Waterfront Window to a Winter Wonderland!

Check out the scene to which Venetian Estates residents awoke this morning!  So hard to believe we were fishing in shorts and flipflops just a few days ago!  It's truly a waterfront winter wonderland!

Be sure to check our main website for information on current listings in Venetian Estates.  Visit us at www.fbre.net/residential.  There you'll find more information on our listings and other residential real estate news.  Of course, you can also contact Susan or Kelly anytime, too.  Happy snow day!

New VE Listing! 603 Salerno Street!

Check out our new listing at 603 Salerno!  This beautifully updated 4-bed/3-bath home sits on a beautiful, private, and shaded waterfront lot!  Call us to see it today!

203 Savoy Street: Now under contract! Open House Canceled

Dear Neighbors,

We recently posted about our upcoming Open House at the beautiful home at 203 Savoy. We were looking forward to showcasing this stunning home and visiting with you; however, the event has been canceled because the home is now under contract...we now look forward to introducing new neighbors to you in our next edition of VE News! In the meantime, let Susan or Kelly know if you would like information on any other available properties in the neighborhood.   We are also seeing an uptick in interest in this special neighborhood, so please let us know if you are considering selling!

Sincerely,
Susan and Kelly

Available Venetian Estates homes and lots for sale:

610 Piedmont Street



122 Saint Marks Street



118 Tuscany Street



810 Piedmont Street



903 Gondola Street



115 Capri Street

Venetian Estates News November 2017

Market News

Presently there are 12 homes and lots on the market for sale in Venetian Estates. Prices range from $595,000 to $1,995,000.  We have two homes pending sale.

Signs of Inventory

Many of you have commented on the number of “For Sale” signs in VE. There are myriad reasons for the high inventory, but I can highlight a few. The Houston Realtor Magazine in August headlined with Housing Inventory Reaches Highest Level in Nearly Five years.  I have always said that Venetian Estates does not follow the trends: at times when the market has been “hot” our homes have taken a little longer to sell and at other times when the general market has been extremely slow our VE market has been “hot!” However, Venetian Estates is not alone in experiencing higher-than-usual inventory and time on the market. Two Realtors I spoke with recently may have said it best.  A Realtor from the Katy area said her clients are asking why their homes are not showing or selling and this Realtor said that for the first time in her 20+ year career she simply said to one client, “I DON’T KNOW; I SIMPLY DON’T KNOW!” Another Realtor who specializes in the Heights and Montrose areas said her million-dollar plus listings are not showing or selling. She said she is unsure whether it is related to the political climate or possibly the oil industry – but she said laughingly that prospects seem to be just plain flakey right now.

Specifically considering Venetian Estates, it’s important to remember that our prices have increased rapidly over the past few years.  Land values have continued to rise because this neighborhood is exceptional in that it cannot be duplicated: large lots on recreational lakes, easy access and proximity to Highway 90, I-69 and Highway 6, and only minutes away from the Houston Galleria, Greenway Plaza and the Medical Center.  It is very difficult for a prospective buyer to purchase a home and ‘make it their own’ (remodel/update) and still be under a $1 million budget.  By the same token. it is almost impossible to purchase a lot in Venetian and build and remain under $1.5 million. With these price points the competition is fierce—buyers have a tremendous number of choices.  Of course, we, as VE residents, would say there is no comparison between our neighborhood and any other place on earth!  I do encounter prospects who fall in love with our neighborhood, but for the size home they need or want they must go to one of the master planned developments to stay within their budget.

The bottom line: we do have more homes on the market than is typical for our neighborhood.  But just watch those signs disappear as the weather cools. We are working with several good prospects now and expect a great “end-of-year” market in VE!  

Join Us

Kelly Ferguson and I will host an open house at 203 Savoy on November 2 from 1 to 6 pm.  Drop by after lunch for dessert or a little later for a glass of wine while you view this spectacular home!  Please bring friends who have always wanted to live in VE or live elsewhere and don’t know what they’re missing! They will fall in love with this gorgeous 5-bedroom (4 of them downstairs!) home, complete with exquisite finishes, private guest quarters and beautiful lake view.


203 Savoy Street will be open on Thursday, November 2 from 1-6pm.

FBRE News

Warning to boaters…if you see a strange-looking object hovering above or following you around the lake do not panic! Kelly and I are having an informational video made with drone photography to showcase our lakes and point out all the wonderful attributes of Venetian Estates. We will be using this video to market our listings in Venetian Estates.

We recently negotiated leases on two of the highly sought one-story townhomes in Imperial.  One was a long-term corporate lease. We also just closed on the sale of an Imperial patio home. Please call us if you’re interested in the area.

Apprised on Appraisals

Many of you know that the Dodd Frank Act created challenging new regulations for lenders. One of the major impacts fell on real estate appraisers, who must have an “arms’-length” relationship with lenders and Realtors. This is not problematic for homes in large or master-planned subdivisions (think Sugar Creek, Riverstone or First Colony), where there are ample sales and similar properties. However, the inability of lenders to handpick appraisers (who have experience with particular neighborhoods) can be devastating for a sale in a smaller, varied neighborhood such as Belknap Brookside, VE or Alkire, where there are many facets and “intricacies” that determine value.

FBRE has repeatedly provided value to clients by sharing “unrecorded” information with appraisers to help them understand and achieve appropriate values.  We recently represented a buyer in Belknap-Brookside. The home was on the high side for the neighborhood, however, was priced fairly based on updates and improvements.  Long story short: the appraisal came in $65,000 low on this $400k-price-range home! The home needed to appraise at value for the buyer to obtain the desired loan.  We immediately suggested an alternative lender and Kelly Ferguson prepared a compelling appraisal package with pertinent information regarding the property and the area.  It is extremely difficult to get an appraisal increase of$65,000 on a property in this price range - but we never give up and we got it done!

Call or email with any news and please let Kelly or me know if you need any more specific information regarding our VE market!

Fabulous Venetian Estates home open Sunday, Oct 29

This beautiful home will be open on Sunday, October 29 from 2 to 4 pm.  Prepare yourself for this incredible property.  5-bedroom, 1-story floorplan on a large lot on the water?  Yes, it is possible!  Come by and see all Venetian Estates has to offer in one amazing home.  

Open Sunday, October 29, 2-4 pm

610 Piedmont Street in Venetian Estates More info on HAR.com here!


Fabulous 1-story with 5 bedrooms on large waterfront lot in Venetian Estates

Enjoy the evening breezes from your peaceful and private dock

Enjoy cooking and dining in this spacious, gourmet kitchen while taking in the long lake view.

Contact Susan Friedman, CRS with any questions about this property, this open house, or any available properties in Venetian Estates!

Venetian Estates Open House Weekend! Two fabulous homes in two days!

Stop by one or both of these awesome homes in Venetian Estates this weekend.  Two great homes in one great neighborhood!

Saturday, Sept 30.  122 Saint Marks Street.  Open 1-4 pm.

Fantastic floor plan with incredible lake views. See more pics of 122 Saint Marks St here.

Sunday, Oct 1.  518 Lombardy Drive.  Open 1-4 pm.

518 Lombardy Drive has been beautifully remodeled and updated.  Its location at the back of Venetian Estates offer quiet and peaceful lake views.   See more pics here.



See these two excellent examples of homes in exquisite Venetian Estates, Sugar Land, TX.  Contact Susan Friedman, CRS, for more information on either of these homes or any available properties in Venetian Estates.

Venetian Estates News July 2017

NEW CONSTRUCTION, NEW NEIGHBORS

Construction is underway at 111 Savoy! This beautiful new home is being built by our neighbor, Chris Trlicek. Chris always builds pretty homes, but it is also very important to him to build his very best in Venetian Estates. He tells his clients that if something goes wrong with their new home they know exactly where to find him at 102 Capri Street!

Our new neighbors at 111 Savoy will be Dinah and Cheng Lee. Both Dinah and Cheng are business owners. Cheng is a Doctor of Chiropractic and owns the Injury Center of Houston, with locations in North & Southwest Houston. Dinah manages all human resources and marketing services for the clinics. She also runs her own Durable Medical Equipment company. As if they were not busy enough, they were blessed with fraternal twins in 2013—one girl and one boy. Lianah Rose is older than Jett Alexander by one minute! The twins will be turning 4 years old in July. Dinah and Cheng are high school sweethearts, together for 25 years. They recently celebrated their 17th wedding anniversary. The Lees have lived in Sugar Lakes for the past 10 years. They have one white Chihuahua-Pom mix named Sophie who is holding strong at 13 years old! We look forward to seeing the whole family in the neighborhood soon!


FBRE NEWS


FBRE is delighted to announce that construction has commenced for BlendIn Coffee Club! We are remodeling and repurposing the motor bank building on Savoy to create a very special place we will all enjoy. The reborn building will soon be home to BlendIn, a gourmet, hand-poured coffee shop, which will include beautiful interiors and a lovely covered patio for neighbors to commune! Our contractor, Construction Concepts, is an expert in Class A restaurant construction, and will work expeditiously...we expect BlendIn to be open in the early fall. Kelly has worked on this project for many months, carefully planning with the City and meeting with different businesses who have been interested in operating a coffee shop/cafe concept at this location. We think we have found the perfect fit with BlendIn. (Bud made sure that pastries will be on the menu along with the world-class coffee!)


Catch an early glimpse of BlendIn's concept here: www.blendincoffeeclub.com and see a rendering on our website at www.fbre.net/projects

622 Imperial Blvd

We have just listed a three bedroom or two-bedroom + study town home in Imperial, at 622 Imperial Blvd. This is one of Trendmaker’s one-story, three-car garage town home designs that soldincredibly fast in 2015 when they were built. There were only a few of the one-story designs so this resale is a rare opportunity. (The owner is being transferred out of the country.) If you know of anyone desiring to live in the heart of Sugar Land, a short walk or trolley-ride away from the up-and-coming Imperial Market, give me a call. The patio home is approximately 2046 square feet and priced at $410,000. It offers the “lock and leave” concept of easy living, with the property owners’ association maintaining the front and back lawns. The home has an open floor plan, gorgeous granite counters, wood flooring, and a private courtyard for a garden and patio.


Quite on the other end of the spectrum, Bud is marketing a 562-acre ranch on US Hwy 90A in Gonzales County. It is a beautiful, heavily-wooded tract of land that is loaded with wildlife - lots of trophy deer, dove, wild hog, coyotes, bobcats, etc. It is located just 125 miles west of Sugar Land, 50 miles east of San Antonio and 50 miles south of Austin! Many would say, "the perfect location!" It’s an incredible recreational and investment property, just two hours west on Hwy 90A. Call or email Bud for pricing and details. (Bud@fbre.net, 281-242-2200 or 281-413-1788)


LET’S KEEP THE TRADITION GOING!


One of the most special things about our neighborhood is the annual Fourth of July Boat Parade on Lake Venice! Please contact Susan Marblestone at susanmarblestone@gmail.com and let her know you will be meeting at the bridge with your patriotic boat on the Fourth at 6:30!


OPEN HOUSE ON JULY 4

122 Saint Marks is open on Tuesday, July 4 from noon to 4pm! 

While you’re waiting for the boat parade to begin, stop by my listing at 122 Saint Marks. I will be hosting an open house at this gorgeous recent-construction home on July 4 between noon and 4pm. I’ll be available to share more information about this incredible home with great views and can also answer any questions about other available homes in VE.


Even with more choices than normal as far as available homes in Venetian, I have two prospects who have not yet found the perfect VE home for themselves. If you are considering selling, don't hesitate to call me and see if yours might be the perfect match for one of these couples. They are both looking for a home that can be remodeled to suit their specific needs.


And please remember to contact me if you or someone you know is looking in other areas to purchase. I love representing buyers in other areas as well. I am presently working with past client referrals in Sugar Creek and Belknap-Brookside but I love to show in Houston and Richmond/Rosenberg as well!!

Open Saturday 10am-2pm! 122 Saint Marks

Come view this fabulous recent construction (2015) home with stunning views of Lake Venice!  It will be open this Saturday, May 6 from 10am to 2pm.  Stop by to see this home and get information on all available properties in Venetian Estates.

View from Balcony of 122 Saint Marks

Open House Saturday May 6 from 10am until 2 pm

Professional photos are coming on May 10

106 Capri

Over 3000 Square Feet and Priced at $799,000

Pretty Family Room and Amazing Sun Room Overlooking Lake Venice

Glorious Breezes Make Relaxing on the Lake a Dream Come True

518 Lombardy Drive

Now Priced at $879,000!

                 

Venetian Estates News - March 2017

Venetian Estates News - March 2017

Real Estate &  More

The VE Market

Presently there are eight homes and lots on the market in Venetian Estates ranging in price from $650,000 to $2.2 million. Please call us for info on any of these properties. 

Our new listing at 302 Piedmont is priced at land value only. However, the home of approximately 2012 square feet could certainly be transformed into a picturesque cottage on this beautiful half-acre lot with an amazing long view down Lake Venice. 

Our newest listing is the stunning home located on a cul-de-sac lot at 118 Tuscany.  See the amazing photos on www.VenetianEstatesNews.com (or HAR.com, of course) and watch for an invitation to a special preview “Wine and Cheese” event. This home is recognized for its solid construction. Its timeless, original and refreshing design offers a lovely palette for any interior style. Modern or traditional furnishings pop in this serene setting with gorgeous water views.

If you are in the process of determining whether to rebuild on your lot, purchase a lot and build, or to remodel your existing home please call us. Kelly and I would be glad to meet with you and help determine your best option.  It is not so simple anymore, considering the increased land values in Venetian Estates!

New Neighbor News

Our new neighbors at 510 Lombardy are Hina and Vinay Naik. Vinay works as a Pharmacist and Hina works as a Human Resources Director. Hina and Vinay both grew up in Africa and have lived in Sugar Land since the late 1980s. The Naiks have a son and a daughter, both attending the University of Texas in Austin. The Naiks have beautifully remodeled their home and perhaps now can take some time to travel, which they absolutely love to do!

Susan and Pat Uselton are our new neighbors at 806 Piedmont. The Useltons moved from New Territory, where they lived for 23 years.  Susan and Pat have twins, Sarah and Brian. Sarah and her husband Craig have a 3-year-old girl and 10-month-old boy. Brian and his wife, Kelly, have a 2-year-old boy. The twins’ families live in Sienna Plantation, only about a mile apart!

Susan is a Registered Nurse and works part-time at Memorial Hermann in Katy (this is her 20^th year!) as a Case Manager and Nurse Auditor. Pat, a pharmacist by degree, is Director of Quality and Pharmacy Practice for Cardinal Health. Susan and Pat have been married 40 years this June. Susan is an active tennis player, playing 2-3 times per week. Pat stays busy at their ranch, which is 2 hours north of Dallas. He and his brother have 350 acres and run cattle.

The Useltons are thrilled to be living in VE. Pat has recently been elected to the VE Board and Susan is co-hosting the March coffee.  As you can see, they like being involved!  Susan and Pat say they have been overwhelmed by the kindness of and welcoming by their new neighbors!

This Old House

For those of us with the original cast iron plumbing I recently found an interesting article in the Jan/Feb Texas Realtor Magazine written by Mike Williams, PE, owner of Vortex Technologies, Inc. The article states that cast iron can last from 20 to 120+ years, and that inspection reports stating that systems installed in the 1950s and 1960s are nearing the end of their useful life are often premature. The article is a long one but worth reading if you, like Bud and I, still have the original cast iron plumbing.   Call or email me if you would like a copy. Or, to read an even longer version of the article with three case studies, visit texasrealestate.com/magazine.

FBRE News

From time to time we like to email our neighbors invitations to FBRE’s Open Houses and Wine and Cheese Events (especially the ones in Venetian Estates). If you are not sure if we have your email address, please send it to me at Susan@fbre.net.

SPRING COFFEE

Terry Beckham Co-Hostess & Kelly Ferguson FBRE

Susan Uselton & Carol Traile Co-Hostesses

Rebecca Schillaci, Cindy Pack and Ann Tiffany 

The VE Spring Coffee was held today at the gorgeous home of Carol and Steve Traile.
So many of our wonderful neighbors attended - mostly women :) but three of our guys were spotted as well! The food was incredible and the venue remarkable!  We are truly blessed to live in such a neighborly neighborhood!!
Thank you Carol, Susan and Terry!

COMING SOON!

118 Tuscany

Relaxing on Lake Venice

The Home at 203 Savoy is Amazing!

                                      203 Savoy

Venetian Estates News - January 2017

Real Estate and More

2016 Recap

Three Venetian Estates sales are reported in the Houston Association of Realtors' Multiple Listing Service for the year 2016. These sales range in price from $525,000 to $800,000. However, there were several ‘unrecorded' or 'off-market' sales during the year. We have some absolutely wonderful new neighbors and I can't wait for you to meet them.

New Neighbor News

Soon-to-be neighbors at 822 Bel Mar are Christen and Dave Johnson. The Johnson family, previous residents of Sienna Plantation, are long-time residents of Fort Bend County.  They have three daughters—twins Piper and Tate (5), who attend Fort Bend Christian Academy, and Georgia who is two years old. They  also have a  Labradoodle named Barney.  Dave is in the furniture business, on the supply side, and Christen is a marketing professional for a Houston-based land developer. They attend The Bridge Fellowship Church in Sugar Land.  Christen and Dave will be doing a considerable amount of remodeling so it will be a little while before you see them in the neighborhood on a daily basis.

By the way, the home at 822 Bel Mar was originally owned by Ella and Edgar Laird.  In recent years Sandra and Jim McGowan, the Lairds' daughter and son-in-law, have been our wonderful neighbors here.  It's always hard to lose our great neighbors, but thankfully we always seem to acquire wonderful new neighborhood friends!

Our new neighbor at 215 Savoy is Roberta Ness, M.D., M.P.H. Dr. Ness is Vice-President for Innovation at The University of Texas School of Public Health.  She is a recognized expert in women's health research. Roberta has a long list of honors, appointments and positions! However, she is one of the most personable neighbors you will ever meet...so don't let her Curriculum Vitae scare you! Roberta has a son, Joel, 26 and a daughter, Sara, 25. 

VE History, for Old Times’ Sake...

Looking back 25 (!) years to January 1992 Venetian Estates News: "Real estate activity in VE during 1991 was relatively slow. Four sales are reported in the HAR MLS, the prices for which ranged from $175,000 to $248,000. There are presently seven homes available for sale, ranging in price from $149,500 to $335,000."

Market News

I so often meet people who wish they would have purchased in Venetian Estates 25 years ago - or even 10 years ago. But there is no time like the present! Our values continue to increase so if you have friends who are considering Venetian Estates now is the time to buy! There are three available homes on HAR and two available lots on which to build.  Please call us for information on any of these properties.  We also have two great homes that are not yet being advertised.

If you have not seen our newest listing at 203 Savoy please go to har.com/SusanFriedman and enter the property address. (Click Full Details.)  As gorgeous as the photos are, the home is even more spectacular! While it is over 6000 square feet, you simply don't feel that when you walk in the door. The scale of the rooms is perfect--the entire home is comfortable, yet truly beautiful. The floor plan is versatile and could accommodate a second master suite or separate living quarters. The finishes and details throughout make this custom home one of the most spectacular in Sugar Land.  Combined with the large lot and view of Lake Venice, 203 Savoy is the best new home in Fort Bend County!  If you have considered building on your lot in VE, please meet with us at 203 Savoy.  It is very possible that we can sell your present home, allowing you to purchase a completed “new construction” home, with the net result of less costs to you!

FBRE News

Remember that as much as we love to do business in Venetian Estates we represent clients throughout the Houston area. In Dec. we sold homes in Needville, Richmond (new construction), Brookshire and Sugar Land (VE and Belknap/Brookside). We have a new listing in Imperial coming up in February. This upgraded patio home will be priced well, as the owner has been relocated. We also have one or two of the lovely two-story Trendmaker townhomes (with garden courtyards and 3-car garages!) that we could show "pre-market." 

Venetian Estates News - October 2016

Real Estate and More

Around the Neighborhood

Everyone knows one of the greatest things about Venetian Estates is the neighbors and our soon-to-be neighbors at 902 Piedmont are no exception!

Asit and Khushboo Vashisht have broken ground on their new home and are looking forward to becoming a part of the Venetian Estates community in 2017! Asit grew up in beautiful Colorado and attended the University of Colorado in Boulder. He has an MBA from the University of Denver. Khushboo obtained her undergraduate in India and has a masters degree from the University at Buffalo in New York. Khushboo moved to Houston from New York in 2014 when she and Asit married.

Asit is the owner of an oil and gas company and his offices are located in the BancorpSouth Building. (Kelly Ferguson  with FBRE worked with Asit in securing the lease.) Khushboo is a Financial Analyst for Credit Suisse. We hope you will have a chance to meet them at a neighborhood function even before they move in.

By the way, the next neighborhood 'get-together'  will be the annual holiday party.  This year the party will be on Sunday, December 4th from 6 to 8 pm at the beautiful home of Jan and Paul Hinson (915 Gondola). You will not want to miss!

Back to the BancorpSouth Building...Your neighbor, BancorpSouth (NYSE: BXS), located in Suite 100 of 8410 Highway 90A, is staffed by a group of local, veteran lenders and support staff providing a wide range of commercial and consumer banking services, including commercial real estate, construction, and residential lending.  The Sugar Land office is a loan production office offering various loan products and services.

Please stop by  or call the office at 281-243-8050 to discuss their services.

We Go Everywhere

Anyone interested in the Belknap Brookside area give us a call! We recently sold lovely properties in the neighborhood and have another charming one coming on the market soon.  Contact us for a “pre-market” showing if you know someone interested in this neighborhood, a Sugar Land gem!

Brookshire/South Katy, anyone? We have a great new listing of a recent-construction home in Willow Creek Farms. The owners have already moved and it is priced extremely well.

How about Needville?  Five unrestricted acres, a farm house, greenhouse, barn and small office?  It’s not yet on the market, but we are ready to share more information!

VE New Construction
We have been working with our neighbor Chris Trlicek of Kingston Custom Builders in contract negotiations for the new home he will build on the vacant lot on Savoy. We sold the future home before it hit the market.

If you or your friends have considered building in VE, please call us. We are in the early stages of marketing another “future” home by Chris Trlicek, and there is time to customize the floor plan. It’s quite possible that we sell this one before it officially hits the market, as well! 

Chris has a portfolio of beautiful, quality-construction homes. As a VE resident, he understands the importance of customizing design for particular VE lots. Call us to schedule a meeting to discuss how to build your dream home in Venetian Estates!

FBRE News

There is a rare opportunity to have an office in the heart of charming “Old Sugar Land.” The historic (home of the first mayor of Sugar Land!) property at 210 Brooks Street allows for business owners to live and office near the Imperial Market, which will soon be the destination for upscale retail, office, etc. in Sugar Land. There truly is nothing like the "business" side of Brooks Street anywhere else in Sugar Land. 210 Brooks is especially valuable because of its relatively large lot size and thus room for expansion. For information on this commercial property contact Kelly Ferguson in our office at 281-242-2200 or kelly@fbre.net.

I have an “empty-nester” prospect who would like to purchase a home in Venetian Estates. Please let Kelly or me know if you are considering selling. The prospect is interested in both remodeled homes and ones that require updating. Yours just might be the perfect house!