MONTGOMERY COUNTY EVENTS & LEADERSHIP


MONTGOMERY CO LUNCH Wednesday, November 17 "Montgomery County Annual Forecast Luncheon" featuring Mike Inselmann, Metrostudy 11:30 a.m. at The Woodlands Marriott Cost: $50/person (before November 12) $65/person (beginning November 12)


NO MCBDD IN DECEMBER


MONTGOMERY CO. LUNCH Wednesday, January 22 11:30 am at Landry's Restaurant 1212 Lake Robbins Dr, The Woodlands 77380


INFO/SPONSORSHIPS: Karen Krenek, kkrenek@ghba.org (281) 970-8970 x171 Register at www.ghba.org


MCBDD BOARD OF DIRECTORS President: Scott Stevens, Stoecker Corp. Vice President: Susan Severa, The Johnson Development Corp. Past President: Jerry Hayley, White Oak Developers


DIRECTORS: Rose Casanova-Johnston, First American Title Insurance Co. Todd Dunn, Dunn & Stone Builders LLC Tim Hardin, Langford Engineering Inc. Michael McNall, Builders Post-Tension Inc. Kevin Tokarski, Pate Engineers Inc.


Article by 2010 Montgomery County Builders & Developers Division President Scott Stevens of Stoecker Corporation.


MONTGOMERY CO. DIVISION NEWS


Turning the Corner? I


’m going on record to say that I’ve been a little distracted over the past few months.


My excuse is that I’ve been busy building a house. Not just any house…my house. I’ve lived in and owned several homes over the years, but this is the first house my wife and I have ever built. It’s been about 20 years in the making and we finally decided to pull the trigger this past January.


Now, you might be thinking, Stevens is an idiot. Why would he start a house in what is arguably the worst economy since the Great Depression? Well, I asked myself the same question every morning for the past eight months. But as of last Tuesday, I’m now the proud owner of a mortgage…uhm, a beautiful new home.


As I sit to write this article amongst the stacks of opened boxes and partially assembled furniture in my new study, I can’t believe it’s actually done. Completed. Finished. Of course, I use these terms loosely. We need to finish unpacking.


I’ve got a growing list ANNUAL GOLD SPONSOR Builders Post-Tension Inc 403 RICHEY RD. HOUSTON, TX 77090 ANNUAL SILVER SPONSOR


of punch items that were “overlooked” in the mad rush to get finished and closed. And the backyard still needs to be landscaped. And my A/V guy is only about half way finished with the entertainment center and surround sound stuff. And…well, you get the picture.


When I think about it, it’s sort of a metaphor of our current economy. I really do feel like we’ve turned the corner in many respects. The national unemployment rate seems to be stabilizing and there seems to be some job growth here and there. The Feds say they’re easing up on some of the lending regulations to help spur small business growth. And although housing starts took


a hit on the heels of the expired homebuyer tax credit, the Houston market appears to be in fairly decent shape.


I read a Houston


Business Journal article in late July about a local real estate company purchasing 600 acres in the Tomball area for a future residential community. 600 acres, even at today’s reduced values, is a wad of cash to invest in today’s market.


Cinco Ranch did the same thing by purchasing about 500 acres to add to its 7,000 acre community in the Katy area.


In


fact, according to Newland Communities, developer of the master planned community, Cinco is still selling approximately 900 homes per year and was named the top selling community in the U.S. last year. And The Woodlands is not far behind, with just over 600 homes sold in 2009.


Of course, to say we’re out of the woods is a bit of a stretch. Our economy has a “punch list” of its own. Banks need to start lending again, and job growth is an absolute must. Tax cuts need to stay in place and the Feds need to “spur” the economy by getting out of the way, not sinking more taxpayer money into the economy.


So it appears that some developers and builders, at least in the Houston area, are starting to speculate a bit, and that’s a good thing. They may be asking themselves the same question I did after they signed the closing papers, but I think they’re on the right track. One foot in front of the other. That’s the only way we’ll get there.


Now, where was I? Does anybody know where my TV remote is? My wife said it’s in a box…


36 NOVEMBER 2010 | HOUSTON BUILDER | GREATER HOUSTON BUILDERS ASSOCIATION – BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE


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