With a gorgeous lagoon, amazing Amenity Village and special events, Balmoral residents don’t lack for things to do inside our community. But sometimes it’s fun to explore outside the entrance — especially in the fall. Where do they go? Fall festivals! Here’s a list of our favorites:
11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat., Sept. 18
Free admission
Pickles, pickles and even more pickles will help raise money for the Hunter Syndrome Foundation. There will be a pickle-eating contest, pickle-drinking contest and a pickle-canning contest. Local crafters will offer at least one pickle-related item for sale. In addition, there will be a Stein-holding competition, parade, food, entertainment and more.
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat., Oct. 9
Free admission
Atascocita Lutheran Church is hosting its 40th annual fall festival. Come out for live music, raffles, food trucks, kids’ zone, book nook, craft vendors, baked goods and more. Proceeds from the event benefit local charities.
11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sat., Oct. 16
$5 adults, $1 children
The fourth annual Kingwood Oktoberfest returns to Holy Comforter Lutheran Church with German cuisine, giant pretzels, polka music from The Texas Sound Check Band, beer from Back Pew Brewing Company, a DJ, games and activities for all ages.
Good Shepherd Church Fall Festival
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat., Oct. 23
Free admission
It’s a fall extravaganza unlike any other with live music, moonwalks, obstacle courses, face painting, a bake sale, Shortcakes the Clown, games, trackless train, petting zoo, food trucks, model train display, craft vendors, silent auction and pumpkins galore!
4-9 p.m. Sat., Oct. 30
Free admission
Kingwood Town Center Park will host “gourd” chills and thrills for all ages. Costumed revelers can pick up free candy, explore the mini pumpkin patch and ride the trackless train while enjoying music and opportunities to shop.
The Woodlands Wildflower Festival
10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat., Nov. 6
Free
Wildflowers here, wildflowers there, wildflowers everywhere at The Woodlands Wildflower Festival. Come out for free wildflower seed packets, bluebonnet-planting ceremony, wildflower crafts, bounce houses, face painting, DJ, food trucks and more.
Young Balmoral residents attend schools in the Humble ISD, including Summer Creek High School. Not only is the school dedicated to personalized learning, but it also boasts an excellent athletic program, an award-winning band and the only yoga class offered within the school district.
Summer Creek was designed with the “house” system in mind. The school was constructed with spaces where the more than 2,600 students could be subdivided into smaller learning communities. These spaces include an assistant principal/counselor suite, conference facilities, student learning spaces, science labs and areas students can collaborate in much like spaces found on college campuses. Each student is assigned to a “house” in which they work with an assistant principal and counselor for all four years at the school. Core classes are attended in that house, but electives are located in a special wing of the school.
The strong academic curriculum is supplemented by a range of extracurricular activities, including sports. Students can participate in baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball and wrestling. There is even a sports medicine class. Niche.com ranks the school No. 20 on its list of the Best High Schools for Athletes in the Houston area.
The Bulldogs baseball team was the 2019 bi-district champions. The girls’ basketball team took the 2019 district trophy. The Lady Bulldogs volleyball team was the bi-district champions last year.
The Summer Creek High School Band also boasts a number of awards, including a history-making UIL First Division Concert & Sight Reading trophy by the sub non-varsity group last year. The non-varsity band brought home straight ones at Concert and Sight Reading and the varsity band took home First Division Ratings.
About that yoga class. Teacher Sarah Aguilar started the class in 2019 with 30 students. The class size doubled to 60 students in 2020. The purpose of the class is to help students relieve stress, focus in class and promote good health. Pretty innovative, huh?
That’s just the beginning. There are many reasons to love Summer Creek High School, just as the school is one of the many reasons to make the move to Balmoral.
The Robert Charles Lesser & Co (RCLCO) mid-year list of the 50 best-selling master-planned communities in the nation is out and Balmoral has made the cut again, placing at No. 12.
Sales increased 12 percent this year with 458 homes purchased by buyers excited to enjoy our fun-filled lagoon lifestyle. Those numbers also garnered us the No. 1 best-selling community in Houston spot. We are the No. 2 best-selling community in Texas.
Rankings are based on total net home sales. Only true master-planned communities that have been developed from a comprehensive master plan and feature a variety of housing types, sizes, prices and amenities are included, according to RCLCO.
Sales in the top 50 communities are on track to rise 12 percent this year. Home demand has surged in the past six months as consumers who put off purchasing a new home responded to historically low interest rates and the opportunity to exchange renting for buying.
The report also notes that buyers are seeking more space. Millennials contributed to the rise in sales as many seek a suburban lifestyle for their children. Boomers and older Gen X buyers are downsizing and looking to move closer to family.
Master-planned communities expected to continue to do well are those that offer a range of home choices and pricing. Communities with a plethora of amenities are still in high demand.
Balmoral offers new home designs to fit most budgets. Homes are priced from the $200s to the $500s and range from townhomes to expansive single-family homes.
Our award-winning amenities — including our 2-acre lagoon and spacious Amenity Village — keep residents active and outdoors. The Amenity Village was named the 2020 Master-Planned Community Amenity of the Year in the recent Greater Houston Builders Association’s Houston’s Best PRISM Awards and Best Community Amenity during the 2020 Texas Association of Builder’s Texas Star Awards.
Two of our sister communities also made the top 50 list. Sierra Vista/Sterling Lakes in South Houston, ranked at No. 20 with 397 home sales. Lago Mar in Texas City nabbed the No. 36 spot. Sales rose 34 percent to 297 sales in that community.
The RCLCO report also noted that there is a great demand for homes right now, so if you want to experience our unique lifestyle, visit us today.
So, you’ve decided to buy a new home. Have you been pre-approved for your mortgage? Whether you a first-time buyer or a veteran homeowner, pre-approval is an important first step. Not only does it tell Realtors and builders that you are serious about purchasing a home, but it can also give you a leg up in today’s competitive market.
Here’s what you need to know about getting pre-approved.
What is pre-approval?
Pre-approval is a document, usually a letter, outlining the type and amount of loan you qualify for. It is not a guarantee that you will be loaned the money. If certain conditions are not met or your financial situation changes, the offer can be withdrawn.
Why Should You Get Pre-approved?
A pre-approval letter demonstrates that you can afford to buy a home. It also tells you how much home you can afford. It simplifies the buying process because it helps weed out homes that are not in your price range. Without a pre-approval letter, the home you want might go to someone who is pre-approved.
How Do I Get Pre-approved?
There are a number of steps involved in the pre-approval process, but it boils down to giving your prospective lenders a lot of financial information.
Get pre-qualified. Pre-qualification is not the same thing as pre-approval. Pre-qualification is an informal process where you tell a lender about your financial situation. Based on what you say, the lender can estimate how much you might be able to borrow. However, this is not a firm offer. To get that, you will have to give your lender more in-depth information. The Pre-qualification Calculator from NerdWallet can help you do this online.
Do your own checks. A lender will order a credit check, but it never hurts to do so yourself. Order a free credit report to see what your score is. In general, a score of 740 or above will enable you to qualify for the best rates but you can qualify with a score as low as 620. It’s a good idea to go over your report to see if there are errors. Clearing those up before you apply for a loan will help move things along faster.
Calculate your debt-to-income ratio. This is the percentage of your gross monthly income used to pay credit card debt, student loans, car loans and any other revolving payments. Most lenders prefer to see a DTI of 36 percent or lower. This includes the estimated mortgage.
Gather your financial information. Lenders want to know everything about you, so prepare your financial information before loan shopping. Documents you will need include your W-2 tax forms, bank account information, any investments you have, proof of employment and proof of additional income sources. If you are self-employed, you will need to include your 1099s and your income tax returns. If you have a co-borrower, they will need to provide their financial information as well.
Shop lenders. Don’t go with the first lender you visit. Shop around. You may find that one lender can do more for you than another and save you thousands of dollars.
Once You Are Pre-approved
Once you have your pre-approval letter in hand, it’s time to go home shopping. We can’t think of a better place to do that than Balmoral. Visit our information center to learn more about our beautiful homes and fantastic lifestyle.
Are you up to speed on our newest amenity? No? According to the buzz, our residents can now use Bee Mobile to zip along the GreenBoLT trail to our fabulous Amenity Village and crystal-clear lagoon.
We’ve partnered with Bee Mobile to provide electric scooters for rent. These bright yellow scooters couldn’t “bee” easier to use. Just download the Bee Mobile app. When you are ready to ride just sign in, find a scooter, unlock it by scanning the QR code, put on your helmet and get ready to have fun. At the end of your ride, you just return it to where you found it. Bee Mobile accepts all debit and credit cards as payment.
It’s the perfect pairing. Our GreenBoLT alternative transportation trail winds throughout the community taking residents from door side to poolside in minutes. The 12-foot-wide path is suitable for electric golf carts, bicycles and Segways, pedestrians and now Bee Mobile scooters. It’s not just easy, it’s fun.
You can learn more about Bee Mobile here. It’s just another perk of living in beautiful Balmoral where every day is a resort day.