PAULA'S PICKS ~ TOP 10 GREAT RESTAURANTS IN THE WOODLANDS Here is my first installment called "Paula's Picks".  I have lived in this area for 30 years and have watched us move from a small town atmosphere to a thriving urban metropolis!  Things are changing on a daily basis.   With so many choices from restaurants, workout facilities, pre-schools, camps, etc. writing a series of blogs on my top places seems to be a great idea.  I will be able to offer new folks to the area some of my favorite places.   For the first installment in this series, here are my Top 10 Great Restaurants in The Woodlands:   1.  Via Emilia - A wonderful, family-owned authentic Italian restaurant.  Located in the heart of The Woodlands right off of Woodlands Parkway and Kuykendahl!  Love the food and especially l... 07/16/2014

A SHOE SHINE FOR THE SOUL! Have you ever met someone during a routine, everyday experience that impacted your life in a powerful way? Recently my husband and I had that kind of experience!  We were at the Waterway Marriott here in The Woodlands at the Conroe ISD Education Foundation Breakfast.   My husband was in great need of a shoeshine so we went over to the area where we knew that he could grab a shine.  Mel Dowdy who has worked there in the same spot for about 3 1/2 years greeted us warmly.  His huge and welcoming smile made us immediately connect with him.   Over the next 30 minutes we came to know Mel on a much deeper level.  What struck me the most about Mel was the way he took great PRIDE in his work.  He was excited about what he did and was animated in telling us the procedur... 07/14/2014

Conventional 30 year Mortgage: 4.375% Credit score:740 LTV:80% Loan Amount:$200k APR: 4.69% FHA 30 year:4.25% Credit Score:640 LTV:96.5% loan amount:$200k APR:5.87% Conventional 15 year:3.5% Credit score:740 LTV:80% Loan Amount:$200k APR:3.62%   Rates are Subject to Change Call me today if you are thinking of refinancing or buying a home, for the best mortgage rate possible. 07/09/2014

In recent years tightening credit requirements have resulted in some not so obvious reasons for home loans being denied. The purpose of this blog is to help you plan so you can avoid these common pitfalls. As federal regulations have tightened they have resulted in new ways to get your loan denied if you are not careful. #5 - Forgotten Old negative credit You have an old collection or charge off that you may have had a disagreement with a creditor about.  You dutifully filed a dispute with the credit bureaus and forgot about it.  When you started the home loan process suddenly this account comes up to haunt you. See my blog on disputes here. In many cases if you have a derogatory item with a balance over $1,000 and it is in dispute it will halt the loan process until the item is remove... 06/18/2014

  Ironman Competition -- Saturday May 17th, 2014.  I have shown houses on days when they are having the triathlon.  It is pretty hectic with the traffic and the bikers. You will need to allow extra time to get around The Woodlands today.  Please watch out for the bikers.  To see where they are running, biking and swimming click this link for triathlon info -- The Woodlands 2014.     05/17/2014

Conventional 30 year Mortgage: 4.375% Credit score:740 LTV:80% Loan Amount:$200k APR: 4.69% FHA 30 year:4.25% Credit Score:640 LTV:96.5% loan amount:$200k APR:5.87% Conventional 15 year:3.5% Credit score:740 LTV:80% Loan Amount:$200k APR:3.72%   Rates are Subject to Change Call me today if you are thinking of refinancing or buying a home, for the best mortgage rate possible. 05/07/2014

05/07/2014

    The Kennedy Team’s Featured Preferred Vendor is Blue Ox Moving & Storage! We highly recommend Blue Ox for all your moving and storage needs! Blue Ox Moving Services specializes in moving homes within The Woodlands and surrounding areas, offering moving services, full service packing, material supply and storage. We are licensed, bonded and insured, and fully committed to providing our customers with the personalized care each deserves. Our customers rely on our extensive experience and knowledge in the moving industry and they recommend Blue Ox Moving Services to their friends and family because they know we take the responsibility of moving your home seriously. Let Blue Ox Moving Services help you with your next move by calling us today. We will match you with one of our highly tra... 04/23/2014

  The Kennedy Team Invites you and your family to its annual  Summer Pool Party! Saturday, May 31, 2014 6:00 - 8:00 pm Lakeside Pool in The Village of Alden Bridge The Woodlands, Texas   Enjoy plenty of food, fun, and fabulous prizes!  04/23/2014

In 4 days we begin our 2 day AVON Walk for Breast Cancer Journey! Think about how many women you have in your life (mother, wife sister, daughter, grandparents/ kids, friends, etc ..)? Now consider these statistics: · A woman has a …1 in 8 chance of developing breast cancer in her lifetime. · Every 3 minutes, there is a new diagnosis of invasive breast cancer, that’s 20 lives impacted in just 1 hour!! · Approximately 230,480 women and 2,140 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year! Help us find a cure by donating now:   https://secure2.convio.net/avon/site/SPageServer?pagename=%2Fwalk_donation&s_trID=2360&s_proxy_constituentId=6873705       04/07/2014

03/15/2014

What is a Village in The Woodlands, Texas The Woodlands, Texas is divided into 9 villages.  A village operates like its own small town.  They have their own shopping centers, parks, playgrounds, homes, personalities and village associations.   Looking for Homes for Sale in Creekside Park Homes in the area range from the high $200,000's to the $3,000,000 range.  Creekside park opened in 2007 and is the newest village in The Woodlands.  Click here to see a complete listing of Homes for Sale in Creekside Park in The Woodands, Texas.   Why The Village of Creekside Park Creekside is the newest development project underway in The Woodlands, Texas.  It is estimated to have 7,100 homes in this village.  It is the only village in The Woodlands that is in Harris County.  It is also the only villa... 03/10/2014

In a recent interview with Fred Welch, the vice president of regional economic development for the Greater Houston Partnership, 2014 was determined to be a strong year for Houston's real estate. "Our job forecast is down slightly from 2013 to slightly under 70,000 net new jobs in the region vs. 76,000 in 2013, but it still points to a strong local economy driven by our pillars of strength in energy, logistics and manufacturing." "The office market (corporate headquarters, financial services and back office support) will be robust in 2014. We have not yet overbuilt in the markets and sub-markets that support corporate expansions. All indications are that this will be a year of continued growth. The Houston GDP (gross domestic product) is expected to grow at a range of 2.5 percent to 3 p... 03/07/2014

You will find us, along with Owner Builder Network, at The 12th Annual Spring Home & Garden Show at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott this weekend, Saturday March, 8th and Sunday, March, 9th located at 1601 Lake Robbins Drive, The Woodlands, Texas. If you are ready to add some updates to your living space, need some inspiration or want to discover new home products, resources and ideas that will increase the value and livability of both your indoor and outdoor environments, over 200 professionals will feature their hottest products and services on the market. OWNER BUILDER NETWORK Owner Builder Network was started in 1997 with one goal in mind, to help people build their own custom home. Who better knows, but the homeowner, if it is built to their standards and specifications? Most of al... 03/05/2014

RUNNING IN THE BACK OF THE PACK! This past Saturday I ran The Woodlands Half Marathon! As an avid runner for over 37 years, I typically run somewhere right smack dab in the middle of the pack. This race was a bit different. For a variety of reasons, I was just unable to train like I normally would for an upcoming 13.1 miles. I signed up for the race back in July thinking that my training would ensue and I would run a very typical, uneventful race. As race day was fast approaching and those miles had just not accumulated, I toyed with the idea of not running at all. Ready to Rock the Race! A good friend of mine was in the same boat that I was in. She too has run many half marathons yet had not trained for this one. We discussed our options and both decided to just GO FOR IT! We agreed th... 03/04/2014

As is common with any market, the real estate market has its highs and lows. And during the financial crisis that the rest of the country was facing, the Texas real estate market boomed. But a booming market can only stay at an excessive peak for so long. 2013 showed high demand for real estate in Texas, shortening inventory and appealing to sellers across the state. However, 2014 is predicted to slow from its manic pace to a more normal selling market rate, despite climbing interest rates and home values. A more 'normal pace' does not necessarily mean a worse market though. Steady is a positive market state that helps near a balance between buyer and seller.  No matter the pace of the market, here are five best practices that will always be applicable when buying a home.  1. Waiting u... 03/03/2014

As a reminder, this Saturday, March 1, 2014, The Woodlands will be hosting The Woodlands Marathon. There will be traffic delays. RACE DAY TRAVEL TIPS: - Expect 5-minute delays at intersections- Add 10 - 15 minutes extra for your travel time You can visit the marathon's website for specifics regarding road closures and to better map your travel for Saturday at the following link below: http://thewoodlandsmarathon.com/interior.cfm?pg=72 Have a blessed weekend! 02/28/2014

The annual Avon Walk for Breast Cancer is just around the corner! Once again, on April 12, 2014, our very own Michelle Garza will spend the weekend walking, along with thousands of others, in the Avon Walk in 2014: Avon Walk for Breast Cancer: Houston. She  will walk a distance of a marathon and a half (that's nearly 40 miles!). We wanted to let everyone know that Michelle has been fundraising, but she's not yet met her goal, so we are letting everyone know that we need your help in the fight against breast cancer. All you have to do is make a simple donation. Please remember as you're making your donation that every 3 minutes someone in the U.S. is diagnosed with breast cancer, so in the time it took to read this letter, another woman was diagnosed. To make a tax-deductible contributi... 02/27/2014

All statistics point to very little inventory and in most cases a seller's market. In The Woodlands with only 353 homes on the market and 335 homes either under contract or sold last month, it's clear to see the need for more homes to sell.  Magnolia, although not as strong a market, is still doing great and in a seller's market in most price ranges.  There are new neighborhoods popping up all around the area, but not enough or quickly enough for the demand.  If you are considering selling, now is the time to get your house on the market. The buyer is still a savvy one.  Most buyers want a home that is in great condition and priced right.  If you do plan on selling in this market, be sure to get your home in the best shape possible and price it according to what the market says it's wor... 02/26/2014

While it may seem like ExxonMobil has recently made the decision to move to the quickly thriving Woodlands area, the developer for the 1,800 acres of land has been waiting since 1961 for the opportunity. “[ExxonMobil] saw this giant piece of land on I-45 with nothing on it and eventually got to us and said they were interested in the location,” the Coventry Development Corporation Executive Vice President Keith Simon said. “But they were concerned that there was no infrastructure, no master plan, no nothing, and so what can we do?” The CDC whipped together a plan that convinced ExxonMobil to buy 386 acres and the construction of Springwood Village began in 2008.  The community plan includes accommodations for thirty-five to forty-five thousand future employees and is projected to raise... 02/17/2014