The Woodlands, TX

The Beautiful Woodlands Mall -- February 6th 2010. This is one of the few malls in the country where the parking lots are full year round on the weekends. I waited over ten minutes for a parking spot and I had to drive behind the people walking to their car to find a spot.

The bridge below is example of the attention to detail and beauty even in a bridge. They have beautiful artwork and buildings, a waterway and great stores and restaurants.

You can take this boat around the waterway for a little cruise.

These are horse statues in front of a chinese restaurant. The statues are over 8 feet tall.

This fountain is on the I45 side of the mall. The Woodlands designers are so good about putting trees everywhere, that you hardly even see the freeway.

The river walk starts here in front of The Cheesecake Factory. The opposite side of this little lagoon is where you catch the river boat. They have lighting all along the river walk, I bet it looks great at night with all the lights above the lagoon lit up as well.

The mall has the usual stores such as Dillards and Macys for example, but they also have a Children's Museum (The Discovery Center) check the features at HMNS.org. And, for the most part all the buildings are works of art in themselves. Hope you can visit soon.

The Cheesecake Factory, The Woodlands Mall -- February 6th, 2010. I used to work near the Galleria in Houston and was able to go the Cheesecake Factory about once a month or so, but now I do not live near one, so when my showing in Lake Chateau Woods was over, and I was 8/10 of a mile away from a Cheesecake Factory in The Woodlands, I headed that way.

When I did work near the Galleria and was able to walk to the Cheesecake Factory there I would relish getting the following dish or dishes. These "favorite" dishes of mine are:

Chinese Chicken Salad -- has a very unique dressing on it, maybe sesame oil or peanut. It is just delicious. It also has fried wontons, mandarin oranges, sliced chicken, almonds, lettuce and the white crunchy things on top. (Note: leftovers of this salad should be eaten within 24 hours if possible, because the crunchy things get soggy).

And then the Chicken and Biscuits entree is absolutely heavenly. It has flattened chicken breast, two biscuits that are very tender, a mound of lumpy mashed potatoes (lumpy on purpose), peas, carrots, mushrooms and a very rich cream gravy.

I also got a piece of key lime pie cheesecake to go for my husband. I think he will like it.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend and a good 2010!

Liz Flint, Century 21 Hardee-Team Realty, liz.flint@hotmail.com, 832-816-8066

Buying a home vs. renting is a big decision that takes careful consideration, as most mortgage consultants will agree. But the rewards of home ownership are great. For many years, purchasing real estate has been considered an extremely profitable investment. It is an achievement that offers a sense of pride, financial stability and potential tax advantages.

Yes, there are certain responsibilities associated with owning a home. Landlords will often argue the benefits of renting, and for obvious reason. If you are renting, you’re helping them make their mortgage payment.

The numbers are staggering if you look at it this way. If you are paying $1,000 per month for an apartment, and you know your rent will increase 5% every year, then over the next five years you will pay your landlord $66,309. If you are currently renting a house, you may be paying much more than that each month. Either way, you gain no equity by shelling out this monthly housing expense and you certainly won’t benefit when the property value goes up!

However, if you were to purchase your own home or condominium, you would be well on your way toward building equity within that same five-year period. By choosing a fixed-rate loan program, you can have the comfort of knowing that your monthly mortgage payment will never go up. In fact, you would have the option of refinancing to a lower interest rate at some point in the future should interest rates drop, and this would cause your monthly mortgage commitment to go down.

In addition to building equity, there are tax advantages that come into play with home ownership. Depending on your tax bracket, owning a home is often less expensive than renting after taxes. Interest payments on a mortgage below $1 million are tax-deductible, and your mortgage consultant should help you evaluate the tax advantages of various loan scenarios, and share this information with your tax consultant to glean feedback on your behalf.

To find the loan program that is right for you, your mortgage consultant will need to evaluate your monthly household income, current assets and savings, as well as any monthly obligations you may have for credit card payments, car payments, child support, etc. These prequalification factors, along with the report of your credit score, will determine how much house you can afford and what interest rate you will pay for financing. It is also important to let your mortgage consultant know what your future goals are, because this will help narrow down which loan option is the best fit for your long-term needs.

There are many different types of loan programs available, including “low” and “no” down payment mortgage programs. These types of programs require the borrower to provide less than 3 percent of the loan amount as down payment. FHA lenders rule that the mortgage payment, including principal, interest, taxes and insurance (PITI) should not exceed 31 percent of your gross income, and the PITI plus other long-term debt (car payments, etc.) should not exceed 43 percent of your gross income.

Housing is an expense that takes a big bite out of the monthly budget. If you are a renter and feel that “home” is more than just someplace to hang your hat, think about the advantages of purchasing real estate. It may be time to take the step into building your personal net worth as a home owner.

Magnificent for any size family who appreciates Privacy close to the wonderful ammenities. Private street with no neighbors behind your outdoor oasis. Features include Granite Slab counters, Bosch stainless appliances.Possible 2 masters. Tile and hardwood flooring throughout. Huge Bay window overlooking raised wood deck and Resort-like backyard with Spa and trickling waterfalls, into the 9ft deep heated pool. Landscape lighting. Versatile Tandem 4 car garage. To directly access this property, use this shortcut: http://www.fizber.com/texas-buy-single-family-home-11648311.html

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