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! 

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!

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?

1906 Creek Mountain in Encino Park - New Listing

Just listed at $179,900 in Encino Park in far north San Antonio, this home at 1906 Creek Mountain features over 2000 square feet with three bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, and a full 2 car garage.  There's a living room down with tall ceilings, brick fireplace, and an open staircase.  Upstairs is a large loft for the kids to enjoy.  Located in Encino Park near the community center, the whole family can walk to the neighborhood pool and playground.  French doors off the living room lead to a tree shaded side patio.  Updates include recent paint and carpet, and a new roof is on the way.  Cement fiber siding, storage building, front yard sprinkler system and a water softener are included.  Don't wait, call today for an appointment to see this fine home.

Bexar County Property Appraisals Have Dropped for Many Homeowners

According to Jennifer Hiller with the Express News, "After years of steady price increases, in 2009, Bexar County property values dipped 2 percent. Prior to that, residential appraisals hadn't decreased in Bexar County since the savings and loan crisis of the early '90s."

The higher dollar neighborhoods like The Dominion, Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills have remained steady while the lesser expensive, more tract-home neighborhoods in other areas of town have sustained larger number of foreclosures which have brought those neighborhood appraisals down.  The average San Antonio home value in 2009 stood at $146,702, while in 2010 it is at $145,682.  

Not all homes are going down. Some have seen increases in their valuations, and have received notices from the Bexar Appraisal District. Only those properties with an increase of $1,000 or more will receive a letter in the mail with the information on how to file a protest. Meanwhile, property owners can check the appraised value online at bcad.org to see if the values have changed. All owners can protest, even if the values have decreased and the owner hopes to lower the value further.

Showing homes in San Antonio, Texas

Thankfully, business has been good lately.  We've had the opportunity in the last few weeks, to work with four sets of really good buyers.  The fun part is that we have a buyer in the $150's, the $250's, the $350's and the $700's+.  So we're getting to show a wide variety of homes in San Antonio and nearby neighborhoods.

What has made this experience fun and interesting, is the unique floorplans we've seen, the unique furnishings in those homes, and the various styles of decorating and staging home sellers have worked to achieve.  For the most part, an overwhelming percentage of the homes we've shown have been really ready to show, and were in move-in condition.  I suspect that as the numbers of foreclosures increase, I won't be able to say that much longer.  But in the meantime, a big thank you to San Antonio's home sellers.  Job well done! 

It makes the Realtor's job a lot easier and a lot more fun when the buyer can see themselves moving into a home without having to do a lot of clean-up or re-do's to make the home livable.  And that translates into more money in the Seller's pocket.  Keep up the good work Sellers.

Buyers, Considering the Move from Apartment Life to Home Ownership?

Buyers, are you thinking of losing the landlord, and owning your own home in San Antonio in the near future?  Are you considering a move from your nice newer apartment to an older, established neighborhood?  What adjustments can you expect in order to move into an affordable home? 

San Antonio is blessed with a lot of choices for first time buyers.  We still have builders actively constructing new homes, and a lot of them are in an affordable range for first time buyers.  But if a new home is not in your future, San Antonio has hundreds of neighborhoods in which you can find existing homes for sale that will be perfect for your first home.  But you may have to adjust your thinking a bit in what amenities you are looking for in a home.

• Need to update

For example, older existing homes may be not as new as your present apartment, and may have a kitchen or a bathroom that is in need of updating.  You may have to eventually invest money in newer appliances, or countertops to get the look you like. 

• Smaller rooms

Also, the room sizes may not be exactly what you have now.  Even though the home will most likely have more square feet than your apartment, some of the rooms may be smaller in an existing home, depending upon the age of the home.

• Less Open Floor Plan

The older homes may have dark paneled walls and standard 8 foot ceiling heights, and seem less bright than a newer home.  The floor plan in an older home may be more closed off or choppy, compared to a newer open plan.  The closets may be smaller, especially in the master bedroom than today's standards.

So why "settle" for an older home?  Look at the advantages.  There's a lot to be said for moving into an established neighborhood.  The area usually has a reputation for it's schools, crime rate, neighborhood associations, and the older areas are closer in to town usually, which makes for a shorter commute to work.  Also, the lots are generally larger and have mature trees and landscapes that give the homes a warm, lived in look.  You have more distance between your home and your neighbor's. 

Don't forget that your first home will probably be your smallest and will most likely have less features than your future homes, but you have to start somewhere to get the process going.  And what better time than now!

San Antonio Neighborhoods, Old and New - Part 2: Mahncke Park

I grew up in a wonderful San Antonio neighborhood,

Mahncke Park.

Most of the homes in the Mahncke Park neighborhood range from 1,000 sq ft to 2,000 sq ft and were built from the 1920's through the 1950's.  I believe my childhood home on Ira Ave. was built around 1940.  The homes are mostly bungalows or ranch-style dwellings. 

Current Market Status in Mahncke Park:

Mahncke Park has begun to lose its affordable status. Buyers who desire the King William district lifestyle have discovered Mahncke Park and started refurbishing the homes there. Currently there are seventeen homes on the market in Mahncke Park, ranging from $89,000 to $398,000. About half the available homes can be purchased for under $200K. To get more info on specific homes in the area, contact me  or search our free MLS search feature on our website.

Mahncke Park Location:

The Mahncke Park neighborhood is within walking distance to: Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio Botanical Gardens, the San Antonio Zoo, Brackenridge Park, Witte Museum, Lions Field Park and the Brackenridge Golf Course. By car, the neighborhood is 10 minutes from downtown and major freeways. 

Map of Mahncke Park Neighborhood:

Nearby at Broadway and Mulberry is the famed Kiddie Park which has just re-opened under new ownership, and has been entertaining kids in San Antonio since 1925. It is the oldest kids amusement park in the entire nation. I lived just across Broadway from Kiddie Park, and as a child, have great memories of live pony rides and the beautiful carousel.  Below is the author celebrating her second birthday at Kiddie Park!

Coming soon in Mahncke Park:
Don't miss the 8th annual Home Tours on Sunday, Oct. 18th from 11 am to 4 pm.

San Antonio Neighborhoods, Old and New - Part 1: The King William District

San Antonio, Texas, the Alamo City,  is made up of hundreds of diverse neighborhoods, both old and new.  In the next few posts, I want to explore a few of those areas and their current real estate market information. 

The new home construction in the last half century or so in SA has been mostly concentrated to the north and northwest of downtown, but the older neighborhoods near downtown are becoming trendy and in some cases, much more expensive.  Many of these homes are 80 to 100 years old, and are being lovingly restored by families who want to live close to where they work, or are attracted to the many downtown sites and events.

In his blog titled "Building San Antonio: Living Inside the Loop",  David Matiella calls the midtown San Antonio neighborhoods of King William, Lavaca, Monte Vista, and others, the now "hot real estate". I want to focus on one of those, the King William neighborhood,  a 25-block area near downtown on the south bank of the San Antonio River. In the late 1800's the King William District was the most elegant residential area in the city.

According to the San Antonio Conservation Society,
 
"The King William District occupies land that was once irrigated farm land belonging to the Mission San Antonio de Valero, the Alamo.  When the mission was secularized in 1793, the lands were divided among resident Indian families from the mission or sold at public auction.  The area called the King William Neighborhood of today was subdivided into lots in the 1860's and laid out with the present streets.  It was about this time that a great many Germans who had immigrated to Texas in the 1840's began to settle in this area and it became known as "Sauerkraut Bend" to the rest of San Antonio.... In 1967 the King William District was designated the first Historic Neighborhood District in Texas." 

Available King William Homes:
Currently in King William, there are 14 homes for sale, ranging from $142,000 for a 2 bedroom, 1 bath home with 1059 square feet, to $2,630,000 for a 6000+ square foot home / guest house / studio that's been totally updated and is situated on the river.  Most are priced below $500,000.  To get more information on any of these homes, contact me.

2009 Sales in King William:
So far in 2009, there have been 8 sales, ranging from $112,500 for a fixer-upper, to $580,000 for a 3784 square feet updated home.  Sales ranged from $48 per square foot to $197 per square foot.  The updated homes sold in the mid to upper $100's per square foot, and the homes not updated sold below $75 per square foot.

Coming Events in King William...

The next free concert in the King William Park is coming up Sunday, Oct. 11 at 6:30 pm. with the Viva Tango Quartet and the Puro Tango Argentino Dancers.  This is the sixth and final concert in 2009.

Saturday, December 5, 2009 is the annual King William Holiday Home Tour which showcases the historic preservation and renovation of the district.  The tour is held yearly on the first Saturday of December, and allows visitors to view private homes in the neighborhood.

The annual King William Fair helps kick off the San Antonio Fiesta week next year on April 24, 2010.