Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Posted on August 29, 2010 - by admin

Katy/Fulshear Community Exceeds New Home Sale Records in 2010

Firethorne Breaks Ground on 430-Acre Firethorne West;

Katy/Fulshear – August 29, 2010. . . . Firethorne, which in 2010 has exceeded all of its previous January-to-July new home sales records, has broken ground on its newest section, Firethorne West. The development’s westward expansion comprises 430 acres within the 1,400-acre master-designed community in Katy/Fulshear.
“Firethorne’s steady growth in its first five years, with more than 1,000 home closings to date, paves the way for us to move forward on this next phase of development,” said Firethorne General Manager Wayne Meyer.
Plans call for the construction of such premium resident amenities as a Competitive Swim Center with a regulation lap pool and clubhouse, community center, landscaped park and playground area. There will be 1,400 home sites in Firethorne West, in addition to 530 home sites on acreage under development across FM 1463 that will include three lakes with water features.
Firethorne’s 178 new home sales in first seven months of 2010 compare to 147 sales over the same period in 2007, its previous record high. Meyer attributes Firethorne’s strong sales to the highly acclaimed schools and continued economic growth in Katy and Fulshear, highlighted by the local expansion of three major Houston hospitals, plus continued employee relocations in West Houston in the energy industry.
Lamar C.I.S.D. (Consolidated Independent School District) will serve Firethorne West families. Meyer noted that Huggins Elementary, Briscoe Junior High, Wertheimer Middle and Foster High School rank favorably to Firethorne’s zoned Katy I.S.D. schools in the annual rankings published by the Houston Chronicle.
The Firethorne West sections will feature 50- and 60-foot by 120- to 130-foot lots. The new home sites east of FM 1463 will be 70- and 80-foot by 130-foot in size. Homes in the new sections should be up by the fourth quarter of 2010. Model homes are open in Firethorne Model Parks I and II.
The Firethorne Competitive Swim Center further demonstrates the community’s ongoing commitment to residents’ individual and team sports and fitness. All Firethorne amenities, including the Swim Center, resort-style swimming pool, Fitness Center, regulation lacrosse playing fields and tennis courts, are open to Firethorne West residents.
Firethorne, host of the Katy Triathlon at Firethorne October 24, 2010, blends with the best nature has to offer: 150 acres devoted to parks and recreational amenities, a 12-acre lake with surrounding greenbelt, hike/bike trails, parks and playgrounds, discovery-rich wildlife observation area and a natural bird habitat. Firethorne combines the vibrancy of West Houston with the small-town charm of Katy/Fulshear. It is strategically located on FM 1463 near the crossroads of the 1-10 West corridor, the Westpark Tollway and the Grand Parkway.
To tour Firethorne West, take I-10 West, exit Pin Oak to FM 1463 and go west on South Firethorne Rd., call the Visitor Center, 281-693-1011, or visit www.firethorne.info.

Posted on August 16, 2010 - by admin

Katy Texas – Voted #1 Work Place!

Best and Worst States for Business 2010 More than 600 CEOs rated states on a wide range of criteria from taxation and regulation to workforce quality and living environment, in our sixth annual special report.

In Chief Executive’s annual survey of best and worst states for business, conducted in late January of this year, 651 CEOs across the U.S. again gave Texas top honors, closely followed by North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. They gave the booby prize for worst state to California, with New York, Michigan, New Jersey and Massachusetts filling out the bottom five-a line-up virtually unchanged from last year. Florida and Georgia each dropped three places in the ranking, but remain in the top 10. Utah jumped six positions this year to sneak into the top 10 at No. 9. The business leaders were asked to draw upon their direct experience to rate each state in three general categories: taxation and regulation, quality of workforce and living environment. Within each category respondents graded states in five subcategories, as well as ranking each in terms of its importance to the respondent and how individual states measure up. For example, Texas fares competitively with Nevada and Delaware in terms of taxation and regulatory environment, but scored best overall, in no small measure because of the perception that its government’s attitude to business is ideal. Runner-up North Carolina edged Texas slightly in its living environment, but scored somewhat below the Lone Star state in terms of government attitude to business and work ethic, which is a sine qua non for the business leaders.  After employee work ethic, CEOs most highly prize lower tax rates and perceived attitudes toward business, followed by living environment considerations, such as real estate costs and education. “Texas is pro-business with reasonable regulations,” one CEO respondent remarked, “while California is anti-business with anti-business regulations.” Another commented, “California is terrible. Even when we’ve paid their high taxes in full, they still treat every conversation as adversarial. It’s the most difficult state in the nation. We have actually walked away from business rather than deal with the government in Sacramento.”  Best and Worst States for Business 2010 “The leadership of California has done everything in its power to kill manufacturing jobs in this state,” observed another CEO. “As I stated at our annual meeting, if we could grow our crops in Reno, we’d move our plants tomorrow.” How is it that the nation’s most populous state at 37 million, one that is the world’s eighth-largest economy and the country’s richest and most diverse agricultural producer, a state that had the fastest growth rate in the 1950s and 1960s during the tenures of Democratic Governor Pat Brown and Republican Governors Earl Warren and Ronald Reagan, should become the Venezuela of North America? Californians pay among the highest income and sales taxes in the nation, the former exceeding 10 percent in the top brackets. Unemployment statewide is over 12.2 percent, higher than the national average. State politics seems consumed with how to divide a shrinking pie rather than how to expand it. Against national trend, union density is climbing from 16.1 percent of workers in 1998 to 17.8 percent in 2002. Organized labor has more political influence in California than in most other states. In addition, unfunded pension and health care liabilities for state workers top $500 billion and the annual pension contribution has climbed from $320 million to $7.3 billion in less than a decade. When state employees reach critical mass, they tend to become a permanent lobby for continual growth in government. Bill Dormandy, CEO of San Francisco medical device maker ITC, summed it up: “California has a good living environment but is unfavorable to business and the state taxes are not survivable. Nevada and Virginia are encouraging business to move to their states with lower tax rates and less regulatory demands.” Lone Star Leader By contrast, Texas, the second-most populous state and the world’s 12th largest economy, is where 70 percent of all new U.S. jobs have been created since 2008. Unsurprisingly, it scores high in all the areas CEOs value most. “You feel like state government understands the value of business and industry to create jobs and growth,” observed one CEO. Its tax credits and incentives to business choosing to locate or expand are among the most aggressive. The Texas Enterprise Fund is by far the largest deal-closing fund of any state, with grants totaling $377 million disbursed in 2008. Little wonder then that while Texas gained over 848,000 net new residents in the last 10 years, according to the Census  Bureau, California lost 1.5 million. New York State’s net loss exceeded 1.6 million – the highest of any state. High-tax, big- government New Jersey ranked fourth, with a net loss of almost 460,000, enough to drop it from 10th to 11th place in population. “The New York state legislature is the most dysfunctional in the land and one of the reasons why New York is the worst,” one exasperated New York City business leader volunteered. The political elites in the states that dismiss out-migration trends overlook the radical demographic adjustment underway. As higher-income earners leave, they are more often replaced by those with lower incomes and lower skills, many needing public assistance. Gone too are the entrepreneurs and risk-takers, off seeking regions where their job creating abilities are rewarded. Another more daunting reality is in store. The so-called de-leveraging of America hasn’t reached government. U.S. cities and states have issued over $2 trillion in new debt since 2008, with another $1 trillion scheduled this year. The problem is that state revenues in real terms may not reach 2008 levels until late in 2012, according to John Thomasian of the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices. As he emphasizes in his paper, “The Big Reset: State Government  after the Great Recession,” states will have to rethink and redesign government in terms of what is essential and what can be made more efficient if their citizens are to have much of a future.

Posted on June 29, 2010 - by admin

Tennis Coach/Ace Athlete Helps Launch Firethorne Tennis Program

 

Katy/Fulshear, TX – Jun. 29, 2010. . . If you think Firethorne’s tennis coach is just an ace on the tennis court, you couldn’t be more wrong.   Resident athlete/sports coach Chris Dante didn’t even take up the sport until he was 30, after excelling in baseball (in 1988 he made it as far as the Olympic Trials), basketball (City University of New York team captain) and football, as well as boxing and Taekwondo (he has a black belt)! 

“But after one too many broken noses, I turned to something less brutal — tennis,” said Dante, who helped launch Firethorne’s premiere tennis program this spring.  With the new Women’s Tennis League and beginner tennis clinics now in full swing, Firethorne continues to demonstrate the Katy/Fulshear community’s commitment to fitness and competitive sports, through its hike and bike trails, swimming and running (Katy Triathlon at Firethorne), regulation lacrosse fields and personal training at the on-site exercise facility.   

            According to Firethorne Marketing Director Janet Burkett, the fact that Chris lives and coaches in Firethorne further illustrates the true spirit of community at Firethorne.  “He’s more than a coach, he’s a neighbor and mentor and he is deeply committed to instilling in children the values of honor and virtue in sports competition.”

            During the summer, Coach Dante offers two morning clinics for children (9 and 10 a.m.) and one 6 p.m. clinic for adult beginners.  He also teaches private lessons.  The tennis courts are open to Firethorne residents and their invited guests. 

            Dante worked as a coach at Iona College (Div. I) in New York and Providence College in Rhode Island.  “At Iona College, I worked with Iona College Basketball Coach Jeff Ruland, an All-American out of Iona College who played in the NBA,” he said.

            He approached John Brennan, tennis coach of the citywide champion St. Francis Preparatory High School in Queens, NY, to be his tennis coach and mentor.   For the next three years, Dante played in tournaments all over New York City,  He coached high school tennis in Providence, RI, before moving with his wife, Marina, and their three children to Katy, two years ago. He appreciates living in Katy because of the best schools and it is “a wonderful place to raise children.  My wife loved Firethorne because it looked like ‘real Texas.’  I bought her dream house here,” he said.

            “Coaching is a labor of love,” said Dante.  “I love being outside with the kids — teaching and coaching them.”        He also enjoys introducing many of their parents to tennis, as well as coaching baseball and football through his company, Sports Mania. 

            The four fully lit hard courts, Firethorne’s newest amenities, are located adjacent to the lacrosse fields in the 1,400-acre Katy/Fulshear master-designed development.

            Firethorne, located 15 miles west of Houston’s Energy Corridor, blends the best nature has to offer: 150 acres devoted to parks and recreational amenities, a 12-acre lake with surrounding greenbelt, hike/bike trails, parks and playgrounds, discovery-rich wildlife observation area and a natural bird habitat. Served by the award-winning Katy I.S.D., Firethorne combines the vibrancy of West Houston with the small-town charm of Katy/Fulshear.  To tour Firethorne, take I-10 West and exit Pin Oak to FM 1463, call 281-395-1440 or visit www.firethorne.info.

Posted on June 29, 2010 - by admin

Survivor, Texas Style

        

    "Survivor" Texas Style  

     Due to the popularity of the "Survivor" shows,

      Texas is planning to do one entitled,

     "Survivor, Texas-Style."

     The 9 contestants will all start in Dallas ,

     Then drive to Waco , Austin , San Antonio ,

     Over to Houston and down to Brownsville .

     They will then proceed up to Del Rio , El Paso ,

      Midland , Odessa , Lubbock and Amarillo

     From there they will go on to Abilene ,

      Fort Worth and finally back to Dallas .

     Each will be driving a pink Volvo

     With bumper stickers that reads:

    "I'm a Democrat,"

     "I'm Gay,"

     "I love the Dixie Chicks,"

     "Boycott Beef,"

     "I Voted for Obama,"

     "George Strait Sucks,"

     "Hillary in 2012"

     And

     "I'm here to confiscate your guns.."

     The first one to make it back to Dallas alive wins.

     God Bless Texas

Posted on April 15, 2010 - by admin

Firethorne Employees ‘En Force’ on Adopt A Highway Program

 

Katy/Fulshear, TX – April 15, 2010. . . . A dozen Firethorne employees were out “en force” on FM 1463 last week, reinforcing their ongoing commitment to keep their two-mile stretch of highway in the Katy community litter-free.  Staffers of the 1,400-acre master-designed community adopted a section of their neighboring highway in Katy/Fulshear as part of the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) Adopt A Highway program. 

            “We’re out there in our orange safety vests picking up trash to help maintain these two miles along FM 1463, starting at the I-10 feeder road, going south past Firethorne,” said Firethorne Director of Marketing Janet Burkett.  “We’re literally behind the ‘Don’t Mess With Texas’ anti-litter campaign in every sense.”

            The Firethorne volunteers on clean-up duty included: Burkett, Jefferson Development President Robert White, Harrison Cardiff, Chase Cardiff, Pam Roberson, Janet Burkett, Christy Martin, Hanna Holsapple, MaryJo Jasperson, Kelley Baldwin, Vicki Welsch, Erin Benson, Randy Carr and Christine Cardiff. 

            Firethorne, located 15 miles west of the Houston Energy Corridor, features 150 acres devoted to parks and recreational amenities, a 12-acre lake with surrounding greenbelt, resort-style swim center, sports fields, hike/bike trails, parks and playgrounds, wildlife observation area and a natural bird habitat.  It’s where the vibrancy of West Houston meets the small-town charm of Katy/Fulshear.  Take I-10 West and exit Pin Oak to FM 1463, go to www.firethorne.info, or call 281-693-1011.                                                                                 # # #

Photo ID:  (Left to right) Back row:  On their quarterly Adopt A Highway clean- up assignment are: Harrison Cardiff, Chase Cardiff, Pam Roberson, Janet Burkett,; Center row: Christy Martin, Hanna Holsapple, MaryJo Jasperson, Robert White, Christine Cardiff and Randy Carr; Front row: Kelley Baldwin, Vicki Welsch and Erin Benson.

Posted on March 25, 2010 - by admin

Katy Cowboy visits New York

A Cowboy from Katy TX, ( www.ktytx.com ) walked into a bank in New York City and asked for the loan officer. He told the loan officer that he was going to Paris for an international rodeo for two weeks and needed to borrow $5,000 and that he was not a depositor of the bank.

The bank officer told him that the bank would need some form of security for the loan, so the Cowboy handed over the keys to a new Ferrari. The car was parked on the street in front of the bank. The Cowboy produced the title and everything checked out. The loan officer agreed to hold the car as collateral for the loan and apologized for having to charge 12% interest.

Later, the bank’s president and its officers all enjoyed a good laugh at the Cowboy from Katy, Texas for using a $250,000 Ferrari as collateral for a $5,000 loan. An employee of the bank then drove the Ferrari into the bank’s private underground garage and parked it.

Two weeks later, the Cowboy returned, repaid the $5,000 and the interest $23.07.

The loan officer said, “Sir, we are very happy to have had your business, and this transaction has worked out very nicely, but we are a little puzzled. While you were away, we checked you out on Dunn & Bradstreet and found that you are a highly sophisticated investor and multimillionaire with real estate and financial interests all over the world. You own a million dollar home in Cinco Ranch ( www.CincoCustoms.com ), and your investments include a large number of web site development companies ( www.iownies.com www.ultimatesolution.biz ) around Houston, TX. What puzzles us is, why would you bother to borrow $5,000?”

The good ‘ole Katy Texan boy replied, “Where else in New York City can I park my car for two weeks for only $23.07 and expect it to be there when I return?”  Don’t mess with KATY!

Posted on March 15, 2010 - by admin

Record-Breaking Home Sales

 

Record-Breaking Home Sales

Katy/Fulshear – Mar. 15, 2010. . . . Firethorne sold 23 new homes in January 2010, and 27 homes in February, marking a record high for January new home sales for the Katy/Fulshear residential real estate community and tying the previous February new home sales high recorded in 2008.  The lake view community has achieved this success in part thanks to the Federal Housing Tax Credit Program, which is available through April 30,^,2010. The 1,400-acre master-designed community is located 15 miles west of Houston’s Energy Corridor.

“Our March sales are going well with 18 sales for the first two weeks of the month,” said Firethorne Director of Marketing Janet Burkett.  Firethorne hopes to maintain this level of home sales through the spring, thanks to the extension of the federal housing tax credits through the end of April.

The homebuyer tax credit is worth up to $8,000 for first time homebuyers and $6,500 for move-up buyers at Firethorne.

The previous January home sales record for the four-year-old Katy/Fulshear residential community was 15 sales in 2007. Firethorne has 1,000 housing starts in its Katy/Fulshear community in four years of development.

According to Burkett, Firethorne has been holding its own thanks to continued growth in the Katy and Fulshear areas and for being part of great school districts. “BP America and Conoco/Phillips have relocated employees here, plus three major Houston hospitals are expanding in this area — two under construction and one on the drawing board.”

The Firethorne builder team consists of Coventry Homes, Highland Homes, Parkwood Builders, Partners in Building, Perry Homes and Plantation Homes.        

Firethorne is attractive to the Houston relocation market with its proximity to the Energy Corridor, location in top-ranked school districts and the availability of estate-sized lots typically found in the country with all of conveniences of master-designed recreational amenities, such as state-of-the-art technology and nearby shopping, retail, dining, entertainment and medical facilities.  The community features 150 acres devoted to parks and recreational amenities, a 12-acre lake with surrounding greenbelt, resort-style swim center, sports fields, hike/bike trails, parks and playgrounds, discovery-rich wildlife observation area and a natural bird habitat.  It’s where the vibrancy of West Houston meets the small-town charm of Katy/Fulshear.  Take I-10 West and exit Pin Oak to FM 1463, go to www.firethorne.info, or call 281-693-1011.

Posted on March 14, 2009 - by admin

KTY Stickers and Decals

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