Last year in early August an early morning fire leveled a huge multi stall barn with covered arena and reduced it to ashes.
Many magnificent steeds were engulfed in the blaze and owners were forced to watch them suffer and die.
There was no insurance. It had been prohibitively expensive, and feed had been the priority.
Having sold the facility to the owners eighteen years agi, we truly felt their pain. These people became friends 30 plus years ago when we sold their Memorial home and helped them move to the country.
They taught our … (0 comments)
montgomery county: Gertie the Goat
- 09/30/12 09:03 AM
While searching through my brain for possible blog ideas, a memory surfaced.In the early 1980s I helped my parents move from their suburban home to the country.It had been their dream to have a couple of acres close to a small town. They wanted to retire and raise sheep or goats, and have a large garden. An additional plus as far as the dream went was to have a pond that they could stock.We found it right on the edge of Tomball Texas. It was an old farm house with a true country kitchen, two bedrooms, a wood stove, a big … (3 comments)
montgomery county: Consumers and Midnight TV
- 09/22/12 11:17 AM
Just a few minutes after we entered our newest listing in MLS we got a call telling us that we had an inquiry about it.The possible buyer had a litany of questions. They went something like this:"is this a foreclosure or short sale?""the tax assessment is about $50k lower than the asking price.". Why?"is there anything wrong with this property."I answered with the facts that the house had been purchased a few years ago by a group of investors who had put a lot of time and money into a complete update. I then explained that the tax evaluation was not … (4 comments)
Everyone should have at least one! The Woodlands has so many you might spend a month of Sundays finding and seeing them all.
Deep in the Wonderful Woodlands is this secluded enhanced point of interest. It looks as if essential human habitations were artfully carved into a perfectly placed piece of forest.
It is officially a part of the Village of Alden Bridge.
Within an easy walk withing the Village of Alden Bridge via lovely concrete paths, this park offers a pavilion for parties and other gatherings, … (1 comments)
montgomery county: Forward progress
- 08/04/12 11:31 AM
The title company had not moved forward since they found a "first right of refusal" on the deed. It had been placed there by the original seller to the developer in the late 1950s
Our seller had done a lot of research too. He had found that the deceased original selller had sold the "rights" to a closely held corporation. Said corporation has now been out of business for about 15 years.
The title company was insisting upon releases signed by the origianal seller heirs. To dream the impossible dream!
Just when you think you have seen it all, some clever someone comes up with another advertising idea.
As we were spending time in one of our favorite markets yesterday we rounded a corner and came face to face with the sign in the photo.
As it happens we both have a serious weakness for Cheetos. But thankfully we don't eat them very often since they are really somewhat questionable as to their content.
Luckily we had had a Cheeto snack earlier in the day. So the sign was really a chuckle to us!
These were sighted in the Woodlands at one of the many parks and lakes interspersed throughout the wonderfully forested neighborhoods.
Not far from this cluster was a young man and his children with some sort of throwable food.... bread, I think. He seemed to be enjoying being the center of attention.
There are probably many people who indulge in that pursuit. It is so rewarding to satisfy the needs of others. Even ducks appear to appreciate efforts of those who spend their time helping others.
The lake … (2 comments)
montgomery county: Read that commitment
- 07/22/12 12:01 PM
As we begin to plan our time and sppointments for the upcoming week, we have to start with the potential of running errands for our research project .
This headache provider has been in title since the first week in May and should have closed in late June.
We have so far helped in the solution finding for curing more glitches in title than we have ever seen on one property in our combined 50 plus years in this business.
Next week we will see how many new things they come up with to prevent closing.
The title company told us last night that the time we have spent trying to track down the remaining members of a corporation to whom the former owner of a property sold 60 years ago was of no use.
They had originally told us that we had to find someone who could sign a waiver for a first right of refusal placed upon a tract of land our client bought 60 years ago.
Now the rules have changed. If we thought we were having fun before, we ain't seen nothing yet!
Today's … (8 comments)
montgomery county: Possible solutions.....??
- 07/11/12 12:17 PM
In our many years of Real Estate we have been accustomed to having the title company bring up any issues they had with a title commitment, directly via email when they discover them and telling us what we needed to do to solve them.
Two and a half months ago we opened title on what had already been a year long marketing process.
A week before the closing date the title company came up with an heir that had not been considered by the estate. She was the ex-wife of a deceased brother who had died without a will. … (0 comments)
montgomery county: Last minute surprise....
- 07/03/12 11:28 PM
When we listed a 41 acre estate last year, the tax roll reflected the owner of record was the one who was signing the papers. Not quite.
He had been acting as the executor and paying all the bills.
After almost a year of marketing the property a buyer emerged. The owner had had a brother who was the original executor. The brother had died suddenly without a will. Oops!
At that point we were told about the other heirs and that they were not friendly with one another. So much for family ties.
Seven weeks later … (2 comments)
montgomery county: ABC's of Montgomery TX
- 07/01/12 01:01 PM
One of the cutest of the small Texas towns within an easy commute of the Houston metroplex, is Montgomery. To help you get a feeling for this town, here is an offering.
A. Is for antiques
B. Is for boats all over and around lake Conroe
C. Is for charm
D. Is for ducks
E. Is for enterprising businesses
F. Is for food. From fish to steaks and everything in between. Flags are also found in profusion.
G. Is governing bodies which when the city is small, you can … (0 comments)
There are places so obscure that the residents don't even know they live there!
One such town was brought to our attention by a friend who found that his postings on his computer indicated that he lived in "Bobville.".
He posted his amazement and a other research oriented friend found that this little known place does in fact exist,
Since as Realtors we are often expected to know strange and obscure facts, we share this for the enrichment of your Texas geography and history. Mind you we've worked … (25 comments)
montgomery county: Rainy Days....
- 02/15/12 11:04 AM
Over the years I have come to regard rainy days as a sales tool. When you grow up in swamp city USA (my affectionate name for Houston), so much of the year is fraught with precipitation that it becomes a consideration in every thing you do. Most people choose not to live where flooding is a frequent occurrence.... at least when it rains (last summer was so dry that half the trees in town died.) Around these parts, the flood plains change from year to year depending upon the development going on. Creeping concrete does not absorb water! Today we got to … (1 comments)
Last Monday we were faced with a situation I would never have dreamed of.
While checking on a rural listing we walked up on a man who was in the act of stealing a well pump.
The property is posted and there are several No Trespassing signs in plain view. It is also painfully obvious that there is no one living there right now.
Although the listing is about forty Miles from our office, we have made it a … (6 comments)
montgomery county: Listing liability reality today....
- 02/06/12 03:01 PM
One of the most tranquil places we have ever had the priviledge to list is right outside beautiful downtown Cut and Shoot Texas. The property has 41 acres, a large lake, a cottage by the lake, a building once used as a church and a 1970s vintage ranch style house. We have always taken time to check on the property every few weeks because it is vacant. There have been increasing signs of vandalism over the past few months. All the copper has been stolen out of the lake cottage, the air conditioners are missing and today we caught a man … (0 comments)
montgomery county: The Woodlands Texas
- 10/26/11 05:44 PM
Have you ever noticed how some areas appear to be insulated from all of the problems of life? One such area is the Woodlands. Located in beautiful wooded Montgomery County just north of the sprawling Houston metroplex, the area enjoys lower sales taxes and is still expanding in all directions. This is a master planned community. It was one of the first i ever heard of and was the brain child of developer George Mitchell. Mitchell later sold the huge and phenomenally popular area to Crescent corporation who has continued to expand the dream. Out of a densely wooded forest, … (2 comments)
montgomery county: TRAGEDY! A Burning Question
- 08/09/11 10:31 AM
This morning dawned as usual for most of us. For one family however, things have changed forever. They were wakened by knocking at the door with news that the 5000 sq ft barn that housed their horses as well as many boarders was on fire. Horses that were comfortably bedded down last night in their private stalls were now imprisoned. 14 beautiful show horses perished in the blaze. The other horses were freed in time and stood looking bewildered in the pasture at the time of our visit. The barn is now a crumpled pile of metal with charred pillars … (2 comments)
Author Bio: Ralph and Jeanne are long time Real Estate BROKERS dedicated to helping good folks buy homes and land in Durango Colorado and the Surrounding area.
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