That’s right, the last two weekends here in Bryan/College Station were dominated by the semi-annual HBA Parade of Homes.  Not only did visitors get their fill of beautiful and perfectly staged homes, they also got the chance to check out each of the builders work and judge for themselves how these builders measured up to the competition.

The RNL Homebuilders home in Castle Rock seemed to be one of the favorite homes of many visitors this year and most were impressed by the level of quality and features included at this moderately-priced home.  Building on 25 years of custom home-building experience, Ricardo Reyna, the owner of RNL Homebuilders, has expanded his business to this area after both of his son and daughter attended Texas A&M University and fell in love with the Brazos Valley so much that they convinced their father to move here.  At RNL, business is definitely a family-affair as Ricardo (the Father), Nora (the Daughter), and Luis (the Son) all play a very hands-on role throughout the design, construction, and completion phases of building a custom home.  And best of all, they have 24 lots in the highly-desirable Castle Rock community for you to choose from and truly create your dream home.

Maybe you don’t have the time or patience to build a house from start-to-finish yourself, and that’s definitely okay because they have several homes that are at various stages in the construction process that still allow you the freedom to choose some of the finishes to suit your individual taste, such as granite, cabinetry, and paint colors.  The Reyna’s have worked extremely hard to make the RNL brand stand for high-end design and extremely high-quality and it is shown throughout each home, as they spend money on higher-quality materials and construction techniques that they would have to, in order to give their home buyers the best possible home available.  They start with an extra-reinforced foundation that is 6” deeper than almost anyone else’s, then they use higher-grade lumber, all stone and brick exteriors, and top-of-the-line A/C systems to create an extremely quality product.  The high-end design elements are shown through the use of handscraped Hickory wood floors, double-layer crown molding, soft-close cabinetry, designer paint colors and custom tile surrounds – not to mention that Nora is the in-house interior desig
ner who will guide you each step of the way to ensure that your home is as perfect as it should be!  Overall, RNL Homebuilders has a phenomenal product and a great business model that should fit very well in the B/CS community and make them extremely successful with the buyers in the market which means that they will be around for a long time.

If you didn’t get a chance to see the RNL Homebuilders house during the Parade of Homes, head to www.RNLHomebuilders.com for plenty of pictures and more information and call Luke Marvel at 979-217-1162 for a private showing!

One of these new laws directly concerns the general homestead exemption. This exemption pertains to most, if not all of individual homeowners in some way. But it would hardly be considered an exemption if every home received the break. So, in order for a home to qualify for the general homestead exemption, it must meet certain criteria. First, it must be the primary residence of the homeowner. Second, the property must be owned by an individual (so basically not owned by a business or corporation). Also, the property must be the principal residence of the individual as of January 1st of that tax year. A home must also qualify as a homestead: any kind of separate structure, condominium, or manufactured home located on privately owned land. It also can be on land of up to 20 acres given that the land is owned by the homeowner and used for residential purposes.

So what is this new change in laws regarding property tax exemptions in Texas? For the homestead exemption, the recently applied ‘House Bill 252’ requires all applicants of the homestead exemption to provide a copy of the homeowner’s state driver’s license or identification card. It also mandates the presentation of the homeowners vehicle registration receipt to be sent with the exemption application. And for homeowners without vehicle ownership, the new bill allows for a simple substitution. Applicants for the homestead exemption that don’t own any vehicles may send in their current utility bill that provides their name and address, along with an official declaration indicating the homeowner’s lack of vehicle ownership.

Though, it is important to note that these requirements are not necessary for homeowners who applied for the homestead exemption before the changes in legislation. Upon applying, it will not be necessary to re-apply unless your principal residence moves or you receive a new application to be processed from your regional tax office.

The reason for these new measures might seem unusual to those bothered by the extra required documentation for the application of a property tax exemption. Yet, according to Texas Comptroller Susan Combs, “The homestead exemption is intended to help relieve the tax burden of Texas full-time residents. This new legislation ensures that the system is working fairly and legally.” Regardless, a few extra papers and methods of identification are hardly anything new in government processes. And if they help provide for a relief on a homeowner’s property tax, the extra hassle is definitely worth the return.

Changes in the requirements for homestead exemptions are not all that have changed with the recent passing of property tax legislation. All homeowners seeking for the ‘Over 65 years of age’ exemption, as well as the disabled exemption, the disabled veteran’s exemption, the extended exemption for a homeowner’s surviving spouse, and the mobile home exemption are all subjected to the requirements mandated by the new law. Though, certain aspects of a few particular exemptions have been elaborated upon.

First of all, under the new law, Texas will now give property tax breaks to the spouses of 100% disabled veteran’s. The old exemption had always provided a full relief for veterans who had declared 100% disability from a service related incident. Now, however, the spouses of these veterans are also allowed that relief, should the veteran die. Also, for the spouses of homeowners who qualify for the 65 year old tax exemption may qualify for a property tax ceiling, given they are 55 years or older. These tax ceilings allow for the cost of the property tax to go below the provided ceiling, but never to exceed it.

Another alteration in the requirements for exemptions from property tax includes particular circumstances regarding manufactured homes (or mobile homes). Owners of these vehicles must provide documentation in addition to their proof of residency: including proof of purchase of their mobile home, as well as a statement of location and ownership provided by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.

Of all these adjustments in the requirements and procedures of Texas Property Tax Exemptions, there are still many exceptions and exclusion that accompany all documented legislation. For the best source regarding individual qualification for tax exemptions and specific county property taxes, it is best to confer with the Brazos Valley County tax office, or through whichever particular county your principal residence is located in.

Susan Hilton

PS -  Susan Hilton is Bryan College Station, Texas’ real estate specialist in foreclosure sales and real estate agent career building so if you need help – CALL!             979-219-3970

You have seen them, dogs and their owners.  Dogs love the the sidewalks as they lead the way on their leashes.  Most dog walkers have real doggy bags on their leashes.  It is exciting to see and know that the sidewalks are clean of debris for everyone.  The sidewalks are wide enough for dogs and their owners can walk and still give way to other pedestrians.  If you have a beagle, like me, you know that having a wide sidewalk helps.  I promise, my beagle Riley-Puppy, does not lift his nose from the ground the whole time we are on a walk.   Sometimes I think he is hunting for a beagle that smells just like him.  He will always leads the way around the 2.25 mile sidewalk straight to our front door.
Kids love the sidewalks because it leads them straight to Forest Ridge in the morning.  It is thrilling to see all the parents that ride their bikes next to their kids every morning.   Kids need sidewalks to ride bikes.  Recently, I saw that the sidewalk was cleared of all the underbrush that was between the sidewalk, fence and Forest Ridge.  This way kids can be seen. Thank you, city of College Station and Castlegate HOA!

You may not know this, but the sidewalk changes in elevation more than you realize.  You do not notice the hills in the car, but when you are running your legs will not miss them. These sidewalks are so much better  than running on  graded street.  There is a half mile downhill, and you guessed it, a half mile uphill around the northeast sidewalk.   There are flats, curves, wooden bridges and lots of turn offs that lead to other streets in the neighborhood.  Read some of the shirts people are wearing while running.  You will see several people with running event shirts while training on these sidewalks.  5K, 10K, ½ marathons and marathons shirts are running past you all the time.

Hopefully, if you have not utilized the sidewalk in Castlegate, you will now.  Spring is among us so get out there and walk your dog, ask your kid if they want to be a bike rider today or go for a 10 K run.

Keep them clean and keep it classy.

Steve Santos “My REALTOR”

PS - I’m Steve Santos, I do what I say I will do, some times more just never less

From 5-10 p.m. downtown Bryan offers First Friday, an event for the cities of Bryan and College Station and surrounding areas to join together and have an enjoyable evening. Whether your evening consists primarily of dining out and visiting with friends or bringing the kids along for a carriage ride and movie, the choice is yours.

Madden’s Casual Gourmet is a popular favorite spot for dinner. All of their food is made from scratch, including every soup and mayonnaise on the menu. Chef Madden is constantly seeking to widen the variety on his menu and challenging himself to find additional flavorful combinations for customers. Madden’s uses top quality products and their presentation of food is nothing short of artistic. The restaurant strives to provide only the freshest ingredients for their customers. Relationships with local producers and manufacturers, as well as a garden of their own, provide Madden’s with top quality food. Madden’s also hosts a movie night for families on First Friday. Movies such as Alice in Wonderland, Thumbelina and the Blind Side have been played in the past.

Wine bars and coffee houses are hotspots at any time in downtown Bryan but take on a certain quaintness on First Friday. The Village Downtown is an art café that specializes in soup, salad, pastries, and sandwiches. The Village offers a place for live music, and an art gallery which support their mission to create an awareness of all things local in the Brazos Valley. Downtown Uncorked Wine Bar is located next to the Village Café and is a place to come and take a load off while you enjoy a glass of wine. Revolution Cafe & Bar is another venue offering live music and artwork.

The historic buildings of downtown Bryan are beautifully constructed and create a feeling of being back in the early 1900’s, when the Carnegie Library was built. This library, located in downtown Bryan, served as the community’s library for nearly 70 years before becoming a center that houses stacks of files and books of the city’s history. The LaSalle Hotel is another historic building that has been renovated. When it first opened in 1928, this hotel was seven stories tall and contained 100 guest rooms. It also housed a ballroom, a meeting space, and several small businesses including a tailor, a barber and a café. The hotel went through several conversions, and a period of being closed but is now reopened and a major attraction for the city of Bryan. The Queen Theatre is another historic location that is currently under construction.

Many art galleries offer live jazz, free art activities and numerous exhibits from local artists. Square One Studio & Gallery displayed an exhibit of art by graduating seniors majoring in Art, from Texas State University during the First Friday of April. Live painting demonstrations were held at the  Arts Council of Brazos Valley’s info tent, as well.

Shopping for unique accessories or one of a kind antiques is another popular attraction of downtown Bryan, and First Friday only brings in more jewelry pieces and antiques. Corner of Time Antiques & Collectibles Mall, is one place where customers are free to browse the antiques and then stop by the soda fountain for a drink. Corner of Time offers pottery wheel throwing and wood carving demonstrations in addition to live music. Jim.n.i. offers a wide variety of women’s clothing and accessories; from baby items, handbags, gifts, to all types of clothing.

Custom stained glass pieces and demonstrations of how to stain glass are offered by Brazos Glassworks.

Parking for this event is available in the brand new parking garage located at 27th St. and N. Washington, next to the Clara Mounce Library.

Downtown Bryan is located at 105 S. Main St., Bryan, TX.

See you there!

Steve Santos

PS – I’m Steve Santos, I do what I say I will do, sometimes more just never less!

With its rolling nature trails, beautiful scenery and large variety of amenities, Bee Creek Park is an ideal family-oriented site. Located just past the intersection of Anderson and Southwest Parkway, Bee Creek is surrounded by towering trees but includes a number of open fields, perfect for any athletic event, kite-flying, or just a good old-fashioned game of tag. Four lighted tennis courts allow for heated rivalries at any hour of the night while also offering privacy for the beginner anxious to learn. Two lighted softball fields, a pavilion, a sand volleyball court, and picnic areas are the perfect conveniences for any group event, church picnic, or birthday party. The outside setting allows for easy clean-up and no stress over messes. Two playground sets are the perfect equipment to burn off young children’s energy, and an old-fashioned swing set offers a relaxing peaceful sway for anyone looking to escape into nature for a while. Nature trails and a concession building with restrooms complete this idyllic park.

Tanglewood Park sits on Carter Creek Parkway and Tanglewood Drive. Charming landscaping, barbecue pits and picnic tables make this a perfect location for a cook-out or family reunion. The park has new restrooms, several playgrounds, and walking paths. It is also equipped with lighted tennis courts, a sand volleyball court, and several soccer goals. In addition, a new splash-pad was recently added to the park to not only entertain for hours but also to serve to keep people cool in the summer’s heat.

Wolf Pen Creek is a unique park location due to the amphitheater it includes. The amphitheater is used for everything from festivals, to fundraisers, concerts, plays, and even accommodates a free summer concert series for families and groups of friends to attend and listen to music under the stars. Lightning bugs embellish the perimeter of the amphitheater floating around the edge of the woods and hills provide a sheltered atmosphere. The stage is surrounded by a moat that spills into a pond, lying behind the amphitheater and into a creek that runs through the park. A Frisbee golf course is weaved throughout the perimeter, and walkways wind through as well. Wolf Pen Creek also has a new playground area, completely fenced in, and workout equipment for the motivated individual. The amphitheater is available for renting, as well as the Green Room and the Plaza. The Plaza offers a lighted outdoor seating area complete with indoor bathrooms. The Green Room is an upscale indoor room, beautifully decorated and appropriate for banquets, dinners, or private parties.

If you are partial to the smaller, simpler parks, Brison Park is the perfect place for you. Located off of South Dexter, this park is home to one of the largest and best climbing trees in town. Individuals are often seen setting up hammocks from the limbs of this particular tree and on any sunny day there is a good possibility of catching someone hanging from its limbs, ten feet off the ground. A quant stream runs through the middle of the park which is connected by a small wooden bridge. The high hills in this park make it a unique spot in the historic district of College Station and the majority of the park is shaded by towering Oak trees. The park is also often inhabited by a pack of guinea-hens: perfectly harmless birds that resemble the average hen. These hens are rather skittish, completely docile and very entertaining.

As stated earlier, the list of parks in the Bryan, College Station area goes on forever, adding a touch of nature and serenity to each neighborhood and subdivision in the area.

PS - Susan Hilton is Bryan College Station, Texas’ real estate specialist in foreclosure sales and real estate agent career building so if you need help – CALL!

This partnership has produced the absolute best portfolio of Class A Student rental housing in Aggieland (College Station TX) AND some of the Best Real Estate investment opportunities on the planet!

Aggies, Check out www.aggieleasing.com

Investors, Check out some of these cash flow scenarios: www.barrackstownhomes.com

Call us anytime on our new hotline at 888-567-5757 or Text us at 313-Gig-Em-Ag

Thanks & Gig-Em’

Being involved in dance and music is a great way for children to learn skills such as coordination, music reading, and rhythm. It’s also a great way for children to advance in their social skills and provide a fun environment to keep them active!

Expressions Dance and Music, located on Wellborn Road near Rock Prairie in College Station, Texas, is the perfect place to get your kiddos moving to the beat! Expressions Dance and Music offers tons of options – from drum to voice to violin and everything in between. They also have classes for almost every kind of dance you can imagine including the more traditional ballet and tap to hip hop, drill team, pom, and contemporary.

 Expressions Dance and Music has a class for just about every age  starting at 3 years.  They also have competition teams that are divided by age and are known for having great showmanship and being quite entertaining!

Two of my own children attend Expressions Dance and Music, and off all the activities we do, they both agree their time at Expressions is their favorite!

Raylene Lewis — Century 21′s #1 Realtor and College Station Expert

979-218-2235

www.buyincollegestation.com

Chef Tai’s Mobile Bistro is one of College Station, Texas’ newest rave’s in town!  Chef Tai’s offers a variety of unique lunch specials that were inspired from cuisines around with world which include Kobe burgers, BBQ pulled pork tacos, Brussels Tofu Florentine and many others.

You can find Chef Tai at many different locations around the Bryan and College Station, Texas area weekly! Be sure to look them up on Facebook or Twitter to see if they will be near your workplace this week!

This is for sure a lunch you will want to have again and again! My personal favorite is a tie between the Kobe Burger and whatever their special dessert of the day is! Don’t miss it!

Raylene Lewis — Century 21′s #1 Realtor and College Station Expert!

979-218-2235

www.buyincollegestation.com

What happens when you are hungry for some late-night Tex-Mex? What if it’s the middle of the day, and yet, a breakfast taco sounds sooo good? Fuego Tortilla Grill in College Station, Texas open 24 hours is the answer! 

Fuegos of the newest and hottest places to go to get tacos of any flavor!! You can choose from bean & cheese, steak and cheese, bacon, potato, etc. you name it and they have it!  It is conveniently located at Poplar and Texas Ave. by the U-Haul in College Station, TX.  Fuegos also has a great lunch menu. Everything at Fuego’s in College Station, Texas is served fresh and made from scratch everyday! They don’t cook it until you order it!

This new restaurant is sure to be come a well known Favorite! Come and custom make your own taco today at the Fuego’s Tortilla Grill in College Station, Texas!

Raylene Lewis — Century 21′s #1 Realtor and College Station Expert

979-218-2235

www.buyincollegestation.com

Hungry for a sandwich in South College Station?  In 1957 in Detroit, Michigan, Harry J. Hoenselaar opened up the first Honey Baked Ham and since opening, there have been over 400 stores opened across the United States.   The best thing of all at Honey Baked Ham is, of course, THE HAM!!! The ham is of the finest quality that is smoked for hours over hardwood chips and other unique items.  The bone is left in the ham to help with the flavoring of it .

When you are at Honey Baked Ham in College Station, Texas there is a range of different items on the menu that you can choose from, from lunch specials that include a sandwich, chips, soup and a drink to ordering some of their YUMMY pies!! 

 The restaurant also features items that are already cooked that you can purchase out of their convenient freezer located near the check out and take home and pop in the oven.  If this doesn’t have your mouth watering, step into the Honey Baked Ham in College Station, Texas today and smell the aroma and try not to be tempted to order something off of the menu!

Want to see a Restaurant Featured? Let me know where you like to eat!

Raylene Lewis — Century 21′s #1 Realtor and College Station Expert!

979-218-2235

www.buyincollegestation.com