College Station’s water is ground water from deep wells in Simsboro Sand about 3,000 feet down.  The water is pumped from the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer.

Is the water hot or cold when it comes up? Would you believe that the temperature for the water is 118 degrees Fahrenheit? The cooling towers at the Sandy Point Pump Station help reduce the temperature down to 85 degrees.

From the Sandy Point Pump Station the water travels about 13 miles to the Dowling Road Pump Station. At this Pump Station chlorine is added to disinfect and have fluoride added. The storage tanks at Dowling Road hold about 8 million gallons of water for College Station residents!

After the chlorine is added and the water is disinfected it goes to the to one of the 2 elevated storage tanks. These tanks provide us with the water pressure we want and need and for extra water in case of a fire.

Now you know where your drinking water came from.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know…

Have you ever been driving around a Bryan or College Station neighborhood and wanted to know how much a house is selling for but you didn’t want to “bother” the agent or they weren’t there when you called?

WE HAVE THE ANSWER!!!   

Call 979-764-2121 and enter the street number and you can HEAR information about that house.  ANY PHONE - ANY TIME!

If a Bryan College Station home is available for sale in the MLS YOU CAN HEAR IT!  It doesn’t matter if Century 21 has it listed for sale or Coldwell Banker or Remax or ANYONE!

Questions? Ideas?

Call me! 

Susan Hilton

979-764-2100

Green Lawn Mower

BRYAN, TX — The Texas Municipal Power Agency encourages homeowners to use electric lawn mowers rather than gas to promote cleaner air.  They are offering vouchers worth $150 toward the purchase of an electric-powered machine, corded or cordless.

You’re thinking, I gotta push this reel mower or work my way around power cords?  That’s a big sacrifice for clean air.  Well, Black and Decker does have a handy 24V battery mower but it will only cut up to 1/3 of an acre at a time.  Then there’s a solar powered cordless from Solaris - that sounds neat.

Either way, you only have until August to pick up a voucher, or until they run out.  Sears associates will hand them out to customers with a current driver’s license or your BTU bill.  For more information on these and other rebate programs offered by the local utility company, call or email…

Happy Gardening,

Cindy Seaton, REALTOR

P.S.  Check back next week for my commentary on community chickens!

Moving to Bryan College Station and need HELP?  How about information about who to call for electricity, gas, phone, water and on and on and on. Bookmark this page and when you are “in need” you’ll know who to call (Not Ghostbusters!).

Electricity

Bryan Texas Utilities (BTU)

979-821-5700 or 877-363-7448

www.btutilities.com

College Station Utilities

979-764-3535 or 800-849-6623

www.cstx.gov/indexaspx?page=2004

Natural Gas

Atmos Energy

1-888-322-8667

www.atmosenergy.com

Telephone

 Verizon

Residential 979-846-1271

Business 1-800-483-5400

Embarq (Navasota)

800-788-3500

Water

College Station Utilities

979-764-3535 or 800-849-6623

www.cstx.gov/indexaspx?page=2004

Bryan Texas Utilities (BTU)

979-821-5700 or 877-363-7448

www.btutilities.com

Wellborn Special Utility District

979-690-9799

www.wellbornsud.com

Cable Service

Suddenlink

4114 East 29^th Street-Bryan

979-846-2229

www.suddenlink.com

Drivers License

Newcomers have 30 days after establishing residency to apply for a Texas driver’s license.  Applicants (18 and older) will be required to  provide proof of identity, social security number, Texas vehicle registration and proof of liability insurance on all vehicles owned.  Applicants must complete required forms and pay required fee. With a valid, out-of-state driver’s license, only an eye exam or specialist is required.

 Driver’s License Office

1003 North Earl Rudder Freeway

979-776-3100

www.texasonline.com

Tags/Registration

 Newcomers have 30 days after establishing residency to purchase Texas license tags.  To purchase license tags you will need to have your vehicle inspected.  You will need to have your car registered before applying for a Texas driver’s license.

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles handles vehicle tags.  Offices are Open Mon-Fri from 8 am-5 pm.

 979-361-4473

300 East William J. Bryan Pkwy

www.txdps.state.tx.us

 Bryan Administrative Offices

300 South Texas Ave.

979-209-5000

www.bryantx.gov

 College Station City Hall

1101 Texas Ave.

979-764-3509

www.cstx.gov

Voter Registration

300 East William J. Bryan Pkwy

Bryan, TX 77803

979-361-4470

Taxes

Brazos County Tax Office

979-361-4470

Bryan-College Station Convention & Visitors Bureau

715 University Dr E-College Station

www.visitaggieland.com

Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce

4001 East 29^th Street, Ste. 175-Bryan

979-260-5200

www.bcschamber.org

 Real Estate - Homes for Sale in Bryan & College Station

979-764-2100

http://century21bcs.com

http://susanhilton.com

2306 Yosemite Dr

weekend officially kicks of the spring selling season.  Annually, sales and purchases pick up this time of year.  So here’s your chance at a sneak preview from 1-4p on this coming Sunday.

The Eagle newspaper will insert a HUGE advertisement for Century 21, Beal showing all the open homes with a handy map.  Before you head out your front door and into ours, here’s a few pointers:

1. Know what you can afford.  Check out a lender Thursday or Friday to see what you are qualified for.  None of this “I think I can…”  We want responsible consumers to make fiscally sound decisions.  I can recommend a lender in our area if you need a suggestion.

2. Take those stars out of your eyes.  Sure it’s fun to day dream of your perfect abode.  But when you come back down to earth, re-read step number one.

3. There are only 3 hours to get from house to house.  That means you can probably see 6 homes total, maybe 8 if a few are in the same neighborhood.  So wake up early, read your morning paper before you go to church, and plan a route.

4. If you know of anyone shopping for a home under $110k, send ‘em my direction.  I have an immaculate home that will be open in north Bryan — 2306 Yosemite!

Brave the weather, drive safely, and y’all come see some Open Houses!

Happy Easter!

Cindy Seaton, REALTOR

The Annual Century 21 2009 Easter Egg Hunt  is upon us….  Join us on April 4th at The Oaks in College Station. 

Just thought you’d like to see a few photos from YEARS past…. Our children have grown, agents have changed yet the holiday continues to come and children continue to enjoy hunting eggs.

 To view more photos from years past click below.

Easter Egg Hunt 2008 

Easter Egg Hunt 2006 

Easter Egg Hunt 2004 

Easter Egg Hunt 2003 

Easter Egg Hunt 2002 

Easter Egg Hunt 2001 

Susan Hilton - Realtor & Sales Trainer for Century 21 Beal

Want to Search the Bryan/College Station Real Estate MLS? CLICK HERE!!!

View Susan Hilton’s profile

Selling a home in Bryan or College Station, Texas or other location in the Brazos Valley is heavily dependant on pricing your home properly and picking an agent that will create an “online market presence” for your home. As a home seller, you need to be aware that the market in Bryan College Station and many other Texas communities has changed over the last three and a half years. We are no longer in a strong seller’s market. 

 When selling a home in Bryan College Station, Tx, it pays to have a pro in your corner representing you.  It pays to hire a well educated, top professional at Century 21 Beal.

** 85% of all buyers are finding their homes on the Internet. Is your Bryan College Station home being advertised on the web? If you are with CENTURY 21 Beal it sure is!

Texas covers 268,000 square miles which is 7.4% of the nation! If you added up New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio AND Illinois… Texas is still Bigger!  The airport at Dallas (DFW airport) is bigger than Manhattan!

Of the top 10 most populated cities, Texas has 3!  Houston, Dallas and San Antonio.

Wonder which state has the largest population growth rate of any state in the US?  TEXAS of course!  Texas is growing by over 1,000 people a day.

Wonder which state has the #1 fastest growing metro area in the nation? TEXAS of course!  The Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex wins.

In the Texaplex (triangle connecting Houston, Dallas and San Antonio) we have the majority of the population. In fact over 70% of the state’s population lives within 200 miles of Austin (the capital of Texas). That means that 4 out of 5 of the 24 million Texas live in the Texaplex!

And, Texas is growing very fast.  Forecasts tell us that the Texaplex will add another 12 million people by 2030. That is like taking the current Texas population and adding another Houston metropolitan area, Austin metropolitan area and Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area and San Antonio metropolitan area all inside the Texaplex.

So if you could live anywhere in the United Stated (and you CAN!), where would be the BEST place to live?  College Station, TEXAS of course! College Station is in the middle of ALL THIS GROWTH!

Susan Hilton - Realtor & Sales Trainer for Century 21 Beal

Want to Search the Bryan/College Station Real Estate MLS? CLICK HERE!!!

View Susan Hilton’s profile

Selling a home in Bryan or College Station, Texas or other location in the Brazos Valley is heavily dependant on pricing your home properly and picking an agent that will create an “online market presence” for your home. As a home seller, you need to be aware that the market in Bryan College Station and many other Texas communities has changed over the last three and a half years. We are no longer in a strong seller’s market. 

 When selling a home in Bryan College Station, Tx, it pays to have a pro in your corner representing you.  It pays to hire a well educated, top professional at Century 21 Beal.

** 85% of all buyers are finding their homes on the Internet. Is your Bryan College Station home being advertised on the web? If you are with CENTURY 21 Beal it sure is!

ShareThis

Each year we have an Old Fashioned Bryan College Station Easter Egg Hunt. We invite our past clients, future clients, friends, family, the community and especially the children of the Brazos Valley Rehab Center. If you are reading this and would like to join us, or would like to forward this on to someone else who would enjoy it please do so. We have over 3,000 eggs with prizes and have LOTS of fun! There are more eggs than you can imagine!  If you have questions be sure to let us know. Look forward to seeing you there.

Susan Hilton - Realtor & Sales Trainer for Century 21 Beal

Want to Search the Bryan/College Station Real Estate MLS? CLICK HERE!!!

View Susan Hilton’s profile

Selling a home in Bryan or College Station, Texas or other location in the Brazos Valley is heavily dependant on pricing your home properly and picking an agent that will create an “online market presence” for your home. As a home seller, you need to be aware that the market in Bryan College Station and many other Texas communities has changed over the last three and a half years. We are no longer in a strong seller’s market. 

 When selling a home in Bryan College Station, Tx, it pays to have a pro in your corner representing you.  It pays to hire a well educated, top professional at Century 21 Beal.

** 85% of all buyers are finding their homes on the Internet. Is your Bryan College Station home being advertised on the web? If you are with CENTURY 21 Beal it sure is!

February 2009

                                          2009                    2008

# Listings in Inventory          1, 188                1, 351

      Down - 12.1% 

# Closed Sales                       91                     132

     Down - 31.1%

Average Sales Price             $172,928            $169,261            

     Up - 2.2%  

# Volume                           $15,736,430       $22,342,476     

     Down - 29.6% 

 Days on Market                    130                     126

So what is really going on in the Bryan/College Station real estate market? The numbers don’t look good but what you see above is the effect of the fear in the market in November, December and January with the elections, stock market decline and horrible national news.  We are in a bubbled community but we still see some of the effects of the national news.

So what is going on right now?  It depends!  We are seeing the higher priced homes being reduced to get them sold. We are seeing the homes in the $120 - $150K in College Station that are in good condition and good areas, selling right away.  Right now we have more buyers than we have good properties to sell.

Financing is a little more of a struggle than it was a year ago BUT THERE IS MORTGAGE MONEY AVAILABLE! Buyers need decent credit and they need a small down payment but that can come in the form of a gift until the $8,000 tax credit is received!

The last 2 weeks we have seen the stock market begin back up, the phones ringing, buyers buying and sellers selling…. I vote we don’t listen to the national news anymore! Real estate is LOCAL and NOW is the time to move up to a nicer home!

Spent a little time waiting for my son outside SportClips today at 200 University Dr in College Station. I watched men and boys go in and sit and wait. SportClips was a little short handed today and the wait was longer then normal but these men were willing to wait over an hour to get a haircut there. Why?

1. Big sign on the front - For Men And Boys. All Star Haircuts.
2. Sign - No appointment necessary. (never plan in advance for a haircut)
3. The name sounds manly.
4. The stylists are all WOMEN!
5. The decor in the waiting area has a locker room look with a big screen TV playing ONLY sports.
6. No one talks while you wait.
7. Aggie gear on the walls…. maybe it is a TAMU thing.

We could have easily have set an appointment with my stylist Faye (who is wonderful!), had a schedule, gone in, gotten the haircut and been out in way less time but NOOOOO! We had to get a haircut at SportClip instead!

I guess I’m glad that College Station has a place where Men, Aggies and Boys feel comfortable to get a haircut. They do a nice job and my son looks great!

Susan Hilton - Realtor & Sales Trainer for Century 21 Beal

Want to Search the Bryan/College Station Real Estate MLS? CLICK HERE!!!

View Susan Hilton’s profile

Selling a home in Bryan or College Station, Texas or other location in the Brazos Valley is heavily dependant on pricing your home properly and picking an agent that will create an “online market presence” for your home. As a home seller, you need to be aware that the market in Bryan College Station and many other Texas communities has changed over the last three and a half years. We are no longer in a strong seller’s market. 

 When selling a home in Bryan College Station, Tx, it pays to have a pro in your corner representing you.  It pays to hire a well educated, top professional at Century 21 Beal.

** 85% of all buyers are finding their homes on the Internet. Is your Bryan College Station home being advertised on the web? If you are with CENTURY 21 Beal it sure is!