21 December 2010

New Neighbor Names Baseball Team!



Jeana and Tony Johnson, soon to be new neighbors at 907 Gondola won the "Name the Team Contest" for Sugar Land's new minor league baseball team! They received lifetime tickets to the games. How cool is that?




Christmas Lighting Contest

Judging for best Christmas decorations took place this past week-end. News soon on the winners...... There will be 1st and 2nd place for "Best Front Yard" and 1st and 2nd place for "Best Back Yard" on Lake Venice.

16 December 2010

New Listing Coming Soon!

A great four/five bedroom home will be on the market soon! Beautiful! No updating necessary! Give Susan a call to be the first to see this remarkable home.

05 December 2010

Great Evening!

The annual Venetian Estates Christmas party took place tonight. Dinner and drinks were served at the beautiful home of Rhonda and Brad Kirby on Salerno. WOW! Talk about extensive remodeling! The home looks nothing like it did a couple of years ago! Amazing master suite upstairs, amazing TV room and outdoor living area, beautiful pool - too many great features to name.

Dessert, coffee and cider were served at the home of Chris and Richard Cobb. Another great house that looks nothing like the original! Beautiful glass backsplash in kitchen area - so many great new features including the outdoor TV area!

It is exciting to see all the construction/remodeling going on in VE right now. Rumor has it that another home is getting ready for the wrecking crew. Can you guess which one that might be?

29 November 2010

December Closings

Three VE homes are scheduled to close in December! Sales in Venetian Estates started out slow this year but it looks like things are picking up. Turnover has always been minimal in Venetian - simply because once you live here you really don't want to live anywhere else! For more information on sales, or this incredible neighborhood contact me.

Susan Friedman, CRS
Fort Bend Real Estate Corporation
susan@fbre.net
281-242-2200

25 November 2010

Thanksgiving Morning in VE




















Thanks to Catherine Bell for organizing the First Annual VE Turkey Trot. Here are some
of the neighbors who participated. Everyone had a great time and VE raised approximately $450 for Second Mile Mission Center.

23 November 2010

VE Turkey Trot

Meet at the Frost Bank parking lot on Thanksgiving morning at 8 am to walk our neighborhood circle together!


We will be taking donations for Second Mile Mission Center, a faith-based outreach for people in need, providing free food, clothing, household items, counseling, referral services, medical and dental care to Fort Bend County residents living in poverty. Suggested donations are $10 per family. Come join the fun! We hope to see you there!


(Sponsored by some VE neighbors) Contact Catherine Bell, 281-565-5849, with any questions.

21 November 2010

November News

Real Estate and More

Are You Ready?

No, not for football--we’re well into football season. No, not for the holidays--who is ever ready for the holidays? Are you ready for...new neighbors?! There are now three pending sales in the neighborhood and I happen to know there is a high level of interest in three other properties presently on the market!

So what’s up? Not interest rates. They have been extremely low for a while, but perhaps prospective buyers have begun to think they should take advantage of these rates just in case they start to rise. Lawrence Yun, NAR (National Association of Realtors®) chief economist, said the housing market is in the early stages of recovery: “A housing recovery is taking place but will be choppy at times depending on the duration and impact of a foreclosure moratorium. But the overall direction should be a gradual rising trend in home sales with buyers responding to historically low mortgage interest rates and very favorable affordability conditions.”

As I write this the home at 819 Piedmont is still available, and the price has been reduced to $335,000! If you have not seen this home call me. We’ve had comments from Realtors such as “WOW, If I could have a crush on a home this would be it!” and “Who did the design and who was the contractor?” “This home is beautiful!” See pictures on FBRE’s Facebook page. Also, “LIKE” FBRE’s page and you will have access to some great area real estate info. For real estate and other news particular to VE visit VenetianEstatesNews.com.

Ready to Walk

If you would like to walk on Monday and Wednesday evenings at 6 just show up in the Frost Bank (FBRE) parking lot. Several people are participating on a regular basis and it’s been a great way to have a 30-45 minute visit with a neighbor or two while getting some exercise. Next week we’ll be walking in the dark at 6 PM so bring a light or wear neon clothing. Remember to set your clocks back on Saturday evening, November 6th..


These Judges Weren’t Blind

On October 30th three VE residents, Kate and Kenny Johnston and Luke Ferguson, ages 3, 2 and 1, respectively, were the City of Sugar Land’s first-place winners in the Town Square costume contest for their age group. The contest took place on a runway stage in front of City Hall. Kate, Kenny and Luke were in original costumes depicting “Three Blind Mice”. Congratulations to the “cousins” and to their Moms and Dads who were able to get them dressed in all the garb and convince them to keep it on long enough to parade down the runway in front of the judges. (By the way, the “Three Blind Mice” are three of my adorable grandchildren!) Unfortunately, my grand- dog, Birdie, who competed in the pet costume contest, did not place. She was adorable in her fluffy white cockatoo outfit, but the MC mistook her for a chicken. When he announced her as such, it’s no wonder she became flustered and did not do her best in the runway competition! Too bad the judges couldn’t see through this one!

18 November 2010

New Neighbors!

The home at 907 Gondola closed yesterday and soon we will be welcoming our new neighbors, Tony and Jeana Johnson. Tony and Jeana will not be moving in immediately but hopefully they will be able to participate in the "VE Turkey Trot" and attend our annual Christmas party.

10 November 2010

First Annual VE Turkey Trot!

One of our Venetian Estates neighbors had a great idea. A Turkey Trot around the neighborhood! The "trot" will take place on Thanksgiving morning beginning at 8 AM. Neighobors will meet in the FBRE parking lot (Frost Bank). A suggested donation of $10 per family will be given to benefit Second Mile Mission Center. More details on this later.

03 November 2010

Halloween Hayride

What fun everyone had at the annual Venetian Estates Hayride! Many thanks to Jenn and Josh LaRocca (Mr. and Mrs. America) and to Vicki Vaughn for organizing the event.

Also thanks to the neighbors on Bel Mar, Salerno, Tuscany and San Marino (designated hayride streets this year) for being so generous with your candy and smiles! I know at least one neighbor also gave out wine and beer to the Moms and Dads on the hayride. That was probably a welcome "treat" to tired parents of the younger ones!


01 November 2010

The Imperial Theatre


Edward Crowell, III is the Executive Director of Imperial Performing Arts, Sugar Land's professional performing arts organization. Edward is the son of Venetian Estates resident, Ed Crowell. Check out the link below. Steel Magnolias opens at the Imperial Theatre in Sugar Land Town Square on Thursday, November 4th. Box office hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.

http://www.imperialperformingarts.org/

29 October 2010

Open House Sunday


819 Piedmont will be open on Sunday, October 31st from 1 PM until 3 PM. Drop by to view this spectacular home. It will be a real treat! www.har.com/71033033 for more information

28 October 2010

Market Update


Three homes in Venetian are now pending sale. There are eight available homes listed on the Houston area MLS. Please call me if you are considering purchasing in the neighborhood. Often owners will tell me they are considering selling, but not quite ready to actively market their property.


Homes presently available are priced from $335,000 to $864,000. The home located at 819 Piedmont is an incredibly beautiful home located on Estates Lake. See more photos on www.har.com/71033033. It will be open on Sunday, October 31st. More info on this later.

21 October 2010

Baseball in Sugar Land


How will Venetian Estates be affected by the new baseball stadium in Sugar Land? I think it will only serve to increase our property values and better our quality of life. Ground breaking is scheduled to take place in March of 2011 and opening day for the independent team will take place on April 1, 2012! This will be much more than a baseball stadium. There will be entertainment for the entire family in and around the stadium. A water park is being proposed. Picnic areas will certainly be included. There will be camp-outs for kids and numerous other activities in the stadium itself. The kids will be able to walk on the grass! There will be a restaurant overlooking center field, a venue for parties, weddings etc. Luxury suites are available now for purchase. Season tickets will be available soon. More good news..the cost of a regular admission ticket will be less than the cost of a movie ticket. The whole idea put forth by "Opening Day Partners" is one of families and community. They have been very successful in other areas of the country providing quality entertainment in the form of baseball and other activities. We, in Venetian will actually be able to access the ball park 'the back way' through proposed street access on the Imperial Tract. However, studies have shown that neither Venetian Estates or any other neighborhood in close proximity will be negatively affected by traffic.

15 October 2010

Real Estate Activity Increases in VE

During the past week inquiries and showings have increased in the neighborhood. Venetian Estates has never necessarily followed area real estate trends. Prospective buyers appreciate the uniqueness of each individual property. Homes within the neighborhood are located on three separate lakes and there are many beautiful "off water" properties as well. If you would like more information about the area and/or recent sales please give me a call at 281-242-2200 or email me at susan@fbre.net.

Susan Friedman, GRI, CRS

09 October 2010

Market Update


Two homes in Venetian are now in "option pending" and one in "sale pending". That leaves eight homes listed as "available" on the MLS. There are still some excellent buys in the neighborhood and there are a couple of homes available for sale not presently being advertised. Please call me if you would like to know more about this incredible area in the heart of Sugar Land and only 20 minutes from the Houston Galleria.


Susan Friedman, CRS
281-242-2200
281-381-3604
susan@fbre.net

04 October 2010

Great Wine and Cheese Party!


The Venetian Estates Wine and Cheese party hosted by Marcie and Glenn McCutchen was a huge success! Approximately 100 neighbors attended and feasted on the incredible food. The menu included items such as Brie with Apples, Mozzarella Roasted Tomato and Procuitto Skewers, Bacon Wrapped Quail with Raspberry Chipotle glaze, Beef Wellington Bites, Red Velvet, Carrot and German Chocolate Cake Truffles



and much much more! (Marcie and Glenn are owners of Chef for You in Sugar Land.) Thanks to Marcie and Glenn for a wonderful evening of delicious food in their gorgeous newly remodeled home in Venetian!

29 September 2010

September News

Extreme Makeovers!

There are 10 available homes in Venetian Estates priced from $349,000 to $864,000. The new price of 819 Piedmont is $349,000. WOW! What a reduction and what a house! This should sell quickly at the new price. My listing at 907 Gondola is pending sale and scheduled to close in early November. It was only on the market for about two weeks before it sold!

Makeover #1

I am very excited to introduce our new neighbors at 306 Lombardy. Virginia and George (Buck) Prince purchased the home and will be doing extensive work prior to moving in. If you have driven by the home you have certainly noticed a change in the exterior appearance. Fewer trees surround the home and there is much more to come--or perhaps I should say “to go!” Virginia and Buck presently live in Sugar Lakes. Buck’s company, Prince Food Systems, has certainly been around for a while! His father started Princes Hamburgers in Dallas in 1929 and Princes Hamburgers came to Houston in 1934.

Makeover #2

If you haven’t driven down Savoy lately, check out 411. We, here in Venetian, are in somewhat of a transition period. Some of our older homes are in fantastic condition and many have been beautifully updated and remodeled. Others need more work, and sometimes it is more cost effective for owners to simply start over – obviously the case at 411 Savoy.

Other new neighbors who have not been introduced are Wen-Li Chang and her husband, Bernard Yu. Wen-Li and Bernard purchased the home at 910 Genova in April of this year. Wen-Li is an internal medicine physician who offices in the Methodist Hospital Medical building. Bernard is an ophthalmologist and offices in Sugar Land as well. Their son Stanley is attending HCC and planning to transfer to U of H or another university this year. Wen-Li’s niece, Mary Lang also lives with the family. Wen-Li and Bernard have lived in Sugar Land for 15 years – in five different houses! They are delighted to be in VE and don’t plan to move again! (They have an incredible cul-de-sac lot overlooking the bird reserve on Alkire.)
 


For up-to-date Venetian Estates real estate (and other) news visit our blog at www.venetianestatenews.com. You’ll find interesting news and enjoy looking at photographs of your neighbors and neighborhood. If you have any questions or information to add, please post on the Blog; I would love to hear from neighbors. “Venetian Estates News” is also posted on the blog. Also, please “Like” Fort Bend Real Estate’s Facebook page! Lots of great info there as well.

Wanting more of a chance to visit with neighbors and get a little exercise at the same time? Try the new Venetian Estates Walking Club! Meet in the Frost Bank (FBRE) parking lot on Monday and Wednesday evenings at 6 PM. Dogs and baby strollers are welcome, as are neighbors from other Sugar Land neighborhoods. Call for more info or check out our recent post!

24 September 2010

Venetian Estates Walking Club

Great idea.......For those needing some motivation and accountability meet in the Frost Bank Building parking lot - (also being the FBRE parking lot!) every Monday and Wednesday evening at 6 PM. The first VE Walk took place last Monday and was a great success. Those wanting more of a work-out may walk around twice (4 miles) or go around and up and down each street in the subdivision (5 miles). Some of us may need to work up to that!

This is a good time to walk your dog or stroll your child while you visit with other neighbors. Hope to see everyone on Monday, September 27th at 6 PM!

15 September 2010

OPEN SUNDAY


The beautiful home at 819 Piedmont was reduced today to $349,000! It will be open on Sunday, September 19 from 1 pm until 4 pm. Go to www.har.com/71033033 for full details.

12 September 2010

VE WINE AND CHEESE PARTY

Venetian Estates Residents don't forget to RSVP for the neighborhood party on Thursday, September 30th from 6:45 PM until 8:45 PM at the home of Glenn and Marcie McCutchen. ( 710 Piedmont) Bring your favorite bottle of wine (or other beverage). Hors d' oeuvres will be served.

Glenn and Marcie are the owners of Chef for You so neighbors get ready to taste some remarkably delicious food while viewing the McCutchen's newly remodeled home.

Call or email me if you did not receive the RSVP info!

Susan Friedman, CRS
281-242-2200 susan@fbre.net

11 September 2010

Nine Homes For Sale in VE

Presently there are nine available homes in Venetian Estates. These homes range in price from $389,000 (my incredible "just like new" listing located at 819 Piedmont) to $895,000. As a Realtor and resident of Venetian Estates for the past 25 years I absolutley love "showing and selling" in my neighborhood. I am familiar with the three lakes of Venetian, and truthfully know the majority of the residents in the neighborhood. Please click on the link below and to the right in order to see the available homes. Type "Venetian Estates" in the space for neighborhood and click "search." Call or email me to see any of these homes.

Susan Friedman, CRS
281-242-2200 susan@fbre.net

08 September 2010

06 September 2010

VE EXTREME MAKEOVER!


I sold this home last December to past clients wanting to move back to Venetian Estates. Over the past several months the new owners have removed the swimming pool built in 1972. (They intend to put in another gorgeous infinity pool )They replaced the bulkhead along the water and have done some landscaping on the 1/2 acre lot. Now it is time to work on the house! What do you think? Are they planning to remodel or tear it down completely?

Venetian Estates is such a unique area. The neighborhood is located in the heart of Sugar Land only 20 minutes from the Galleria - yet in some ways so secluded from the city! Large tree-shaded lots, ranging from 1/3 to over 1/2 acre in size provide the perfect setting for one story homes with gorgeous waterfront views. (There are several two story homes in the neighborhood as well) These are some of the reasons many people, like my clients mentioned above, decide to purchase and live in this incredible neighborhood, even though it sometimes means doing an Extreme Makeover!
Susan Friedman, CRS
Call or email with any questions about this neighborhood.
281-242-2200 susan@fbre.net

02 September 2010

FAMILY FUN ON THE LAKE

Where can you live in the Heart of Sugar Land & step out to your private dock for an afternoon of boating & tubing? VENETIAN ESTATES, OF COURSE!


01 September 2010

Sense of Community!


How wonderful it is to live and work in a neighborhood where neighbors actually look out for one another! Venetian Estates is certainly one of those neighborhoods. Yesterday morning a neighbor stopped me as I was leaving my house to tell me she was concerned about a boat in Lake Venice carrying two men and going rather fast! After other neighbors checked it out we realized it was the lake management company who is authorized at certain times to use gasoline powered motors in the lake. I am so grateful that we have neighbors who actually pay attention to activity in the neighborhood. This is just one example of the "sense of community" residents enjoy in Venetian Estates.



I have lived in Venetian Estates since 1984. I have been a full time licensed Realtor in the Sugar Land area since 1986. As a 25 year resident of Venetian Estates I can say that I KNOW the area. Please call me with any questions and/or if you would like to see any of the available homes in Venetian Estates. Prices currently range from $389,000 to $895,000.

28 August 2010

Open Sunday

The gorgeous home located at 819 Piedmont will be open on Sunday, August 29 from 2 pm until 4 pm. Stop by for a visit and learn more about this incredible neighborhood.

27 August 2010

907 Gondola is Option Pending

Our latest Venetian Estates listing is already under contract! The gorgeous views of Lake Eldrige and Paradise Point made this one hard to resist! The list price is $449,000. The home has three bedrooms, two and one-half baths and a two car attached carport. Approximate square footage is 2142. Closing is scheduled for early November.







WOW! New Price on 819 Piedmont!

This incredibly beautiful home has been reduced to $389,000! Not only is the interior gorgeous but the roof, driveway and bulkhead have all been replaced in recent months! See Photos on previous post.

AUGUST NEWS

There are twelve homes on the market now in Venetian Estates. Yes, that is more than usual! There are many choices during this great time to buy. Interest rates are very low! Have your friends or family call me if they would like a “tour of Venetian Estates”.

We have new neighbors at 103 Savoy Street. Dianne Vaughn and L. R. Shipman are pleased to have moved closer to family. Dianne is the mother of Lee Vaughn at 611 Salerno. L. R. Shipman is his grandfather. With Lee and Vicki’s three-year-old twin boys, we now have four generations of Vaughn’s in the neighborhood!

We will soon have new neighbors at 306 Lombardy…well, not necessarily soon. We closed this week, but the new owners will be doing quite a bit of remodeling before moving in. I’ll give you more information on these wonderful new neighbors next month!

Bud and I recently had considerable water damage in our home due to a cracked water filter in our kitchen cabinet. On July 21 at 5:45 PM Bud and I were in the office when we received a frantic call from our daughter Katie. Katie had dropped by our house to pick up her dog, who she found swimming around our family room! I am exaggerating (a little), but water was flowing out our front door, back door and garage door! We are in the process of working with our insurance company and contractors to repair damages. We are not having fun! But I will use this experience to plug a product that Bud and I purchased from our neighbor, John St. John, who is an international distributor for Nikken. Several months ago Bud and I purchased two counter-top water filter systems, one for our office and one for our home. This is the best-tasting water ever—and it blows plastic-bottled beverages out of the water for a multitude of other reasons. If you would like more information about an Aqua Pour Water Filter System call John St. John at 713-725-1842. (The cost is $299.) I seriously don’t know what we would have done these past few weeks without this good, clean, healthy drinking water!
I am sure you have noticed the new layout for this newsletter and the new logo for FBRE. We are also redesigning our website…we hope to have the new client-friendly site ready to introduce to you soon!

And now for the grand finale...

Ladies and Gentleman, I am delighted to announce the creation of The Imperial Theatre! FBRE (Bud) represented Imperial Performing Arts, Sugar Land’s professional performing arts company, in an agreement with Planned Community Developers for a location for The Imperial Theatre in Town Square. The theatre is in the former Swoozie’s space (adjacent to Z Gallerie, near PF Changs). IPA has an incredible 2010/2011 season—including opera, theatre, philharmonic, etc. performances—planned. The first performance will open as early as October or November. Keep an eye out for an open house and the opening performance at the new theatre; you won’t want to miss this momentous event for Sugar Land. The box office at the Imperial Theatre will be open soon. Call or email IPA (281 277-7444; tickets@theimperial.org) for more information.

As always, call me with any news!

Susan Friedman


04 June 2010

May News

May 2010

Dear Venetian Estates Neighbor,

We have a new listing at 919 San Marino. This pretty one-story has been meticulously updated and cared for and is situated on an expansive, tree-shaded lot. The light and bright home features custom bookshelves, crown molding and large windows throughout. The home has large living areas, with wood flooring in the living and dining rooms and tile flooring in the family room and kitchen. The updated master bath has the most beautiful travertine ever! The master bedroom is huge and overlooks the pretty, private and shady back yard. The front yard is beautiful as well! From the swing under the large oak tree you look out over Lake Eldridge. The flagstone walkway and porch complete this picturesque and serene setting. It is priced at $469,000. Tell your friends and have them call me for an appointment to see it!

Our new neighbors at 302 Lombardy are Jean and Greg Waleke. Greg and Jean purchased the home late last year and have now actually moved in, so we can truly welcome them to the neighborhood. The Walekes took a beautiful home and made it even more beautiful! Greg is CEO/owner of Redi Carpet with offices in Stafford. Jean gave up her career several years ago while raising a family. She was formerly systems manager for HL & P (Reliant Energy). The Walekes have four adult children. Their son and daughter-in-law live here in Sugar Land and have a 2 ½ year old son. They have a daughter and son-in-law in Austin and an 18 month old granddaughter there as well. Another daughter and her husband live in Denton. They hold their Doctorates in Music and are professors of classical guitar. The Waleke’s youngest daughter is working on her MBA at the University of Texas.

The annual VE Fishing Tournament and Picnic is this Saturday, May 15! Fishing begins at 6:30 AM and the tournament ends at 3 PM. The fishing “weigh station” will be located at the Barrett’s home at 123 St Marks. (Look for the beautiful yard and shady dock with flags flying.) The picnic will be in “Doc” Seibel’s back yard at 714 Salerno from 6 PM until 8:30 PM. See your Mailsail for tournament registration and additional information.

This weekend will not only provide the opportunity for fun with neighbors, but will also be a great weekend for previewing VE homes! 103 Savoy Street (which has a new price!) will be OPEN SATURDAY FROM 11 AM UNTIL 2 PM. Tie up your boat and join me for a Popsicle break in the beautiful shady back yard! Look for the Open House sign and blue and red flags/balloons on the dock. If you have friends fishing in the tournament, be sure to stop by with them. (I hear this is one of the best fishing spots on the lake!) Even if you are not fishing, please drop in or send your friends to the front door. Popsicles for all!

Another great house to see this Saturday is 819 Piedmont. Absolutely striking inside, it has a lovely screened-in porch overlooking the private back yard and Estates Lake. This home has a new price as well! 819 Piedmont will be available to be shown by appointment any time on Saturday. If you or a friend would like to see any Venetian Estates homes this weekend please give me a call. Current prices range from $379,000 to $895,000 on the nine properties presently available.

Susan and Howard Marblestone (702 Salerno) would like to organize a 4th of July parade this year! Boats will meet in front of their dock and the parade will begin at 6:30 PM. If you would like your canal to be included in the parade route please contact Susan or Howard at 281-491-0690 or email Susan at SusanMarblestone@gmail.com.

Hope to see everyone this weekend! I am going to pull out some of my old fishing tournament/picnic pictures to display at the Open House. What better way to sell VE?! My daughter Katie has already asked me not to show the ones of her when she was about four years old and quite immodest in her bathing suit! Our family had some good laughs remembering tournaments, picnics and 4th of July parades from years past.

919 San Marino

This pretty one story has been meticulously updated and cared for and is situated on an expansive, tree-shaded lot. The light and bright home features custom bookshelves, crown molding and large windows through-out. This home provides incredible privacy, yet experiencing the "sense of community" in this "Old Sugar Land" neighborhood is part of the appeal of the home. This is a great home in a fabulous neighborhood!Call Susan for more details!

$459,000

Kitchen and Breakfast room overlook beautiful yard

Pretty formals with great build-ins

Large family room open to kitchen

Gorgeous front yard overlooks Lake Eldridge!



819 Piedmont

WOW! Another Price Reduction! Now $429,000! This home is beautiful!




Granite Island and Kitchen CountersCurb Appeal!

Open Floorplan

Bamboo Flooring

Gorgeous Master Bath

Screened in Back Porch Overlooking Lake


19 May 2010

103 Savoy

Price reduction on 103 Savoy. New Price is $379,000! Lowest price in Venetian Estates.
This is a great home sitting on 1/2 acre tree-shaded waterfront lot!




















09 April 2010

PRICE REDUCTION ON 819 PIEDMONT IN VENETIAN ESTATES

This amazing "rebuilt" home in VE has been reduced to $449,000. If you are wanting a "new" home in this historical old Sugar Land neighborhood this is your chance. Located on Estates Lake with private back yard and wonderful screened in porch... New roof, new bulkhead, new driveway, new A/C and look at the spectacular interior photos! WOW!