Home Prices Up In Some San Antonio Areas

For San Antonio home buyers and sellers, here's a very timely San Antonio Express News article by Aissatou Sidime, dateline January 30, 2009:

While most of the San Antonio metro area saw a drop in home prices in 2008, a handful of sales areas — in Comal County and North Central and far eastern Bexar County — experienced an increase in median home prices last year, as buyers sought more rural environs, shorter commute times and more home for their money.

Buyers in search of a bucolic lifestyle helped to push the median price up 7.2 percent in area 26, which covers Comal, to $252,900 — the largest increase in the San Antonio metropolitan area.
Areas are sales regions designated by the San Antonio Board of Realtors.

The rural appeal of southeastern Bexar’s less-developed area 20, which includes China Grove and Elmendorf, was also strong in 2008. The median price there increased 2.1 percent to $98,200. Neighboring area 19 also had a boost, a 1.7 percent increase to $78,300.

“The East Central School District still offers 4-H and (Future Farmers of America programs) so those families who want their children exposed to agriculture are attracted to it,” said Eddie Callender Jr., an agent at Southeast Realtors on Goliad Road.

Last year, a large number of buyers also bought homes in areas where they could avoid heavily congested arteries such as U.S. 281 outside North Loop 1604. Area 6, which includes Hollywood Park and Hill Country Village, benefited from the trend, rising 1.5 percent to $244,000, as did neighboring area 14 and area 13, which includes the inner-loop communities of Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills. Area 14 saw prices edge up 0.3 percent to $157,900, as area 13 saw an increase of 1.7 percent to $247,200.

But buyers also were willing to move to subdivisions off less-beaten paths, such as off U.S. 87 in area 20.

“The traffic past (Loop) 1604 along the (U.S.) 281 corridor is a lot more difficult to overcome; and people were concerned that with 281 not getting a toll road, traffic would get worse,” said Judy Dalrymple, an agent with The Phyllis Browning Co. She sells homes mostly in the Shavano Park, Hollywood Park and Hill Country Village areas inside Loop 1604.

For some buyers, a key motivation was the need to buy a home in an affordable price range, which generally is considered to be under $140,000 locally.

Among the six areas to see price appreciation, buyers found affordable homes in Shady Oaks in area 14, where half of the homes sold in 2008 were priced under $157,900, and Foster Meadows in area 20, where list prices in the new subdivision ranged between the $90,000s and $170,000s, agents said. END OF ARTICLE

San Antonio is a very large city. While most of the metropolitan area offers exceptionally good home buying and selling opportunities, there are some areas experiencing serious home marketing challenges. Consequently, anyone relocating to the San Antonio area or contemplating selling a San Antonio home in 2009 should get a Realtor's (R) advice and assistance.

Ask us first.

Stephanie&Randy Kelley & Tara Kelley Guariglia, Realtors(R)
The SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team
Keller Williams Legacy
(800) 201-9145(210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743
kelleybus@aol.com