Chronology of Ted's Real Estate Experience
Keller Williams Houston . . Independent Contractor . . . Agent/Owner . . . . Broker
Keller Williams South Florida . . . Regional Director . . . . . . President . . . . . . Broker
Re/Max Airport I . . . . . . . Independent Contractor . . . . Realtor®. . . . Sales/Broker
Coldwell Banker. . . . . . . . Independent Contractor . . . . Realtor® . . . . Salesman
Simon Corporation . . . . . Houston Developer/Builder . . President . . . . . Builder
JoMark Corporation. . . . . . . . . Denver Builder. . . . . . . . President . . . . . . Builder
Magnolia Lakes, Inc . . . . . Mississippi Developer. . . . . Sec/Treas . . . . . Director
Ted Simon, Texas Professional Engineer, Licensed Broker
Background
Ted Simon, Texas Real Estate Broker, has been in design, construction, development and sales of residential and commercial real estate over a quarter century! As a teenager, he worked as an electrician wiring new homes in Pennsylvania! He has been a licensed professional engineer in both Texas and Louisiana, was educated in Pre Medical and Chemical Engineering at Penn State, with subsequent Pre Law schooling at Tulane University, North Harris County College, Texas A&M University and, subsequently, attended and taught extensive real estate schools and seminars.
After a long and successful career as a Shell Oil Company engineer and engineering supervisor, Ted became a custom home builder in Denver, subsequently in Houston. That experience and his background in engineering and heavy construction led to his being the developer and owner of the Simon Trades Centre (STC), shown in the photo above, a commercial office/warehouse in Northwest Houston.
To ride out the recession, Ted joined Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate in 1987. Being a very high producer, he moved on to Re/Max in 1988, a 100% commission company. For each year since, he has remained in the Re/Max 100% Club (annual real estate income over $100M) and ranked #2 agent out of about 1,000 agents in the Houston Region for Re/Max sales in 1989.In mid-1993, Ted joined Keller Williams Realty as Regional Director and President, Keller Williams of South Florida, Inc. Ted purchased majority ownership in the Region which extends from Florida's east coast at Satellite Beach (Cape Canaveral) south to Key West, then up the Gulf coast to Saratoga. In October ‘93, Ted moved to Orlando, to open the Region and remained there until 1995.
During his real estate career, Ted developed a variety of computer software systems tailored for expediting the residential resale business. All these systems are still being used by Ted for his customers. In addition, many are applicable to commercial distribution.
Being a Registered Professional Engineer (both in Texas and Louisiana), Ted has also spent a share of his time designing residential concrete foundations for Houston homebuilders, a residual interest from his homebuilding days!
Today's Business
Ted is now part owner of the Keller Williams Realty FM1960 office. It is located at 14511 Falling Creek, just a block south of FM1960W and a block west of Walters Road in Northwest Houston. This office was established in about 1992 with a 20 agent base. Since then it has grown to over 100 full-time agents and closes nearly $100 million in real estate sales annually! This highly efficient office operates seven days a week. Sue Hurd functions as Office Administrator and the Broker-of-Record is Joanie Sharpe. In addition, several Office Assistants operate the reception desk and the other functions associated with a high-producing real estate environment.
Ted's business is located in a private suite on the second level of the Keller Williams building, adjacent to the Northwest Houston Chamber of Commerce.
Office Assistance
Married to a South Louisiana cajun beauty, the late Norma Riota Boudreaux deVeer had been his wife for over 35 years and business partner in all of his building and real estate endeavors. In addition to being wife and mother to his son, Mark, Norma specialized in evaluating competition and developing many custom residential floorplans which were popular trademarks for Simon Corporation.Ted's Personal Assistant, Cornelia Gagos, joined him in 2001 to manage the office. Her background in finance and international trade in agriculture products were a natural for real estate. Being multilingual, Cornelia is comfortable with the variety of ethnic backgrounds encountered in the Houton real estate market. Cornelia is pleasant, efficient and communicates effectively with Ted's customers. She specializes in analyzing the market value of homes, setting-up new listings on the MLS, coordinates details needed to get sold properties to the closing table and maintains business files. Since receiving her Texas Real Estate License, she actively works with Buyers and is an excellent consultant! Cornelia has excellent organizational and computer skills and can help customers resolve a variety of problems when Ted is not available. She is a welcome asset to Ted's staff!
Ted Simon, Texas Professional Engineer, Licensed Broker
Early Years
Ted Simon, Texas Real Estate Broker, began his construction career as a teenager working on the family farm in Douglassville, Pennsylvania, about 50 miles west of Philadelphia. His parents' farm adjoined Harmony Farms, a 500 acre spread owned by the famed orchestra leader, Benny Goodman.
Living on a farm, Ted helped in the construction of farm buildings and the renovation of their then-350 year old stone, Daniel Boone vintage home.
As a teenager, Ted spent two years working with Foreman Equipment Company, an electrical and heat system installer. He received extensive electrical experience during two summers when he worked for a Master Electrician and with an electrician who was then studying for his master's license!First Full-Time Employment
Upon graduation from Penn State as a Chemical Engineer, he joined Shell Oil Company in New Orleans as a facilities engineer, where he was promoted to senior, then staff positions. He served as an engineering section leader for years and transfers included Calgary, Denver and Houston. Major design and construction projects included underground LPG storage in a salt dome, single buoy mooring (SBM) systems for offshore tankers, rail car loading facilities, inland and offshore pipeline systems, gas processing facilities and platforms, refinery tie-ins and many others. He spent two years with Shell Development Company in Bellaire, Texas, where he was credited with many technical patents and worked with Eposand® and the highly dangerous and destructive hydrogen sulfide (H2S) systems. During his Shell Oil career, Ted had many side interests. He operated a small construction company which did roofing, concrete and electrical work for years in New Orleans.
First Real Estate Development
As a young engineer he joined a group of engineers to form Magnolia Lakes, Inc., a Mississippi Corporation which purchased property, designed and built a man-made lake for residential home sites.
Ancillary Business
Early in his career Ted purchased an AAMCO Transmission Center in Tallahassee, Florida, which he owned for about six years. During this period, he honed his accounting skills and wrote computer software for bookkeeping and accounting.
HomebuildingUpon arrival in Denver with Shell Oil in the '70's, Ted established JoMark Corporation to begin building homes. He received his Class "C" Certificate from the Denver Building Department qualifying him to build under Denver's strict building codes! After building only one home, Shell Oil transferred Ted to Houston.
Although still with Shell Oil company, Ted established Simon Corporation, a Texas corporation, in 1976 and began to build custom homes. He was the first builder in prestigious Champion Forest Subdivision where building materials were dragged by Farmall Tractor from Louetta Road, even before Champions Drive entrance concrete was poured!
As the building business became quite successful, Ted resigned from Shell Oil after many interesting years to become a full-time developer/builder. From there, Ted's construction extended to Hunterwood Subdivision in Tomball, Mills Walk Subdivision in the Jones Road area and into the Olde Oaks Subdivision in the FM1960W area.
Commercial Development
Ted purchased and traded a number of commercial tracts locally in Northwest Houston. He developed a six-acre tract at the corner of Cutten and Gant Road which is recorded as the Simon Trades Centre (STC). As owner, Ted built a 53,000 sq ft architecturally attractive cinder block and structural steel office warehouse building on the site and moved his building company into it in 1984. The STC is shown in the photo.
After the real estate collapse of the latter 80's and the failure of six banks carrying construction financing for Ted, he closed all building operations and switched to residential real estate to ride out the local recession.Residential Real Estate
Real estate was a natural forte for Ted. He spent about one year with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate. Because of his high production and low commission split, Ted moved quickly to Re/Max, a 100% commission company.
During six active years with Re/Max, Ted's earnings soared to the prestigious 100% Club level because of innovative marketing, systems development, heavy use of computers and personal service. During that time, Ted's wife, Norma, continued to work with him to administer the office and Diane Huey served as his assistant.
In the early '90's, Ted was tapped by Gary Keller, President and CEO of Keller Williams Realty, to serve as Regional Director of the new South Florida Region of Keller Williams Realty.
After this assignment, Ted returned to Houston and resumed selling residential real estate ~ an area where he excels. He is now one of the Owners of Keller Williams Realty, FM1960, and has been their top producer each year since joining the Company.
Most Well-Known Customers
In the '80's, Ted contracted with Dave Elmendorf to build his personal 5,600 sq ft mansion in Olde Oaks. Dave had just retired from playing "Safety" with the Los Angeles Rams and was readying to re-marry his previous wife, Denise! This was their second honeymoon home!
You may remember Dave more recently when he became a Color Announcer with the USFL.In the '80's, Ted also built for Earl and Glenda Swift on Ivy Falls in the Olde Oaks Subdivision. Earl was then establishing Swift Energy Company which listed with NYSE in the latter 80's. About that time, Ted designed and built a huge home on Ivy Falls for one of the famed Howard Hughes attorneys, Craig Lewis, and his wife, Patty, where they still resided at millennium's end!
In 1985, Ted's wife, Norma, designed Oxford Manor as the feature home built by Simon Corporation for the ‘85 Parade of Homes! Although not the original owner, Bela Karolyi, USA Olympic Gymnastic Coach in Barcelona, and his wife, Marta, purchased the home in about 1989. Subsequently, Ted worked with Bela and Marta on the preliminary design of a new home using similar Bavarian styling.
Bela was selected in October 1999 to coordinate the year 2000 Olympic Gymnastics Team for the United States!
Akeem Olajuwan (since changed to Hakeem Olajuwan) listed his home with Jackie Pettigrew, Coldwell Banker, a Penn State classmate of Ted's! Ted sold the property to Carl and Dottie Frost in 1989. Hakeem's hobby is designing Lucite furniture ~ a remarkable talent. His furniture designs were proudly displayed in his home.
We are under construction!!!
About Ted's Services
Kudos and Awards
How to Choose Your Realtor
Ted's Background
Home Listings
Home Sales
Marketing YOUR Home
Ted's Sample Home Pricing Analysis
Tips to Sell YOUR Home
Buying YOUR Home with Ted
How Much Can You Afford?
NW Houston Subdivision Analysis
Yellow Pages for Local Repairs/Services
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