Relocation Spotlight: The Woodlands Development Co.
The Woodlands always seems to be in the spotlight when it comes to attracting new residents and businesses to the Houston area.
It’s no wonder given the fact that The Woodlands continues to experience exponential growth year-after-year.
Just ask Tim Welbes, co-president of The Woodlands Development Co., a division of The Howard Hughes Corp.
“The welcome mat is always out,” Welbes said during a recent interview with him and Jeanne Toth, the company’s manager of relocation. The two excitedly told me all about the many new things that The Woodlands has to offer, as well as a sneak peek at a few things on the horizon.
Following are excerpts from our discussion.
MS: What’s the best way for newcomers to know if The Woodlands is a good fit for their lifestyle?
TW: There’s a menu of lifestyles here, so there’s more than just one to choose from when you move to The Woodlands. I encourage people to come out, spend a little time, and see if there’s a fit here that would be of interest to them.
MS: What are some of the more recent factors driving new residents to The Woodlands today?
TW: One of the top reasons is the urban lifestyle of loft living that can now be had in The Woodlands. We have a condominium project that we’re in the midst of beginning the sales process for here in the Waterway Square area that has urbanity structured parking, a plethora of restaurants and bars, and easy walkability. That’s probably the biggest new section of the menu, as compared with the more traditional family housing and patio homes of neighborhoods and inventory that we offer. People are also moving to The Woodlands to be proximate to their workplace. As an observer of the Houston development process, I think that the life cycle work cycle for folks is becoming very much about finding a residence near their workplace. Also, for those who have been commuting, it might be time to think about not commuting as far.
MS: Which area of The Woodlands still offers new construction for people who are intent on buying new as opposed to resale properties?
TW: Virtually all of the new home construction is taking place in Creekside Park Village, and I am very excited about the Creekside Park Village Center. We put the grocery store in the bifurcated area of Kuykendahl Road, and the retail area faces itself with its own green like park in between, much like Market Street near the mall here.
I think it’s a very special shopping center of cutting-edge design, which is part of the excitement.
MS: What about the availability of resale properties? Has there been an in- crease in inventory for would-be buyers?
TW: Today is a much better time to buy than a year ago. The total MLS listings in The Woodlands is in the neighborhood of 60 percent more homes for sale today than a year ago, so buyers have choices.
The builders obviously have new home inventory as well, but the combination of new and resale homes is much higher than it has been, and so I think anytime people have choices that it’s a good time to be a buyer.
MS: How would you describe the general affordability of properties in The Woodlands?
TW: The combination of resale and new homes will populate all of the price ranges one can imagine. In terms of the taxes, obviously we think the package here is worth the price. It’s also important to shop and compare and see what you get for the price you pay.
MS: Both Realtors and residents continue to boast about The Woodlands Information Center. What makes it such an important first stop for those considering a move to The Woodlands?
JT: Either with or without their Realtor, people can come visit us. The staff there is extremely knowledgeable, both with historic and with current information, which is great because we find that a lot of our prospective buyers find a lot of value in knowing how The Woodlands has become what it is today, and also the direction we are going in the future. Knowing what’s coming and what’s planned helps them make their decisions.
MS: Can you offer a sneak peek at any of the coming attractions in The Woodlands?
TW: The cranes that were busy building buildings in Hughes Landing have mostly left, but they didn’t go very far. They went to the medical complex area at FM 242 and I-45.
So, I think that the newsy item will be about what the vision is for that part of The Woodlands and the consortium of hospitals there. That’s going to be a significant story.