One of the things we love best about the Katy area is the wonderful array of Subdivision and Master Planned Community options available. We in fact have so many options it can be a bit confusing for potential buyers. At Team DiMuria we like to take potential buyers on an Area Tour and show them the choices of neighborhoods and communities they have. This allows our clients to decide on community first...then we can pick their next home!

In the past year we have added Cross Creek Ranchto our area tour. This is a beautiful community that has lots of amenities, great school options, and wide open spaces. Buyers will have a wide array of pricing options from around $200,000 to $1,000,000 custom homes. It also has quick commute times to the Houston Energy Corridor, the Grand Parkway, I-10, or the Westpark Tollway!

Melissa Guerra, the Marketing Coordinator for Cross Creek Ranch added:

"Cross Creek Ranch is a new "premiere" master-planned community in Fulshear, Texas, from Trendmaker Development. located just minutes from both the Grand Parkway and the Westpark Tollway. Enjoy World Class amenities: a 70ft Observation Tower, Resort Style pool and Water Park, Fitness Center. Cross Creek Ranch offers beautiful homes from Ashton Woods, David Weekley, Perry Homes, Village Builders, Trendmaker Homes and Kickerillo Companies. Now building in Katy I.S.D."

Make sure to put Cross Creek Ranch on your shopping list if you are looking for a home in the Katy area!

For questions about Cross Creek Ranch or any of our other fine Katy area communities contact Team DiMuria at 281-492-5916, e-mail us at jeffreydimuria@garygreene.com, or find us on the web at www.KatyHomeFinder.com

Wow has it been HOT this year! Whether it is hot or just rainy, here is a list of ideas for you and your kids for some fun things to do:

1/ Go to the Cinco Ranch Library--there is usually story-times for the little ones, computers with games for the older ones, and a large selection of books!

2/ Go to the Movies! There is the AMC at Katy Mills Mall or Cinemark at the Grand Parkway. There are some great movies out there for all ages this summer!

3/ Go to the Katy Mills Mall-walk around, usually there is a play area somewhere inside too, grab lunch.

4/ Inflatable Zone/Pump it Up-these are great for little ones and indoors! You can usually pay for some playtime.

Hope these ideas help make the summer fun for you and your kids!

If you have any questions about Katy or Katy area real estate contact Team DiMuria at 281-492-5916 or jeffreydimuria@garygreene.com. Find us on the web at www.KatyHomeFinder.com

We receive many phone calls, e-mails, and website contacts asking questions like "what dollars per sqft should I pay for a home in Cinco Ranch?" or "Why do I see two 3000 sqft homes just blocks apart in Grand Lakes with such different prices?"

The answer lies in how subdivisions and Master Planned Communities in the Katy area South of I-10 have been developed and built. In many areas of the Country developers put a plan together, layout the streets, and begin selling lots (usually the ones in the back first so you have a little less disruption while the building is going on). until they are all sold and built. Katy developers decided to have a slightly different strategy...and it has made all the difference.

In a Master Planned Community like Cinco Ranch as an example, the community was broken down into sections. These sections have different sized homes, level of upgrade, and building requirements for that specific section...as an example homes in a given section may have houses between 3500 and 4000 sqft and have a high level of upgrade. The section may have 40 to 60 home-sites and 3 distinct builders. These builders will divide up the lots and build out (using the section requirements as their guideline).

We have many positive aspects to this strategy:

1. It is hard for a buyer to make a mistake and buy too much house in a neighborhood when you have requirements for size and level of upgrade.

2. The buyer will not need to wait very long for their specific section to build out...limiting the inconvenience.

3. Sections with different styles , sizes, and price ranges of homes can be built next to each other and seamlessly co-exist without effecting the beauty or value of the neighboring section (as an example Heritage Grand, a 55+ active adult community is across the street from a custom home sections of million dollar plus homes...with no effect to either neighborhood!

A drawback to those who do not live in the area or understand the strategy will have trouble understanding why these homes which lie so close together have such different values. This is why it is so important to hire a Realtor who is knowledgeable of the specific subdivisions, Master Planned Communities, and even sections.

If you have any questions about the Katy area or Katy area subdivisions and Master Planned Communities contact Team DiMuria at 281-492-5916, jeffreydimuria@garygreene.com or go to www.KatyHomeFinder.com for all your Katy area needs!

IF you would like to modify your home in Cinco Ranch (add a pool, make your one story a two story, add a back patio, etc...) your date in August will be Tuesday the 18th. Cinco Ranch has modification meetings each month and they are usually held on the third Tuesday of the month unless otherwise indicated.

You will need your plans submitted so the committee can review them at the modification meeting and a decision will usually be made within a few days.

FYI...your contractor can not submit the plans...only you can as the homeowner!

If you have any questions about modifications you can reach Team DiMuria at 832-687-0706 or contact us on the web at www.KatyHomeFinder.com

There are many choices on where to grocery shop in the Katy and greater Houston area. If you are new to the area, sometimes it can be confusing on where to go, so here is a quick run down on the local stores for you:

1/ HEB-if you want a large organic section, a counter with gourmet prepared foods, a fresh Sushi bar, a great fish counter and organic meat selection-this is the store for you! Located on the corner of Fry Rd and the Grand Parkway.  HEB has one of the largest and nicest produce sections as well.

2/ Kroger-Kroger offers shoppers a "Kroger" card-you sign up for free. Use it every time you shop and it can give you discounts on some of the store brand items, and can give you up to a 10 cent per gallon discount on gas as well(per every $100 shopped). They give an every day discount of 3 cents per gallon no matter how much you spend on groceries-as long as you use the card. Another thing that this store does for its customers is periodically mail out coupons based on your shopping habits-so you actually get coupons for stuff you normally buy.

3/ Randalls-Randalls also offers a card for its shoppers similar to the one Kroger offers. You use it for store marked discounts, and they also offer a discount on gas with the card. Randalls in much smaller in scale than Kroger and HEB, but has a nice layout and a very nice produce dept.

4/ Super Target/Super Walmart-they are both here-and if you are looking to buy in larger quantities and to save a little money these are the places for you. However, it is harder to find organic or specialty items, and the fish and meat depts. are limited.

You can find all of these stores in Katy. If you are looking for a WHOLE FOODS you will need to take the short drive to Sugar Land or into Houston!

If you have any questions about shopping in Katy you can ask Team DiMuria by calling 281-492-5961, e-mail us at jeffreydimuria@garygreene.com or go to our website at www.KatyHomeFinder.com

The Katy Family YMCA (if you have lived in Katy for a bit you will remember the Ken Lay YMCA) has done a major expansion and you will like what you see!

When the Lifetime Fitness on the corner of Cinco Ranch Blvd and Peek Rd opened many of the families that had been at the YMCA moved over. Better facilities, indoor pools, more equipment, and additional hours of operation contributed to the decision to move. Much of that has now changed. The YMCA has increased in size including a 9500sqft two-story addition, increased the parking lot size to ease the parking crisis it once had (and many patrons use the church across the street to park as well), built an indoor pool, and enhanced it's child watch areas. They also added a covered outdoor playground for the kids who are waiting for mommy and daddy to finish working out (it can be a struggle to get them to leave once they see a friend!).

While the hours at Lifetime Fitness may still be a bit more convenient the YMCA has definitely become a contender in the fitness battle. The rates are also better at the YMCA so you may want to compare both and see which one fits you best.

The Katy Family YMCA is on the corner of Westheimer and Peek Rd.

If you have any questions about Katy Texas or Katy Real Estate call Team DiMuria at 281-492-5916 or e-mail jeffreydimuria@garygreene.com

You can find Team DiMuria on the Web at www.KatyHomeFinder.com

It appears the federal government and the Obama administration have made construction projects that are near "shovel ready" a top stimulus priority.

To that end the Grand Parkway segment E is a project that seems to fit the governments criteria. Segment E is the portion of the Grand Parkway that would start on the north side of I-10 and stretch about 14 miles...all the way to Hwy 290. Although it appears this would do very little to help ease the congestion on Hwy 290 (which may have the worst traffic problem in Houston) it would open the corridor to Katy from the northern parts of the metro area...including trips for medical treatment and shopping options.

TxDOT has proposed this project be one of 4 they have proposed for our region (along with 14 others proposed by the Transportation Policy Council)

The biggest hurdle left for approval of the project would seem to be the necessary approval of the Army Core of Engineers. This approval is needed for any project that fills in wetlands (a large portion of the project would require this approval).

We have received many questions lately about the hours of operation of many of the area pools in our Katy Subdivisions. Based on the high temperatures many of the residents have been asking for increased hours (or more days) then they are presently scheduled for.

The short answer to the question is our subdivisions require certified lifeguards to man the pool while it is in operation. Based on financial considerations the majority of the lifeguards are high school students (and some college students home for the summer). When they go back to school the subdivisions must curtail the hours of operation. We also have cost considerations for the overall allowance of dollars. To increase the hours the HOA's would need to raise fees...obviously this would not be a very popular choice based on the National economy.

We receive many requests from first time buyers and out of State transferees for neighborhoods that have prices they can handle, schools within walking distance, close to work (main highways), and near shopping and medical facilities. This would be a tall order in any area but we may have just the right neighborhood they are looking for right here in Katy...and it is called West Memorial!

West Memorial is a small (by Katy standards) subdivision conveniently located just south of I-10, west of Mason Rd, and north of Kingsland Blvd. It is bordered to the west by Governor's Place (a higher end subdivision of larger homes). The homes in West Memorial are older (by Katy standards), all built in the 1970's and 1980's. The majority of the homes are one story and usually range in size from 1500sqft up to about 2500sqft. The price range for homes in West Memorial run from just under $100,000 to about $150,000.

Many residents in West Memorial chose the neighborhood because of the Elementary and Jr High School campus that is situated in the center of the subdivision. These schools are within walking distance of virtually the entire community. The pool, park, and meeting clubhouse are quite nice...and for the use of West Memorial residents (an extra charge for the pool applies each year).

The proximity to amenities is what sets West Memorial apart from many competing neighborhoods. It is just minutes away from the new Memorial Hermann Hospital, the Katy Mills Mall, the Houston Energy Corridor, and the Mason Rd shops and stores.

For Questions about West Memorial or any of our fine Katy Subdivisions please call or e-mail Team DiMuria at 281-492-5916 or jeffreydimuria@garygreene.com

Team DiMuria can be reached on the web at: www.KatyHomeFinder.com