The NORTH part of Houston located North from Loop 610 has a variety of cultural influences from restful suburban/rural living to large shopping malls and outdoor entertainment. The primary areas in the NORTH part of Houston Real Estate are SPRING, THE WOODLANDS, CONROE, TOMBALL, CHAMPIONS, KINGWOOD, HUMBLE/ATASCOCITA

SPRING

In the 1800's, Spring was a bustling railroad town . Today, the community offers a suburban quality of life for those who want to live near the city but yearn for the hometown feel. The community is home to Old Town Spring, a quaint shopping area of restored buildings that sell fine art, handmade gifts, wood works, antiques & clothing. The SPRING area is close to several key employment centers such as downtown, The Woodlands and George Bush Inter-continental Airport. Another main attraction is SPLASHTOWN WATERPARK.

THE WOODLANDS

The Woodlands Is a 27,000 acre master planned community ranked as the best selling community in Texas AND one of the Best in the country is made up of seven reSidential villages connected by a system of greenbelts more than 100 miles long. When The Woodlands was first built, over one-third of the land was preserved for parks and greenbelts. Each residential village is made up of thoughtfully-designed neighborhoods with a variety of styles and price ranges. New Homes range in price from the 100's to well into the millions. The Woodlands is also home to more than 1600 businesses from Multinational corporations to entrepreneurial startups, from biotechnology firms to oil companies.

A S,OOO-acre commercial and industrial complex forms a crescent alongside and across Interstate 4S. This complex is divided into three zones: Town Center, Research Forest and the Trade Center. Most of The Woodlands' commercial development is taking place in Town Center, an 800-acre "downtown in the forest." Town Center is becoming the commercial, cultural and entertainment focal point of the North Houston real estate / Montgomery County region. Town Center is where you will find The Woodlands Mall, the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion and The Woodlands medical community.

The Houston Advanced Research Center, an applied research consortium of 11 universities and institutions, is located in Research Forest. The Woodlands has it all. There are six championship golf courses, one of the top ten conference centers in the country, and the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, where some of the world's most talented artists perform under the stars. There are multiple hospitals as well as a community college.

The Woodlands has swimming pools, playgrounds, fields, picniC pavilions, tennis courts, fishing holes, and more than 60 neighborhood parks. Over 80 miles of wooded hiking and bike trails connect the intertwining residential neighborhoods.

The Woodlands schools are in the Conroe Independent School District. Student-teacher ratios are low and there are programs for gifted students and for those with learning and physical disabilities. They also offer a vocational education and have a comprehensive advanced science program. There are 19 public schools in the village neighborhoods. All 19 public schools in The Woodlands have been rated exemplary or have been recognized by the Texas Education Agency. The Woodlands Christian Academy. The John Cooper School and St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School provide private school alternative for grades K-12. For those who seek the privacy and luxury of a gated community, Carlton Woods and Carlton Woods Creekside offer Signature golf and country club lifestyle.

For more information on The Woodlands, visit. www.thewoodlands.com

CONROE/Montgomery County

The city of Conroe is located just 40 miles north of Houston real estate along 1-45 with a population of more than 50,000. What distinguishes Conroe real estate from other areas of Houston is its country properties. Many homes sit on a multi-acre plots, allowing residents to keep horses or other livestock on the premises. Most homes are priced from $100's to $1 million plus. For recreation many residents enjoy Lake Conroe - a 21,000 acre lake for boating, f ishing or water-skiing. Lake Conroe is also home to many residents who reside around the lake. There are 13 golf courses, alone, in the Lake Conroe area. In recent years, more businesses have been attracted to the area due to its affordability and quality of life. Another area with recent growth in the Northwest are the cities of Magnolia and Montgomery. Also, with home sites on multi-acre plots and easy access to Lake Conoroe.

The Champions/ FM 1960 Area

An area to consider in the northwest lies between Highway 249 and 1-45. The Champions was the first subdivision built in the area over 25 years ago. Other subdivisions to note in the area are Glennloch Farms, Olde Oaks, Northgate Forest, Northwest Memorial and Champions Forest with homes priced from the $100's into $1 million plus. Country Clubs and golf courses are plentiful in the Champions area as well as shopping with nearby Willowbrook Mall.

NORTHEAST

Houston is made up of a triangle of communities : Atascocita , Humble and Kingwood. Located within a 10 mile radius from where Highway 59 and FM 1960 intersect, these communities share an abundance of forest and natural beauty. These areas are approximately 22 miles from downtown and just 5 miles from Bush Inter-Continental Airport.

KINGWOOD

In 1971, Friendswood Development Company masterminded this planned community located 22 miles northeast of downtown Houston. Recently annexed by the City of Houston, Kingwood is 14,000 acres of beautiful homes, golf courses and wooded landscapes.

The densely-wooded Kingwood community is made up of several subdivisions that are connected by a few major thoroughfares. The suburb has all the amenities of a big city. Commercial centers are scattered throughout to meet the grocery, shopping, dining, and other needs of its residents. Kingwood is located just minutes from George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Kingwood's designers prioritized the development of recreational facilities in this master planned community. There is a spectacular greenbelt winding its way through more than 58 miles of trees, connecting neighborhood villages to parks, pools, shopping areas, restaurants, businesses, and schools. In addition, large tracts of undeveloped land were set aside as "reserves" for these greenbelts. You can ride a bike or jog for miles through the pine forest. Kingwood also has 19 swimming pools, 200 acres of community parks, two youth sports parks, a private boat launch, private stables, and two country clubs and 3 golf courses in the vicinity.

Kingwood is part of the Humble Independent School District. Kingwood has 2 high schools, one ninth grade school, three middle schools, and nine elementary schools. Private education is also available from pre-school through middle school. Humble ISD established a program for academically gifted students in its elementary schools in 1979, calling it Win For Gifted Students (WINGS) . Since that time, the program has expanded to include students in grade levels 2-12. Higher education seekers commute to Rice University, the University of Houston, Texas Southern University, Houston Community College or the University of St. Thomas, all in Houston; or, Sam Houston State University in Huntsville. Kingwood has its own two-year college, Kingwood College, which is a publicly-supported, comprehensive community college offering post-secondary educational opportunities.

ATASCOCITA & HUMBLE

The Atascocita/Humble area is located just 21 miles northeast of downtown Houston along U.S. Highway 59. The city of Humble dates all the way back to the Civil War. A large oil discovery around the turn of the century led to the found ing of Humble Oil Company, known today as Exxon Corporation. In the 1960's, the opening of Houston Intercontinental Airport helped boost growth in the Humble area . Population today exceeds 30,000 in Humble and Atascocita . Humble's forested boundaries take up nearly 100 square miles of land in northeast Harris county. Humble has parks, golf courses, award winning schools, two major hospitals, Deerbrook Mall, "Park 'n Ride" facilities, Lake Houston, and the San Jacinto river, making it one of the fastest growing areas in Harris County. New homes & resales range from $60,000 - $1,000,000. Employment opportunities abound in and around the Humble area . Highway 59 South will take you into downtown Houston, or take Beltway 8 a short distance to Baytown, Texas, home of some of the largest refineries and petrochemical plants in the United States. Bush Intercontinental Airport is only 15 minutes from Humble.

Humble displays its small town charm through various annual festivals and activities, including Rodeo Parade, Good Oil Days, Businessfest, an annual Fireworks display on the 4rd of July, and a Christmas Parade. The Humble/Atascocita area is closest to the Atascocita Golf Club, Walden on Lake Houston Golf Club, and Tour Eighteen, which highlights eighteen of the most popular golf holes in the world. Humble Independent School District serves the Humble/Atascocita and Kingwood areas. HISD comprises four high schools, one ninth grade school, six middle schools, and 18 elementary schools. Humble ISD established a program for academically gifted learners in its elementary schools in 1979, calling it Win For Gifted Students ("WINGS"). North Harris County Community College has two campuses within a short distance of Humble, offering two year study programs.

TOMBALL

Known as the " hometown with a heart", Tomball another community located Northwest with homes on multi-acre plots. Tomball is located along State Highway 249, 28 miles Northwest of downtown Houston. Although it's close to Houston, it is far from being a suburb. Tomball has been here for 90 years, first as a railroad town, and later as an oil town. Functioning as a commercial center for a large portion of Houston's rapidly growing northwest quadrant, the Tomball area has developed a strong economic base: HP Computers