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!

How Energy Effecient is Your Home? Call CPS Energy to Find Out!

San Antonio's provider of electricity, City Public Service, or CPS Energy as they are now known, is offering a $95 energy audit of your home.  This audit will locate and measure leaks in the home's windows, ducts, and doors, and make recommendations to the homeowner on how they could better save energy dollars.

Possible recommendations include new caulking around windows and weather stripping around doors, adding insulation to attics, and making repairs to air conditioning ductwork. As an added incentive, the first 300 CPS Energy customers who follow through on the auditor's recommendations will receive a check for $1250 from the utility company as the result of a federal grant.

Don't wait!  Find out how you can save money each month on your CPS bill, and maybe even get help with paying for the energy upgrades!

3003 Fall Mist in Fall Creek Subdivision

Located in North Central San Antonio, this beautiful three bedroom home in Fall Creek features a three car garage, recent carpet throughout the home, and a large .24 acre lot.

Light and bright, the floor plan includes a formal living and dining room, along with an island kitchen that opens to the family room.  The master bedroom includes a nice sized walk-in closet and a bath with separate tub and shower.

Location, location, location... if you've got kids, this one's for you.  This home is next to the neighborhood playground! 

 

Mid-Century Modern Homes Becoming More Popular in San Antonio

In a recent article in the San Antonio Express News, writer Ana Ley says the homes built around the mid 20th century are becoming increasingly more popular in San Antonio.  Buyers are following a trend popular in other parts of the country, attracted to the clean uncluttered lines of the typically one story, ranch style homes. 

In San Antonio, homes built in this style in the 1950's can be found in many areas of town, including Castle Hills, Hollywood Park, Shearer Hills, Oak Hills, Olmos Park, Northwood, and Alamo Heights, all north of downtown.

Buyers are then taking it a step further by furnishing their home with furniture pieces from the same era, and often incorporating bold color choices in their decorating schemes.  It's a great look, don't you think?

San Antonio's First "Net-Zero" Home is Built

San Antonio's first "net-zero" home is being constructed in far north Bexar County on two acres, at a cost of $1.3 million.  Net-zero means that the home will use no more energy than it feeds back into the local power grid when complete.  The builder estimates the monthly utility bill will be about $50, which will mostly be to cover the gas and garbage pick-up.

The only visible signs that this home is different from others in the subdivision are the blue solar panels in the backyard, along with the 30,000 gallon tank that is part of the rainwater harvesting system, which funnels rainwater into underground pipes and then stores it in the tanks.  The water is then filtered before flowing indoors.

For more information on this unique San Antonio property, see the article in the San Antonio Express News by Karisa King, along with photos by Edward Ornelas.

11802 Sandman - Available in Enchanted Forest in North Central San Antonio for $224,900!

Come splash in your own back yard oasis this summer in Enchanted Forest!  Large in-ground pool and spa for the kids to enjoy when school's out, located in a private fenced yard on a greenbelt lot.  The lot is .28 acres big and is located on a green belt.

The home is big enough for a large family, with four bedrooms, three and 1/2 baths, and approximately 2700 square feet.  There's a large family room with beamed ceiling, hardwood floors, fireplace and built-ins, as well as a secluded gameroom with wet bar and storage room.  A full two car garage is also down.  A full bath near the utility room serves as a cabana bath for the pool.

Upstairs are all four bedrooms (18x15, 15x10, 13x11 and 12x11) along with two full baths and one half bath.  All of the kid's bedrooms have built-in desks and shelves.  The master bedroom has a nice walk-in closet.

Outside you'll find a 22x10 screened-in porch overlooking the pool, and a storage building.  The front yard is terraced and landscaped with native trees, rocks and plants for easy maintenance.

Children attend highly acclaimed North East ISD, with Harmony Hills Ele., Eisenhower Middle School and Churchill High School.

Give us a call to come take a look and make this beautiful home yours!

Happy New Year!

It's a new year, and there are hopes that the recession and its effect on local real estate are over.  Greater San Antonio Builders Association recently held their annual housing forecast where the outlook was for a slowly improving market in 2011. 

The highpoints of the discussion included:

• New home construction in 2010 was up 5.5% from 2009.  Projected new home starts in 2011 are expected to be up another 9%.
• Builders have scaled back production since 2007, leaving San Antonio with one of the tightest markets in the US in supply of new homes.
• Occupancy rates in San Antonio apartments are now above 90%, representing a pool of potential home buyers in the future.
• Texas issued more than twice as many home-building permits in 2010 as the next closest state, Florida.
• In 2010, the bulk of the new home sales in San Antonio were homes priced under $225,000.