cayman. “Hey Mon I have a great deal for you Mon” was heard from numerous sources in Jamaica.

On the second day our destination was Grand Cayman and we signed up for a peaceful tour of the area since we went on our own the previous day.

Eventually we went to a small town in Grand Cayman named Hell and I have the pictures to prove it. Believe it or not there is a Hell post office where most folks bought post cards and mailed them to someone so they could get a post mark from Hell. One interesting point about Hell is the strange rock formations that were located behind the post Office and small shops. I have posted below a couple of pictures of the area so everyone can see what I am talking about. After driving through and walking around a small area of Hell I can say living there would be like living in Hell when compared to what all of the tourist are used to for living accommodations. It was not exactly Katy Texas by any stretch of the imagination.

Now when one of my pro-bono potential clients tells me to go to Hell when I don’t or stop giving them free real estate services I can get a big smile on my face and tell them I have already been there thank you very much and survived very well!

Overall a great trip was had by all even though we went to Hell.