When kids were asked what they were going to do with the money they earned, some replied they were going to “spend it!” Others decided to give the money they raised to their church. The main point is that the children learned how to work for money and learned that they had the freedom to decide what they were going to do with the profit they earned. They were allowed to feel grown up and allowed a taste of the real world. This type of experience excites children and allows them the freedom to make decisions for themselves.

Sunday May 6 was Lemonade Day in 31 cities across America and Canada, including Bryan and College Station. When Lemonade Day first began, it included about 2,700 kids. Now, more than 120,000 kids across these 31 cities participate in the day. Lemonade Day was started as a program to give experience to children, teaching them entrepreneurship skills. Kids learn to plan, start, and operate a business through their experiences with Lemonade Day.

Kids were offered the chance to mark their lemonade stands on a map online that would be available to the community on Lemonade Day. The stand locations were given the opportunity to be published not only to the online map, but also to Facebook, Twitter, and via email.

The goal is to prepare children to be empowered future citizens. Upon registering, each child received a backpack that contained an Entrepreneur Workbook, teaching them 14 lessons that are a central part of Lemonade Day. They learned how to create budgets, how to set profit-making goals, how to serve customers, how to repay investors, and how to give back to the community. In addition to learning how to perform these skills, they also learned the value of the skills. The children are also taught how to set goals for themselves, how to problem solve, and how to gain self-esteem which will aid them in their future endeavors for success.

On Lemonade Day, children are allowed to keep all of the money that they make and are encouraged by adults to spend some of their money, save some of it, and share some of it with others less fortunate.

Lemonade Day teaches kids a very special and specific set of skills from financial literacy and economics, to college readiness and career, to life skills and personal development, and of course academics. The financial literacy and economics that the kids learn include subjects like capital equipment and consumables, supply and demand, credit, debt, gross and net income, marginal utility, return on investment and compound interest. To prepare kids for college, they are exposed to critical thinking and collaboration, interest in attending college, civic responsibility, customer service, teamwork and problem solving and presentation skills and design. Children also learn life skills and personal development such as leadership, the belief that attaining goals is within reach, personal productivity, self-direction and time management, social responsibility and charity, high order thinking and social skills and self confidence. The day also increases the kids’ academic capacities such as math calculations, reading and interpreting data, and oral and written communication.

Lemonade Day offers an online website for kids to register and sign up on. Lemonade Day sponsors and partners include many businesses and individuals in the area, including Dick and Linda Lester, Lenae Heubner, Atmos Energy, Double Dave’s Pizzaworks, James and Paula Lancaster, Research Valley, Len and Nancy Berry, Mathnasium, Caldwell Companies, AgniTEK, Wells Fargo, Research Valley Funds, Blue Baker, Documation, Copy Corner, Kroger, Ecolyse, Brazos Valley Small Business Development Center, College Station ISD, Bryan Broadcasting, The Eagle, Chamber of Commerce, Bryan ISD, Sideshow Creative, the City of College Station, KBTX Media, Brazos Monthly, KAMU, Mays Business School, AbouTown Press, KAGS, and the City of Bryan.

If you like to help out with and work with children, then you may want to consider becoming a volunteer for Lemonade Day. Volunteers are necessary to run Lemonade Day and are needed to stuff backpacks that are given out to the children to teach them entrepreneurship, spread the news about Lemonade Day by distributing materials to local schools and youth organizations, register youth to participate at special events going on in the community, and lastly you can help out by blogging, tweeting, or sharing information about Lemonade Day online or through Facebook!

PS -  Susan Hilton is Bryan College Station, Texas’ real estate specialist in foreclosure sales and real estate agent career building so if you need help – CALL!             979-219-3970

Housing and lending discrimination is something common that occurs when an individual attempts to buy or rent a home, but also when they try to buy homeowner’s insurance or a mortgage. Millions of complaints are still filed each year through nonprofit fair-housing agencies and other local and state agencies.

Housing discrimination isn’t always obvious, and is something that is still prevalent today in our society.

Sarah, a young mother, in Toledo, OH, was searching for a house where she and her daughter could live for a reasonable price. After searching for months, she found a two-bedroom condo that they could live in. When she called the rental office, her excitement grew as she listened to the description of it. However, this anticipation was quickly killed when she was informed that children were not allowed in the complex. Sarah, who worked for Toledo Fair Housing Center, knew that the “no kids” policy was illegal. After a testing investigation and discovered the rental company was illegally discriminating. Sarah filed a formal complaint and the rental company is negotiating a settlement.

Joseph had lived in his apartment in Takoma Park, Maryland, for over five years when the management was turned over to a new company. All of the tenants in the units were African American. Shortly after the turn-over, the new management evicted all tenants except for one who was allowed to live in a basement and was limited to building access from a side entrance to the apartment complex. Though the landlord claimed massive renovations, leading to increased rent, these renovations were completed within a week and new tenants moved into the building, none of whom were African American.  Joseph’s local fair housing center was able to discover that all of the company’s other units were managed in the same way and demonstrated the same discrimination. Joseph filed a complaint against the new management’s illegal behaviors.

Leah and her husband Brad were looking for a new place to live in San Jose, California. Leah is blind and is guided by her Seeing Eye dog to get around. After finding a promising listing in the local paper, the couple decided to make an appointment to meet with management and see the property.  When they were showed around the apartment, the couple were pleased by what they saw and made an appointment to apply for the apartment. However, when they met with the owner, she promptly informed them that they were not allowed to have any pets and “if [she] let [them] have one, everyone will want one.” Though the couple explained that their dog was a service animal, the owner would not compromise. She allowed them to fill out the application, without any intention of renting to the couple. Leah and her husband filed a complaint to a federal court to make sure that others in their situation would not fall under the same discrimination and the couple won a settlement from the owner who would not rent to them.

The following activities are not permissible under the Fair Housing Act when based on discrimination:

• Refusal to sell or rent housing
• Refusal to negotiate with an individual for housing
• Making housing unavailable to an individual
• Setting different terms, conditions, or privileges for sale or rental
• Providing different housing services or facilities
• False denial that housing is available for inspection, sale or rental
• Persuading owners to sell or rent for one’s own profit
• Denial of access to a facility or service related to the sale of housing
• Refusal to make reasonable accommodations in rules or services if necessary for a disabled person to use housing
• Refusal to allow a disabled person to make reasonable accommodations to his/her dwelling
• Threat towards anyone making a fair housing complaint
• Refusal to provide municipal services, property insurance or hazard insurance for dwellings, or providing such services or insurance differently

It is important for you to be aware of your rights and to utilize the laws that have been set in place. Most individuals who are discriminated against in housing are not aware, or take no action to prohibit it. If this problem is not stopped little by little, it will continue to exist and thousands of others for generations to come will continue to experience discrimination.

If you need to report a complaint, include the following information: your name and address, the name and address of the person your complaint is against, the address of the housing involved, a short description of the event that caused you to believe your rights were violated, and the date(s) of the alleged violation.

If you need to reach your local HUD office, call 1-800-669-9777, TDD 1-800-927-9275 or visit HUD.gov.

To identify the private housing enforcement office in your area, call 202-898-1661 or visit the National Fair Housing Alliance.

Remember we are here to help you purchase a home in Bryan College Station, Texas. Aggies Don’t Discriminate!”

Thanks!

David

PS – David Whitener, I never forget you have a choice when choosing a Realtor to represent you in Bryan/College Station. 

Fannie Mae is in fact the largest lender throughout the United States. And the current exponential growth of their real estate ownership is primarily due to the incredible number of recent foreclosures. It is a reality of the market that when a bank forecloses on a house, businesses like Fannie Mae stoop in to relieve the Bank of their loss, while turning a small profit of their own in return. However, with the drastic quantity of foreclosures across the nation, the prices and values of these homes have plummeted. And now more than ever these foreclosed homes that are being re-released into the market are selling at some of the lowest prices out there.

So what is this program? And how can a prospective home buyer use it?

The program is called HomePath, and can be used through navigation of the website address, www.homepath.com. This program offers many advantages, including the convenience of an online web page. However, it also gives buyers and lenders a more relaxed approach to the finance requirements. In other words, you’re not just buying the house through Fannie Mae: you’re also getting access to the HomePath mortgage and buying process.

The advantages of a loan through Fannie Mae’s HomePath program are surprisingly appealing. First, home buyers are required to make a down-payment of as little as 3% the total cost of the home. Along with this, neither mortgage insurance nor appraisals are required. And to top it all off, the requirements for credit scores are much more flexible than your average loan. So for potential home-owners, looking for a great deal as well as an opportunity to start over or begin fresh, this program is particularly appealing.

So how can you use this program? First off, if you go to the HomePath website and browse through the homes by location, price range, size, number of bedrooms and baths, etc., you will find a button that reads “Make an Offer.” Upon clicking this you will view a note explaining how all offers must be submitted by licensed real estate agents. As a licensed real estate agent, you will then have the opportunity to register for a profile through HomePath.

As a registered member of HomePath, a Realtor is allowed to place offers on homes and evaluate them in various ways. The program also offers assistance in finding homes of outstanding affordability through the “Great Buys” link. Some homes will be listed as “Needing Renovation.” Fannie Mae then allows for eligible home buyers to use the HomePath Renovation tool, which will actually help to finance the repairs on the home. This aspect of the program literally assists in financing the repairs for distressed properties that need a little help before they are entirely ready for people to be living in them.

When all is done, and properties have been weighed, examined, and inspected by home buyers and realtors alike, HomePath allows for the purchase of properties through the website itself. As stated before, there is the “Make an Offer” button, which requires the login of a licensed real estate professional. But then beyond that there is even a way to “Offer to Purchase.” This can be done conveniently and effectively through the website since HomePath actually offers the required documentation via upload. Many of these forms may then be submitted online through the Realtors account, or uploaded through the website immediately.

Once you have completed the forms and agreed to the terms and conditions required by the website, you have an opportunity to confirm your offer or cancel. Listing agents then have the option of receiving the offer, rejecting it, countering it, or entering it into a ‘multiple offers round.’ If the offer is accepted it is the buyer’s responsibility to contact the listing agent. If it is rejected, countered, or entered into a multiple offers round the buyer can then either revise their offer, or withdraw/rescind their offer.

The entire process of purchasing homes through HomePath is quite simple and will be a leading design for future online real estate. And through the knowledge and guidance of a licensed Realtor, nothing can be simpler. The only complication, perhaps, comes through the possibility of multiple offers. But all in all, the development of Fannie Mae’s new online program, HomePath, home buyers all over Texas and the United States have the opportunity to buy houses at lower prices and with better mortgage deals than ever before.

PS -  Susan Hilton is Bryan College Station,
Texas’ real estate specialist in foreclosure sales and real estate
agent career building so if you need help –
CALL!             979-219-3970

You have seen them, dogs and their owners.  Dogs love the the sidewalks as they lead the way on their leashes.  Most dog walkers have real doggy bags on their leashes.  It is exciting to see and know that the sidewalks are clean of debris for everyone.  The sidewalks are wide enough for dogs and their owners can walk and still give way to other pedestrians.  If you have a beagle, like me, you know that having a wide sidewalk helps.  I promise, my beagle Riley-Puppy, does not lift his nose from the ground the whole time we are on a walk.   Sometimes I think he is hunting for a beagle that smells just like him.  He will always leads the way around the 2.25 mile sidewalk straight to our front door.
Kids love the sidewalks because it leads them straight to Forest Ridge in the morning.  It is thrilling to see all the parents that ride their bikes next to their kids every morning.   Kids need sidewalks to ride bikes.  Recently, I saw that the sidewalk was cleared of all the underbrush that was between the sidewalk, fence and Forest Ridge.  This way kids can be seen. Thank you, city of College Station and Castlegate HOA!

You may not know this, but the sidewalk changes in elevation more than you realize.  You do not notice the hills in the car, but when you are running your legs will not miss them. These sidewalks are so much better  than running on  graded street.  There is a half mile downhill, and you guessed it, a half mile uphill around the northeast sidewalk.   There are flats, curves, wooden bridges and lots of turn offs that lead to other streets in the neighborhood.  Read some of the shirts people are wearing while running.  You will see several people with running event shirts while training on these sidewalks.  5K, 10K, ½ marathons and marathons shirts are running past you all the time.

Hopefully, if you have not utilized the sidewalk in Castlegate, you will now.  Spring is among us so get out there and walk your dog, ask your kid if they want to be a bike rider today or go for a 10 K run.

Keep them clean and keep it classy.

Steve Santos “My REALTOR”

PS - I’m Steve Santos, I do what I say I will do, some times more just never less

From 5-10 p.m. downtown Bryan offers First Friday, an event for the cities of Bryan and College Station and surrounding areas to join together and have an enjoyable evening. Whether your evening consists primarily of dining out and visiting with friends or bringing the kids along for a carriage ride and movie, the choice is yours.

Madden’s Casual Gourmet is a popular favorite spot for dinner. All of their food is made from scratch, including every soup and mayonnaise on the menu. Chef Madden is constantly seeking to widen the variety on his menu and challenging himself to find additional flavorful combinations for customers. Madden’s uses top quality products and their presentation of food is nothing short of artistic. The restaurant strives to provide only the freshest ingredients for their customers. Relationships with local producers and manufacturers, as well as a garden of their own, provide Madden’s with top quality food. Madden’s also hosts a movie night for families on First Friday. Movies such as Alice in Wonderland, Thumbelina and the Blind Side have been played in the past.

Wine bars and coffee houses are hotspots at any time in downtown Bryan but take on a certain quaintness on First Friday. The Village Downtown is an art café that specializes in soup, salad, pastries, and sandwiches. The Village offers a place for live music, and an art gallery which support their mission to create an awareness of all things local in the Brazos Valley. Downtown Uncorked Wine Bar is located next to the Village Café and is a place to come and take a load off while you enjoy a glass of wine. Revolution Cafe & Bar is another venue offering live music and artwork.

The historic buildings of downtown Bryan are beautifully constructed and create a feeling of being back in the early 1900’s, when the Carnegie Library was built. This library, located in downtown Bryan, served as the community’s library for nearly 70 years before becoming a center that houses stacks of files and books of the city’s history. The LaSalle Hotel is another historic building that has been renovated. When it first opened in 1928, this hotel was seven stories tall and contained 100 guest rooms. It also housed a ballroom, a meeting space, and several small businesses including a tailor, a barber and a café. The hotel went through several conversions, and a period of being closed but is now reopened and a major attraction for the city of Bryan. The Queen Theatre is another historic location that is currently under construction.

Many art galleries offer live jazz, free art activities and numerous exhibits from local artists. Square One Studio & Gallery displayed an exhibit of art by graduating seniors majoring in Art, from Texas State University during the First Friday of April. Live painting demonstrations were held at the  Arts Council of Brazos Valley’s info tent, as well.

Shopping for unique accessories or one of a kind antiques is another popular attraction of downtown Bryan, and First Friday only brings in more jewelry pieces and antiques. Corner of Time Antiques & Collectibles Mall, is one place where customers are free to browse the antiques and then stop by the soda fountain for a drink. Corner of Time offers pottery wheel throwing and wood carving demonstrations in addition to live music. Jim.n.i. offers a wide variety of women’s clothing and accessories; from baby items, handbags, gifts, to all types of clothing.

Custom stained glass pieces and demonstrations of how to stain glass are offered by Brazos Glassworks.

Parking for this event is available in the brand new parking garage located at 27th St. and N. Washington, next to the Clara Mounce Library.

Downtown Bryan is located at 105 S. Main St., Bryan, TX.

See you there!

Steve Santos

PS – I’m Steve Santos, I do what I say I will do, sometimes more just never less!

US News has rated Real Estate Agents as one of the best jobs of 2012, with high flexibility and a high employee satisfaction rate. And, if this isn’t surprising enough, the market for positions as a real estate agent is expected to grow at an unusually high rate of 12.2% over the next eight or so years. Luckily for up and coming employment seekers, obtaining a license has never been more simple. The only real requirements are a high school diploma, and a passing grade on a state administered written exam (although a college degree will assuredly help agents to move forward in their field). So we can be sure to see the expected growth in this industry over the next several years.

But how is all of this happening?

To begin with, the economy is recovering. In fact, recently revised employment data for Texas suggests that the State economy is undergoing
“a more solid economic recovery than before.” Unemployment rates in Texas are down to 7.2%, a full 2% decrease from the National average
just one year ago. And to top it all off, the annual growth rate of non-agricultural jobs in Texas increased 2.6% from last year (compared
with only a 1.6% increase across the nation). Texas’ economy is in good shape, and improving.

What myou can optimistically take this to mean is that the economy in Texas (and across the nation) is more stable than it was in the spring of
2011, when the first real signs of recovery started (ending in another brief market collapse). This only means good things for the real estate
industry: but, in laymen’s terms, it means there’s more money out there for people to buy homes. More money to buy homes means more homes sold.  And more homes sold means more business for Real Estate Agents.

However, this prospect does not only suggest that the market for real estate is returning to its previous state. Instead, research shows that the
industry is growing, making room for thousands of new positions over the next few years.

So let’s rationalize for a moment.

Over the span of the recession, and the several months before, the market for selling houses did not slow. Only the market for buying houses came to an abrupt halt, as people began conserving cash and deciding it in their best interest to postpone home ownership (as well as the process of obtaining loans became more difficult). Neglecting the percentage of investors who took full advantage of the reduced home sales, most homes have remained on the market since, as more homes have joined the market over the past few years. And now, as the economy climbs back to stability, people looking once again to own homes have entered a vast market. This means extra business for Real Estate Agents.  And as Texas’ economy is performing well above the national average, it is no wonder that the market for real estate agents has reached the Best Jobs list of 2012.

But, of course, homes are not the only aspect of real estate that agents thrive off of. Business real estate, as well, is a heavy factor of an agent’s success. And Texas, particularly the Brazos valley, is not short on business growth. For instance, College Station’s business district, Northgate, is experiencing a prime period of development as old business and real estate make way for new opportunities. New student housing complexes are leading the way, the first of which, called “The Stack,” being immediately followed up by a second new high-rise to be constructed just feet away. This second complex will be 18 stories tall, housing over 175 student apartments, as well as a grocery store in the
ground level and a 400 space parking garage. Construction for this new development should begin over the next few weeks, and marks only one aspect of a real estate explosion which is occurring all over the state.

In fact, evidence shows that all but four Texas Metropolitan areas have increased in the number of jobs available over the past year, and several of the lowest unemployment rates across the nation are in Texas cities. Exciting things are happening for the real estate industry,
especially in Texas: and real estate agents are (and will be) reaping the benefits. So when you are ready for a career in real estate…. CALL SUSAN HILTON!

PS -  Susan Hilton is Bryan College Station,
Texas’ real estate specialist in foreclosure sales and real estate
agent career building so if you need help –
CALL!             979-219-3970

]]> http://susanhilton.com/2012/04/17/recent-growth-of-real-estate-sales-in-the-brazos-valley/feed/ 0 http://susanhilton.com/2012/04/13/texas-am-has-been-yarn-bombed/ http://susanhilton.com/2012/04/13/texas-am-has-been-yarn-bombed/#comments Fri, 13 Apr 2012 18:45:23 +0000 Susan Hilton College Station Real Estate http://susanhilton.com/2012/04/13/texas-am-has-been-yarn-bombed/ “I had to tramp down a dirt road in Bryan, Texas. I remember always hugging and kissing her at the door and then pushing my way in to see what she was cooking for our Sunday lunch. I remember, the musty smell of mothballs hanging in the air mingling with the cherry pie on the kitchen table that I wasn’t allowed to touch until after I had eaten all of my meal. I also remember sitting on her rough brown couch impatiently trying to make it through crochet and knitting lessons. Many times when we would have lessons I would find myself blankly staring out the window at the bird feeder where the cardinals perched.”

Was this you?????  Do you wish you had been paying attention during your knitting lessons?    This March, on the Texas A&M campus, TAMU students with the help of the Visual Arts Committee, the Brazos Valley Knitters Guild, The Hook and Needle, and Magda Sayeg, dressed the light poles on Military Walk in a printed rainbow knit. These tube socks that were knitted around the poles are part of a nation-wide craze known as Yarn Bombing.

Textile art has gradually made its way onto the contemporary art scene. This new form of art is said to serve as a ground where textile production is neither solely for the female nor the male. Despite gender, race and age, this art speaks beautifully and carries a presence unlike any other art form.

Over the past few years, yarn bombing has become more and more prevalent; beginning with urban areas and moving throughout the rest of the country. It is practiced regularly in a few major cities in areas including Canada, the United States, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.  And though this form of art is catching on, it is still not very widely known. Other names for the practice include knit bombing, guerilla knitting, yarn storming, and urban knitting.

Trees, sculptures, statues, phone booths, gates, handles, poles and any other object of reasonable size is at risk of being bombed by this craze. There are even cans of spray yarn (similar to spray paint), used to graffiti walls.

Magda Sayeg was a guest lecturer on the Texas A&M campus this year and the founder of Yarn Bombing. Her work has grown to include the knit-covered bus in Mexico City, her first solo exhibit in Rome at La Museo des Esposizione, covering the AC ductwork of Etsy.com’s headquarters located in Brooklyn, and she is finishing an installation at the Williamsburg Bridge working with the NYC Department of Transportation.

She has worked with companies worldwide, including Absolut Vodka, Madewell, Insight 51, Mini Cooper, and Smart Car. She has also participated in art shows at Milan’s Triennale Design Museum, Le M.U.R. in Paris, and the National Gallery of Australia.

She has begun experimenting with new techniques and additions to her artwork, such as using lighting with her knitted material. She has joined forces with the integrated media company 1stAveMachine as a director. This position will push her to new varieties of experimentation and collaboration.

Are you wanting to learn how to knit? Checkout our own LOCAL YARN KNIT SHOP in Bryan College Station! Checkout The Hook and Needle!  If they can teach me to knit they can teach YOU!

PS -  Susan Hilton is Bryan College Station, Texas’ real estate specialist in foreclosure sales and real estate agent career building so if you need help – CALL!             979-219-3970

Returns: Real Estate vs. Stocks, Bonds and Mutual Funds.

• a.) Stocks: Only 40% of stocks pay a dividend and in the 10 years starting in 2000 the stocks in the S&P 500 paid an average dividend of 1.82%. During that same time, those same stocks have seen a 30% decrease in equity.
• b.) Bonds: During the 10 year period starting in 2000 bonds have yielded an average of 4.46% according to figures released by the Federal Reserve. Bonds returns are fixed by the interest rate and do not appreciate in value and can fail.
• c.) Mutual Funds: Often under perform the general market, does not pay dividends and you hand control of your money over to someone else.
• d.) Real Estate: In the 10 year span beginning, in 2000, real estate has increased in equity by 30.14%. This does not include appreciation in value, cash flow or the tax advantages that come with investing in real estate. Investment property allows you to be in control of your own money as opposed to the other investment vehicles.

Tax Benefits: What other investment allows you to make money, and the IRS allows you to keep more of it due to generous tax deductions ? Some of those expenses are advertising, depreciation, maintenance, insurance, interest, losses and repairs. Another top real estate investment vehicle is the 1031 exchange which allows you to avoid capital gains tax through the exchange of like-kind properties. To complete a 1031 exchange, a qualified intermediary will need to be used but, it is well worth the effort.
Leverage: With what other investment will a lender allow you to put 20% down and use the investment to secure the balance of the loan? Do you think that your lender would lend you money to buy $100,000 worth of Apple stock if you put $20,000 down? The great advantage of investing in real estate is that it allows you to build equity in a property, sell it and then use the equity and leverage to buy a larger cash flow property. A continuation of this process is what allows you to build wealth.

With the interest rates at an all time low and some nice properties on the market, the time to invest in real estate has never been better. Using a conservative analysis to calculate cash flow and not basing your decision on an increase in equity will improve your chances of being successful in the real estate investment market. For more information or help in finding a property call David Whitener at 979-587-9979.

David Whitener, REALTOR® – I never forget you have a choice

The townhomes are also located near the new HEB Towerpointe shopping center that just opened off of Highway 40. This shopping center is quickly expanding and already offers sandwich shops, sushi shops, fast-food, banks, hair salons and so much more.

Some of the quality parts of the townhomes include the three texture exterior finish which includes stone, brick and hardy and the entire exterior except for the roof is maintained by the homeowners association. The roof has a 30-year warranty. Nine foot ceilings and crown molding can be found throughout the townhomes and add to the open spacious feeling of the homes. Granite countertops, sleek custom kitchen cabinetry and a stone eating bar complete the kitchens. Kitchens also come with full appliances and stainless steel appliances are available. Stained concrete floors in the living, kitchen and bathrooms allow for easy clean-up and carpeted bedrooms invite a cozy atmosphere. Granite vanities are in every bathroom. Light fixtures, ceiling fans, and kitchen hardware is oil rubbed bronze hardware. Digital a/c thermostats are in each home, with two zoned thermostats in the two-story homes.The townhomes offer maximum security by offering private reserved parking for each unit, pre-wiring for security alarms, and deadbolts. Wood stained fences also allow for privacy and increased security as well as private concrete patio or backyard areas for each resident. The spacious yard areas offer a

All of the outdoor landscaping and fencing is maintained by the homeowner’s association as well. Sprinkler systems are also included with each unit.

To offer and promote a community-oriented feeling, the Barracks Townhomes has an exercise track and gated dog-park. Pets are allowed and are well provided for with this luxurious park that keeps both the pet and owner in shape. These not only encourage people to get outside more often and meet new people in the neighborhood, but they also encourage a healthy lifestyle. A swimming pool is also part of this unique community which comes complete with a tanning deck, the perfect solution to a stressful week.

Lakefront options are now also being offered! These are the only lakefront townhomes in College Station, and the Barracks Townhomes built their very own Cable Wakeboarding Lake to make lakefront townhomes in College Station a reality. The units offer an escape from the ordinary flow of the city and offer a haven right in your front yard. This increases the value of the townhomes immensely due to the fact that the lake provides innumerable activities for residents to participate in. The lake is the perfect accessory for any group gathering or romantic evening. These units are also available with a rooftop patio as well as a lower level patio, giving you a two-story party patio perfect for entertaining any size group of friends or family.

The Barracks Townhomes offers you a referral bonus. If you recommend the townhomes to someone, they will give you a cash bonus!

If you are interested in leasing a townhome, the rates are as follows: 4 Bedrooms=$525/Bedroom; 3 Bedrooms=$550/Bedroom; 2 Bedrooms=$750/Bedroom.

For more information about availability, or for a personal tour, visit www.AggieLeasing.com. To get in contact with the Barracks Townhomes, you can call 888-567-5757, text 313-Gig-Em-Ag, or email Info@BarracksTownhomes.com

Creek Meadows is a neighborhood in South College Station

with the neighborhood itself.
If you live in Creek Meadows or have visited you might have seen a brown German Short Haired Pointer. He’s our neighbors’ dog “Gus”.   His owners have tried to keep him put up but he seems to escape anyway.  He’s almost 15 years old, his hearing is bad and sight isn’t so hot.   Gus can still catch field mice like no other.  Almost as if he is the built in pest control along our street.
With true country feeling the stars are beautiful and peaceful on a crisp clear night.  The coyotes howling at midnight are a common welcomed sound.  Another sound that I love is the slow rumble of the train it is almost therapeutic and reminds me of life outside the neighborhood.
Watching the homes being built, walking through new ones with new features is almost a past time for me and my husband.  We’ve been doing it since the beginning.  Every time I see someone looking at a home I want to yell out of my car window.  Buy it!  You will love living here!  But instead I give a friendly wave and smile.
Selling homes in this neighborhood has been so fun.  I get to meet my neighbors and help them find a home.  I did an open house at one of my listings a few weeks ago and a nice couple came in and told me about their “wave test”.  They drive in different neighborhoods in College Station and wave at random people to see if they would wave back.  They laughed as they said “we’ve waved at a lot of people today and Creek Meadows has been different, people wave back with smiles.   Children are outside playing.  It has a feeling of being welcome.”
Listing homes have been harder.   I’m selling my friends’ homes and I am sad to see them go.  I’ve met most my neighbors from block parties where we get together at the cul-de-sac.  Everyone brings food, chairs, children, dogs and we have a lot of fun.
I have just sold a home to a couple that lives in Houston.  They have both lived all over the world and the wife said “Creek Meadows is like the neighborhood I always pictured living in when I was young”.  Glad to have them as new neighbors.
With all neighborhoods there are the pros and the cons but Creek Meadows is where I have found my home.   If you are looking for a nice place to live where your neighbors wave and you meet new people come check out Creek Meadows, where people have pride in their homes and respect for other people.  I’m sure glad I did.

Jana Grieve

CENTURY 21 Beal, Inc.

PS – The strategic thinking and marketing that goes into selling a home and the excitement of finding the right one is the reason I love real estate.