If a new home for the holidays is at the top of your wish list, we have good news. Balmoral builders have many move-in ready homes just waiting for families to discover. Many of these homes are ready now, so you can be settled in time to cook a holiday feast. Check out the advantages of purchasing a move-in-ready home.
Less Time Until Moving Day
Quick move-in homes, also called inventory homes, are at or near completion. The time it takes to close is typically the same as for an existing home. That means if you buy now, you could be home in time to hang up your holiday decorations.
You Can Tour Them
Instead of looking at a floor plan, you can see the completed home. Completed inventory homes are open for touring. You can see if the home will fit your family’s needs for the holidays and the future.
Many Builders Offer Incentives
Hoping to save some money? Many builders offer incentives if you purchase a move-in-ready home. Those incentives could take the form of reduced pricing, money toward closing costs, money toward upgrades and more. More savings could mean more money in your wallet to buy holiday gifts.
A Nicer Kitchen
New homes boast the latest trends. Yours might feature stainless-steel appliances, a kitchen island, more counter space, more cupboard space and a walk-in pantry. Purchase an inventory home and you can get it all in time to bake holiday cookies, stock up on holiday dinner supplies and have more space to entertain holiday guests.
Speaking of Guests
A new home could mean more room for guests. Your new home could have a guest suite. Bigger children’s rooms offer more space for younger guests. If your current home is too small for entertaining, you could have a larger one in time for a New Year’s Eve bash.
Less Holiday Stress
The holidays can be stressful. So can choosing floors, countertops, cabinets, paint colors and all the other decisions that come with a build-to-order home. With an inventory home, most of those decisions have already been made.
You’ll Have Fun Meeting the Neighbors
Inventory homes are usually located in master-planned communities. These communities host a lot of holiday events — which are great places for you and your family to make new friends.
Ready to Get Moving?
Visit Balmoral and talk to our amazing builders about their inventory homes. Then make a list of all the holiday activities you can enjoy in your new home.
Apple cider, pumpkin spice and flannel — there’s a lot to love about fall! Tap into that fall aesthetic and give your home a cozy décor makeover. How? Here are some tips for easy-as-pumpkin-pie fall decorating.
Cozy Curb Appeal
Up your home’s curb appeal with a fall-themed porch and front door. Start with one of these DIY fall wreaths to make your front door stand out. We like this letterboard wreath because we change up the greeting every day. Fill a red wagon with pumpkin patch finds for an adorable porch display. Celebrate the spooky season with these scary good Halloween decorations.
Fall Halls
Jazz up your entryway so you get that fall feeling every time you walk through the door. Fill a vase with painted acorns. This Magnolia-topped white pumpkin is an elegant addition to your hall table. Pick up a few items at a garage sale and craft a centerpiece around them. You can also hang up fall art or a quilt and place painted pumpkins on the stairs.
Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere
Purchase pumpkins in all shapes to use in craft projects, centerpieces, topiaries and more. Part place marker, part party favor, these pumpkin succulent planters are sure to be a hit with dinner guests. Nestle your favorite vintage in this pumpkin wine cooler. These caramel apple pumpkins are simply adorable. Want pumpkin décor without having to make pumpkin pie later? Craft these pumpkin mason jars.
Throw on the Throw Pillows
The shelves at Target, Wal Mart and HomeGoods are filled with fall-themed throw pillows, cozy blankets and other linens. Orange, red and yellow throw pillows will brighten your sofas and beds. Pack a wicker basket full of plaid throws and place it in your family room. Have fun and hang a few blankets on hooks or coat wracks — autumn colors of course.
Inviting Kitchens
Spruce up the heart of your home with well-chosen, well-placed fall decorations for a cozy kitchen. Treat your island the same way you treat your table. Pile pumpkins in an antique basket, arrange fall flowers in a vase and stack up these tree-branch coasters. Hang up cute fall-themed kitchen towels for instant autumn appeal. These burlap wine covers are easy to make and fun to display.
Perfect Patios
If you plan to entertain guests on the patio, make sure it is dressed for the season. Pinterest has some beautiful pictures you can take inspiration from. Give your patio furniture a makeover with fall-colored cushions. Pile pumpkins in the yard. Those apples you picked will look great next to your outdoor fireplace.
In Texas, we love our outdoors, and state parks offer ample opportunity for day and overnight adventures. And you have a lot to choose from with 89 state parks found throughout the state — several less than three hours from Balmoral. We’ve picked five favorites:
This expansive park offers 37 miles of hiking trails — including 13 for horseback riding that lead to primitive equestrian campsites. But beyond hiking, Brazos Bend State Park is especially known for two things — alligators and George Observatory. It’s common to spot alligators in the water and on the land, and signs throughout the park offer safety tips when encountering one. George Observatory is part of the Houston Museum of Natural Science, giving visitors an amazing view into galaxies far, far away. Tickets to the observatory must be purchased in advance. Brazos Bend State Park is located about an hour and 15 minutes from Humble in Needville.
Huntsville State Park may not be the largest state park in Texas (that honor goes to the 311,000-acre Big Bend Ranch State Park), but its 2,083 acres are still pretty impressive. Fish, swim or kayak along the 210-acre Lake Raven (kayak rentals are available). Hike 21 miles of trails. Enjoy playgrounds, a bird blind and nature center. Get ice cream at Gator Junction. You’ll often find food trucks down by the picnic area during busy weekends. Balmoral residents can get to Huntsville State Park, located in Huntsville, in just over an hour.
The closest of our featured state parks near Humble is Lake Livingston State Park, found in Livingston. Less than an hour away, this park is along the state’s second largest lake, which means you can boat and fish to your heart’s content. Miles of trails wind through the park, and campers can choose from tent sites to RV campsites with full hook-ups. There are also 10 screened shelters and several group sites.
Because Texas is so large, it’s easy to see a completely different landscape when traveling throughout the state. This certainly happens in a less-than-two-hour drive from Humble to Martin Dies, Jr. State Park, located in Jasper. This park is deep into Texas’ Pineywoods and sits along the banks of the B.A. Steinhagen Reservoir. You can hit 7 miles of hiking trails found within the park or grab a paddle and explore the nearly 14 miles of paddling trails. Canoes and kayaks are available to rent. Martin Dies, Jr. State Park offers more than 200 campsites, many along the water.
Palmetto State Park is just shy of three hours from Humble in Gonzales. The park’s namesake — the dwarf palmetto — can be found throughout the park, lending it an almost tropical ambiance. The park is small — just 19 tent sites, 17 RV sites, a group site for 24 and an air-conditioned cabin for six. But despite its size, there’s still plenty to do. You can fish from the pier at Oxbow Lake, canoe the San Marcos River, bike and hike trails, birdwatch and simply enjoy time outdoors.
It’s that time again. Time for paint companies to unveil their picks for “Color of the Year.” This year, vintage colors and jewel tones are expected to replace last year’s ubiquitous greens for a more elegant look. Paint companies are also replacing the “Color of the Year” with “Color Collections of the Year” so you can easily pair dominant colors with contrasting trims.
If you are thinking about what color to paint your new home in Balmoral or just want to shake things up, here are next year’s trending colors.
Sherwin-Williams
Sherwin Williams believes homeowners are embracing the romance of vintage colors. Their pick for 2023? Darkroom. This is a bold choice for the paint company and those who choose to take a chance on it. Black with undertones of purple, it’s not too dark and pairs nicely with hardwood floors, vintage furniture and white accent pieces. The color can also be used with the company’s Hot Cocoa and Austere Gray to create a transition between indoor and outdoor spaces.
Sherwin-Williams also tapped Poetry Plum and Restrained Gold for their 2023 collection. Poetry Plum is a subtle purple that adds glamor to bedrooms and baths. Contrast it with Pewter Green for an elegant workspace. Restrained Gold accents other vintage shades and can be paired with off-whites for a pop of color.
Valspar
Valspar is focusing on joy and comfort with a 12-shade collection featuring muted earth colors ranging from soft creams to deep olives. Holmes Cream has yellow undertones meant to evoke happy feelings. Use it in the kitchen or the family room to create a sense of warmth and harmony. Rising Tide is a luscious blue that evokes vacations spent lying on the beach enjoying the relaxing sound of the waves. It’s an excellent color for studies as blues promote creativity.
Other colors in the collection include neutrals such as Ivory Brown, Cozy White, Desert Carnation, Villa Grey and Southern Road. Everglade, Green Trellis, Gentle Violet, Flora and Blue Arrow offer muted pops of color for bedrooms and entertainment spaces.
Glidden and PPG
Glidden and PPG jointly chose Vining Ivy as their pick for 2023. This versatile shade has elements of green and blue, creating a jewel-tone color that can be used anywhere. Vining Ivy is as much a vibe as it is a color. Glidden and PPG describe the color as calming and restorative. While many jewel tones are at their best as pops of color. Vining Ivy can be used on large canvases indoors and outdoors.
Like Sherwin-Williams and Valspar, Glidden and PPG have embedded their color of the year within a larger palette. Ten shades can be used to accent Vining Ivy, including Pine Forest, Lazy River, Foxfire Brown, Cool Clay, Spicy Mustard, Fossil Stone, Stonehenge Greige, Dark Granite and Mostly Metal.
The decision to send your child to a public or private school is a personal one. It is based on what you believe will provide the best learning experience for your child. And how well the schools you choose prepare your child for higher education and the future factor in, as well.
Balmoral residents are lucky. They have many options to choose from. Our community is zoned to excellent schools in Humble ISD. The district has won multiple awards for excellence in academics and students typically score well above average on state-mandated tests and college entrance exams. Balmoral is also convenient to many excellent private schools.
Here are some factors to consider when choosing to send your child to a public or private school.
School Size
Private schools generally have lower student-teacher ratios than public schools. The more intimate classroom setting can be beneficial to students. Some students thrive in large classrooms. Others do better with fewer students. More students can translate to more elective classes and more diversity.
Academics
Parents want their children to be challenged. Because private schools charge tuition, more money may be available for elective classes and updated textbooks. Private schools usually espouse a particular educational philosophy or methodology. Public schools are paid for by state and local taxes. If the tax rate is high, schools can offer many of the same advantages as private schools. Check the course catalogs. A public school offering Advanced Placement, honors and International Baccalaureate courses may be just as strong academically as a private school.
Extracurricular Activities
Colleges look at more than grades. They want students to have a breadth of experiences. Check school websites to see what clubs and organizations are available to students. If the clubs compete, do they place well? That’s a good sign. In general, it is easier for kids to start clubs in public schools. It’s also easier for them to take on leadership roles.
Location, Location
Public schools are usually closer to home. They also offer bus service. Private schools can be up to an hour away. Most do not offer busing so you will be driving your student to and from school every day.
Admissions
Every child can attend a public school. Private schools have admission policies. Sometimes children must take entrance exams. Private high schools or students transferring from another school must demonstrate academic excellence through transcripts. Parochial schools may have religious requirements.
Cost
Public schools are free. You pay for a private school and the cost can sometimes be exorbitant. Whether or not it is worth it to your family to pay for a private school education is up to you.
Private Schools Near Balmoral
702 Atascocita Road
Humble, TX 7739
806 Russell Palmer Road
Kingwood, TX 77339
11810 Lockwood Road
Houston, TX 77044
The Learning Experience® At Fall Creek
7743 North Sam Houston Parkway East
Humble, TX 7739