Relocation Spotlight: The Woodlands Development Co.
True to its original vision, The Woodlands continues to be a major employment center, where residents can live, work, play, and learn.
No one knows this better than Tim Welbes, co-president of The Woodlands Development Co.
During a recent interview, he discussed the ever-expanding array of living choices and amenities that continue to attract newcomers to The Woodlands year after year.
Following are excerpts from our conversation.
MS: So, what’s new and exciting in The Woodlands that might be of interest to newcomers?
TW: We have expanded our offering of brand new homes in The Woodlands in the entry-level, first-time home-buyer price range, which is something that we did not have a year ago. There are now some duplexes being offered for the $240,000s, and single-family detached homes being offered below $300,000 in our Village of Sterling Ridge in the May Valley neighborhood.
The other thing that I think is exciting is our home sales for 2017 as compared to 2016. This year we have had 164 home sales year-to-date, compared to 113 last year. That’s more than a 40 percent increase over last year.
MS: To what do you attribute such a steep increase in home sales?
TW: During a presidential election year, it seems like buyers take a deep breath and get a little bit apprehensive about what’s going to happen in November. Then, the following year they exhale, and come back to the market. It seems like both the buyers and the seller in 2016 took a deep breath, and were hesitant to get out and get engaged, but now both sides are coming back into the market.
MS: Does that mean that there has been some loosening of the inventory, which means more choices for relocation buyers?
TW: That’s exactly right. And, it’s more fun to go shopping when there is a lot to choose from, and I think that is exactly the situation we are in now.
MS: Can you tell me about the various living opportunities and amenities that newcomers can expect to find in The Woodlands?
TW: In addition to the more prototypical family scenes that you see in the photos we produce, there’s an extensive menu of places to live in The Woodlands, whether it is a young person’s first apartment, or a facility for senior citizens. There are a lot of extended families here. We’ve been in business long enough now, that a lot of young people who were born and grew up here, have now come back here to raise their own families.
I think all of the major developers can use similar words when talking about their amenities, like hike-and-bike trails, significant recreation facilities that include health, fitness, swimming pools, basketball, tennis courts, etc., and we’re going to use the same words. What we build and how we deliver it is up to each developer’s expertise.
MS: Given the growing number of companies with offices and campuses in The Woodlands area, does it also follow that fewer residents are faced with long commutes to work?
TW: There are a number of different traffic studies that have been done, both by private and by public entities, and the daytime commuter traffic counts show that more people come into The Woodlands to work, than leave to work elsewhere. The Woodlands, like other major job centers in the Houston region, has become its own center of gravity. As an employment center, you become an inbound traffic draw, and there is more and more residential development in your region, and that is certainly true in Montgomery County in this area.
MS: What would you say is the best kept secret about The Woodlands?
TW: I don’t think that local residents, and perhaps people in the Houston region have taken the time to explore or spend the night at The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center. We have
now expanded it with a pretty significant aquatics facility with a lazy river. If people have never been there, they should at least go to the website and take a look at it.
The other thing they should do, is to come and explore the shopping at the mall, Market Street and Hughes Landing.
They should spend a little time on the Internet eyeballing how to program their trip, because if they do it right, they could spend a night in a hotel, and go to a concert at the Pavilion, and enjoy a meal, or a round of golf, or a bike ride.
There’s a lot to do, so they should make a good plan before the come here.
Michelle Sandlin is an award-winning writer, journalist and global mobility industry expert. Her work is frequently featured in Worldwide ERC’s Mobility magazine, and in various business and industry related publications and corporate blogs. Follow her on Facebook: www.facebook. com/TheMichelleSandlin and on Twitter: @MichelleSandlin. Also visit “On the Move” at blog. chron.com/onthemove.