PEOPLE&

PROJECTS

HomeAid Awarded Exxon Mobil Grant

HomeAid was honored to be awarded a grant through the Exxon Mobi l Communi ty Summer Jobs Program for 2010. Through this grant, HomeAid has hired Skyler Yancey to intern mid-May to mid-August. This grant is awarded to 65 Houston-based non-profit agencies

each summer. Skyler is currently a Senior at Texas A&M where she is majoring in Communications. She will graduate in December 2010. Her goal is to start her own non-profit organization supporting the arts in low income communities.

Skyler will be the Marketing and Special Events assistant. Her main focus will be to organize and coordinate all activities involved with HomeAid Houston's Project Playhouse.

Four Houston Communities Rank in 2009's Top-10

Newland Community’s Cinco Ranch, with 887 net sales, was 2009’s top-selling master- planned community (MPC) in the U.S. according to Robert Charles Lesser & Co (RCLCO), an independent real estate advisory firm. This marks a 14% increase in net sales over 2008 (the third best year in the community's 19-year history).

The Woodlands Development Co's master- planned community ranked number two in the RCLCO Top 10, with 633 net sales. Hitting the charts at number four was Newland Communities' Telfair development in Sugar Land. Telfair saw a 9% increase over 2008

Cinco Ranch's Beach Club

with 450 net sales. Sienna Plantation by The Johnson Development Co. rounded out the list at number 10, with 280 net sales.

Each year, Robert Charles Lesser & Co (RCLCO) invites more than 400 communities across the U.S. to participate in the survey. As in past years, a majority of the top-selling master- planned communities have been located in the southwestern region of the country, with the Houston market performing best overall.

For more information, visit www.rclco.com.

Ondrasek to Chair New BMC SELECT™ Millwork Best Practices Council

BMC SELECT™, leading provider of building materials and construction services, has appointed Dave Ondrasek, currently vice president and general ma n a g e r o f t h e company's Houston operations, to chair i t s Mi l lwork Bes t Practices Council. In his new role, Dave wi l l work di rect ly with each millwork operation to ensure they apply established

best practices through a coordinated and consistent effort. Although Ondrasek will remain based in Houston, he'll work closely with BMC SELECT's senior management and corporate purchasing personnel to identify key strategic objectives for the company's two-dozen-plus millwork facilities in 8 states. Key areas include sales strategies, sourcing and vendor relationships, equipment utilization, productivity and expansion opportunities. For more information, visit www.bmcselect.com.

U-Haul Names Houston No. 1 Migration Destination

According to Business Week, U-Haul International Inc. has named Houston the number one destination in its annual 2009 U-Haul National Migration Trend Report, titled "The 2009 Top 50 U.S. Destination Cities." Houston took the No. 1 spot, moving up from second place, while Las Vegas took second place, moving up from No. 4 last year. Chicago climbed to No. 3, while San Antonio ranked No. 4. Orlando, Fla. moved up to fifth, and Austin, Atlanta, Sacramento, Calif., Kansas City, Mo. and Denver rounded out the top 10. The ranking

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reflects destinations for movers traveling more than 50 miles, and considers every city in the country. The 2009 Top 50 Report was compiled from more than a million U-Haul truck transactions occurring during a recent 12 month period.

Jeff Paul Debuts ‘Inspiration Series’ Exclusively in Woodforest

Jeff Paul Custom Homes is partnering with Woodforest to introduce its Inspiration Series, fully customized homes priced from the $600s. “With generous wooded homesites priced well below custom properties in neighboring communities, Woodforest has provided us an opportunity to offer homes to buyers who are looking for a custom experience, but aren’t quite ready for the million-dollar-plus price tag,” said Ryan Paul, project manager.

Jeff Paul Custom Homes, a Montgomery County builder for more than 30 years, has developed three prototypes for the series ranging from 3,800 to 4,300 square feet. The value-engineered homes will feature such custom standards as multiple entertainment areas, private baths for secondary bedrooms, wine rooms, abundant porcelain and slate flooring, faux paint finishes and granite countertops in the kitchen and all baths.

Two custom home neighborhoods are open in Woodforest. Elk Trace offers 32 homesites as large as one acre, with most properties bordering Woodforest Golf Club. Elk Reserve offers 24 homesites averaging 90 by 150 feet, all staged around two lakes. For more information, visit www.woodforestdev.com or www.jeffpaulhomes.com.

Lucia's Oaks Building Custom Homes in East Shore

Lucia’s Oaks, a custom homebuilder in The Woodlands and Houston, has begun a homebuilding program in East Shore, the “Garden District” of The Woodlands Town Center, according to Buck Driggers, vice president of residential sales and development for The Woodlands Development Co.

Rendering of Lucia’s Oaks new single-family custom homes in the enclave of Southern Coast in East Shore, featuring views of 200-acre Lake Woodlands.

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