< PreviousBUYING SELLING or ahome? BuyingorSellingahomeisnoteasy,butIpromise toeducateyouontheprocess&setexpectations tomakethingssmootherandlessstressful. LET'SWORKTOGETHER! MELISSAREKOFF BROKERASSOCIATE melissa@onyxrealtygrouptx.com melissa.onyxrealtygrouptx.com 409-996-9838 ForEducators M elissa Rekoff, Broker Associate and Real- tor with Luxe Living Group, prides herself on being honest and transparent with her clients. She has their best interests in mind and wants to help eager home- buyers achieve their goals, whether it’s buying the home of their dreams or selling the one they once loved. She understands that the homebuying process is stress- ful, and she will be there to hold her clients’ hands throughout the entire transac- tion. Real estate transactions are not always easy, but she promises to keep customers in the loop and set expecta- tions to make the transaction go smoother. Clients boast about her thoroughness and that she keeps in constant commu- nication during the process. Her background in interior design is a big selling point, and home-staging is included with her services, as well as photography. Melissa was born in into a third generation of home- builders who take pride in providing housing for local Galvestonians. With a passion for real estate and interi- or design, she earned her bachelor’s degree in interior design, received her real es- tate license in 2010 and also earned the Accredited Staging Professional designation. She has spent more than a decade making dreams come true for families. Melissa has a background in education, and, with the help of her partner, Lind- sey Richison, created a Real Estate Rewards Program. The program gives back to educa- tors and the school districts’ educational foundation. If you are buying or selling a home, contact a trusted pro- fessional. Give Melissa a call at 409-996-9838. Melissa Rekoff: Keeping clients’ best interests at heart PAID ADVERTISEMENT 30 | Living Galveston County | 2022Welcome TO YOUR NEW HOME Spacious 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments available. Microwave, dishwasher, washer and dryer available. Reserved parking, 2 swimming pools, 3 laundry facilities. Pet friendly. GLACIER COURT APARTMENTS 9001 GLACIER AVE., TEXAS CITY, TX 77591 • Office: (409) 938-8835 Newly remodeled, lake side 2/2 with washer and dryer connections, granite island/bar, subway tile, stainless steel appliances and vent hood, recess lighting and ceiling fans, new carpet and flooring. Contact the leasing office for more information. 2022 | Living Galveston County | 31 W hen searching for an apartment, you are looking for more than just a place to live, you are looking for that special place to call home. The relaxing lifestyle you deserve is waiting for you at Glacier Court. Glacier Court Apartments of- fers the perfect blend of comfort and convenience. The apartment complex has spacious floor plans, ample amenities, beautiful views of the lake and helpful staff that make Glacier Court living a pleasure. The complex has newly re- modeled units available! These apartments are designed with residents in mind. Families can choose from layouts with one, two, three or even four bedrooms. The units have open floor plans, patios, built in microwaves, roomy closets and dishwashers. The complex is pet-friendly and even has its own Bark Park for your furry friends. There are also two swimming pools with tiki huts and lounge chairs so they whole family can have fun in the sun during those hot summer months. Located conveniently right off I-45, this location allows for easy access to Houston and Galveston. With Galves- ton Island, World Gym, and Tanger Outlet Mall close by, there’s always something to do — including kayaking or casting a line at the commu- nity’s private fishing lake. Residents love the apart- ment complex so much that it was voted first place for best apartment community in all of Galveston County in The Daily News’ Readers’ Choice Awards for 2019. There’s no place quite like it in Texas City. Give Glacier Court Apart- ments a call at 409-938-8835 and ask about their move-in specials. Glacier Court Apartments: Newly remodeled and spacious apartment homes in Texas City PAID ADVERTISEMENTKARENFLOWERS-(409)789-7377 DAVEBRIDGWATER-(409)392-5655 JOETRAMONTEREALTY (409)765-9837 BUYING Weareheretohelp youwithyourhome! 32 | Living Galveston County | 2022 T he Flowers Team is knowledgeable about civic organizations, schools, churches and com- munities. They have a wide range of expertise, including residential, commercial, new development, investment properties, unimproved prop- erty and farm and ranch. This outstanding team has helped its clients achieve their goals of ownership and investment. Whether you are buying or selling, this team will work for you! KAREN FLOWERS Karen Flowers began her career in Real Estate with Joe Tramonte Realty in 2001. She became a licensed broker in 2004 and achieved her Gradu- ate Realtors Institute and Ac- credited Buyer Representative designations. She has served on the Galveston Association The Flowers Team: Realtors who care about the community PAID ADVERTISEMENT Karen Flowers Dave Bridgwater of Realtors Board of Directors, as MLS Chairman and president of the board. Karen has served on the Texas Association of Realtors as PIC Member, Region 10 TREPAC Trustee, and Region 10 Vice President. Karen was honored as GAR Realtor of the Year in both 2005 and 2013 and received the GAR distinguished service award in 2019. Karen is actively involved in volunteer activities. She has served on the board of The Children’s Advoca- cy Center, UTMB School of Nursing Advisory, and Ronald McDonald House as president and fundraising chair. She is a member of the Junior League of Galveston County and was Sustainer of the Year in 2006-2007. Karen has Co- Chaired The American Heart Association Heart Ball and UTMB School of Nursing Fundraiser. She is an Elected Regent with Galveston College and is currently Chairman of the Board. She also serves as a member of The Galveston College Foundation Board. DAVE BRIDGWATER Dave Bridgwater has been a Realtor with Joe Tramonte Realty since June 2006. He began his real estate career as a residen- tial leasing consultant and merged into the residential sales department after five years. Dave became part of The Flowers Team in 2012. He has recently completed a three-year term on the Galveston Association of Realtors Board of Directors and previously served a two- year term on the GAR MLS Committee. He is a support- er of all TREPAC activities and fundraising efforts. Dave attends Moody Methodist Church and is an active member of the Moody Chancel Choir and handbell group, and he has sung with the Galveston College Chorale since Fall 2017. As an army brat, Dave has lived around the U.S. His parents were originally from the Texas Gulf Coast, and Dave found his way to Galveston, making it his current home since Fall 2005.409-497-4941 Now taking residential clients! 2022 | Living Galveston County | 33 E stablished in 2013, 3 Broads & A Broom is approaching its 10-year anniversary. Centrally located at the corner of 53rd and Avenue S, the 3 Broads’ team has bloomed into one of the communities leading service providers. Owners Jennifer Myers and Ivey Gonzalez were both born and raised in Galveston, so they know first-hand the effort it takes to clean homes that come across sandy feet, Texas weather and pets. Let their team handle the stress of cleaning your home, so you can spend more time relaxing. Over the last nine years, this company has grown by leaps and bounds. Hones- ty, transparency and good communication are key. The teams’ successes are attribut- ed to their one simple philos- ophy of “clean the way you would want your home to be cleaned.” In addition to pro- viding quality care for residential homes and vacation prop- erties, the business specializes in new vacation rental set-up. A variety of services are available to fit any need and any budget. The team at cleans more than just houses and vacation rentals. From of- fice buildings and travel trail- ers to semi-trucks and yachts, there is no job too big or too small. You can read customer reviews on the website at broadsnbrooms.com. 3 Broads is the only company to offer certified housekeepers. The team supervisors have attended a 180-hour training course and passed testing with flying col- ors. 3 Broads is fully bonded and insured, and complete background checks are done on all team members. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the 3 Broads team continued to serve its high- risk clients to help ensure their health. They continued to follow the guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and use only recom- mended produce to aid with the prevention of viruses, including COVID-19. 3 Broads stays active within the community by donating to local causes, such as the Galveston Humane Society and Ball High School softball booster club. The team also participates in local parades events, including Mardi Gras. Around the holidays, they volunteer with Blue Santa of Galveston Police Department by collecting and donating toys to ensure children have gifts. If you have a minute, stop by and discuss how the team can help you. A clean home is a happy home! 3 Broads & A Broom: Keeping Galveston homes spotless PAID ADVERTISEMENT34 | Living Galveston County | 2022 O pen-concept homes have become in- creasingly popular in recent years. An open-concept home is one in which the rooms flow into one another with limited obstruction from walls or other barriers. About 84 percent of new single-family homes have fully or partially open layouts, according to the National Association of Home Builders. While they may seem like a new trend, open floor plans are anything but. Early American homes featured open, often one- or two-room units built around the central kitchen/hearth. This maximized warmth and functionality. Homes evolved as incomes grew, and soon homes had several smaller rooms with special- ized functions. What’s old has become new again. Howev- er, before diving head first into a new home purchase or a big renovation to realize an open-concept dream, consider the pros and cons of this type of setup to determine if it’s really right for you. ADVANTAGES OF OPEN FLOOR PLANS Open floor plans facilitate the flow of natural light throughout a space and can promote air flow, helping to reduce warm or cool pockets of air in otherwise closed-off rooms. Open homes make socializing easier, even when people are doing different things. While someone is cooking dinner in the kitchen, he or she can still interact with someone else playing video games in the family room or paying bills in the home office. Entertaining also is easier, as mingling with guests is much more convenient when walls are not getting in the way. A smaller home can feel much larger if it Learn the pros and cons to open- concept homes2022 | Living Galveston County | 35 employs an open concept. The square footage is not divided into smaller quarters, which some- times are rooms (such as formal dining rooms) that are only used a few times per year. This eliminates underused spaces and opens up sight lines in the layout. The value of real estate has risen dramatically since the onset of the COVID-19 pandem- ic, and prospective buyers may prefer an open-concept plan because it can help them minimize building costs. DISADVANTAGES OF OPEN FLOOR PLANS Open layouts are not for everyone. The same sense of space that occurs when walls are taken down may make rooms feel cavernous and less cozy, particularly in homes with ample square footage. In addition, privacy can be hard to come by when all rooms feed into one another. When the kitchen is not separate from the family room space, that makes it easy for noise to compromise the area’s comfort levels. There is no hiding from noise in an open floor plan, as sounds from voices, television shows and appliances tend to echo and blend together. And if the home is a single-story layout, those noises from the main living areas also may carry to adjacent bedrooms. Smoke and smells are another thing to consider. When something on the stove spills over, a small range hood will not be practical for clearing smoke from a large space. Though the aroma of freshly cooked food is enticing, it can make it hard for cooks to keep guests out of the kitchen. Open-concept homes are popular, but homeowners should weigh the pluses and mi- nuses to see if this trend is truly right for them. — Metro Creative ConnectionSouth Land Title: Serving the entire state of Texas PAID ADVERTISEMENT S outh Land Title and Texan Title Holdings have been a part of the Galveston County community since 1995, employing more than 250 employees state- wide. The family of companies boasts 24 locations across the state — from Abilene to Austin and Georgetown, Bryan, Brenham and the Gulf Coast area with its operations and main office located in Galveston. The business has access to experienced real es- tate attorneys, title examiners and escrow officers in each of these areas. Patrick Doyle is the owner of South Land Title and Texan Title Holdings. He is also the owner of the Doyle Law Firm, which concentrates its prac- tice in the areas of real estate, document preparation, title insurance matters, business transactions and banking. The firm also has attorneys experienced in estate plan- ning and probate, family law, criminal defense and civil litigation. The Doyle Law Firm can assist, if needed, lenders, real estate agents, builders, residential investors and com- mercial investors with every type of real estate transaction. South Land Title is very proud to offer the financial strength and stability of the nation’s top underwriters: • Texan Title • Agents National Title • Alamo Title • Fidelity National Title • First American Title Guaranty • First National Title • Old Republic National Title • Stewart Title Guaranty • Title Resources Guaranty The business’ title plants are in Galveston and Bryan/ Navasota, with additional ex- aminers in the Houston area. Employees have the ability to examine and process files in a timely manner. The policy department completes the title policies following the closings. None of this work is outsourced. “We are helping Texans realize their dreams in buying or selling a home and when they come to do business with us, they do business with people that know that experience matters,” Patrick Doyle said. 36 | Living Galveston County | 2022Alison Christensen REALTOR ® • Experience • Knowledge • Integrity Selling Galveston Every Day 409.539.1794 Alison@SandNSea.com www.AlisonGalveston.com 2022 | Living Galveston County | 37 Alison Christensen: Helping you find your coastal home on Galveston Island PAID ADVERTISEMENT A lison Christensen grew up in Houston and earned her B.A. in Political Science from Tex- as A&M University. A family vacation home in Galveston in the ’90s turned into a per- manent residence in 2002. “It wasn’t a difficult choice,” Christensen said. “We loved the pace of ‘island time’ and found ourselves spending more and more time down here.” Christensen has an exten- sive knowledge of Galveston’s coastal market: the West End, from beach to bay; the myr- iad neighborhoods — new and old — tucked throughout the island; and the wind- storm and flood insurance requirements important to all property owners. “I was raised in Hous- ton, and now Galveston has been my home for 20 years,” Christensen said. “I’ve had the best of both worlds. This combination helps me better understand and assist buyers and sellers in our market.” Active in the community, she attends Sacred Heart Catholic Church, serves as a docent with the Galveston Historic Homes Tour each May. In 2018, she was elected to the Board of the Galveston Association of Realtors and currently serves as treasurer. She was also the featured Re- altor in an episode of “Beach Front Bargain Hunt” on HGTV. “I love helping people find their special place on the island and helping them discover how wonderful Galveston is.” She has been a top produc- er in sales since 2018. During recent market conditions of the past two years, she assist- ed sellers navigating through multiple offer situations to get top dollar for their prop- erties. When she is not working with clients, Christensen en- joys estate sales and vintage shops, trips to New Orleans and entertaining her friends and family at her father’s farm near Brenham. Profes- sional Associations include National Association of Real- tors, Houston Association of Realtors and Galveston Asso- ciation of Realtors. Following in her mother’s footsteps, her daughter, Ali, is a graduate of Texas A&M, and her son, Jack, is currently working and living in Galveston. For more information, contact Alison Christensen at 409-797-5561 or visit alisongalveston.com. ©2021 Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. Better Homes and Gardens ® is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation licensed to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Franchise is Independently Owned and Operated. If your property is currently listed with a real estate broker, please disregard. It is not our intention to solicit the offerings of other real estate brokers. David Bowers REALTOR ® 409.763.2800 • David@DavidBowers.com Please Call/Text/Email me to sell your property. DAVID BOWERS 3102 Seawall INVESTMENT PROPERTY Bar/Restaurant | 2480 SF | $3,000,000 1321 25th Street 1520 Market 1728 Ave M2319 Ave M SOLD FOR SALE 38 | Living Galveston County | 2022 T he Galveston real estate market certainly can teach patience, timing and realistic analysis. Whether you are a buyer or a seller, you will want to know what is selling and what is not selling in the market. Know the market so you can act. If you like working on projects, there are great opportu- nities. “In July, I listed a 1928 craftsman-style raised cottage, never renovated and all original,” Bowers said. “It sold in two hours. Just keep in mind, construction materials are at an all-time high. One property sold for $410,000 less than the initial listing price due to obvious needed repairs.” Most buyers want to close, move-in and enjoy their new home that day. Needed repairs can very much squelch a seller’s high expectation. As far as high-end pricing, only two older homes have closed above $1,000,000 since September 2021, Bowers said. The sharp rise in interest rates shocked the market this late Spring and, when the dust settled in August, the houses in good (above average) condition started selling at good prices. A Victorian with five bedrooms, three and a half baths and a pool sold above $770,000 in a couple of weeks. “My early morning guru, Dar- ren Hardy, says to anticipate and prepare not to just react,” Bow- ers said. “This is good advice in an ever-changing market.” Know your flood insurance rules and check to see if the existing policy is assumable. Keep an eye out in The Daily News for Bowers’ Wednesday comic page banner for to real estate listings. He also lists a house tip every Friday and Sat- urday in the TV Guide and real estate sections. Every Saturday, next to the crossword puzzle, he runs a Q&A on Galveston history, architectural or special interests. Each one of them showcases a different property every week. “Galveston is a treasure trove of properties and opportuni- ty,” Bowers said. “I very much David Bowers: A Realtor with knowledge about Galveston Island, its history and its market PAID ADVERTISEMENT DAVID BOWERS REALTOR ® enjoy helping people enjoy both!” Contact David Bowers at 409-763-2800 or david@ davidbowers.com Scan the QR code for more information.Let Paul Vincent and his TEAM help you HEAR IT and LIVE IT with a new home loan. 1177 W. Loop S., Suite 700 | Houston, Texas 77027 | 2228 Mechanic Street, Suite 318 | Galveston, Texas 77550 | Company NMLS 2258 Not a commitment to lend. Borrower must meet qualification criteria. Cornerstone Home Lending is a division of Cornerstone Capital Bank, SSB. PAUL D. VINCENT Branch Manager | Mortgage Banker | NMLS 49103 D: 713.469.3562 | O: 713.621.4663 | C: 281.827.1139 PVincent@houseloan.com | ThePaulVincentTeam.com IT’S THE SOUND OF REAL LIVING. 2022 | Living Galveston County | 39 PAID ADVERTISEMENT B uying a home, whether it’s your first or tenth, can be con- fusing. Your Realtor helps find the perfect property, but it’s your mortgage banker that gets you to the closing table. When selecting a mortgage banker, you want someone you can trust with your personal and financial information. Someone who has competitive rates, diversified products and a proven track record. Paul Vincent and Cornerstone Home Lending offer you all of this and more. Paul has been in the mortgage industry for more than 28 years. This wealth of knowledge and experience guarantees you the smoothest path to home ownership. He will help you determine which mortgage product is best for your budget, while helping you avoid unexpected mortgage pitfalls. Paul also will communicate how your mortgage is progressing every step of the way. His dedication to excellence has seen him receive the Texas Monthly Five Star Professional Award for eight years. Being recognized by his peers is an honor for Paul, as his clients are typically recommendations from Realtors and satisfied patrons. A commitment to excellent customer service has been the cor- nerstone of Paul’s business for almost three decades. Paul’s affiliation with Cornerstone Home Lending brings extra benefits. In addition to being a direct Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae lender, which allows a quicker, clearer path to closing, Cornerstone has key new products designed to aid the Gulf Coast community. Cornerstone recently closed on the pur- chase of a bank now called Cornerstone Capital Bank. This acquisition will provide many additional Portfolio Products, such as Non-War- rantable Condo Loans, As- set-Based Lending and CRA Products. Whether you are looking for a primary home, a vacation getaway, a condominium or an investment property, the Paul Vincent TEAM can help you buy your dream home. Whether that is a historic property, brand new beach house or a reno- vated loft, the Paul Vincent TEAM can find the right mortgage product for you. Let Paul’s years of experience guide you through the compli- cated maze of mortgages and help get you to the closing table smoothly and on time. Knowledge, experience, competitive pricing and exceptional customer service is what separates Paul Vincent from all other mortgage lenders. Paul Vincent: With you every step of the wayNext >