Oil Drilling Affecting San Antonio Real Estate

There's an oil boom going on in South Texas!  The Eagle Ford Shale area includes 22 counties, mostly south of San Antonio, and the population in those counties has skyrocketed in the last year.  In the San Antonio Express News, the writer states that hotel revenues in those counties soared by more than 34 percent in the last 12 months.

Rental housing is hard to come by in those areas, and the demand spills over into many areas of San Antonio.  As surveyors, drillers and other oilfield workers poured into the largely rural counties that occupy the Eagle Ford, hotels quickly began to fill, RV parks multiplied and nontraditional residential sites called man camps appeared.

Some workers are purchasing homes in San Antonio for multiple workers to use as a residence while commuting to work south of town.  Since the oil boom is expected to continue for years, there's more good news for the San Antonio area economy and the San Antonio real estate market.

World's Largest Colony of Bats Just Minutes Outside San Antonio

Bracken Cave, off FM 3009 in southern Comal County, is home to  approximately 20 million Mexican  free-tailed bats.  Every summer evening they vortex out into the sky in search of insects to eat. The emergence of the  mammals lasts for hours.  During its summer stay in South Central Texas, the Bracken colony nightly eats tons of insects, including mosquitoes, providing natural pest control for farmers as well as city dwellers, while pollinating plants and spreading seeds.

Until  earlier  this month,  the  public  did  not  have  access  to the  site.  But  now,  there  are  egular tours five nights a week for people to experience the phenomenon up-close, at $24.99 per person.  The evening bat tour,  limited to 60 people per  day,  begins with an interpretive talk at nearby Natural Bridge Caverns, followed by a short hike to Bracken Cave to see the  bats  emerge.

Visiting San Antonio this summer?  Now you have another reason to come!







 

2011 Parade of Homes in San Antonio

Did you go?  The 2011 Parade of homes was held last month in the Champions Ridge subdivision in far north San Antonio.  Not for your average buyer, these homes were priced from $750,000 to over $1.5 million! 

From mysanantonio.com comes a great description of the event.  The six homes were loaded with

innovative energy-saving features combined with luxury and the latest in electronic home wizardry. 

This year’s parade homes showcased a variety of styles, ranging from Old World Spanish and Mediterranean to increasingly popular modern designs featuring clean lines, high ceilings, department store-sized closets and expensive but understated wood treatments.

Four of the six homes on the tour are already sold.  So there's definitely a healthy market in San Antonio for the upper end homes! 

August Sales Up in San Antonio in 2011 over 2010

In a recent article in mysanantonio.com, the number of reported home sales in August of 2011 in San Antonio showed a 10% improvement over the home sales of 2010.  There were 1771 homes sold that month versus 1617 sold in August a year earlier.  Unfortunately, home prices were down 6% from the previous year.  The lower median price indicates stronger sales in the lower price ranges during the economic downturn. 

What does the future hold?  San Antonio hopes to buck the national expectations of lower sales throughout the first quarter of 2012.  Time will tell. 

Light Rail is Coming to San Antonio!

According to http://www.mysanantonio.com/, the VIA Metropolitan Transit Board has unanimously adopted a plan for San Antonio public transportation that will include light rail, streetcars, and bus rapid transit lines.  Currently San Antonio is the largest city in the U.S. with a bus-only transit system.  The city's last streetcars were discontinued in 1933.  But with a projected population of over 2 million by 2035, the need for public transportation will increase dramatically. 

As seen on the map, there will be bus rapid transit routes added.  The city's first bus rapid transit line is set to launch late next year or in early 2013, plus there are plans for additional bus rapid transit lines stretching north and south.

Next comes the streetcar lines through downtown.  There will be construction of an east-west modern streetcar line through downtown connecting VIA's planned West Side multimodal center and the Robert Thompson Transit Center at the Alamodome on the East Side.

Finally, there will be two light-rail corridors in the region, one stretching north and south, initially joining the airport and downtown, and one east and west, connecting Lackland AFB to Fort Sam Houston.

And meanwhile, bus service will remain the bedrock of the system. Bus frequencies will be improved and new express lines will be added to facilitate transportation in the suburbs.

All in all, the VIA plan will help San Antonio residents get to work as more and more people leave their cars at home and enjoy the ride!

First Section of the San Antonio River "Mission Reach" Celebrates its Grand Opening

              Photo: Andrew Buckley/abuckley@express-news.net / abuckley@express-news.net


The restoration of the San Antonio River's ecosystem, which encompasses a total of eight miles, remains a work in progress.  But the first two miles of the extension had it's unveiling last week, with work continuing on the last 6 miles, due to be completed in August, 2013.  Saturday was the first time joggers, walkers and cyclists could navigate trails from San Pedro Creek to Mission Road. 

Saturday's ceremony also included the opening of the Mission Concepción portal, a stone masoned archway and trail, the first of four that will link the river to missions Concepción, San José, San Juan Capistrano and Espada. The portals will be opened one by one as the final phases are completed.

Sixty years ago, the river was modified and straightened, becoming a glorified drainage ditch. Now it's beginning to look more like a typical South Texas river, but everything about it is engineered — down to the placement of the 23,000 native trees and shrubs.

To learn more about this local treasure, read Pierre Bertrand's informative article in the San Antonio Express News. 

13815 Chittim Oak in San Antonio -- ready for new owners!

Beautiful two story home on a quiet cul-de-sac street in the Oak Hollow neighborhood in north central San Antonio... updated and ready for new owners at $259,900.

This home features four spacious bedrooms plus a study, as well as two living areas (one up and one down) and two dining areas in 2620 square feet (per appraisal district).  The open floorplan downstairs includes recent tile floors, decorator paints and trims.  The master is downstairs as well, and its bath has a large walk-in closet along with seperate tub & shower, and double vanities.

                                                                               
Master bedroom

     Master bath            









Upstairs there is a family rooom/ gameroom, and three bedrooms plus the study.  Two full baths offer privacy and convenience for a large family. 

  Upstairs baths

                         







     



Outside, there is a huge entertaining deck with an inviting hot tub.  And the oversized .25 acre lot provides lots of room for the kids to play.  Large trees shade a big portion of the back yard, a big plus in the Texas summers!

                                        

Come take a look at this fine home.  It's easy to set up an appointment... just give us a call!