laurel creek - august 2014
DESCRIPTION
August 2014 edition of Laurel Creek Newsletter for Laurel CreekTRANSCRIPT
Copyright © 2014 Peel, Inc. Laurel Creek -August 2014 1
LAUREL CREEK
August 2014 Official Newsletter of the Residents of Laurel Creek Volume 1, Issue 8
LAURELCREEK
Peel, Inc. offers us avenues of communications FREE of charge to the HOA. The publication is paid for by its advertisers. Anyone can submit an article by sending it to Sterling Association Services. Peel does the layout and space is limited.
One new request from a homeowner at our recent June meeting was regarding trash being left in our gazebo area, basketball park area and our Shadow Gate park area. Please pick up your empty water bottles, candy or other wrappers. There are trash cans provided in each area for this. Please use them.
As a reminder to everyone, the Board of Directors of our HOA are elected volunteer positions in service to you to keep our lovely community lovely according to our governing documents; Deed Restrictions, Architectural Control Committee, and By-laws. Their main duty is to conduct the business of the neighborhood, like seeing that the bills are paid for: utilities, maintenance contracts and so forth and doing this while staying within our budget. Home values right now are at an all time high and I am sure all in the neighborhood would like to keep it that way.
Only about 5% of homes in Laurel Creek are being represented at our regular meetings. That is about 18 homes out of 314 homes. If you have a topic for discussion, please contact Roxanne Martinez at Sterling.
HelloNeighbors!
During the second quarter of 2014, there were six completed home sales in Laurel Creek. The average sales price was $95.90 per square foot, with the highest price $105.62 and the lowest $90.87. As recently as about two years ago, the average list price in Laurel Creek was $75.00 to $85.00 per square foot. Now it is becoming common for houses in Laurel Creek to list for over $100.00 per square foot.
Not only is it becoming common for houses in Laurel Creek to list for over $100.00 per square foot, but most sellers are getting close to asking price, if not higher. Of the six houses that sold in the second quarter, three sold for list or higher.
Houses are also selling very quickly. The average number of days on the market is now 33, but this is actually somewhat inflated as one house was on the market for 160 days. If this house is eliminated from the calculation, the other five houses were only on the market for an average of 8 days, with two houses selling in 3 days and one in 4 days. So, if you list your house, the odds are good that it will not be on the market more than a little over a week.
Information for this article provided by local realtor Julie Sample.
LAUREL CREEK PROPERTY VALUES ARE
HOT
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LAUREL CREEKCOMMUNITY CONTACTS
NEWSLETTER INFO
IMPORTANT NUMBERS
BOARD OF DIRECTORSAgnes Murphree ...................................................... PresidentKristah Slate .....................................................Vice President Gregory Magness ......................................................SecretaryRay Beishline............................................................TreasurerSue Beishline .............................................................DirectorTo reach a Board Member, please email [email protected]
Sterling Association Services, Inc. ................................................servicedesk@sterlingasi.com .................................................................... 832-678-45006842 N. Sam Houston Parkway W., Houston TX 77064Mailing Address – P.O. Box 38113, Houston TX 77238-08113Association ManagerFrank Cario ..........................................frank@sterlingasi.comAdministrative AssistantJanine Cruz ....................................... janine @sterlingasi.comCall Before You Dig ............................................................... 1.800.DIG.TESS ..................................................................1.800.344.8377Street Light Outagewww.centerpointenergy.com (Have light number) .....................................................................713.207.2222Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Service ............................................ http://records.txdps.state.tx.usPolice Information If you witness a crime or suspicious activity call Pct. 4 Constable ........................................................ 281.376.3472 or 911Cy Fair Volunteer Dept. (Ambulance) ....................................... (Non-emergency) 713.466.6151Poison Center ..................................................................1.800.222.1222Please remember: We do not live in the City of Houston but in Harris County. Inform the emergency operator of this to assure a more prompt response.
Street Light Outages Centerpoint ..................................................713.207.2222 ............................................. www.centerpoint.com/outage
You will need the 6 digit from the pole
EDITORFrank Cario [email protected] .....................................................................832.678.4500Janine Cruz .......................................... [email protected]
NEWSLETTER PUBLISHERPeel, Inc. ......................... 888-687-6444, www.PEELinc.comAdvertising ................................... [email protected]
BOARD MEETINGOur next scheduled Board Meeting is August 21, 2014 at
the Windfern MUD building at 14410 Mauna Loa at 6:30 p.m. All Homeowners are welcome to attend and have the opportunity to address the Board. The general Board Meeting agenda is as follows: I. Call to Order General Session
Approval of AgendaApproval of Minutes
II. Guests or Homeowners to Address the Board
III. Financial Report
IV. Old Business
V. New Business
VI. Executive SessionCollection ReportAttorney Status Report Deed Restriction Report
VII. Adjournment
Join us for a Gleason Back-to-School Ice Cream Social on Saturday, August 24th from 7:00 -8:30 p.m. at the Woodwind Lakes Pavilion, 7523 Allegro Drive 77040. All Gleason families are welcome. Please bring a cooler with your family's favorite ice cream to share and drinks for your family. This event is not sponsored by CFISD or Gleason Elementary.
School News
Copyright © 2014 Peel, Inc. Laurel Creek -August 2014 3
LAUREL CREEK
Architectural Control Committee
EXTERIOR IMPROVEMENTS
Because Laurel Creek is a Deed Restricted Community, any changes that you wish to make to the exterior of your home must first be approved by the Architectural Control Committee (ACC). This includes roofing, decks, swimming pools, fence replacement, painting – even if you are re-painting using the same color, tree removal, door re-staining, etc. For a complete list, or if you have any questions about a planned project, please contact Sterling at 832-678-4500. Exterior Improvement Application forms are available online at Sterling’s website at www.sterlingasi.com.
The ACC members are volunteers who act as quickly as possible to review each application; however please remember that they have 60 days to render a decision. Please do not start any work until you have received written approval from Sterling.
The Laurel Creek Architectural Control Committee works closely with the Home Owner Association to review applications for making improvements or changes to the neighborhood homes. Their purpose is to maintain the Deed Restrictions so our neighbor’s homes can be kept to the high standards set by the original founders of this community. There are currently three members who volunteer for this community service. Anyone interested in volunteering for a position may contact Sterling Management for more information.
4 Laurel Creek - August 2014 Copyright © 2014 Peel, Inc.
LAUREL CREEK
If your dog is frequently outside in your yard for several hours, please ensure that your dog does not bark incessantly. Noise caused by barking dogs can be a source of stress and impact one's health and relationship with your neighbors. Noise pollution is proven to cause heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke, is a general threat to health and wellness and impacts the quality of sleep by disrupting sleep cycles. Chronic stress can lower your immunity to all diseases.
Barking Dogs
Dogs are a very popular pet and are found in many households. There are 70 million pet dogs in the United S t a t e s a l o n e . Opening up your home to a dog also means accepting responsibility for that pet, including cleaning up their waste.
Most people have heard the term “scoop the poop” but some people may not have heard the reasons why this is so important. Some people view dog feces (or what most people call dog poop) as a good fertilizer, but this is actually a myth. Dog diets mostly contain animal products such as chicken and turkey. Thus, a dog’s waste contains substances created by the breakdown of the animal products. It does not enrich the soil for plants such as grass.
If not picked up, dog feces can enter waterways via storm drains after it rains. Nitrogen in the feces depletes the oxygen from the water, and the water is made harmful to fish and other aquatics. It is often listed as the third leading cause of water pollution.
Dog feces are also considered an environmental pollutant as it contains harmful organisms. One gram of dog feces may contain as much as 23 million bacteria. Harmful bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli can be found in dog feces. Parasites such as Giardia, Cryptosporidium, roundworms, hookworms and whipworms may also be found. Many of the parasites (usually in a resistant egg form) linger in the environment for years, even if the rest of the dog feces breaks down over time. Both bacteria and parasites are health hazards for both humans and animals that come in contact with them.
Besides the “ick” factor of stepping in dog poop and the unpleasant odor of it, dog feces can serve to attract pests (such as flies) and rodents (such as rats). Being a responsible pet owner and scooping your dog’s poop is important for the community health of both humans and animals. It helps improve local water quality. Scooping your dog’s poop also promotes favorable views towards dogs by others in the community.
REASONS TO
“SCOOP THE POOP”By Jennifer Magness, DVM Your pet must be on a leash
while off your property.Please be a responsible pet owner
and pick up after your pet.
LEASH LAWS FOR HARRIS COUNTY
Copyright © 2014 Peel, Inc. Laurel Creek -August 2014 5
LAUREL CREEK
STAY AWAY FROM
DRAINS
CHECK POOL & HOT TUB
FIRST
CONSTANTVISUAL
SUPERVISION
MULTIPLEBARRIERS
AROUND WATER
LEARN CPR& REFRESH
SKILLS YEARLY
KEEP BACKYARDS& BATHROOMS
SAFER
RULES
STAYAWAY
LEARNTO
SWIM
WEARLIFE
JACKETS
DROWNING IS FAST & SILENTKEEP KIDS IN ARM’S REACH
WATER SAFETY TIPS ATWWW.COLINSHOPE.ORG
LAYERS OF PROTECTION CAN PREVENT DROWNING
BE SAFERAT THEBEACH
VISITUS
ONLINE
Colin's Hope Athlete Ambassadors needed.
www.tinych.org/AthleteAmbassadorSwim, bike, play tennis, hula hoop and more!
www.colinshope.org/quizTake our Water Safety Quiz.
Help keep your family safer around water.
6 Laurel Creek - August 2014 Copyright © 2014 Peel, Inc.
LAUREL CREEK
The Laurel Creek Independence Day Parade and Celebration was a huge success! Neighborhood children decorated their bikes, scooters and wagons to show their American pride. Families paraded down the green belt and enjoyed hot dogs at the Shadow Gate Park. Special thanks to Heather Lam for organizing the event. Also, thank you to our grill masters: CL Lam, Greg Gensemer, Dan Slate, Joel Stockwell, and Jeff Lucia. If you are interested in helping with neighborhood events, please contact Kristah Slate at [email protected] or 713-882-7699.
JULY 4TH CELEBRATION
Copyright © 2014 Peel, Inc. Laurel Creek -August 2014 7
LAUREL CREEK
At no time will any source be allowed to use Laurel Creek's contents, or loan said contents, to others in anyway, shape or form, nor in any media, website, print, film, e-mail, electrostatic copy, fax, or etc. for the purpose of solicitation, commercial use, or any use for profit, political campaigns, or other self amplification, under penalty of law without written or expressed permission from Peel, Inc. The information in Laurel Creek is exclusively for the private use of the Laurel Creek HOA and Peel, Inc.
DISCLAIMER: Articles and ads in this newsletter express the opinions of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Peel, Inc. or its employees. Peel, Inc. is not responsible for the accuracy of any facts stated in articles submitted by others. The publisher also assumes no responsibility for the advertising content with this publication. All warranties and representations made in the advertising content are solely that of the advertiser and any such claims regarding its content should be taken up with the advertiser.* The publisher assumes no liability with regard to its advertisers for misprints or failure to place advertising in this publication except for the actual cost of such advertising.* Although every effort is taken to avoid mistakes and/or misprints, the publisher assumes no responsibility for any errors of information or typographical mistakes, except as limited to the cost of advertising as stated above or in the case of misinformation, a printed retraction/correction.* Under no circumstances shall the publisher be held liable for incidental or consequential damages, inconvenience, loss of business or services, or any other liabilities from failure to publish, or from failure to publish in a timely manner, except as limited to liabilities stated above.
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(713) 253-9387
Professional Group
Julie Sample(eleven consecutive years!)
NOTAVAILABLE
ONLINE
The board is looking for volunteers to help explore options for community-wide, electronic communications. If you are interested in helping, please contact Greg Magness at [email protected]."
COMMUNICATIONS
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LAUREL CREEK
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