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. 

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!

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?

Home Sales are Increasing in San Antonio; Prices are Not

The May real estate numbers are in for San Antonio, and the number of sales of existing homes in May increased 19 percent to 1,928 sales compared with the same month in 2009, according to a new report from the San Antonio Board of Realtors.  But the median price of a San Antonio home dipped 4 percent to $145,900 compared with May 2009.

The increase in the number of sales this May has been credited to the tax incentives for homebuyers that ended April 30th. 

A report this week based on the Fiserv Case-Shiller Indexes said San Antonio home prices could slide slightly this year, but only by 0.5 percent. Nationally, a 3.1 percent decline is expected this year, with steep home price declines continuing in hard-hit markets such as Nevada, Arizona and Florida.  Once again, San Antonio is one of the more stable real estate markets in the country.

With around 7.8 months of inventory — meaning that if no more homes came onto the market, it would take 7.8 months, in theory, to sell the entire inventory at the current pace — the market remains tipped slightly in favor of buyers. About 6.5 months of inventory is considered a market balanced between buyers and sellers. 

The other good news?  The average number of days on the market for a San Antonio home that sold in May was 83, a quicker pace than the year before.

So What Happens When the Real Estate Tax Incentives End?

So what happens to the real estate market in San Antonio when the tax incentives end in a few days?  The $8,000 tax credit for first time homebuyers and $6500 for repeat homebuyers ends this Friday, April 30th.  Buyers who qualify for that incentive have to be under contract by that date and close the deal by June 30th to get the credit.

Ahh, but for San Antonio, there is an "escape clause".  San Antonio may benefit from an IRS provision that gives active-duty military members an extra year to buy a house and take the tax credits if they have been deployed for at least 90 days between Dec. 31, 2008, and May 1 of this year.  So with our large military bases here, we may see the market continue to be fueled by returning military buyers for the next year.  Time will tell.

Viva Fiesta in San Antonio, Texas!

The latest from the Alamo City... it's FIESTA TIME!

New Orleans has Mardi Gras. Rio de Janeiro has Carnival. And San Antonio has Fiesta — 11 days of partying, Texas-style. Fiesta began in 1891 with a single parade honoring the heroes from the battles of San Jacinto and the Alamo. Women in decorated horse-drawn carriages gathered in front of the Alamo to toss flowers at each other.


Today there are more than 100 events around the city celebrating the unique spirit of San Antonio with live music, food, dancing, fairs and art.  Not to mention all kinds of parades, including the floating Texas Cavaliers' River Parade, the nighttime Fiesta Flambeau Parade and the Battle of Flowers Parade — inspired by those bloom-tossing ladies.

The festivities kick off today with Fiesta Fiesta, the opening ceremony at the Alamo that includes live music, food and children's activities, emceed by San Antonio native and ABC News anchor John Quiñones. Americana music star Kevin Fowler headlines.  They're not the only celebrities joining the fun. Former Spur David Robinson will head River Parade, while singer Vikki Carr will be the grand marshal of the Flambeau.

Fiesta's royalty are celebrities in their own right. There's King Antonio, who represents the order of the Cavaliers, and El Rey Feo, the “ugly king,” a monarch for the masses.  But there are no ugly queens at Fiesta — at the Coronation of the Queen of the Order of the Alamo, the queen, as well as princess and duchesses, wear elaborately decorated gowns. There's also Miss Fiesta San Antonio, the Queen of Soul and the Charro Queen.  And don't forget King Anchovy of Cornyation, the irreverent pageant that pokes fun at current events, and El Rey Fido, who's top dog at the Pooch Parade.

It seems like every Fiesta-goer has a favorite event. There's the Fiesta Carnival packed with games and rides. A Taste of New Orleans at Sunken Garden Theater boasts music and cuisine. A Night in Old San Antonio takes over La Villita with entertainment and food from different cultures. Fiesta Oyster Bake at St. Mary's University is all about music and eating. 


Those same Fiesta-goers know how to make the most of the party: Wear comfortable shoes and sunscreen. See how many Fiesta medals and pins you can collect. And beware friends bearing cascarones, colorful eggshells that spill confetti over your head. 



After more than a century, Fiesta continues to evolve. This year, it is making strides toward a greener celebration.  The Fiesta Commission is working with the city to provide recycling containers at several events, including NIOSA, Fiesta Fiesta, King William Fair and Fiesta de los Niños at Port San Antonio. At the major street parades, groups that sell seating will collect recyclables. 

But some things about Fiesta that never change — it raises thousands of dollars for various charities every year, and it brings residents and visitors together to celebrate San Antonio's diverse heritage and culture. ¡Viva Fiesta!



Article by Jessica Belasco from the San Antonio Express News

Spring Break was Very, Very Good for S.A.

From the San Antonio Express News newspaper, William Pack writes that Spring Break has been very, very good for S.A.  Alamo Plaza in downtown San Antonio was "swarming with people.  It was really encouraging."

Tourism officials welcomed the increased traffic, especially after a dismal 2009 and barely any growth in January and February of 2010.  The owner of Ripley's Haunted Adventure and two other Alamo-area attractions, Davis Phillips, thought it was a good indicator of strong summer activity.  Attendance at his attractions were up 16% over last Spring Break.

The San Antonio Zoo had two record setting days last week.  When visitors number over 10,000 daily, it's considered great.  Last week saw days with over 18,000 visitors enjoying the animals and beautiful weather.

Local restaurants, hotels and historic sites also noted increases in the 2010 Spring Break business.  "There's the perception that things are getting better", said a spokesman for the city's convention bureau.  And that's good news for the Alamo City.

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.