But, surprisingly, people buy homes without “test driving” the prospective neighborhood.  I’m not talking about just walking around the block, although that’s a good start.  I’m talking about pretending you’re a resident for a couple of hours.  Here are some ideas:

-Have your kids play in the neighborhood park

-Go for a bike ride and explore the surrounding streets and trails

-Drop by a local school

-Visit the shops on a nearby street

-Visit the local community center, fitness club, sports center or library

Investing some serious time in a neighborhood will give you a much better idea of what it’s like to live there on a day-to-day basis.

As a Pebble Creek lot owner since 1998 and homeowner since 2000, I have watched the master-planned community grow.  The neighborhood has a very established feel to it even with construction taking place on a few new streets.

As a Realtor/Broker Associate, my buyers in Pebble Creek have all responded very favorably to their choice of neighborhood and sellers have stated that they miss being there.

A common question often asked by buyers is whether the Pebble Creek Country Club Membership comes with the home or if you must be a member if you live in Pebble Creek. The answer is that you are welcome, but not required to join.

Pebble Creek Country Club features an 18-hole Championship golf course, Pro Shop, 7 lighted tennis courts, an intercollegiate size swimming pool, a kiddiepool, and much more. Dining options include the Mixed Grill, Empire Dining Room and Lounge, as well as banquet facilities. To learn more about the club’s amenities, visit www.pebblecreek.org/club.htmbble Creek. The answer is that you are welcome, but not required to join.

Of course, the award winning Pebble Creek Elementary School is located in the neighborhood for Kindergarten through 4th grade.  The schools that students currently attend also include Oakwood Intermediate for grades 5 and 6 , A&M Consolidated Middle School for grades 7 and 8, and A&M Consolidated High School.

Pebble Creek has a community atmosphere with young families and Old Aggies returning to Aggieland.  The strong HOA appeals to the discriminating and demanding homeowner and helps to insure the integrity of the neighborhood and of home values.

This beautiful subdivision also features a large park next to the elementary school with 2 playgrounds, jogging and walking trails, basketball courts, and soccer and baseball fields.

The neighborhood streets are wide and there are nice sidewalks throughout the neighborhood.  There are several new retail establishments, medical facilities, restaurants, and banks that have recently built in the area, including HEB and Lowes.  There is also more development planned in the south College Station area to make everything convenient.

Texas A&M University can be easily accessed from Highway 40 and Wellborn Road or from Highway 6/Texas Avenue.

As of May 1, 2012, the houses that are listed in MLS in Pebble Creek range in price from $251,900. to $899,900..  There are more expensive houses in the neighborhood, but none are currently on the market.

If you would like to see any of these houses, please contact Madeline Stiles, Realtor/Broker Associate at Century 21 Beal, Inc. at (979) 574-8997 or madeline@century21bcs.com.  Madeline is a  full time, experienced Realtor who has lived in College Station since 1975, graduated from Texas A&M University in 1978 with a degree in Economics with a minor in Finance, and knows this market well.  She is consistently awarded the Quality Service Award for customer service and looks forward to the opportunity to work with you.

How much have other homes in my neighborhood sold for recently?  The key word here is “recently”.  We all know that prices have adjusted downward in the last couple of years, so it’s not really relevant what Mr. Smith sold his house for five years ago.  You need up to date information from current (usually the last 60-90 days) sales in your neighborhood.  In addition to knowing what homes have sold for, you should also take a look at what homes are currently listed for.  That will help you have a good idea where you should place yourself in the market as far as pricing goes.

What desirable special features and upgrades does your home have to offer?  With this consideration, keep in mind that we’re talking about upgrades, not maintenance issues.  If your home is 15 years old and you’ve recently put in new carpet, that is not an upgrade, that is a maintenance item.  If all the homes in your neighborhood have granite counter tops, that’s not really an upgrade, that’s a standard feature.  Everyone loves their home, but it’s best to be realistic about this consideration, because buyers certainly will.

A final consideration is does your home have any undesirable features?  Some examples could be that it backs up to a very busy highway, has just one bathroom, or has a strange floor plan.  You need to be brutally honest with yourself and understand that you might have to make some concessions in your price to make up for some of the things you just can’t control.

You might be surprised to find out what you could get for your home in today’s market.  To find out more, give me a call.

You imagine yourself relaxing by the pool with a cold drink in your hand without a care in the world.

What you imagine might look a little like this:

Or like this:

This hidden oasis is located at 5121 Congressional in Pebble Creek.  Just listed earlier this month, this beautiful home has it all!  Not only does it have one of the best, if not best, pools in all of the Brazos Valley, it is just as great on the inside.  Featuring cathedral ceilings in the living room, top of the line amenities in the kitchen, luxurious finishes in the Master Suite, you have to view it in person to appreciate all the details.

Find out more at ClayRealtor.com, or give me a call at 979.255.1839 to schedule a private showing.

Clay Lee – Realtor

Century 21 Beal, Inc.

Airline Tickets – Plan in advance and visit discount websites to see if there are better deals. While these sites might charge you a service fee ($5 or so), they can easily combine flight segments from different airlines easily to give you a great deal. (bonus – get even more savings by finding promo codes before you book a trip).

Connecting Flights – You might think connecting sucks but it sure saves you a good chunk of money doing it. Consider the pros and cons and don’t write it off right away.

Always Look into Round Trip Tickets – Sometimes, one way tickets are so expensive that the round trip ticket is cheaper. Just don’t use the return trip. (I know it’s weird but I’ve seen it myself)

Fly during the slowest days of the week – Tuesday and Wednesday are the slowest flying days of the week for business travel so demand is low, and so are the fares.

Fly during the slowest time of the year

Travelers who are serious about seeking cheap fares should travel only during the slowest time of year.   That rules out holidays, as well as spring, summer and winter.  What’s left? Fall.  Traveling anytime between Labor Day and Thanksgiving should give you the best deals.

Now that you know how to get where you want to go on less $$…how about coming to College Station, TX to check out our real estate?  For information contact Linda Stribling at 979-575-0580 or email linda@century21bcs.com

Have you decided to move to College Station, Texas but are unsure of what neighborhood you want? Do you want to live in a subdivision that is nice, highly sought after, and has great parks and schools in close proximity? If so, Pebble Creek might be the perfect fit for you. Located in South College Station, Pebble Creek is a 1,348 acre master planned community with Country Club.

The Development of Pebble Creek features many desirable attributes that make it a top notch subdivision many home buyers are looking for. Prices for the homes in Pebble Creek start around $250,000.00, but the average home in the neighborhood is between $350,ooo.00 – $450,000.00.  The subdivision is highly deed restricted to help ensure that the homes provide a clean and pretty exterior appearance and to make sure Pebble Creek stays subdivision that retains its value.   There are also minimum   requirements — usually starting with at least 2500 sqft.

  The HOA (Home Owner’s Association) in Pebble Creek is very active and excels at taking care of the community areas at a reasonable price.  They also make sure every home owner is following the deed restrictions that come with living in a golf-course community. Their objective is to provide the highest quality of life for the families that live in the subdivision.

Two of my favorite things about Pebble Creek are the well maintained park and highly recognized Elementary school — both of which are located in the subdivision.  Pebble Creek is also known for its pool, 7 well-lit tennis courts and of course 18 hole championship golf course.  The pool is open from Mid May through labor day, has a lifeguard and wadding area for little ones.

If you are interested in learning more about the Pebble Creek subdivision in College Station, just give me a call! 979-218-2235

Raylene Lewis — College Station Expert and Professional Real Estate Agent!

www.buyincollegestation.com

979-218-2235

Pebble Creek is an active golf course neighborhood in south College Station. Most homeowners decorate for Christmas but wow some people go all out for Halloween too.  Next year, bring your kids down and Trick or Treat with us before or after dark!

Susan Hilton

Century 21 Beal, Inc.

979-764-2100

Pebble Creek in College Station, Texas on Halloween is active both before and after dark. Before dark you can see the Halloween decorations up close, the children starting to Trick or Treat, the elaborate costumes and of course the parents watching over their children.

Pebble Creek is active at Halloween!

Watch for the next video of Halloween in the dark in Pebble Creek!

Susan Hilton
Century 21 Beal, Inc.
979-764-2100
Pebble Creek in College Station, Texas

Above is a video while they drive through Pebble Creek Subdivision on their way to Pebble Creek Elementary to showcase the pond and garden area.

Susan Hilton

CENTURY 21 Beal, Inc.

979-764-2100

Real Estate for Bryan College Station!

Call 979-764-2121 and hear information on ANY property for sale in the Brazos Valley.

• Pebble Creek on Aggie Game Day
• Pebble Creek Elementary Gardens

Pebble Creek Elementary School in College Station, Tx has gone above and beyond with gardens and pretty places for students to enjoy. Students can enjoy lunch outside with guests in the butterfly garden area. Or, how about a relaxing place to read or teach out by the pond? Pebble Creek parents and sponsors have given a great deal to make this school a special one in Aggieland.

Susan Hilton
Century 21 Beal, Inc.
979-764-2199