As the new real estate columnist for the Katy Times, I want to start at the beginning; the Genesis (capitalized on purpose). Let us offer an initial salvo into real-estate value, examine the underpinning of real estate winning, pour over the foundation of wealth creation for a community.

Ask yourself: why do some communities thrive when others dive? A simple formula, thousands of years old, and ignored in today’s society prevails as the path to success. Feel free to disagree, not with me, but with history at your own risk. History does repeat herself, but you must become her friend and staying close to hear her whispers.

1. A great community starts with healthy places of worship

I understand this may be tough to swallow for some. I am not trying to convert anyone to Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hindu or Judaism, for that matter. I am simply asking you to use your eyes. When you see many healthy places of worship, bursting with members in multiple services, real estate values thrive. When you see a boarded-up place of worship, real estate values often fall.

More importantly, consider history. When kingdoms expanded, smart kings did not send in generals. The crown scented missionaries. Missionaries proved more cost-effective. The clerics started places of worship first. Next, religious leaders brought in educators and started schools.

2. Schools pave the path for business

Most people place healthy schools is the number one driver of real estate values. A fair argument if you’d like to be wrong. Still, schools’ importance grade out near the top. Great schools, especially of mix of private, public, secular and faith-based, serve as the number one search driver for families when they consider a community. Parents strive to get children grade educations. Hence, great schools serve as an important and most noticeable building block of great communities. The great step to growth—great schools attract great businesses looking for an educated workforce.

3. Strong business provide an inroad to highways

Businesses follow educated and skilled workforces. Healthy schools, fueled by wonderful places of worship provide the most consistent workforce. Businesses provide the tax base to provide infrastructure and the jobs to demand housing.

4. Transportation follows commerce and then fuels more commerce and housing

People find a way to get to a successful business. Government taxes the businesses. Taxes pay for roads. Roads lead to more commerce. More commerce leads to housings.

5. Housing provides the clients for retail

Homeowners buy homes and rent apartments they can get to easily from work. Homeowners want to shop, pick up laundry, and dine out near home. Homeowners fuel dining and retail, the last group to the dance. If you ever bought a home in a brand-new community, what arrives last: dining and retail.

I understand, some readers may desire to debate the finer points of my thesis. You can validly argue, this idiot (that’s me) is not an economist, or history major, an intellectual, or even a real newspaper reporter. He is just a realtor. Correct on all fronts.

He is just a guy who sold over 2,000 houses, what does he know?

Timothy Sojka acts as the leader of the sea Tim cell team, at Keller Williams, where his team has sold over 2,000 homes. Tim is a frequent guest writer and speaker, radio and TV analyst, and the author of Amazon’s number one political thriller Payback Jack.