Blog entries tagged West Ranch

Toll Brothers Joins Builder Team in West Ranch

Cheryl Boe — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 02:09:40 +0100

Toll Brothers will soon offer its innovative designs in West Ranch. This nationally known builder will feature a variety of one- and two-story home designs in Creekside starting in the high $300,000s.

For more than 40 years, Toll Brothers has been building luxury designs in prime locations throughout the country, and West Ranch is the company’s newest Houston location.

Toll Brothers has been honored with some of the housing industry’s most coveted awards including America’s Best Builder, National Builder of the Year and the National Housing Quality Award.

A Fortune 1000 company, Toll Brothers, Inc. is the successor to three generations of home builders and is a publicly owned company.

A sales office is planned to open this summer in West Ranch. For more information, call 281-992-2770 or visit www.tollbrothers.com.

Partners in Building Joins West Ranch Builder Line-up

Cheryl Boe — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 02:01:49 +0100

Partners in Building will soon be offering its luxury home designs in West Ranch. A temporary sales office will open in early July and a decorated model is planned to open this fall. Known for its innovative designs, Partners in Building is one of the largest custom home builders in Texas.

Homes by Partners in Building in West Ranch will be priced from the mid $400,000s and include a variety of spacious one- and two-story designs that will be built in the Estates on some of the largest home sites in the community.

An impressive selection of floor plans will be available to custom buyers in West Ranch, where they can choose from existing designs or create one of their own.

Home buyers will also benefit from the company’s more than 50 years of success in home building and a team of experienced professionals who will assist them in every aspect of the home building process.

Partners in Building, known for its flexibility in working with each buyer to personalize his or her home, is also known for offering a vast array of design choices and some sought after features that buyers can consider adding to a home such as:

·         Secret spaces, hidden passages, rooms and safes
·         Wine grottos, hobby rooms, prayer rooms and mud rooms
·         Feng Shui interior designs
·         Pass-through 'car-wash' showers & custom closet systems
·         Media rooms and custom theatre rooms
·         Outdoor living spaces, summer kitchens, outdoor fireplaces
·         Elegant stone, stucco or brick exteriors; patios & balconies
·         Custom ceiling treatments, third- story lofts, guest suites

For more information on Partners In Building in West Ranch, call 281-482-4600.

Friendswood High School Ranked Among America's Best High Schools by Newsweek Magazine

Cheryl Boe — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 18:42:59 +0100

The Friendswood Independent School District is again earning attention for its outstanding schools with the most recent focus on Friendswood High School, just ranked among Newsweek magazine’s list of America’s Best High Schools 2010.

Newsweek selects the best high schools in the country each year, based on the hard work of school staffs and their challenge to students with advanced placement college level course and tests. This year, just over 1,600 schools – only 6 percent of all public schools in the United States made the list.

Friendswood High School was developing its AP program less than 10 years ago, and today, according to the magazine, the percentage of students enrolled in the AP courses compared to the number of seniors, earned the school its coveted ranking.

The Friendswood Independent School District reports that what Newsweek did not measure that is equally important, is how well students perform on the exams.

An impressive 77.4 percent of the total of Friendswood High School AP test takers (831) earned a 3 or better on the AP exams, thus qualifying to place out of college level classes.

For the past two years, more than 75 percent of FHS students graduated from high school with at least 12 hours of college credit completed.

This latest ranking is a part of a long list of honors and awards earned by Friendswood Independent School District schools, students and teachers and one of the many reasons for the continued success of West Ranch. Friendswood High School and all schools in the Friendswood ISD which serves students in West Ranch are ranked Exemplary by the Texas Education Agency.

Highland Homes Grand Opening and New Model Homes in West Ranch

Cheryl Boe — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 02:41:17 +0100

Highland Homes is celebrating their grand opening in West Ranch, Friendswood Development Company’s master-planned community located just off FM 518 in the exemplary rated Friendswood Independent School District. Their newly decorated model home is now open daily.

This two-story model is one of the newest designs for Highland Homes and is one of many innovative new plans now offered in Creekside at West Ranch, where Highland’s homes are priced from the $340,000s.

Highland Homes’ one- and two-story home designs in West Ranch range in size from 2,690 to nearly 4,400 square feet and offer two- and three-car garages, and all are built on extra large home sites.

Highland Homes joins Trendmaker Homes and Village Builders in West Ranch, where new sections are now open. New homes are priced from the $290,000s to the $700,000s and students attend exemplary rated schools at all grade levels.

Sales offices and model homes are open daily.

Open House Weekends Set in Lakes of Savannah, Lakemont and West Ranch

Cheryl Boe — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 02:38:45 +0100

Next weekend, June 12 & 13, three Friendswood Development Company communities will host open house events, offering visitors to tour both new and resale homes.

Lakes of Savannah, located just two miles from SH 288 in the Pearland area, Lakemont, located Westpark Tollway and Mason Road; and West Ranch located in the City of Friendswood - will all showcase a variety of new homes ready for move-in, decorated models and resale homes open with Realtors on site to answer questions.

The open house event will take place on Saturday June 12 and Sunday, June 13. New homes are open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.Resale homes are open from 1- p.m. until 4 p.m. on Sunday.

The event, which began in Fairfield and has continued for years, is popular among residents and home shoppers because it gives them the opportunity to see the wide variety of homes available, talk to Realtors and new home sales professionals, and often talk to residents and find out why they are making these Friendswood Development Co. communities their home. Earlier this year, Friendswood Development Company’s north communities of Graystone Hills and Oakhurst at Kingwood joined in participating in open house events, and now its south and southwest communities will do the same.

In addition to touring available new homes, visitors to the three communities can tour beautifully decorated models, including newly opened models by some of Houston's top builders.

Construction Begins on New Highland Homes Model in West Ranch

Cheryl Boe — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 23:39:55 +0100

Construction is underway for Highland Homes’ new model in West Ranch, Friendswood Development Company’s master-planned community located just off FM 518 in the exemplary rated Friendswood Independent School District.

The two-story model is one of the newest designs for Highland Homes and is one of many innovative new plans now offered in Creekside at West Ranch, where Highland’s homes are priced from the $340,000s.

Plan 615A is a two-story home with more than 3,700 square feet, four bedrooms, three full baths and two half baths, and a three-car garage. It is priced from the $420,000s and is planned to open in May, although sales are now underway. For more information on Highland Homes in West Ranch, contact John Crawford at 281-844-1854.

Highland Homes’ one- and two-story home designs in West Ranch range in size from 2,690 to nearly 4,400 square feet and offer two- and three-car garages, and all are built on extra large home sites.

Sales offices and model homes are open daily.

Friendswood Earns National Recognition Among America's Best Small Towns

Cheryl Boe — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Friendswood, Texas has once again been recognized nationally as one of America’s best places to live. The new issue of Money magazine cites America’s top 100 best small towns, which were judged by readers in terms of a solid job base, affordable housing, great schools, and area attractions.

Friendswood, home of the new master-planned West Ranch community, was ranked No. 32 on the magazine’s list of the top 100 Best Small Towns. The magazine cites, “Friendswood was founded by Quakers and remains dry, but that doesn't mean its residents don't know how to have fun. The community hosts frequent parades, summer concerts in Stevenson Park, and an opening ceremony for the baseball season. Residents can travel north to Houston, south to the Galveston beaches, or east to the Kemah boardwalk; all are less than an hour away.”

Money lists major employers in the area: Boeing, Valero, BP, NASA as well as the busy Port of Houston. The magazine also reports, “Friendswood has a strong jobs base. And the housing market here is healthier than most.”

West Ranch, the master-planned community located in the city of Friendswood, is developed by Friendswood Development Company and features beautiful new homes by Trendmaker and Village Builders. Prices range from the $270,000s to the $700,000s.

This summer, West Ranch residents are enjoying their own pool and recreation center, in addition to the numerous summer attractions and activities that are close to home.

Students in West Ranch are served by the Friendswood Independent School District and attend exemplary rated schools at all grade levels.

Friendswood Junior Chosen for NASA Internship

Daphne Hager — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Another testament to the outstanding student achievements in the Friendswood Independent School District is the announcement of a NASA internship awarded to a Friendswood High School student. Elizabeth Conger of Friendswood ISD has been chosen along with 344 other Texas high school juniors to be a part of the High School Aerospace Scholars Programs. Soon she will be traveling to NASA’s Johnson Space Center to participate in a one-week summer internship.

The Houston Chronicle reports that Conger was selected as one of 354 high school juniors from across Texas to participate in this prestigious program. Prior to being chosen, students had to complete 10 web-based assignments during the school year and maintain at least an 86 average in order to qualify for the internship.

The students will be able to appl y what they learned during the school year to work side by side with NASA engineers as they design a mission to Mars. Other highlights include a tour of the Space Center facilities and lectures by noted NASA employees and astronauts.

Friendswood High School is one of four exemplary rated schools serving children in the master-planned West Ranch community by Friendswood Development Company. Located in the city of Friendswood, West Ranch features new homes by Village Builders and Trendmaker Homes priced from the $280,000s to the $700,000s. West Ranch offers everything from garden homes to single family and estate homes.

Decorated model homes and sales offices are open daily in West Ranch, where visitors can learn more about the outstanding Friendswood ISD and the charming small town surrounds that enhance the city of Friendswood.

Friendswood Ranked Among America’s Top Places For Best Public Schools

Cheryl Boe — Thu, 28 May 2009 05:00:00 +0100

NeighborhoodScout.com recently ranked the nation’s top metro areas with the best public schools. The goal of the search was to identify 20 of America's largest metro areas and to uncover those neighborhoods that offer the best public schools for consumers’ housing dollar.

It identified a No. 1 pick neighborhood in each metro area. These 20 neighborhoods offer a way to buy into great schools at appealing prices. The site further states that “most people expect to pay a lot more to get into school districts of this quality.”

Also taken into consideration was median home price, location and of course the school district’s rating and student performance.

Among the nation’s top 20 metro markets was Houston and in this area, Friendswood was ranked No. 1 because of the outstanding schools in the exemplary rated Friendswood Independent School District.

Among the many students benefiting from an exceptional education are those living in West Ranch, Friendswood Development Company’s master-planned community located off FM 518 in the City of Friendswood. West Ranch offers new homes by top Houston builders and price ranges that vary from the $280,000s to the $700,000s. For more information, visit the website at www.visitwestranch.com.

Friendswood ISD Students Among Scholars at Houston Grand Opera

Daphne Hager — Wed, 20 May 2009 05:00:00 +0100

The Friendswood Independent School District, known for its exemplary rating by the Texas Education Agency and the outstanding achievements of its students and teachers, has even more reason to be proud. Two Friendswood High School students are among eight chosen musical scholars around the Greater Houston area to participate at the Houston Grand Opera's High School Voice Studio.

Friendswood’s Eizabeth Conger and Catherine Goode will receive voice lessons from the Houston Grand Opera staff, prepare for college auditions and receive a stipend to assist with those auditions.

The coveted Houston Grand Opera Vocal Training Program for High School Students is a sought-after program and an honor for the students who are selected.

Based on the highly successful model of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, our High School Voice Studio is a program for talented local high school students. Each April, eight students entering their senior year are selected to participate in a year-long program that includes private weekly voice lessons (technique and repertoire), a monthly voice class, vocal coaching from Houston Grand Opera staff and performance recitals. In addition to vocal instruction, participants gain a “behind the scenes” look at a professional opera company by observing master classes and coaching with artists, attending off- and on-stage rehearsals, and “shadowing” production personnel backstage during performances.

HGO High School Voice Studio works on enhancing self esteem, boosting creativity, rewarding commitment, and fueling ambitions for music study and professional careers. To learn more about the Houston Grand Opera, visit their site at HoustonGrandOpera.org.

The Friendswood ISD serves the students in West Ranch, Friendswood Development Company’s newest Houston area master-planned community. West Ranch is located on FM 528, just south of FM 518 in the city of Friendswood. For more information, visit the website at VisitWestRanch.com.

(Sources: Chron.com and HoustonGrandOpera.org)

West Ranch Residents Enjoy Small Town Charm/Events

Cheryl Boe — Mon, 11 May 2009 05:00:00 +0100

Located in the heart of Friendswood, West Ranch by Friendswood Development Company features a prime location and master plan that offers residents the best of small town living with all of the benefits of an outstanding master-planned community.

Friendswood, located in Galveston County, has earned numerous accolades both locally and nationally, for everything from exemplary rated schools to being rated as the best affordable suburb and one of the best places in the nation to live and raise a family.

Located off FM 518 minutes from Interstate 45, West Ranch features beautiful new homes by top Houston builders and easy access to a long list of activities and community events for which the city of Friendswood is well known.

With summer quickly approaching, Friendswood residents are busy with youth sports and community events such as concerts in the park. Stevenson Park, also located off FM 518 at 1100 S. Friendswood Drive, is a part of the social focal point of the city of Friendswood, located close to the pool, recreation center and new library.

Every Friday throughout the summer, the city hosts free concerts in the park at the Gazebo.

Open to everyone, the free concerts in the park’s gazebo offer a variety of music and invite Friendswood residents to bring out their lawn chairs, blankets, refreshments and dinner or a snack and enjoy the beautiful surroundings of the area. The event has become a Friendswood tradition and has offered many an opportunity to get to know some of their neighbors.

Other community events include a Fourth of July Parade, a Christmas Parade, and Halloween in the Park, which are among a long list of year-round events.
West Ranch is also located directly across from another popular Friendswood location – Independence Park.

Sales offices in West Ranch offer additional information on these and other events and activities as well as news and information on th exemplary rated Friendswood Independent School District.

West Ranch - Helping A Hero

Greg Rivera — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 06:00:00 +0100

PHOTO: Steven Schulz at the West Ranch Helping a Hero event is surrounded by his family, father Steven, brother Clay, sister Elaine, and mother Debbie, along with the Honorable S. Ward Casscells, M.D Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, and State Senator Mike Jackson.

One local hero is now the proud owner of a brand new home in West Ranch, thanks to the Helping a Hero program, Friendswood Development Company and Perry Homes. On November 14, Corporal Steven Schulz, U.S.M.C. and his family were presented with the keys to his new home during a special event that included a number of special guests and a variety of local media.

Schulz, who suffered a severe traumatic brain injury fighting the war in Iraq, has received numerous honors for his bravery and accomplishments including a Purple Heart, a Combat Action Ribbon, a Marine Corp. Good Conduct Medal, and a National Defense Service Medal. A graduate of Friendswood High School, Schulz, whose mother Debbie was also a teacher at Friendswood High School, wanted to remain living in Friendswood but needed a home to fit his needs.

The home site, donated by Friendswood Development Company in the master-planned community of West Ranch in the city of Friendswood and Perry Homes, which continues to build homes for returning war heroes, worked together with Meredith Iler and the Helping a Hero program to build a beautiful, spacious one-story home that easily accommodates the needs of Steven with features such as wider doorways, lowered kitchen counters and appliances, tile floors making it easy to move around in his wheelchair and a roll-in shower in the master bath, to name just a few.

Among the many special guests in attendance were Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs - The Honor able S. Ward Casscells, M.D., Congressman Ron Paul and State Senator Mike Jackson as well as members of the Honor Guard, a number of veterans and a number of military servicemen. Also at the event were Corporal Schulz’s family – his mother Debbie, his father Steven, his brother Clay and sister Elaine who was among the guest speakers.

For more information on the Helping a Hero Wounded Hero Home Program, visit the website at www.helpingahero.org.

JUNE 9, 2008 - GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY HONORS START OF NEW HOME THROUGH HELPING A HERO.ORG FOR A LOCAL FRIENDSWOOD MARINE, CORPORAL STEVEN SCHULZ

PHOTO: Peter Easterly (Division President, Perry Homes), John Hammond (President, Friendswood Development Company), Steve and Debbie Schulz, Cpl Steven Schulz, USMC, Secretary Robert Mosbacher (in whose honor this home is being built), Meredith Iler (Chairman, Helping a Hero.org's Wounded Hero Home Program), State Rep. Larry Taylor, Mayor David Smith (Mayor of Friendswood). photo by Carson George.

For one special Friendswood family, sacrifice is something that is a part of their lives every day. After 9/11, Steven Schulz, the oldest of three children of Debbie and Steven Schulz of Friendswood, entered the Marine Corps. because he wanted to make a difference. While he was completing his second tour of duty in Iraq on April 19, 2005, he was hit by an IED which left him with a severe traumatic brain injury. His parents immediately rushed to his side and his mother Debbie quit her job as a teacher so that she could stay by her son night and day.

Steven’s sacrifice was followed by his family’s strong commitment to each other and his parents’ own sacrifices of finances with the elimination of Debbie’s income and precious time with their other two children – one who was in high school and the other finishing the second semester of her first year of college.

After countless hours of rehabilitation, support and encouragement from family, the surrounding Friendswood community and the nation, Steven Schulz has overcome major obstacles. And although he has made remarkable progress in his recovery, he will continue to need the assistance of a wheelchair, the help of his family and a home design to accommodate his most basic needs.

On Monday, June 9, a ground breaking ceremony in the community of West Ranch in the city of Friendswood will honor Corporal Steven Schulz and celebrate the start of a new home and a new start for the Schulz family. Thanks to the Helping a Hero Wounded Hero Home Program, the Houston Rotary District 5890, Friendswood Development Company and Perry Homes, the construction of a beautiful new home to be built for this returning hero and his parents, will begin and will soon be the new home to the Schulz family.

Schulz’ mother Debbie taught at Friendswood High School, from which Steven, his brother Clay and sister Elaine all graduated. The family now lives in a two-story home that, although is loved by Debbie, is not at all designed or equipped to accommodate her son’s needs resulting from his injuries in Iraq.

“We have a two-story home and when Steven first came home, we had to turn our master bedroom into his area because it was downstairs and his bedroom was upstairs,” Debbie said. “And even then, he could not get his wheelchair through the door of the bathroom or go in there without help.”

Through a support group that Debbie says includes friends that extend throughout the country, the Veterans Administration and her church pastor, she heard of the Helping a Hero program. The acceptance of Steven’s application for a home in the program was a part of a strong community of support that Debbie said was overwhelming to her and her family. “When Steven was first injured, I spent a lot of time in Bethesda with him. At home, friends, neighbors and the community were a great support to our entire family.”

The strong support the Schulz family felt from its surrounding Friendswood community reinforced its commitment to stay there. Friendswood Development Company’s donation of the home site in its new master-planned West Ranch community, located in the city of Friendswood and the Friendswood Independent School District, and Perry Homes’ commitment to build a new home there made the program even more rewarding for the family who will soon have a new home that meets the needs of their son, while enabling them to stay in a City they love.

“We are honored to be a part of such an outstanding program and work with this outstanding family,” said John Hammond, President of Friendswood Development Company. “It’s heroes like Steven who ensure the freedom we enjoy and remind us all that freedom is not free, and comes with a high price.”

The new one-story home by Perry Homes will be designed to make every day tasks more accommodating for Steven, with features such as widened doorways and tile floors, making it easier to move around in a wheelchair; a large roll in shower, raised toilet and grab bars in the bathroom, and lowered kitchen countertops and appliances that will enable him to use the kitchen effectively.

Debbie Schulz says that as her son continues to recover and look forward to working with the Veterans Administration to find a part-time job, his brain injury has made complete independence impossible. “There are things that seem minor that pose great safety issues,” Debbie said. “As a result of Steven’s brain injury, his short term memory has been affected and he forgets things like turning off the water or stove – things that could be very dangerous,” she said, and adds that it is important for him in this and in many other capacities to have his family living around him.

The fact that the Helping a Hero program is building a home for a returning veteran and his parents is also heart warming to Debbie. “People realize that if a veteran is not married, he is relying on other family members for support,” she said.

Meredith Iler, National Chairman of the Helping a Hero Wounded Hero Home Program said, “I am so proud of Steven Schulz for his bravery in combat and his courage in the rehabilitation process. He is a leader and an encourager to other wounded heroes who have just begun their journey of recovery. We are honored to have this opportunity to build a home for this deserving American hero and say thank you in a tangible way for his valiant service to our great nation. And we are equally proud of his parents who have been there every step of the way to comfort him, change his bandages, encourage him to reach for new heights in his rehabilitation and who are willing to share this remarkable young man with all of us.”

The new home is planned for completion this September for the young man who was an honor graduate of the School of Infantry and who is recognized as a true hero, with a list of honors that include a Purple Heart, a Combat Action Ribbon, a Marine Corp. Good Conduct Medal, and a National Defense Service Medal.

For more information on the Helping a Hero Wounded Hero Home Program, visit the website at www.helpingahero.org.

Small Town Surrounds, Exemplary Schools Appeal to New Home Buyers in West Ranch

Greg Rivera — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 06:00:00 +0100

The master-planned West Ranch community is known for its outstanding builders and location minutes from Interstate 45. However, it's the small-town surrounds of the charming city of Friendswood that continue to make the community so popular. Earning local and national accolades as an outstanding place to live and raise a family, Friendswood embodies a true small-town spirit that is evident in the activities and events that take place there.

Concerts in the park are a regular event in Friendswood's Stevenson Park, which is just minutes from West Ranch. The community also has active youth sports programs, from summer swimming to baseball and football. Schools at all levels continue to earn exemplary ratings, helping to prepare students for a bright future.

West Ranch, located on FM 518 close to FM 528, offers residents the opportunity to enjoy a small town and a new home from a top Houston builder - in a location that is close to key employment, medical and retail centers.