The real estate in Houston is very reasonable, even for luxury single-family homes compared to states like California, Connecticut, and New York. Many people that live in those other areas will sell their homes for well over a million dollars, in which they originally paid fifty to one hundred thousand dollars for in the beginning. Then they will relocate to the Metro area, and buy a home that is thirty times better in quality and size for less than a quarter of a million dollars.

The job market is still resilient compared to the rest of the forty nine states, and there is still a variety of professional positions in many disciplines that are available for the right candidates. Many chemical engineers move to the area, just for the abundance of constantly open positions for their field. The oil and gas industry can be a kind mistress most of the time, but when oil and gas prices drop there is a scurry for finding new job placement for many. Overall there is a huge entrepreneurial base in Houston, that has always thrived no matter what condition the economy is in at any given moment.

Entertainment is high on the list of Houstonians, and there are many platforms in which the citizens enjoy. From professional sports, they have the Houston Astros, Texans, Dynamo, and of course do not forget the Rockets basketball team. There are several live concert offerings at the Toyota Center, and in The Woodlands at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Racing is a large part of the Texas culture, and there are two drag strips and two-quarter mile circle tracks for plenty of auto, and motorcycle racing events to attend or even participate in at times.

The fourth one without a doubt is the vast array of ethnic foods available from all over the world. Tex Mex is one of the most popular, and there are dozens of variations on this theme throughout the city. However, having a large base of people from Asian countries and from India make for more selections than anyone one person can imagine. Moreover, there are also the best steak houses in the world located in the Metroplex, and the crown jewel of Texas food will be the best barbecue anyone has ever had the opportunity to taste.

Lake Conroe is already known to most citizenry of area as “The Playground To Houston”, and has long been a hot spot for all sorts of outdoor activities for many Houstonians, and people living is neighboring towns such The Woodlands, Spring, Tomball, and Magnolia. There is plenty of fishing to do on Lake Conroe, but they also offer one of largest and greatest bodies of fresh water for other sport activities such as wake boarding, and water skiing.

There are a few Jet Ski, and Wet Bike rental shops available all around the lake area, but the mass of business that takes place is along the Highway 105 corridor. Even if you want to rent a pontoon, or party boat as they are called for a day that is not a problem as there are quite a few companies wanting a slice of the boat renal business in the area.

There are many opportunities to have a great spring or summer vacation at the lake, because many of the lakefront properties are leased by the week. Lake Conroe rentals are usually managed by leasing companies that rent out dormant homes until the owners would like to use them again.

The Conroe real estate market is much like all East Texas towns and communities, and has housing in just about every price range imaginable. However, having a custom home built on the water’s edge is going to be a little steeper than the rest. Homes on the water will vary from three hundred thousand on up to two and one half million dollars. Just like anything in Texas the homes are always big, and roomy, plus the view on these waterfront custom homes, and estates are great for watching the sun go down in the evening.

The area of Cypress Texas is growing up in many ways, and rapidly, as it currently ranks as the fastest growing school district in the entire United States, and has taken some of the glory away from The Woodlands, Memorial, and Katy areas for exceptional places to live, and work. There almost seems to be a race between commercial developers, and homebuilders in who can finish their projects first. People are often shocked at the rapid home sales taking place in Cypress compared to neighboring communities, but Texas has always been known to do the opposite of what everyone else in the country is doing at any one time.

Just like in the area of Spring, Tomball, and Magnolia, Cypress seems to have a home price range to fit most family housing budgets. The current top spots for high end single family homes are in the three and one half million dollar range, and then go down to an affordable mid one hundred thousand dollar asking price for spec built homes. Many of the major chain supermarkets can attest that their stores located in the Cypress area are the number one performers in each company, and that tells real estate speculators this is one strong pocket of the economy and it does not appear to be slowing currently.

Several real estate agents that specialize in placing professionals in apartments have also seen quite a trend of apartment shoppers asking about the Cypress locale instead of the Galleria, and Medical Center apartment selections available. Hopefully all of this great burst of building and consumer buying is a sign of the times and the recession has once again hidden it’s head in the sand for a while longer.

Lastly, if you are a golfing aficionado, and like to knock the balls around on the weekend, then you should call Cypress home, and quickly. They have more golf courses in place than any other community in the Houston and surrounding areas.

Here are our favorites:

• Afternoon of the Elves – This play, at the Main Street Theater, is a story of imagination and friendship and is ideal for young children.
• Nutcracker Market – Sponsored by the Houston Ballet Guild, the Nutcracker Market features more than 300 national and international merchants selling everything from food and clothing to sporting goods and jewelry.
• Festival of Lights – The Festival of Lights, located at the Moody Gardens on Galveston Island, is an annual holiday event that features great shopping, pictures with Santa and an outdoor ice rink – the only one in the area!
• Home for the Holidays – Home for the Holidays, in Old Town Spring, is the place to be for an old-world Christmas! Beautifully decorated homes and streets, along with fantastic shopping and horse and carriage rides, make this annual tradition a family favorite.
• A Christmas Carol – Dicken’s classic tale, A Christmas Carol, comes alive at the Alley Theater during the holidays.
• Frosty the Snowman – Come and experience this family-friendly musical at the Express Children’s Theater and you’re sure to get in the Christmas spirit!
• Ice at Discovery Green Park – Visit the Ice at Discovery Green Park and see over 7,000 square feet of sparkling ice! Visitors can enjoy art exhibits, skating and special skating performances.
• The Nutcracker – Bring your family to see this holiday classic through the Houston Ballet. This show is called the “Crown jewel of holiday entertainment” by the Houston Chronicle.
• The Santaland Diaries – See the Santaland Diaries at the Alley Theater, a great character comedy has become a cult classic!
• Holiday Market – The eighth annual Holiday Market is at Traders Village, which features bargain shopping, fun and plenty of good food.
• Christmas Around the World – Christmas Around the World at the Houston Museum of Natural Science is a depiction of how Christmas is celebrated all over the world.

Here is a list of our favorite Christmas sites in Houston:

• Prestonwood Nite of Lites – The Prestonwood subdivision, located near Cypresswood, features nearly 750 homes with dazzling light displays and various themes to delight visitors of every age.
• Lights in the Heights Festival – The Woodland Heights neighborhood is home to live music, yummy treats, carriage rides and even carolers.
• Festival of Lights – The Moody Gardens in Galveston host a number of Christmas festivities, including a parachuting Santa, more than one million lights, choral performances, an outdoor skating rink and pictures with Santa Claus.
• Market Square, Discovery Green Park – Market Square is alive with beautiful décor, including giant snowflakes and 25-foot holiday trees. Skaters will enjoy the beautiful ice rink, too!
• Whistle Stop Christmas Lights – Cleburne is home to Whistle Stop Christmas Lights, an annual celebration that features train rides, free truck rides and hayrides, along with nativity scenes and plenty of entertainment, including bands and dancers.
• Hill Country Regional Lighting Trail – The Hill Country communities of Dripping Springs, Burnet, Boerne, Fredericksburg, Goldwater, Johnson City, Marble Falls, Round Mountain and New Braunfels come together to make the Hill Country Lighting Trail a reality. Each town features elaborate light displays and events. Some of the events included in the Lighting Trail include Wimberly’s Emily Ann Tree Lighting and Trail of Lights and new Braunfel’s Santa’s Ranch, a drive-through light display that features over one million twinkling lights.
• Santa’s Wonderland – College Station features Santa’s Wonderland, more than two and a half million lights over 40 acres. Another fantastic light display is found at Texarkana’s Twice as Bright Festival of Lights, which offers horse and carriage rides and even reindeer exhibits.
• Holiday Trail of Lights – Jefferson’s Holiday Trail of Lights is perhaps the most famous light display in Texas. This annual event also features a life-size gingerbread house, a candlelight tour of homes and beautiful, elaborate light displays.

Because there are an overwhelming number of options when it comes to the Houston apartment rental market, you should begin your search with a good game plan.

Here are our tips for entering the Houston apartment rental market as a renter:

• Consider the neighborhood. Houston boasts many great neighborhoods, so it is best to begin thinking about the neighborhoods that you would suit you. You may want to consider such things as: proximity to transit; proximity to work; and the neighborhood itself.
• Begin your search on the Internet. There’s no sense in wasting time driving around town looking at dozens of apartments; many of which may not suit your needs, your lifestyle or your budget. Instead, consider Houston apartment rental market websites, search engines and apartment locators, as they will be able to narrow down your apartment choices to only those that meet your wants, needs and budget.
• Before visiting an apartment community, call in advance to get ballpark rental prices and an idea about availability. Then, make an appointment to view one of the homes with an apartment agent.
• Although you may fall in love with an apartment by simply looking at photos, features and rental prices, the fact of the matter is that there is no substitute for touring the property in person. Check the cleanliness of the property, ask about on-site management services and inquire about the apartment community’s features, amenities and services.
• Arrive at all appointments armed with a list of must-have features. Once you have had the opportunity to tour the apartment property, compare the features of the property with your list. Often times, having a list on-hand will prevent you from making mistakes when it comes to finding a Houston apartment.
• Read and re-read the apartment lease and its terms and conditions before signing. If there is anything you don’t understand, ask questions and don’t sign it until all of your questions have been answered to your satisfaction.

Here are our top picks for Halloween family fun events in Houston (if you dare):

If you want frighteningly fun Halloween family fun events in Houston (for the big kids and adults only), you will definitely want to check out Houston’s best haunted houses:

• Screamworld – Screamworld is super cool because visitors get several haunted houses for the price of their admission! Ideal for kids and adults over 12 years of age, Screamworld is one of our top picks for Halloween family fun events in Houston because of the Maze of Maniacs and the Haunted Hotel.
• Nightmare on the Bayou – Our list of Halloween family fun events couldn’t be complete without Nightmare on the Bayou! As if being eerily situated next to Houston’s oldest graveyard wasn’t enough, this scary event is even thought to be really haunted!
• Phobia Haunted Houses – If you want scary fun, then you owe it to yourself to visit Phobia Haunted Houses! This is one of our favorite Halloween family fun events in Houston because it boasts two locations and loads of attractions. Admission is charged based on the number of attractions you can bare to visit!
• The Carnage – Voted the number one Haunted House by the Houston Chronicle, the Carnage is not for the faint of heart!  If you want realism, consider that the production team for the Carnage is so good that it was featured on CNN and Entertainment Tonight!

If scaring yourself near to death isn’t your idea of fun, there are still plenty of Halloween family fun events in Houston!

• Howl-O-Ween Fest – This Halloween celebration is all about the pets! Bring your pooch and enjoy a parade, dancing dogs and a costume contest!
• First Fest – Hosted by Houston’s First Baptist Church, First Fest is a family event that boasts loads of fun, from games and rides to costume contests and good food!
• Harvest Fest – Hosted by the Harvest United Methodist Church, Harvest Fest features lots of family events, including trunk-or-treat, pumpkin decorating and costume contests.

Here is our top list of free things to do in Houston:

• Start your free day in Houston by visiting on of the area’s many museums. Some of the best free museums in Houston to consider include: the Menil Collection; the Art Car Museum; the Heritage Society Museum; and the Holocaust Museum.
• After a tour of Houston’s best museums, head over to Discovery Green Park, where you can walk the park’s sprawling, 12 acres and enjoy music performances in the outdoor amphitheater. Lace up your skates and hit Kinder Lake in the winter!
• Enjoy classical ballet, musical theater, dance and film at the Miller Outdoor Theater from March through November. Located inside Hermann Park, this free theater is home to numerous performances throughout the year.
• For a day of free fun with the family, head over to the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center, a 155-acre natural sanctuary that features miles of trails and interactive exhibits.
• Visit the Williams Tower and take in the magnificent, 64-foot-tall fountain called the Water Wall.
• Enjoy the beauty of the Japanese Gardens in Hermann Park. While you’re there, visit the beautiful Rothko Chapel, a non-denominational chapel that is open to the public.
• Take a cruise along the Port of Houston through the Port of Houston Sail, a free, 90-minute tour that teaches visitors about the history of this famous seaport.
• Visit one of the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft shows and learn about the many local artisans who craft beautiful works of art from any number of materials, from glass to metal.
• Learn about the lives of the African-American soldiers throughout the nation’s history by visiting the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum.
• The Children’s Museum of Houston, which was recently rated with a five-star rating by Citysearch.com and was voted the “Ultimate Kid-Friendly Attraction” by the Houston Chronicle, is over 90,000 square feet and features a number of interactive, bilingual exhibits for kids up to 12 years old.

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Downtown Houston is Transformed!

Get started on your holiday adventure by heading downtown and seeing the transformation of Main Street Square into a virtual winter wonderland! From the monstrous lighted trees and oversized snowflakes to the cool peppermint stick displays that make your sweet tooth ache just by looking at them, downtown Houston is all-things Yule.

Best of all, this giant holiday light display is free of charge! So, if you’re tight on money but big on holiday cheer then it pays to head over to Main Street Square; it will surely put a little fa-la-la in your step!

Tree Lighting Ceremony and Holiday Parade Usher in the Holidays

The tree-lighting ceremony at the Wortham Theater Center and the H-E-B Holiday Parade are just two of the reasons why so many Houstonians have flocked to the downtown district every year during the holidays.

New Downtown Attractions Delight Visitors of all Ages

In addition to downtown’s dress-up for the holidays, there are also two, new downtown attractions that are gracing the area: the Houston Pavilion shopping and entertainment center and Discovery Green Park.

A beautiful, 7,200 square-foot ice skating rink lures skaters to the Discovery Green Park, and the weekly movie night is a great way to spend the evening enjoying Houston’s warm, outdoor temperatures. Weekly movie nights run every Thursday through January 18.

The downtown district is also offering free trolley rides to and from several downtown locations throughout the holidays to alleviate parking troubles. Trolley stops include the Wortham, City Hall and the Shops at Houston Center, and the free rides continue through the last weekend in December.

The Downtown District spent about $200,000 on holiday decorations this year, although they will certainly be worth the expense as Houstonians and tourists alike begin relishing in the holiday experience throughout Houston’s vibrant, dynamic downtown district.