Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Walk to Fielder Elem in Cinco Ranch
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Cornerstone Place
Thursday, June 9, 2011
6249 Lone Prairie Way in Lakeville of Katy TX
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Backyard Paradise
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Drought?
For the first time in a long time, (my wife would say first time ever) I (David) have been bitten by the gardening bug. Now if you know me you also know that I do not consider myself to have a green thumb. Still I am trying to raise some vegetables in containers in my back yard. Nothing major, just a few tomato plants and the like.
What’s interesting is all the material I am reading tells me that plants love rain water much more than tap water because it does not contain chlorine and it is naturally soft. All over the Web I am seeing information on how to capture and store rainwater for later use. This has me constantly looking at the skies wondering when it is going to rain. I would love to collect some rainwater if only it would rain, even a little bit. Consequently, I have come face to face with the fact that Texas is in a drought, a fact that I suppose I always knew but I never really gave much thought to since I have an automatic sprinkler system to keep my yard green. But, since I would like to water my plants with rain water I am beginning to realize the severity of the drought we are experiencing.
I started doing some research. Here is some of what I found out. March of this year was the driest March on record in the state of Texas since records have been kept, and 98% of the state is under moderate to exceptional (the most severe level) drought conditions. What’s worse the forecast is for the drought conditions are predicted to persist or intensify. In other words it’s dry and likely to stay that way for a while. Here is a website where you can find additional information on drought conditions throughout the US. http://www.drought.gov/portal/server.pt/community/forecasting/209.
So, what does that have to do with your home? Extremely dry weather can have a negative effect on more that your yard and plants. It can have a negative effect on your home’s foundation. The reason is the type of soil we have here on the gulf coast has a high clay content. Referred to as an “active soil”, when this type of soil gets wet it expands and when it dries out it contracts. This shrinking and swelling cycle can raise and lower your home’s foundation which over time can cause it to fail. (Side note: It’s also not very good for growing vegetables.)
There are things that you can do to help prevent foundation problems. Marc Frelich, owner of Eagle Engineering and Inspections, is a Registered Professional Engineer whom many of our clients use to inspect homes and foundations. He recommends the following basic steps to properly maintain your foundation:
1. Provide a landscape watering program to supplement the natural rainfall in order to maintain optimal soil moisture levels around the residence. Since adding water to the soil adjacent to the foundation every day during the summer months can become a very tedious task, an automated landscape watering program can be very beneficial.
2. Keep large roots from beneath the foundation. Trees are very thirsty.
3. Maintain a positive drainage pattern around the entire residence. Make sure soils around the foundation are sloped away from the edge of the slab, and that rain gutter discharge or other concentrated flows do not pond or erode soil around the foundation. A slope of at least four inches in the first six feet away from the foundation is recommended.
Additional information about foundation performance and maintenance can be found here http://www.foundationperformance.org/Projects/FPA-SC-07-0.pdf.
In the case of foundation maintenance, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Having a foundation repaired can be very expensive. In addition, a cracked slab can cause other problems such as plumbing leaks, increasing the cost of repairs. So turn those sprinklers on and keep those foundations watered. One last hint: Keep the spray from the sprinklers directed away from the bricks. Because of the minerals in the water, over time the spray it will leave a white residue that cannot be removed. This is particularly a problem for dark colored brick.
Blog Contribution by David Rozier-The RozierTeam
Broker Associate, MBA, ABR, CRS, GRI, SFR
281-395-0680
Friday, March 25, 2011
Craving Mexican?
I think in Houston you can find a dry cleaners, nail salon and Mexican resturant in every strip center. When I have buyers from out of town I usually point out our favorite places to eat so they have a starting point. If I counted how many times in a month we ate at Hacienda Guanajuato it would be too embarrassing to admit. The Rozier Team has frequent team meetings over a basket of warm chips and a rapidly emptying bowl of green sauce.
Hacienda Guanajuato started out as La Finca, a rapidly growing chain in Houston and for some reason the owners changed to the current name. Regardless of the reasons why, I now claim it is my favorite Mexican food in Katy or even Houston for that matter. My dad is a fan of mole, which can be found on the menu. He judges the quality of a resturant by their mole. He gives this one two thumbs up!
 |
| Chicken Mole Enchiladas |
My favorite by far is the cheese enchiladas! I used to request they be doused in queso (cheese sauce) rather than the gravy the come with. However, recently I crave them just as they are.
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| El Siete (Cheese, Chicken & Beef Enchiladas) |
My mom LOVES the charro beans, except when the come with too much bacon. She will almost always trade her rice for an extra serving of charro beans.
Need a tasty and inexpensive option for your local cuisine? Try Hacienda Guanajuato, be sure to come say hi to us, because you will probably find us in our regular booth (by the kitchen door).
Hacienda Guanajuato is located at 1520 S. Mason Rd; Katy, TX 77450. 281-693-2299.
Posted by, Elizabeth Rozier
Buyer Specialist for The Rozier Team
Keller Williams Premier Realty
Katy, TX 77450
281-395-0680
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Gardening in South Texas
I (Elizabeth) bought my first home a two years ago. Since then I have been amazed at the knowledge that has slowly come from home ownership. I am not handy and therefore claim no expert knowledge on anything but my "novicness". That's right, I am an expert novice home owner. I think the one thing I am having the most fun learning is about lawn maintenance. I never thought I would enjoy (probably not the best descriptive I could use) yard work, but the more I actually see the fruits of my labor the more I enjoy it. Making things grow...ok, planting the seeds and GOD making them grow...has been fun.
Despite my ability to make my front yard beautiful, I have a finicky backyard. It is patchy, with multiple kinds of grass, bare spots, way too many trees and loads of tree roots. The previous owners, bless their hearts, planted TEN (that's right TEN) trees in my small back yard. I have given away three but I have two more that need to be passed along to another yard less, um, crowded, than mine. (If you want them you are welcome to come dig them up). In addition, I need to remove a tree that has roots bee-lining to my foundation. Already my a/c is tilting...a no, no for a/cs. Last year, in an attempt to try and make the St. Augustine more abundant, I laid the sod all by my lonesome. I was very hard work and the grass actually died despite being watered regularly. I treat my front yard the same as I treat my back and still the results vary. My front yard has turned into a full, thick and green lawn and my back is scraggily.
This spring I am declaring war! I have learn some lessons through my failures, properly researched grass, and have printed out Randy Lemmon’s fertilization schedule and attached it to my garage wall! I will win the battle and my sparse lawn will be lush and green by the end of the year!!!
Despite my ability to make my front yard beautiful, I have a finicky backyard. It is patchy, with multiple kinds of grass, bare spots, way too many trees and loads of tree roots. The previous owners, bless their hearts, planted TEN (that's right TEN) trees in my small back yard. I have given away three but I have two more that need to be passed along to another yard less, um, crowded, than mine. (If you want them you are welcome to come dig them up). In addition, I need to remove a tree that has roots bee-lining to my foundation. Already my a/c is tilting...a no, no for a/cs. Last year, in an attempt to try and make the St. Augustine more abundant, I laid the sod all by my lonesome. I was very hard work and the grass actually died despite being watered regularly. I treat my front yard the same as I treat my back and still the results vary. My front yard has turned into a full, thick and green lawn and my back is scraggily.
This spring I am declaring war! I have learn some lessons through my failures, properly researched grass, and have printed out Randy Lemmon’s fertilization schedule and attached it to my garage wall! I will win the battle and my sparse lawn will be lush and green by the end of the year!!!
I recommend you doing the same. The condition of your lawn impacts the value of your home, the condition of your foundation and your mental attitude towards your house…not to mention your neighbors attitude toward you. I recommend doing some research for yourself. My dad recommended that I use Randy Lemmon (KTRH 740's Gardenline) as a guide. He specifically discusses Houston/ South Texas lawns, so it is specific to our climate and grass types. Did I mention he is an Aggie (WHOOP)!!! I will soon be a Lemmonhead!
I would like to know from my thousands of readers (one can hope can't they?) what solutions you have found to lawn growth and maintenance?
Posted by, Elizabeth Rozier
Buyer Specialist for The RozierTeam
Keller Williams Premier Realty Katy
22762 Westheimer Parkway, Ste 430
Katy, TX 77450
281-395-0680
Monday, March 21, 2011
19923 Diamond Hills in Katy TX
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