Trailwood Development News

When the weekend and/or a well deserved day off arrives, it’s easy to plan a fun day of golf, tennis or even watching television but keeping your home in good shape is important. Your home may be the biggest investment you will ever make. Taking good care of it with regular maintenance is necessary to maintain its value and ensure it will provide a comfortable, safe shelter for you and your family for a long time.

Here is a home maintenance quiz that will test your maintenance knowledge. While this quiz does not address every home maintenance project, it does provide helpful tips and reminders for chores you may have overlooked.

• How often do forced-air furnace filters need to be changed?
• At least every three months during the heating season.
• What part of the faucet usually needs to be replaced when you have a water leak?
• The washer.
• Should you run hot or cold water through your garbage disposal?
• Cold water.
• How often should the moving parts of garage doors be oiled?
• Every three months.
• What tools can you use to unclog your drains?
• A plunger and a plumber’s snake.
• What tool can be used to unclog a toilet?
• Coil spring-steel auger.
• What faucet part needs to be cleaned every three to four months?
• Aerator—the screen inside the end of the faucet.
• Where should the fire in your fireplace be built?
• On the andirons or grate, never on the fireplace floor.
• What will prevent soot and add color to the fire in your fireplace?
• Throw in a handful of salt.
• Where should your firewood be stored?
• Outside, away from your house and not directly on the ground.
• When can you clean hardwood floors with water?
• When the floors have a polyurethane finish.
• Do hardwood floors need to be waxed?
• Hardwood floors that do not have a polyurethane finish probably will need to be waxed periodically. Use liquid or paste “spirit” wax.
• What is the best polish for vinyl floors?
• Water emulsion wax.
• What should be regularly checked on your security system?
• The alarms and circuit breakers should be checked to make sure they are in working order and the sensors should be inspected one by one.
• To ensure your safety, what household equipment uses batteries that must be checked regularly to make sure they are operable?
• Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
• What is the white powdery substance that develops on masonry walls?
• Efflorescence sometimes appears on masonry walls. It is crystallized soluble salts that can be removed by scrubbing with water and a stiff brush.
• At what temperature should your water heater be set?
• 120 degrees Fahrenheit
• What is a simple solution you can use to wash extremely dirty exterior windows?
• A solution of equal parts vinegar and water or 3 tablespoons of denatured alcohol per quart of warm water. Use a piece of crumpled newspaper to wash the glass to avoid lint left behind by papertowls.

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Homeownership has so many advantages – from the benefits received at income tax time to the joy and pride that comes with home ownership. In Houston, new homes are among the most appealing and affordable in the nation which is why Houston is an industry leader in new home sales and construction.

A new home offers so many more advantages than most home shoppers even realize. Here are just a few to consider:

·         Everything in the new home is new, so there are no worries about expensive repairs such as the roof, foundation, etc. New homes include a builder warranty, and there are also usually warranties for new appliances and systems (such as air conditioning).

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Just about everyone wants to know about his or her credit score, or even get a look at a current credit report. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to provide consumers with a free copy of their credit report at their request every 12 months.

A credit report includes information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you've been sued, arrested, or filed for bankruptcy. Nationwide consumer reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home.

The Federal Trade Commission offers consumers a wealth of free advice on credit, debt collection and obtaining copies of credit reports. You can order your free annual credit report online at annualcreditreport.com, by calling 1-877-322-8228, or by completing the Annual Credit Report Request Form <http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/resources/forms/requestformfinal.pdf>  and mailing it to:

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Buying a new home is always exciting – especially when it’s your first home. We give lots of advice on preparing for your home purchase and the costs to expect when you buy a home, i.e. monthly utility bills, home maintenance, etc., but most people are not sure of the most important things to purchase prior to or moving into their new home.

First, consider the outside of your home – now you have a yard. As wonderful as that is, your are still responsible for taking care of that yard and unless you have budgeted to pay someone to mow it regularly, you need to consider investing in a lawnmower. Now is a great time of year to comparison shop for lawn equipment, as retailers prepare for the busy spring season.  Other gardening supplies to have on hand include a sprinkler, push broom and weed whacker.

The same holds true for appliances. While many new and resale homes may come with a washer, dryer and refrigerator, many do not. Again, spend some time comparing prices for all of these items or consider spending a weekend shopping at garage sales or moving sales.
Cleaning supplies are another item that should be on your list.

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Houston’s Ronald McDonald House continues to provide families of sick children from all over the world with a free place to stay as well as a strong support group and hope - all in a beautiful, welcoming setting where they have convenient access to critically needed care in the surrounding Texas Medical Center.

Supported by generous donors and volunteers, the unique facility has helped countless families get through difficult times and has been a critical home away from home for families with children undergoing treatment for cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

For nearly four years, the associates of Friendswood Development Company have been honored to donate their time, talents and hearts to a group of very special children and their families who are confronting what is often one of the most difficult challenges they will face in their lifetimes.

Each month, Friendswood Development Company associates bring a catered lunch for the residents and staff, and coordinate a variety of activities. Every summer, Friendswood Development brings its mini carnival to Houston’s Ronald McDonald House, offering family members of all ages a fun and memorable day of activities, games and prizes; and during the holidays, associates bring gifts to the Ronald McDonald House Store, which offers sick children and their siblings the opportunity to shop for their parents and other family members.

For more information on Houston’s Ronald McDonald House, visit the website at www.rmhhouston.org.

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This August, when school begins for students in the Dickinson Independent School District, a number of elementary school age students in the Trails at Bay Colony will attend the district’s newest elementary school – Calder Road Elementary School.

Located at 6511 Calder Road, the highly anticipated school will serve students in grades Pre-K through fourth. The school offers state of the art features and a plan that includes more than 102,000 square feet.

A dedication for the new school is scheduled for Tuesday, August 10 and pre-registration begins on August 11 and continues until August 13. Parent orientation is scheduled for August 16-17.

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Homeownership has so many advantages – from the benefits received at income tax time to the joy and pride that comes with home ownership. In Houston, new homes are among the most appealing and affordable in the nation which is why Houston is an industry leader in new home sales and construction.

A new home offers so many more advantages than most home shoppers even realize. Here are just a few to consider:

• Everything in the new home is new, so there are no worries about expensive repairs such as the roof, foundation, etc. New homes include a builder warranty, and there are also usually warranties for new appliances and systems (such as air conditioning).
• Most home builders can help buyers offer assistance or incentives with down payments and closing costs and in some cases, options.
• Today’s new homes have the latest energy-saving features, including insulation, double-paned windows and high-efficiency air conditioners. They use much less energy than older homes, and that can mean big savings on utility bills for your new home in Houston, Texas.
• A new home offers buyers the opportunity to personalize or make the home a reflection of his or her tastes and style. New-home buyers can make choices on their elevation and inside, in areas that include flooring, countertops, cabinets, and pain color. Builders also offer an impressive list of options that enable buyers to further personalize their home as their budget permits. These options can vary from design and decorator options to changes to the floor plan, such as adding optional rooms.
• Upgrades or options added to a new home can often be included in the mortgage loan, saving the buyer a lot of up front out of pocket expenses.
• New homes offer floor plans that reflect what buyers of today want- such as energy efficiency, open living areas, spacious kitchens, large closets, abundant storage, etc. 
• Today’s experienced builders and developers will build in communities that are regulated by strict deed restrictions, offering new-home buyers the peace of mind that their home and community will maintain their integrity for years into the future.

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Buying a new home is always exciting – especially when it’s your first home. After all of the preparation, financing and moving plans, the next step is deciding what to purchase for your new home.

First, consider the outside of your home – now you have a yard. As wonderful as that is, your are still responsible for taking care of that yard and unless you have budgeted to pay someone to mow it regularly, you need to consider investing in a lawnmower. Now is a great time of year to comparison shop for lawn equipment, as retailers prepare for the busy spring season.  Other gardening supplies to have on hand include a sprinkler, push broom and weed whacker.

The same holds true for appliances. While many new and resale homes may come with a washer, dryer and refrigerator, many do not. Again, spend some time comparing prices for all of these items or consider spending a weekend shopping at garage sales or moving sales.

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Moving into a planned community by an experienced developer offers many advantages to residents. Among those benefits are Home Owner Associations or Community Associations, commonly referred to as HOAs or CAs. These organizations are an important a part of community life in Texas.

Most planned communities have a homeowners association or HOA that is created to preserve the integrity of a community and help to maintain its long-term value.

A homeowners' association a legal entity created by a real estate developer for the purpose of developing, managing and selling a development of homes. It allows the developer to exit financial and legal responsibility of the community, typically by transferring ownership of the association to the homeowners after selling a predetermined number of lots.

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Legend Home Corp. is now building in Clearview Village, locates just one mile from Interstate 45 south and Beltway 8. A Trailwood community by Friendswood Development Company, Clearview Village is known for its accessible location offering easy access to downtown, the Texas Medical Center and the NASA/Clear Lake area, Clearview Village also features new homes by Legend priced from the $120,000s.

Legend Home Corp.’s opening in Clearview Village comes at an ideal time, when home buyers can take advantage of the first-time buyer tax credit that offers them up to $8,000. The tax credit has been extended until April. New-home buyers taking advantage of the tax credit must purchase their new home by the end of April and close by June 30, 2010.

Within Clearview Village, Legend is offering its Traditional Series of designs that range in size from 1,263 to 2,253 square feet and priced from the mid $120,000s.

Within the homes, buyers will be impressed with the attention to detail and included features offered to them in this affordable price range.

Children in the community attend schools in the Pasadena Independent School District, with all schools just minutes from home.

In addition to Legend Homes, Clearview Village features new homes by Lennar, which offers two collections of designs – the Colonial Collection priced from the $120,000s and the Republic Collection priced from the $150,000s.

Visitors to Clearview Village can preview designs and visit sales offices and model homes by each builder open daily.

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