The Woodlands Locating Service Brings Order to Real Estate Frenzied Woodlands’ Area News

http://www.thewoodlandstx.com/news/news_detail.php?news_id=104003

THE WOODLANDS, TX: The incredible growth The Woodlands is experiencing right now is hard to ignore. Just take a quick drive up interstate 45 and you will see dozens of cranes hovering over new developments, going to work on new headquarters and continuing to build out one of the country’s hottest markets.

In the past year, companies like Anadarko, Repsol and Chicago Bridge & Iron (CB&I) have begun expansion projects to their offices. Texas Children’s Hospital recently started construction on their new campus. Two Fortune 250 companies have advised The Woodlands Area Economic Development Partnership that they made the short list for a potential corporate headquarters relocation. And ExxonMobil is building a new campus encompassing nearly 400 acres just south of The Woodlands.

Growth might be an understatement for what is happening in The Woodlands and surrounding communities.

“It is truly unbelievable,” said Ritchie Canady, owner of The Woodlands Locating Services. “Not just the great companies that are continuing to grow within The Woodlands and those who are building brand new offices – but the amount of people that come along with all of this development.”

ExxonMobil alone is projecting to bring some 10,000 people to work in the new campus and at least 1,400 new jobs on top of that. The project, containing multiple low-rise office buildings, a laboratory, conference and training centers, child care facilities and a wellness center, is expected to be completed by 2015.

“All of these people relocating to the area, and those that are building these massive projects, are looking for a place to live near where they are working – and one that works within their budget,” said Canady. “It can be a very tumultuous and uneasy when it comes time to pack up and move to an area that you likely don’t know much about.”

That is where The Woodlands Locating Services steps in to help. Canady and his team of licensed real estate agents work with their clients to help them find the perfect rental home, apartment, townhome, condo or corporate rental based on their lifestyle. They show not only The Woodlands, but the surrounding communities as well to match them up with the exact property and area that meets their specific wants, needs and budget. And, because The Woodlands Locating Services employs licensed real estate agents, the services are free to their clients.

“It gives them a chance to feel comfortable with the area before making such a huge decision like buying a home,” said Canady. “Our goal is to make the process of relocating as stress free as we can make it. We use the same search database every listing agent uses thus we work with every rental property that is currently active on the market. Our clients interface only with us – we handle the communication with the relators or apartments so they don’t have to add one more thing to their list.”

Dan Anderson, a pilot who relocated to The Woodlands from Salt Lake City, Utah, knows that feeling all too well.

“Getting the promotion was great news, but the news that my family and I were going to need to move across the country for it was very intimidating,” said Anderson. “We had some friends from college who lived in the greater Woodlands area, but outside of their positive feedback, we didn’t know much of anything about the area.”

Anderson’s employer, like many who relocate their employees, didn’t provide any direction as far as helping him move his family. He and his family were introduced to Ritchie and The Woodlands Locating Services after calling on a house they found online.

“I don’t think we would have gotten into the home we are now if it weren’t for Ritchie and his team,” said Anderson. “We contacted so many listings and felt as if no one was willing to work within our priorities and what was important to us. The Woodlands Locating Services was patient and understanding of our situation – a huge relief in such a chaotic time.”

Anderson and his family are not alone in this frustration of finding a new place to call home. In fact, the biggest impact from the wave of people coming to The Woodlands is on the housing market. Housing inventory has fallen sharply as existing home prices continue to rise. Someone looking to buy in The Woodlands will find it nearly impossible to find a home for less than $250,000. In the recent years, the median price rose from $260,000 in December of 2010 to $355,000 this past December.

To help manage the influx of residents, developers are taking advantage and building more homes, apartments, offices and shopping centers. It is yet to be seen what the long-term effects of this runaway growth will be in the already saturated area.