San Antonio Real Estate

San Antonio's Best Companies To Work For

2012-01-20T15:49:00.009-06:00

On top of the recent spate of highly favorable economic reports, there's more good news for the San Antonio business community and for those seeking the best companies to work for in the Alamo City.

Each year, Fortune Magazine publishes its list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For and, this year, three leading San Antonio corporations have made the list.

NuStar Energy is ranked number 15.

USAA is ranked number 20.

Rackspace Hosting is ranked number 74.

This brief blog is brought to you by the SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team. If you're looking to buy or sell a San Antonio area home, or have questions about residential realty communities in communities near area employers, please contact us.

Visit our world class residential listings search engine here:

http://www.sanantoniohomequest.com/ext-search-listings.asp

Stephanie and Randy Kelley

Professional Real Estate Analysts and Negotiators

kelleybus@aol.com or swkrealtor@aol.com

(210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-9743

The http://sanantoniohomequest.com Realty Solutions Team

Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas

Public Service Home Buyer Rebate Offer

2012-01-16T09:50:00.008-06:00

If you're an active duty or retired uniformed services member, a uniformed services veteran, or active or retired teacher, government civil service, or public service employee, you are eligible for SanAntonioHomeQuest's Public Service Home Buyer Rebate Program.

Our calendar year 2012 program is offered to qualified buyers using our home buyer representation services to close on the purchase of a newly constructed or resale home on or before 30 April 2012.

SanAntonioHomeQuest's Public Service Home Buyer Rebate Program is very similar to USAA's Mover's Advantage Program.

Here's what it's worth to you:

Home Purchase Price Rebate

$1-$99,999 $ 350

$100,000-$149,999 $ 650

$150,000-$249,999 $ 950

$250,000-$399,999 $1250

If you want detailed information about the program, please contact a member of our team telephonically, via email, or by filling out the buyer info at http://www.sanantoniohomequest.com/buyer-info.asp (mention Rebate Program in Additional Information).

We're Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. Contact us at (210) 863-2661 for Randy, or (210) 867-8743 for Stephanie, or email us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our broker is Steven Gragg at (210) 482-3200.

2012-01-11T10:56:00.004-06:00

This beautiful newly constructed Plantation Homes listing is within easy commute to Randolph Air Force Base, Fort Sam Houston, and the shopping and entertainment centers in San Antonio and New Braunfels.

Go to SanAntonioHomeQuest to see more pictures and details.

Contact us for more information or an appointment to visit this or any residential property for sale in the San Antonio, Bulverde, Randolph Air Force Base, and Fort Sam Houston area.

If you are a public service home buyer, visit our 2012 public service reward program to see how it pays you to use our services.

Stephanie & Randy Kelley

Real Estate Analysts and Negotiators

kelleybus@aol.com

(210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743

The http://sanantoniohomequest.com Realty Solutions Team

Keller Williams Legacy

San Antonio VA Home Loans

2012-01-09T18:15:00.008-06:00

If you’re looking to buy or sell a San Antonio area home, please visit Randy and Stephanie Kelley’s sanantoniohomequest.com website for the essential advice and assistance you’ll need, including access to our world class realty search engine.

Now, speaking of San Antonio home buying, here is important information about San Antonio VA home loan benefits.

Mortgage interest rates are at historic lows.

Now is the time to get $417,000 or more through your VA Home Loan benefit.

Buy a home or refinance now to:

Lock In A Low Rate and Lower Monthly Payments,

With No Downpayment or PMI Required, Or

To Pay Off Higher-Rate Balances, Or

Pay Off a Second Mortgage

These San Antonio VA Home Loan lenders can help you buy or refinance :

Jamie Spanley
Mortgage Banking Officer
Physician And Other Professional Loan Programs & VA Loans
BBVA Compass Bank, San Antonio
200 Concord Plaza, Ste 600
San Antonio, TX 78216
(210) 370-6028 (office)
(210) 274-5011 (cell)
(866) 491-5619 (fax)
jaime.spanley@bbvacompass.com

Patrick Fitzgerald
Senior Loan Officer and Military Expert
Prime Lending
(210) 483-4900 (office)
(800) 671-4995 (toll free)
(210) 862-6296 (mobile)
(877) 877-9028 (fax)
Pat@PrimeLending.com

J.P. Watkins, Mortgage Broker
True Texas Lending, LLC
9311 San Pedro , Ste 100
San Antonio, TX 78216
Toll Free (1-800) 460-6990
Office: (210) 490-4253
Cell: (210) 837-3006
FAX: (210) 490-7253
Jpwatkins@truetexaslending.com

Melissa Kulikoff
Sr. Loan Officer
AMCAP Mortgage, Ltd.
Cell: (210) 849-9030
Fax: (210) 957-8535
yourtexaslender@gmail.com

January 2012 San Antonio Realty Market Report

2012-01-02T11:17:00.005-06:00

When forecasting housing and other economic trends, it seems no one has a crystal ball. The best the experts can do is look to the present conditions and short term indicators for hints of things to come.

Now, as San Antonio enters the New Year, there are clearly impressive indications that the Alamo City area is likely to see remarkable economic strides - and an interesting housing market - in the coming months.

Who are experts supporting that conclusion?

First, the respected Milliken Institute recently ranked San Antonio as number 1 on its annual list of Best Performing Cities Index. Second, Livability.com ranks San Antonio second among the best 10 places in the Nation for recent college graduates. Third, in an article last July, Forbes Magazine ranked San Antonio as number 4 in its list of the nation's next boom towns. Fourth, Kiplinger Magazine gives San Antonio high rankings as a "best value city." The list goes on and on.

Significantly, the last time San Antonio received such high rankings from so many quarters heralded the city's historic 2006 realty boom. Is it possible that 2012 will see the return of a frantic residential realty market like 2006? It's possible, but not likely, because the nation's slowly progressing economic recovery should check what could otherwise be an overheated 2012 San Antonio realty market.

Nevertheless, as pointed out in our preceding blogs, many favorable factors are converging to make 2012 an exceptional realty year for San Antonio/Bexar County and the surrounding counties and communities.

Specifically, the area's employment rate is high, the population growth is steady, and, compared to other large metropolitan areas, home prices are more reasonable than average. Mortgage rates remain historically low and lenders are aggressively seeking qualified home buyers. The Eagle Ford Shale oil play just south of town is infusing manpower, money, and materiel into the economy and spurring high demand for housing for oil and gas industry workers and their families.

To say the least, there's ample reason to believe that San Antonio's 2012 realty market will be much more active than in any year since 2006.

For data lovers, here's the picture in and around San Antonio as of 2 January 2012:

Reasonably priced and well prepared resale homes are selling exceptionally well and new home builders are responding to better conditions by bringing more new homes into production.There are 9, 598 homes listed for sale compared to 10,984 one year ago. The inventory is exceptionally low but will likely trend steadily upward as New Year listings are brought to market. For the time being, the market has drifted into the 6 months supply range, reflecting a balanced market (a condition not seen in San Antonio for many years). A balanced market favors neither buyers nor sellers.

The average sales price for the most recent closings is $181,030 compared to last year's $190,656. Sales prices are rising - a trend likely to continue through the higher paced late winter/spring and summer home selling seasons. That's a good sign for sellers.

Average cumulative-days-on-the-market (CDOM) for the most recent sales is 149 compared to 144 last year. A continuing downward trend is expected. That's a positive sign for home sellers and the San Antonio realty market generally.

Industry analysts see these data as reflecting a housing market slightly favoring seller's over buyers.

That's all for our January 2012 San Antonio realty market report. We encourage reader comments and recommendations about how to make our reports more informative and useful.

Wishing you and yours a Happy New, we're Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas.

If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 (Randy) or (210) 867-8743 (Stephanie), or email us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our http://SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.

Best Way To Search For San Antonio Homes For Sale

2011-12-27T19:10:00.010-06:00

First, if you’re looking to buy or sell a San Antonio area home, please visit Randy and Stephanie Kelley’s http://sanantoniohomequest.com website for the essential advice and assistance you’ll need, including access to our world class realty search engine.

Now, speaking of realty search engines, here’s something you might consider.

If you’re spending a lot of time surfing the Internet looking for San Antonio area listings be aware that all of the Internet search venues, even including the one at SanAntonioHomeQuest.com, aren’t in real time sync with the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) because they all rely on periodic MLS uploads to stay current. In fact, some of the popular venues are many hours to days out-of-date.

What's better? A direct San Antonio MLS search is far superior for detail and timeliness.

Even if you’re making your SAn Antonio home purchase next summer or fall, it’s not too early to start receiving detailed MLS listing reports matching your needs and coming to you directly from the San Antonio Multiple Listing Service.

The MLS search engine lets you save promising listings for future reference, and, by the time you start your on-site housing hunt, you’ll be well primed with information about neighborhoods, home styles, builders (yes, you’ll also get occasional listings for new construction homes) and will have a nice list of promising homes to see right away.

There’s one caveat to keep in mind.

Only a Realtor® member of the local MLS can set up a dedicated search for you. So, if you want an ongoing automated MLS search set up in your name, you must call or send an email request to a San Antonio real estate professional of your choice.

Be sure to describe your ideal home in detail because the MLS search is highly flexible and can be exceptionally specific in terms of your home ownership wants and needs. Ask for your search to be set up as soon as possible.

Be prepared to hear back and expect the Realtor® to explain how he or she can serve your consumer interests as your buyer agent. That’s cool, because the majority of home buyers in the San Antonio area are represented by buyer agents and someday you’ll have to decide which agent will best represent you.

The SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team will set up a free direct San Antonio MLS search for you without any obligation on your part.

Just describe your ideal home in an email to kelleybus@aol.com or swkrealtor@aol.com or call Randy at (210) 863-2661 or Stephanie at (210) 867-8743.

San Antonio Home Buyers And Sellers See Changes Coming

2011-12-18T13:13:00.006-06:00

San Antonio home buyers and sellers should take note of this recent development that’s likely to reflect conditions affecting the local residential realty market in coming months.

Comparing economic growth and prosperity for 200 large metropolitan areas, the Milliken Institute has ranked San Antonio as number 1 on its Index of Best Performing Cities for 2011.

The Milliken Institute is an economic think tank whose mission is to improve the lives and economic conditions of people in the United States and around the world.

San Antonio was previously 13 places below other large U.S. cities, but, this year, after considering San Antonio’s strong performace in the areas of job availability, wages, and technological advancement, the Institute moved San Antonio to the top position.

Contributing factors were economic boosts realized from the area’s Military Base Realignment and Closing projects (about $3.8 billion in facility construction) and the financial impact of the Eagle Ford Shale oil and gas boom underway just south of the city.

How do those conditions impact on Alamo City area home buyers and sellers?

The new year is likely to see an unusually active realty market, shifting gradually from the current weak buyer’s market to a balanced market favoring neither buyer’s or sellers and seeing a significant reduction in the inventory of available homes and corresponding price increases for both resale and new construction homes.

For more information, contact a member of the SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team. All team members are professional residential realty analysts and negotiators dedicated to helping home buyers and sellers get the best price, terms, and conditions for their real estate investment. Please call on us when you need advice about the best way to go about buying or selling a San Antonio home.

Contact Randy Kelley at (210) 863-2661 - kelleybus@aol.com - or Stephanie Kelley at (210) 867-8743 - swkrealtor@aol.com .

Weekend Events, San Antonio, Bulverde, Randolph AFB And Fort Sam Houston

2011-12-17T12:57:00.007-06:00

If you’re looking to buy or sell a home in San Antonio, the Bulverde area, or around Fort Sam Houston or Randolph Air Force Base, please visit Randy and Stephanie Kelley’s website for all the advice and assistance you’ll need, including access to our world class realty search engine. You can find us at sanantoniohomequest.com.

Now, for the weekend of 18 and 19 December, 2011, here’s a message from Mike’s In The Village, our favorite North San Antonio, Bulverde, Randolph Air Force Base, and Fort Sam Houston area restaurant:

Dear Friends,

This weekend, try our Roasted Poblano Bisque to start, and then enjoy the Prosciutto & Spinach Stuffed Veal Chop with Pinot Noir pan Jus, the Pan Seared Duck Breast with Raspberry Chipotle Demi or the White Wine Braised Osso Bucco over Creamy Polenta with Gremalatta.

This Saturday, join us on the back porch for live jazz music performed by Phil Grota.

Begin your New Year’s celebration with dinner at Mike’s! We will be serving our regular menu along with some delicious specials from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. Reservations are suggested, so make yours now by clicking here or calling 830.438.2747.

Mike’s In The Village restaurant and Chef Mike’s Nouvelle Catering are the perfect choice for your holiday catering needs.

Click here for sample menu ideas or call us today for an estimate at(830) 438-2747.
Bon Appétit,Chef Mike

PS- We will be closed Saturday, December 24-Tuesday, December 27th for the Christmas holidays.

San Antonio, Texas, FHA Mortgage Loan Limits

2011-12-13T16:27:00.007-06:00

If you’re looking to buy or sell a San Antonio area home, please visit Randy and Stephanie Kelley’s website for all the advice and assistance you’ll need, including access to our world class realty search engine. You can find us at sanantoniohomequest.com.

Now, here’s today’s blog article, based on a recent notice from J.P. Watkins, loan officer at SWBC Mortgage Corporation, San Antonio.

J. P. writes that there’s great news for San Antonio area home buyers regarding an increase in FHA loan limits.

The result is that borrowers can once again qualify to buy a higher priced home because the FHA loan limits are higher.

The limits were announced in Mortgagee Letter 2011-39. You can look up the new limits for the San Antonio area and other areas throughout the country by visiting: https://entp.hud.gov/idapp/html/hicostlook.cfm.

The site shows the following limits for home in Bexar County/San Antonio, as of 30 November 2011:

One-Family Home $332,500

Two-Family Home $425,650

Three-Family Home $514,500

Four-Family-Home $639, 400

For more information, please contact JP Watkins Loan Officer, NMLS#220598, at SWBC Mortgage Corporation, 9311 San Pedro, Ste 100, San Antonio, TX 78216 Ph. 210.581.1533 Fx. 210-581-1633 Cell 210.837.3006 Website: www.swbcmortgage.com/watkins

December 2011 San Antonio Residential Realty Market Report

2011-12-07T10:34:00.028-06:00

The San Antonio residential real estate market is exceptionally active this holiday season!

Early December is typically the low season for realty activity in and around the Alamo city, but this year it's remarkably different.

Many factors are contributing to the unusually active market.

First, because of the area's high employment rate, population growth, and
better than average home prices, San Antonio is viewed as one of the top 10
large metropolitan markets for both home buyers and sellers.

Second, mortgage rates remain historically low and lenders are aggressively
seeking qualified home buyers.

Third, there are positive signs suggesting the national economy is experiencing
a slow, but relatively steady recovery. That factor alone is bringing more
buyers than usual into the market this December.

Forth, the nearby Eagle Ford Shale oil play is spurring housing demand for
thousands of oil and gas production workers and their families.

Those factors are generating a very healthy residential sales environment
wherein reasonably priced and well prepared resale homes are selling
exceptionally well and new home builders are responding to better conditions by bringing more new homes into production.

For those who love stats, here are the key indicators for San Antonio's single
family detached home listings as of 7 December 2011.

There are 10,401 homes for sale compared to 11,694 one year ago. The inventory is exceptionally low, is trending steadily downward, and has drifted
into the 6 months supply range, reflecting a balanced market (a condition not
seen in San Antonio for many years). A balanced market favors neither buyers
nor sellers.

The average sales price for the most recent closings is $176,003 compared to
last year's $193,701. That's an unreliable indicator because the large number
of lower priced properties sold in 2009 & 2010 under the Federal tax
incentive programs temporarily depleted the lower priced home market. An
analysis of longer term data indicates the absence of any significant sales
price appreciation since 2007. That's a good sign for buyers.

Average cumulative-days-on-the-market (CDOM) for the most recent sales is 139 compared to 144 last year. A continuing downward trend is expected. That's apositive sign for home sellers and the San Antonio realty market generally.

Industry analysts see these data as reflecting a housing market slightly
favoring seller's over buyers.

That's all for our December, 2011, San Antonio realty market report.

We encourage reader comments and recommendations about how to make our reports more informative and useful.

Wishing you a merry Christmas and Happy New, we're Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, are looking to buy or sell a San Antonio home, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 (Randy) or (210) 867-8743 (Stephanie), or email us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.

Construction Update - US 281 Loop 1604 Interchange

2011-11-22T14:16:00.007-06:00

The US 281/Loop 1604 interchange construction project is well into its eight month. Long awaited and sorely needed, the completed interchange is projected to relieve the chronically congested traffic conditions on one of the area's most heavily travelled highways.

The project is truly a "pardon our improvements" situation. Motorists have cause to be aggrevated by the rerouting of construction area access roads, periodic traffic stoppages, delays caused by heavy equipment moving materials and reconfiguring the right-of-way, and the much lower and slower construction zone speed limit. Everyone wants to know what's happening now, what's next, and when will it all end.

The Alamo Regional Mobility Authority has developed a number of ways to keep citizens up-to-date and in tune with road project developments. According to Leroy D. Alloway, the Authority's Director of Community Development, you can visit these sites for the US 281/Loop 1604 interchange construction news:

Visit http://www.alamorma.org/ for daily closure announcements.

Go to http://www.facebook.com/AlamoRMA.

Go to http://www.twitter.com/AlamoRMA .

Get instant telephonic text messages by texting "follow AlamoRMA" to 40404 .

This blog is brought to you by the http://sanantoniohomequest.com/ Realty Solutions Team. If your're looking for San Antonio homes for sale, visit our world class search engine at:

http://www.sanantoniohomequest.com/ext-search-listings.asp

If you have questions about San Antonio living, real estate, mortgage loans, or anything realty, call Randy Kelley at (210) 863-2661 or Stephanie Kelley at (210) 867-8743 or enter your question at sanantoniohomequest.com/resources-ask-anything.asp . We'll answer as soon as possible.

How To Get The Cleanest Windows In San Antonio

2011-11-14T08:50:00.011-06:00

The SanAntonioHomeQuest.com team provides realty solutions, and they're not limited to buying or selling your San Antonio home. Sometimes we see a home maintenance need that needs addressing - like how to get the cleanest windows in San Antonio.

Believe me, having lived in San Antonio so many years, I'm confounded by the gunk clouding my home's windows. I'm certain I've tried every window cleaning product, including some "as seen on TV." You know, the one not found in stores, but already on the "As Seen On TV" shelf up the street at Walgreens. I guess Walgreens isn't a store - huh?

I digress -- back to my point. It is truly hard to keep your San Antonio home's eyes bright and shiny.

But, there's a homemade formula that works better than anything we've found in the stores and we are sharing it with you at our Texas Home Girl sister site. Give her a click and learn the right formula to combine hot water, ammonia, vinegar, and alcohol (no -- not in yer mouth -- in yer wash pail), to whisk away San Antonio window crud.

This helpful hint blog is brought to you by the SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team. We're the best - leave the rest.

If you're looking to buy a San Antonio, Bulverde, or military base area home, go here for our world class listings search engine.

Loan Prequalification And Down Payment For San Antonio Homes For Sale

2011-11-10T11:53:00.007-06:00

The SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team loves to answer questions about buying and selling homes. Here's the latest one.

Question: How do I get pre-qualified and what is a good down-payment for a home?

Our Answer: If you are just wanting to get an idea, you could use the link below for some general information:

http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/houseafford/houseafford.html

If you are seriously considering purchasing, you will want to visit with a loan officer that you feel you can trust. Your agent might recommend one or you could ask friends to suggest someone with whom they have had a good experience. You could also visit your personal bank or credit union.

A pre-qualification should not cost you anything. A pre-approval is often required when you are ready to make an offer and that will usually have the cost of a loan application and credit check. The pre-qual is enough to get started in most areas, but there will be a point where you need approval.

The down payment is variable and is different from your earnest money. How much you choose to put down (along with other things) can affect the interest rate. If you are VA eligible, or qualify for a USDA financing, you may get by with 00 down payment. FHA will require 3.5 percent down. A conventional loan will vary and can run anywhere from 5% to as much as you want to put down. Many people choose 20% down on a conventional loan to avoid private mortgage insurance (PMI).

A good agent and/or a good loan officer will guide you through this maze? Good luck!

If you're looking for San Antonio homes for sale, visit our world class search engine at

http://www.sanantoniohomequest.com/ext-search-listings.asp.

Brought to you by the SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions team. If you have a question about San Antonio, real estate, mortgage loans, anything realty -- go here -- and we'll get back to you with our answer as soon as possible.

November 2011 San Antonio Homes For Sale Report

2011-11-07T17:44:00.012-06:00

If you're visiting to find homes for sales in San Antonio, visit our world class realty search engine at SanAntonioHomeQuest.com. If you want to know what's happening in the residential realty market, read on:

It's autumn in South Texas. Bright beautiful days, balmy afternoons, and cooler nights herald the approaching holiday season. Residents and tourists are out and about, delighting in San Antonio's most pleasant season.

Typically, San Antonio's residential realty market cools down with the season. It's to be expected because San Antonio's realty market runs in a predictable seasonal cycle. The lowest sales month is January, the higher sales season kicks off in March and usually peaks in June, and, after school starts in August, the market draws down in a leisurely fashion through the fall and early winter.

So far, this year's cycle has been typical, with one exception. The area has experienced a significant reduction the homes-for-sale inventory.

Currently there's approximately a 7 months supply of homes on the market - signifying a weak buyer's market. If the supply drops much lower, the market will experience a balanced market neither favoring buyers or sellers and likely causing a gradual rise in home prices.

Balancing the market is a healthy trend indicative of improving economic conditions. That's unquestionably the case in San Antonio this year.

Here's why.

Job growth is excellent and the unemployment rate is relatively low. Just south of the city, the developing Eagle Ford shale oil field is attracting new businesses and generating thousands of new job opportunities throughout South Texas. Also, the Alamo City's traditional economic generators remain strong with financial, service sector, military, bioscience, and medical establishments leading the way and showing no signs of weakening.

Barring unforeseen factors, San Antonio's realty market will likely mirror San Antonio's vibrant economic conditions - strong, resilient, & growing.

Here are the relevant market stats for San Antonio area single-family detached homes as of 5 November 2011.

There are 10771 active listings, compared to 12072 one year ago. The inventory is decreasing very rapidly. That's a good sign for home sellers.

The average sales price for the most recent closings is $181,243, compared to last year's $183,131. Because the decrease is likely seasonal and not indicative of a long term trend, it's neither a good nor bad sign for buyers or sellers.

Average cumulate-days-on-the-market (CDOM) for the most recent sales is 146 compared to 126 last year. For the time being, CDOM data remains positive for San Antonio home buyers.

Industry analysts see these data as reflecting a housing market moving toward balanced conditions. That means the market might soon favor neither buyers nor sellers.

That's our November 2011 San Antonio realty market report. We encourage reader questions, comments, and suggestions for making this monthly report more relevant and informative.

Wishing you an wonderful November and a blessed Thanksgiving, we are Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors ® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio. If you have questions, need San Antonio area realty or mortgage advice or assistance, or just want to chat, please call (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743 or send an email to swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our http://sanantonohomequest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.

Things To Do San Antonio Texas Halloween 2011

2011-10-28T15:55:00.003-05:00

If you are looking to buy or sell a haunted or not-haunted San Antonio home, visit
our world class listings search engine
otherwise, pass on (he.he) to the Texas Home Girl's report of things to do on Halloween in San Antonio. The Home Girls's report is found here:
Halloween In San Antonio

The SanAntonioHomeQuest.com wishes you a BOO-TIFUL Halloween 2011.

Free San Antonio Halloween Events - Witte Museum

2011-10-27T11:27:00.004-05:00

IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO BUY OR SELL A SAN ANTONIO AREA HOME, VISIT

OUR WORLD CLASS RESIDENTIAL REALTY SEARCH ENGINE

Rent And Sale Prices In San Antonio Could Signal A Buyer's Swing

2011-10-24T16:18:00.037-05:00

The following very excellent and timely article is written by Kala Bell, our guest blogger from the University of Michigan.

RENT AND SALE PRICES IN SAN ANTONIO COULD SIGNAL A BUYER'S SWING

In most housing markets, the fall and winter months can often signal a slow period for both buyers and sellers. With the holidays approaching, many families often get locked in and restart their search after the New Year begins. While this may often be true, trends and statistics often help to determine the market. Buyers who are on the fence are looking to reap the benefits of good trends and the San Antonio area offers up some appealing figures for buyers as October draws to a close.

The numbers for rentals in San Antonio are in for the fall season and they are telling for interested buyers. Right now, San Antonio apartments are averaging $758 per month. This is a 2.4 percent increase from the rent averages in late 2010. Rentals in the area are at 93.5 percent occupancy, which signals low rental inventory and the possibility for even more rising rental rates.

With the rental rates up in San Antonio, potential buyers who are on the fence could certainly be tempted to pull the trigger on a possible new home. Median price in the area is also certain to have an effect on the feelings of potential buyers. Sale prices are down about 3 percent from 2010. In September, the median sale price in San Antonio was $183,762.

Also in September, the San Antonio housing sales numbers were very promising. An eight percent increase in sales over 2010 reflects an area market that could be primed for resurgence. Buyers can take note of the record low mortgage rates throughout the nation and in San Antonio, specifically. A 30 year, fixed rate mortgage is now as low as 3.94 percent, marking the first time a 30 year has dropped below 4 percent.

Inventory has been down for homes as well, however the average time on the market has gone up for homes. The market has stayed pretty steady in the San Antonio area for the past year. This is a good sign, as many other areas throughout the nation have taken catastrophic hits in the same time period. The San Antonio area, as well as other major Texas hubs should continue to do well as many places in the country experience issues. With this area often driven by the oil industry, the region seems to be better off, especially when it comes to unemployment.

The San Antonio real estate market should continue to stay steady with the possible hope for a full bounce back some time 2012. The numbers from January to September of 2011 are telling, signaling a hopeful resurgence in the late months of the year and early part of 2012.____________________________________________________

Thanks Kala for your excellent analysis and thought provoking blog article. We look forward to hearing from you again very soon.

This blog is brought to you by Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. We are professional residential realty analysts and negotiators. If you're looking to buy or sell a home, our goal is to help you get the best price, terms, and conditions. Visit us at sanantoniohomequest.com.

3113 Old Ranch Road San Antonio Home For Sale

2011-10-11T15:22:00.008-05:00

PRICE REDUCED TO $145,000

This fine residence is located in a comfortably established community located within easy commute to Randolph Air Force Base, Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio International Airport, and shopping, entertainment, and parks and recreation facilities. Go to SanAntonioHomeQuest.com to see specifics about this beautiful little house or contact us for more information or an appointment to visit this or any residential property for sale in San Antonio.

Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors®

(210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743

The San Antonio Home Quest Realty Solutions Team

Keller Williams Legacy

1102 East Sonterra Boulevard, Suite 106, San Antonio, TX 78258-3999

October 2011 San Antonio Real Estate Market Report

2011-10-01T11:53:00.006-05:00

Like the weather, San Antonio's realty "hot season" typically ends in September. In October, falling leaves and falling temperatures are accompanied by falling home sale activity.

It's to be expected. San Antonio's realty market runs in a predictable seasonal cycle. The lowest sales month is January, the higher sales season kicks off in March and usually peaks in June, and, after school starts in August, the market draws down in a leisurely fashion through the fall and early winter months. Interestingly, some years see a spike in activity in late October and early November. Will that happen this year? It remains to be seen.

So far, this year's cycle has been typical, albeit sales volume has been unusually modest due to the influence of the continuing national economic malaise.

Barring the return of a full-blown recession, industry analysts see little reason to be concerned about San Antonio's economic health.

Why?

The area's job growth is excellent. Its unemployment rate is relatively low. Corporations are relocating to the area. Just south of the city, the developing Eagle Ford shale oil fields are fueling an economic boom. The Alamo City's financial, service sector, military, bioscience, and medical establishments are strong and fully capable of providing the stable economic environment needed to encourage and sustain small and large business development.

Looking at real estate specifically, local analysts are confident that, barring unforeseen factors, San Antonio's realty market will breeze through the expected seasonal cool-down and come back even stronger in the spring.

Here are the relevant market stats for San Antonio area single-family detached homes as of 1 October 2011.

There are 10974 active listings, compared to 12495 one year ago. The inventory is decreasing very rapidly. That's a good sign for home sellers.

The average sales price for the most recent closings is $188,836, compared to last year's $188,411. The very small increase in average sales price is insignificant and, therefore, neither a good nor a bad sign for sellers or buyers.

Average cumulate-days-on-the-market (DCOM) for the most recent sales is 135 compared to 123 last year. For the time being, CDOM data is positive for San Antonio home buyers.

Industry analysts see these data as reflecting a housing market slowly drifting toward balanced conditions. That means the market neither favors buyers nor sellers.

That's our October 2011 San Antonio realty market report. We encourage reader questions, comments, and suggestions for making this monthly report more relevant and informative.

Wishing you an wonderful October 2011, we are Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors ® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio. If you have questions, need San Antonio area realty or mortgage advice or assistance, or just want to chat, please call (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743 or send an email to swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.

Texas Home Buyer Two Steps Around Her Agent

2011-09-29T12:13:00.007-05:00

This is a re-blog of a recent posting on the very interesting texashomegirl.blogspot.com site.

It gives some insight into one of the trials and tribulations of working as a home buyer's agent.

I think people tend to forget that the buyer's agent is essentially the buyer's employee. This blog is presented here to in an effort to make readers sensitive to the significance of that relationship and to encourage everyone employing a buyer's agent to follow the golden rule.

Here's the blog:

A friend stopped by the Home Girl's office yesterday. She was terribly upset because a client that she had worked with for over a decade was terminating their agency agreement.

It's painful to be fired. Ask any number of the currently unemployed who have been terminated or laid off due to downsizing and the lousy economy.

Sometimes the termination is justifiable because of the employee's actions or non-actions, and sometimes not so much. But, no matter the cause, the sick feeling in the pit of the stomach is right there, a tight, nauseating knot that lasts for days. Even when the termination makes sense, it hurts.

In the private sector, employees are paid for their services. If an employee is not paid for work performed, then a complaint can be filed for theft of services. Governor Perry signed SB 1024 eliminating a loophole that previously existed for a criminal theft of service charge. Under prior law, a party obtaining services from another under a promise to pay could avoid a criminal charge of theft of service so long as the party was making minimal payments. Read more here:

http://bit.ly/qYuWSJ .

My colleague did not have such recourse. The buyer felt she had "found" her home without assistance.

She failed to take into consideration the hours that were spent setting up searches using specific criteria requested by the buyer.

She did not take into consideration the number of homes that had already been shown to her.

There was no accounting for time spent researching property values in communities in which she had expressed an interest.

No mention was made for reimbursement of travel or gas expenses.

This is just a partial list. The buyer just didn't understand or care what her friend and agent was doing on her behalf, spending considerable time (and time is money) and concentrated effort.

This agent is sharp. Had the buyer mentioned that she was not finding her desired home, that her needs had changed, then the search would have been tweaked and more homes may have been available. There was a signed buyer agency agreement and an established relationship of many years.

Instead of communicating her wishes to her agent, the buyer called another agent to show her a property. Kind of like a first date with somebody when you are married to somebody else. I guess the showing agent didn't ask the right questions (are you working with an agent?), had no ethics, or the buyer answered "not really."

When I receive a sign call and ask "are you working with an agent" and the potential buyer answers "not really," I usually cringe and then proceed to lose the lead by saying something intelligent like, "Seriously? What does that mean? Not really? Do you or do you not have an agent?"

These questions are not an effort to be lazy, to not show my own listings, but are used as an effort to be ethical, to respect the efforts that another agent has invested into his or her client, and to avoid the confusion caused by an existing buyer's agency agreement versus the procuring cause argument that will probably be offered by the agent that showed the one property that my friends client "found."

As Realtors, we have an obligation to be ethical. Customers are under no obligation to share in that responsibility, but clients have signed an agreement to be loyal. It just seems to me that you got to dance with who brung ya, and if you don't want that, then break up before the dance begins.

Post Script: I was able to visit with my colleague today to see how things were going. It turns out that she did have a conversation with the "new" buyer's agent. The agent did ask the questions, but the answer was the usual - not really, not a signed agreement. (I guess the buyer forgot - hummmm). The new agent has offered to pay a referral fee to my colleague. I don't really think this is a win-win. I am happy that my friend is getting a little compensation. My opinion of her former client is not so great, slightly better of the other agent, but now I am the one with a sick feeling in my stomach and I don't feel like dancing with anybody.

Many thanks to Stephanie Kelley, the author of the preceding blog at http://texashomegirl.blogspot.com/ .

If you want to know more about buyer agency relationships, need information about homes for sale in the San Antonio area, or want advice about how to best go about finding and buying a residential real estate property, please contact a member of the http://sanantoniohomequest.com/ Realty Solutions Team at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743 or kelleybus@aol.com or swkrealtor@aol.com.

Free Calls Home From Gmail For All U.S. Service Members

2011-09-26T08:54:00.007-05:00

The Gmail program has recognized and honored our service members by providing an excellent way for uniformed service personnel to call home. Read more on their blog –

Military Calls Free calls home from Gmail for all U.S. service members - Official Gmail Blog.

This blog is brought to you by the SanAntonioHomequest.com Realty Solutions Team. We are Stephanie Kelley, Realtor® - (210) 867-7843 / swkrealtor@aol.com and Randy Kelley, Realtor® - (210) 863-2661 / kelleybus@aol.com - residential realty analysts and negotiators at Keller Williams Legacy. If you're looking to buy or sell a San Antonio, Texas, area home, our goal is to help you get the best terms, price, and conditions.

Things To Do In San Antonio - 24 September 2011

2011-09-23T16:43:00.035-05:00

It's 24 September 2011 - the first weekend of fall. The weather is wonderful in San Antonio, so get out and enjoy. The SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team recommends these things to do.

DINING:

Join us this weekend and begin your meal with our Poblano Bisque and then taste the Seared Sea Scallops & Fried Soft Shell Crab over Angel Hair served with Tomato Basil Sauce entree special or the Osso Bucco braised in Italian Style Red Sauce served over Creamy Polenta entree special.

Our new Brunch Buffet is going great! Stop by from from 11am-2pm on Sundays for all you can eat hot entrees, fresh sides and a salad bar. The price for a child’s buffet (under 10) is $6.00 and an adult buffet is $12.95.

Saturday night, join us on the back porch from 6-9 pm for live music by Jerry Bailey. He will be playing guitar and singing some great tunes.

Bon Appétit,
Chef Mike

Mike's In The Village 2355-3 Bulverde Rd. Bulverde, TX 78163 -- 800 438-2747

THE ARTS & MUSEUMS:

McNay Art Museum P:210.824.5368 6000 North New Braunfels San Antonio TX 78209

PARKS AND GARDENS:

555 Funston @
North New Braunfels Avenue
San Antonio, TX 78209
Phone (210) 207-3250
TTY (210) 207-3097

Here's hoping you enjoy this wonderful San Antonio weekend.

If you're looking to buy or sell a San Antonio area home or if you want some more information about San Antonio recreation and entertainment activities, contact us. We are Stephanie and Randy Kelley, residential realty analysts and negotiators, at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio. (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743.

San Antonio Home Buyers Might Be On National TV

2011-09-21T11:37:00.006-05:00

My First Place is a hit series on the Home And Garden TV (HGTV) national cable channel. It's coming to San Antonio for the eleventh season and is looking for home buyers looking for their first place.

Their press release states, "We are looking for fun, high-energy people who are just starting the home-buying process for their first place and would like to share their story with HGTV! Our goal is to capture all the trials and tribulations of looking for, bidding on, and buying your first place.

Taping takes place this fall and winter. Ideal candidates will be enthusiastic buyers with a unique story to tell and a desire to share their experiences! Singles, couples, and families are invited to apply!

Candidates who complete taping will receive a monetary gift as part of the show and also a DVD copy of their episode to document their first time buying experience for all time!"

The SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team sees this as a great opportunity for a San
Antonio first time home buyer to receive national recognition and some neat HGTV rewards.

We are offering additional awards to any of our clients who are selected by My First Place judges to participate in show tapings.

Please call or send an email for more information and to get a copy of the My First Place participation application form.

Randy Kelley (210) 863-2661 or kelleybus@aol.com

Stephanie Kelley (210) 867-8743 or swkrealtor@aol.com

San Antonio Homes For Sale Today

2011-09-14T15:33:00.008-05:00

It’s a lovely 14 September 2011 in San Antonio.

It’s still hot and dry but a cool front is approaching and there’s a chance we’ll see relief from our protracted heat wave and drastic drought conditions. That’s great news for the weather weary citizens of the River City.

There’s also good news for home owners and buyers. The area’s realty market is unusually active for this time of the year.

Sellers should be pleased to hear that pending home sale closings are up and the inventory of available homes is down. That means less competition.

Buyers should be happy to learn that the mid-price for homes for sale hasn’t changed much from last year’s median sales price.

Both home sellers and buyers should know that the market is drifting toward a balanced condition neither favoring buyers nor sellers.

Here’s a simple summary of San Antonio’s single family detached housing market today:

There are 11250 listings.
There 1908 home sale contracts scheduled to close soon.
The average list price of pending sales is $186,626.
The median sold price for recent sales is $149,995.
Homes are selling for 96% of their list price.
It’s taking about 132 days to sell a house. Of course, many well prepared homes are selling much quicker.

That’s all for today’s report.

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® of Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs

Least And Most Expensive Homes For Sale In San Antonio

2011-09-09T09:19:00.014-05:00

$1,400,000 - 2 bedrooms

$25,000 - 2 bedrooms

Sometimes, San Antonio real estate is hard to figure out.

Here’s an example. Looking at the 517 new listings recorded in the San Antonio Multiple Listing Service in the last 7 days, the least expensive and most expensive properties were both 2 bedroom homes. The least expensive is listed for $25,000 and the most expensive for $1,400,000.

Yes, believe it! A $1.4 million 2 bedroom house!

The least expensive property is located at 1110 Patton Blvd, San Antonio. The MLS number is 911866.

The most expensive newly listed property is located at 21625 Cielo Ridge, San Antonio. The MLS number is 911299.

Right in the middle of the 517 new listings is the property at 1607 Selkirk Street, San Antonio. It’s listed for $172,500 and is within easy commuting distance to Randolph AFB and Fort Sam Houston.

If you want detailed information about it, you’ll find it at sanantoniohomequest.com.

If you want to know more about least expensive or most expensive new listings, or any listings in between, contact us.

San Antonio 2011 Parade of Homes

2011-09-07T14:46:00.000-05:00

The Home Girl went to the Parade of Homes yesterday morning!

Every year the Greater San Antonio Builders Association puts on a show featuring the biggest, brightest and best homes, decorating, landscaping, pools, outdoor kitchens, outstanding craftsmanship, awe inspiring designs and ooh la la that they have to offer.

And OOH LA LA, it was! They sparkled and shimmered with contemporary features. Silver metallic, or textured faux paint finishes added drama and elegance. Beaded chandeliers were in abundance. In most any home, the lighting fixtures were refreshingly different from those we have seen in Parades past. There were sparkling glass accessories and lighted onyx sinks .There were crystal knobs on cabinet doors. Glass tiles, marble flooring, marble, granite, Silestone, or under lit honey onyx counters could be found almost anywhere you looked. It is truly amazing what a million or so will do!
There were outdoor living spaces so grand that you would never want to go inside. One home even had disappearing glass walls that actually opened to the outdoor living areas, literally bringing the outside in. Or the inside out, I'm not really sure, but it was quite nice and one of my favorites.

All of the houses but one had pools. Two had fire and water features which kind of made me think of the fifth element. High on the hill, we had wind, some of the most expensive earth in San Antonio, fire, the negative edged pool had a gas line just beneath the negative edge so you saw a line of fire just above the edge. It took my breath away! The other pool had a water fall flowing over an outdoor fireplace. I guess the fifth element would be a buyer for any of these homes. I would be happy to assist and can be reached at
http://SanAntonioHomeQuest.com :-)

With most of the homes in the million dollar and up range, that I nor most of my clients would be able to afford the extreme luxury that was shown at the parade of homes. What it does for us is open us up to new ideas, style changes and the opportunity to pick the minds of some of the best builders in the business.

The Parade of Homes will be running through Sunday, September 11, 2011

For More Information: Schedule, Ticket Information and Map

I am Stephanie Kelley, Realtor® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions about San Antonio real estate or just want to chat a bit about our wonderful Alamo City, please call me at or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail me at swkrealtor@aol.com Our experienced Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs. Visit me at please call me at or (210) 867-8743, Visit me at http://sanantoniohomequest.com or follow my blog at TexasHomeGirl.blogspot.com

San Antonio Jobs For Veterans

2011-09-02T12:04:00.043-05:00

This information is found in the fall 2011 edition of the USAA Magazine. CivilianJobs.com has identified 35 of the country's most veteran friendly employers. USAA (United Services Automobile Association) made the list in San Antonio. For available jobs in the company's financial services sector, go to: www.usaa.apply2jobs.com/profext/careers.html .

Why is USAA is on the list?

In 2010, more than 25 percent of USAA's new hires were military veterans or military spouses - and 20 percent of its 22,000-plus employees are former military.

USAA is only one of many fine businesses seeking military veterans, members of their families, and non-veteran personnel for employment in the San Antonio area's vibrant economy. The Alamo City is a wonderful place to work and live; so, if you're looking to relocate to or within San Antonio or to buy or sell a San Antonio home, please contact the SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team.

Our team is Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® of Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. Please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com . The SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs and to answer your questions about life in San Antonio.

San Antonio Area Property Tax Rates

2011-08-31T17:09:00.007-05:00

They say it's bad for rankings to repeat a blog post, but the question of San Antonio area property tax rates keeps coming up, so, here's my past, but still current blog addressing that subject.

If you're moving to the San Antonio area, you’ll want to know about local taxes and the cost of registering your automobile and insuring your home. Here are the facts.

The area’s sales tax rate averages 8.125% but may vary a little between the various incorporated jurisdictions in and around San Antonio and Bexar County.

The real estate property tax varies between jurisdictions and is influenced mostly by the school tax component. Count on paying approximately 3% of your home's tax appraised value for the more costly school districts to as low as 2% or less for rural areas.

What about homeowner’s insurance? The cost will vary between insurers. As a rule of thumb, count on paying approximately .005 times your home’s value.

And now, what about the cost of bringing a non-Texas registered auto into the area? You’ll pay a registration fee of $60 to $90, a title application fee of $28 to $33 - depending on the county - and a new resident auto tax of $90. You’ll required to have the auto inspected. That will cost approximately $18.00.

Those are the facts.

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® of Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.

The Fear Of Making A Wrong San Antonio Home Buying Decision

2011-08-28T12:45:00.024-05:00

It's natural and understandable. Every home buyer is scared of making a wrong decision.

Why not? Buying a home is one life's most stressful decisions.

So, in today's oftentimes confusing market, how is the average home buyer insuring against making a wrong decision?

The answer is evident to anyone who works with realty consumers. Today's home buyer uses the Internet as the platform for becoming an informed and, hopefully, a more secure realty consumer.

Yes, the Internet is a good starting point; however, using the Internet as the sole information source to insure against making a bad decision is inherently risky, especially when it involves a critical financial decision like purchasing real estate.

Let's face it. The Internet is a deep well of facts and fallacies, and, for both the uninitiated and the repeat home buyer, getting the complete picture and sorting Internet truth from fiction is a daunting task.

Unfortunately, many Internet reliant home buyers become over confident. Empowered and emboldened with online information about home values, neighborhoods, and home buying processes and procedures, they charge into the realty market place, knowing much, yet rarely knowing everything they need to know.

So, what's a home buyer to do - stop using the Internet's vast realty research capability? Certainly, not! Use it skeptically? Absolutely - plus seek the advice and assistance of a reliable person who knows the difference between Internet fiction and realty fact.

The most reliable source for separating Internet truth from fiction is a trained, experienced, and licensed real estate professional such as a realty attorney, real estate broker, or a real estate agent. All can answer the questions, set the expectations, and activate the procedures that are so critical for a successful and frustration free home buying experience.

Naturally, most homebuyers seek out a real estate broker or agent.

Selecting the right real estate agent is critical. It's best to use someone with the Realtor® designation, signifying the broker or agent holds the highest legal and professional duty to protect realty consumer interests.

So, to relieve home buying fear and anxiety, there's a simple formula. A trusted Realtor®, plus the right knowledge base and tools, equals the right decision.

We help San Antonio area home buyers and sellers be informed and capable realty decision makers. We are Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® of Keller Williams Legacy. For the best realty services, call us at (210) 863-2661 (Randy) or (210) 868-9743 (Stephanie) or email us at kelleybus@aol.com or swkrealtor@aol.com. You're also invited to visit our website at sanantoniohomequest.com for reliable and informative home buying and selling information.

San Antonio Mortgage Loan News

2011-08-26T10:44:00.011-05:00

Here's great news!

Have you recently been denied a mortgage loan to purchase a San Antonio home because your credit score wasn't high enough?

Maybe we can get you qualified.

W.R. Starkey Mortgage can help prospective home buyers who have a credit score of 580 or higher!!

Rates are great - Low 4%.

We can also help you refinance a home.

Apply on line www.shannoncollier.com

Shannon Collier
Senior Loan Officer
NMLSR # 232124
Office: (210) 545-9300 ext 235
eFax: 1-866-703-8734
scollier@wrstarkey.com
WR Starkey Mortgage, LLP
NMLSR # 2146
12500 San Pedro Avenue, Suite 100
San Antonio, TX 78216

Mortgage Loan Information For San Antonio Home Buying And Selling

2011-08-24T10:34:00.013-05:00

Are you looking to buy or sell a San Antonio area home?

Here's some mortgage loan basics you need to know:

Today (24 August 2011), mortgage interest rates are at an all time low. Bankrate.com cites the following national averages:

30 year fixed 4.19%

15 year fixed 3.43%

5/1 ARM 2.92%

Here are the loan limits for Federally insured mortgage programs for single family homes in the San Antonio area:

VA $417,000

FHA $332,500 now, but goes down to $287,500 on 1 Oct 11 (better act quick if you're a buyer)

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions about San Antonio real estate or just want to chat a bit about our wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our experienced Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs. Visit us at http://sanantoniohomequest.com .

Zillow Home Valuations For San Antonio Homes For Sale

2011-08-22T14:13:00.011-05:00

For our friends at Zillow, here's an explanation of this blog's purpose.

It isn't intended to slam your excellent service in any way. Simply, its purpose is to answer a very good question recently posed to us by a some San Antonio home buyers.

Their question is this. How accurate is Zillow's Zestimate® home valuation program for San Antonio homes?

The answer is easy - Zillow's accuracy is very low.

How do we know? Zillow says so; in fact, on the Zillow.com website, it acknowledges its Zestimates® are not very accurate for almost all Texas homes.

So, why can't we rely on Zillow's Zestimates® for Texas homes?

Here's why.

Zillow uses a secret formula to calculate a home's estimated value. The formula relies on complete and accurate data from counties and cities. Although the formula is secret, it's not hard to guess that recent sales price data for homes sold in the area is a vital component of the calculation.

Now, in most states, getting that information is no problem because it's legally required to file a home's sales price as a matter of public record. But, Texas is one of the few states in the Nation where that's not required. So, when Zillow's Zestimate® program looks for the publicly recorded home sales price data for Texas cities, it comes up empty handed.

What's the result of missing that vital data when calculating a Zestimate® for a Texas residential property. Usually, the outcome is an unreastically low Zestimate valuation.

So, if you want to know what a home is worth in Texas, there are two alternatives. The best choice is to hire an appraisal by a licensed real estate appraiser. The second best choice is to ask a local Realtor® who has access to the most recent homes sales data from the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS).

If you are looking to sell or buy a San Antonio home, we'll be glad to provide our best home value opinion. Contact us if you need one.

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about our wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.

Facts For San Antonio Home Buyers

2011-08-18T17:46:00.006-05:00

Here are some facts for home buyers thinking about moving, or on the way, to San Antonio.

San Antonio has long been identified as one of America's most unique cities.

It isn't small, in fact, it's the nation's 7th largest city, yet there's still a small town feel in many of its unique and culturally diverse neighborhoods.

The city goes by many names - San Antonio (of course), The Alamo City, Military City USA, The River City, and, most recently, America's Military Medical City. Just don't call it San Antone (San An Tone). The natives hate that pronunciation!

San Antonio is the home of 3 major military bases and some smaller military camps and posts, so, as you'd expect, it has a relatively young military age population. City-Data.com cites 34.7 years as the median resident age. The neighborhoods closest to the military bases tend to have a much younger population.

Of course, as a sun belt city, it is a major relocation site for retiree families seeing a warm climate and relatively low cost of living.

Speaking of cost, for buyers needing a mortgage loan, there's an ample supply of trustworthy lenders. Landing a loan is another issue. Underwriters are picky-picky-picky nowadays. They seem to go out of their way to deny loan applications. Naturally, buyers with the very best income and credit scores have no problem obtaining their loans. On the other hand, even the smallest blemish on a buyer's credit report or an irregular income flow can be the kiss is death for getting a mortgage loan. So, before you go San Antonio house hunting, talk with a lender about your chances of getting your mortgage loan.

What about the availability of newly built and resale homes?

San Antonio has an ample supply of home builders eager for business as well a many available resale homes. Historically, the area's real estate market has favored new home builders because their freshly built products have proven more competitive than resale homes. A recent offsetting trend has seen San Antonio area builders putting less available new home inventory on the ground, indicating the builders are now satisfied with marketing to buyers who can afford the time to contract for a to-be-built home.

What about commute time to affordable neighborhoods? Basically, the Alamo City's commute times and distances are nothing compared to other large metro areas. Although the San Antonio metropolitan area is large and very spread out, buyers can usually find quality affordable housing within a 20 to 30 minute commute to work.

How about recreation and shopping amenities? No problem! San Antonio is one of the nation's top destination cities for tourism and shopping.

Finally, what about friendliness and newcomer acceptance? Again, no problem! Cities with large military populations aren't known to shut out newcomers. After all, San Antonio is Military City USA. So, don't expect a newcomer to find rejection. Everybody's welcome!

Do you want more information? Just let us know and we'll fill in the details.

We're Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® of Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio area realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about our wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or
(210) 867-8743, or email us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our sanantoniohomequest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying and selling needs.

San Antonio CPS Energy Asks All To Conserve Power

2011-08-03T09:14:00.007-05:00

All local news media have passed along this 2 August 2011 power conversation request from San Antonio's CPS Energy.

Rate payers are asked to take steps to conserve their electric power usage between the hours of 3:00 P.M. and 7:00 P.M.

Why? The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), warns there is a risk of overloading Texas' power grid because of the extreme heat wave gripping the state. Overloading the grid will necessitate initiating rolling power blackouts throughout the state.

Here's what's recommended:

Turn off unnecessary lights, appliances and electronic equipment.

Set thermostats to 78 degrees or higher.

Use the dishwasher, laundry equipment and other appliances only during non-peak hours, preferably during the late evening and night time hours.

Instead of using high energy consuming ovens and range tops, microwave food whenever possible.

Keep drapes and blinds closed.

More information is available at http://cpsenergy.com

This public service blog is brought to you by Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® of Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio area realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or email us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our sanantoniohomequest.com Realty Solutions Team

August 2011 San Antonio Realty Market Report

2011-08-02T10:45:00.008-05:00

2011's very hot and very-very dry San Antonio July has passed.

Because of South Texas' drastic drought, we're lucky the Alamo City can still claim its River City nickname. But tourists and natives need not fear, the San Antonio River is flowing well and the famous River Walk is open for business as usual.

Has the area's unusually arid summer cooked its realty market. Not at all. In fact, compared to the preceding summer seasons, July's closed home sales and August's pending sales reflect a relatively active real estate market for San Antonio and the surrounding communities.

August usually heralds the end of realty high season around here and, based on many years experience, home buyers and sellers can expect to see a cooler, more casual, and less aggressive low season for new and resale home sales.

Will the coming fall and winter season see the market continuing many months of favoring home buyers over sellers?

Perhaps not, because there are increasingly strong indications that the market is drifting toward a more balanced condition.

Specifically, the homes for sale inventory has decreased markedly. That means less competition for sellers and fewer opportunities for buyers.

Also, 2011 has seen the return of the area's typical 2% to 3% home value appreciation rate. That means sellers are less likely to consider low ball offers and more likely to expect a sales price that's closer to their asking price. Consequently, in the near term, buyers can expect to encounter less seller flexibility and harder negotiations.

Clearly, San Antonio has weathered the late great recession very well. The area's past economic and demographic trends and its long term projections reflect a large and vibrant metropolitan area with a strong, stable, and growth oriented personality.

The Alamo City area realty market is expected to follow suit.

That's all for our August 2011 San Antonio realty market report. We encourage reader comments and recommendations about how to make our reports more informative and useful.

We're Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® of Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio area realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or email us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our sanantoniohomequest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying and selling needs.

San Antonio Homes For Sale - The Seller's Disclosure

2011-07-15T11:37:00.005-05:00

The Seller's Disclosure is a state law requirement. Its purpose is to have the seller tell prospective buyers specified things the seller knows about the property.

Real estate agents are barred by law from helping or even advising the seller about filling out the form. The intent is to keep everyone out of the seller's disclosure preparation process except the person who knows most about the property and that's the seller.

Sometimes the seller will revealed some property defects. Undoubtedly, there will be other unknown defects. There always are - even in newly constructed homes. That's why, when buying a resale home, it's advisable to negotiate for an option period, to get the property professionally inspected during the option period, and to negotiate with the seller for repairs when repairs are called for.

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about our wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.

July 2011 San Antonio Realty Market Report

2011-07-08T18:22:00.006-05:00

The second week in July is typically San Antonio's realty market yearly high point. Many pending sales will close within the next 30 days. Uncommitted buyers with school age children must rush to find the right home in order to able to close on their purchase or at least be under a binding contract before school starts.

Many factors are converging to make this year’s San Antonio's realty market interesting. The local economy is strong, population growth is high and, after being relatively flat for many months, home values in most neighborhoods are gradually rising.

Home sellers have responded accordingly as evidenced by a gradual upward creep in the asking price for homes for sale.

Buyer response has been fair to good so far, especially for moderately to lower priced homes and for luxury grade housing.

It's difficult to reach conclusions as to the long term market trends, but, in the short term, it's clear San Antonio's current home sales market parallels last year’s relatively tepid market. Basically, it’s not unhealthy, but significantly less than vibrant.

For those who love stats, here are the key indicators for San Antonio's single family detached home listings as of 8 July 2011.

There are 12,094 active listings, compared to 12,891 one year ago. The inventory is slowly decreasing. That's a good sign for home sellers.

The average sales price for the most recent closings is $193,883, compared to last year's $190,763. This increase in average sales price, although small, is another good sign for sellers.

Average cumulative-days-on-the-market (CDOM) for the most recent sales is 133 compared to 122 last year. In 2010, CDOM dropped fast during the Federal Tax credit home buying frenzy, then rose quickly when that program expired. It remains to be seen if cumulative market time will improve, but a slight downward trend is possible in the short term. For the time being, CDOM data is positive for San Antonio home buyers.

Industry analysts see these data as reflecting a housing market drifting toward balanced conditions. That means the market neither favors buyers nor sellers.

That's all for our July 2011 San Antonio realty market report. We encourage reader comments and recommendations about how to make our reports more informative and useful.We're Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® of Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying and selling needs.

San Antonio Area Fourth Of July Events

2011-07-03T12:13:00.009-05:00

SAN ANTONIO AREA FOURTH OF JULY EVENTS

Schertz 4th Of July Jubilee - July 1-4 @ Pickrell Park, Schertz

www.schertz.com/?page_id=2284

July 4th Arts & Crafts Show - July 1-4 on the Riverwalk www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com

Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey Circus - July 1-4 in the Alamo Dome www.alamodome.com

Annual Freedom Fiesta - July 2 @ Central Park in Downtown Seguin www.freedomfiesta.com

4th of July Jazz Explosion - July 2 100 @ W. Houston, 21st Floor of Frost Bank Tower www.cooljazzforever.com

4th of July Celebration - July 2-4 in the Market Square www.marketsquaresa.com

Seaworld 4th of July Fireworks Picnic - July 2-4 @ Seaworld www.seaworld.com

Lights of Liberty - July 3-4 @ Six Flags Fiesta Texas www.sixflags.com/fiestatexas

Summerfest San Marcos Celebration - July 4 in San Marcos Plaza, 232 W. CM Allen Pkwy www.summerfestsanmarcos.com

4th of July Celebration at Woodlawn Park - July 4 Woodlawn Lake Park www.saparksfoundation.org/fourth_of_july.html

Looking to buy or sell a San Antonio area home? Visit us at http://sanantoniohomequest.com

Northeast San Antonio Homes For Sale

2011-06-29T13:17:00.009-05:00

RECENT PRICE REDUCTION - $132,500

This is a great single story home in Selma, Texas, near New Braunfels, San Antonio, Randolph Air Force Base, Fort Sam Houstion, and SAMMC (San Antonio Military Medical Center).

3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, 2 car garage with covered porch and fenced yard. Easy access to IH-35 offers a quick commute to quality shopping, entertainment, and dining amenities .

Get more information by clicking on the photo or calling the SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743.

Homes For Sale In North Central San Antonio

2011-06-17T14:51:00.006-05:00

The sanantoniohomequest.com Realty Solutions Team specializes in helping homebuyers find and buy quality affordable homes for the best price, terms, and conditions. You'll like this one.

Click To See More

This home is listed for $299,000. It’s in the north central San Antonio area, in the highly rated North East Independent School District, and is close to Randolph Air Force Base, Fort Sam Houston and downtown San Antonio. Shopping and entertainment amenities are an easy drive away.

7 June 2011 Grilling On The Lot For The San Antonio Children's Shelter

2011-06-06T18:36:00.002-05:00

If you're in north San Antonio in the area of 1102 East Sonterra Blvd around noon on Tuesday, 7 June 2011, you're invited to a cool event on a hot day.

It's GRILLING ON THE LOT, a charitable event for San Antonio's Children Shelter.

For a reasonable price you'll enjoy the best brisket lunch under the sun and have the opportunity to buy a yummy homemade desert prepared by a member of Keller Williams Legacy's stellar realty services team. Proceeds go to the Children's Shelter.

Enjoy our YouTube Flyer for this year's event and video of last year's grilling great time.

This year promises to be even better. See you there!

SanAntonioHomeQuest.com
Realty Solutions Team
Randy & Stephanie Kelley
Realtors®
Keller Williams Legacy
(800) 201-9145
(210) 867-8743 (Stephanie)
(210) 863-2661 (Randy) Visit Our Blogs At:

http://www.trulia.com/blog/stephanie_kelley/

sanantoniorealestate.blogspot.com/

AirForcePCS.com

Texas Home Girl Report

June 2011 San Antonio Homes For Sale Market Report

2011-06-04T14:24:00.001-05:00

Quality Home Near Randolph AFB And Fort Sam Houston

Summer weather came early to South Texas this year. Now, in early June, it’s unusually hot and very dry in-and-around San Antonio.

Does the Alamo City’s residential realty market match the weather? Not yet.

In the first quarter (January through March 2011), home sales activity was very healthy, leading many realty analysts to believe that 2011 would herald San Antonio’s full recovery from the effects of the late great national recession. Yet, April saw a dip in sales and a continuing decline in residential resale list prices. May seemed no better, as pending contracts dropped below May 2010’s less than glamorous pending sales record.

Does this year’s April and May downturn foreshadow an unusually slow late spring/early summer home sales cycle for San Antonio. It remains to be seen, but it’s unlikely even a slow San Antonio realty year will signal a serious decline in San Antonio’s typically healthy real estate environment.

Here’s why.

Because of its solid economic and demographic foundations, San Antonio remains one of the nation’s bright spots for home ownership and rental investments. Affordable mortgage availability is high for those who qualify, mortgage interest rates are historically low, and the area continues to receive an influx of retiree families, job seekers, and military and corporate relocation buyers eager to take advantage of San Antonio’s well priced homes.

Focusing on specifics, homebuyers and sellers should take satisfaction in knowing that there’s some good news for everyone.

For sellers, there are hints that the area’s months long buyers’ market is weakening. The residential listing inventory has stabilized and homes are selling well, particularly in the moderately to higher priced subdivisions in San Antonio’s north, northeast, and northwest sectors.
The advantage goes to sellers willing to beat out the competition by expending the resources needed to put their homes in prime market condition.

On the other hand, buyers have the advantage of being able to select from a large inventory of quality homes offered at close to bargain prices in many areas around town. Where listings are staying on the market longer than usual, sellers are lowering their price expectations accordingly.

Both buyers and sellers should keep this in mind. Those willing to negotiate realistically based on San Antonio’s market realities are the ones most likely to leave the closing table mutually satisfied.

That’s all for our June 2011 San Antonio realty market report. We encourage reader comments and recommendations about how to make our reports more informative and useful.

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about our wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.

Things To Do In June In San Antonio

2011-05-31T16:32:00.000-05:00

Sometimes it gets hot in and around San Antonio, Bulverde, & the military bases.

Why not take a cool trip to the Witte Museum for

AMAZING AMAZON FAMILY DAY

Saturday, June 11

1 - 4 p.m.

Join your neighbors for an afternoon of hands-on activities for the entire family. Create fish prints, get up close with skin and scales and even design a one-of-a-kind fish during It’s All About Fish; encounter live birds, snakes and more animals of the jungle during Amazon Animals Alive!; and finish the day at Family Fish Tales, storytelling for everyone and an opportunity to tell about the BIG ONE that got away! Included with museum admission.

Supported by a generous contribution from the Boening Corporation.

To learn more about this event and other June 2011 events at the Witte go to

http://www.wittemuseum.org/

Looking to buy or sell a San Antonio area home, visit the number one site for unexcelled realty services.

sanantoniohomequest.com

San Antonio Homes With Greenbelt Land

2011-05-26T09:17:00.001-05:00

MacMillan online dictionary describes a greenbelt as an area of land around large cities where no buildings are allowed in order to protect the countryside.

Another definition that I like calls it an area of undeveloped land around a residential area created by covenant, deed restriction, or city zoning with the intention of preserving the open space and natural environment.

Here in San Antonio, for real estate purposes we have a lot description called "GREENBELT". I think that sometimes that description is rather loosely interpreted and what some folks consider greenbelt may not exactly fall into ANY of the categories listed above. What you can pretty much guarantee is that there is some undeveloped or unused land behind or adjacent to the home that is being offered for sale.

There are currently 36 properties listed as backing to greenbelt in the area where I live and specialize. Now this is a huge area and we do have some wonderful parks with walking and riding trails, some river authority owned property , some flood plains, some golf courses, and even some power lines. All of the above can fall into the greenbelt category, so it is a good idea to have a good look at the pictures of your real estate if you are looking online or even better idea to have your agent take a look for you. I just looked at the pictures of all 36 of these properties. I KNOW these houses and I KNOW these neighborhoods. Some greenbelts are absolutely fabulous! Some, not so much.

My house backs to property that I think belongs to the golf course. It may be owned by the River Authority because there is a part of the 500 year flood plain running through it, but it makes no difference to me. It is my own personal "BACK 40". It's a rough area of the golf course, far enough away from the fairways and greens to make it appealing, because we don't like golf balls hitting the back of the house. My next door neighbor has a path through to the course. Our greenbelt affords views of the wildlife, and we have a great place to walk the dogs. We can encroach with a sacrificial garden that feeds only the deer and rabbits. (The one thing they don't eat is parsley.)

TAAD (Texas Association of Appraisal Districts) gives appraisers "wiggle room" when it comes to value for views, but I can't find anything that discusses a distinct value for greenbelts. My experience has been that a buyer will usually pay much more if the greenbelt is a nature preserve or golf course, a little more if it is a drainage easement, and less for an electrical easement if there are power lines involved. So, I guess the value can be compared to beauty and all considered in the eye of the beholder. Or you can ask those that own property adjacent to the greenbelt. Greenbelts afford privacy and spitting room that is hard to come by in urban areas. Go on, ask someone who lives near one. They will tell you . . . it's priceless. --

Looking to buy or sell a greenbelt lot home -- visit us here: SanAntonioHomeQuest.com

Posted By Stephanie Kelley to San Antonio Homegirl Report at 5/06/2011 01:09:00 PM

May 2011 San Antonio Home Sales Report

2011-05-08T13:31:00.001-05:00

Where do we go from here?

That's the question on everyone's mind as we approach the height of San Antonio's typical home buying and selling season. Will we have a fantastic realty year like 2006 or will it be a so-so year like 2010?

It's hard to say and we won't know until September, but some things are certain.

Spurred on by the Federal home buyer tax credit programs, San Antonio's home sales market was driven hard during the first quarter of 2010. Homes sold fast - especially lower priced listings. Then, when the credits ended, the market faded hard and fast, leaving 2010 sales ranking low when compared to the previous five years.

Now, the data for the first quarter of this year reveals average to slightly above average home sales activity.
Some analysts see the market picking up significantly during May through July period.

Here's why.

San Antonio's economy is healthy and vibrant.

The nation's 7th largest metropolitan area was only lightly touched by the late Great Recession. Our state and local government policies and military, medical, and service industry activities successfully kept the Alamo City on a stable and steady course through some very choppy economic waters.

Population growth and expansion of the metropolitan area is steady.

San Antonio continues to enhance its reputation as Military City USA. This year, the city is scheduled to receive an influx of new military arrivals as the area's much heralded base realignment and expansion projects are completed.

Arguably, there's no other city in the nation with a larger complex of uniformed services training and intelligence units allied with associated defense research, development, and contracting activities.

Of particular note is the enormous San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC) - the home of the Wounded Warrior Program, center of excellence for military medical education and training, and a major treatment center for our uniformed service members and their families worldwide.

SAMMC has added "The Home of Military Medicine" to the proud list of noble names for San Antonio.

What about the private sector?

Hardly a week goes by without a major corporation announcing plans to relocate to, or expand in, the San Antonio area. Also, there are small business startups or expansions underway in every sector of the city.

Such positive signs of growth and stability bid well for The River City's home buying and selling market.

What about the Alamo City's home loan industry?

Mortgage interest rates remain at historic lows. For those who can qualify, there's no better time than now to acquire a fantastically reasonable mortgage loan.

Who do these conditions favor?

San Antonio's long and strong home buyer's market continues. There's an ample supply of reasonably priced well prepared resale homes. On the other hand, new construction home products are in short supply.

Lender owned and short sale listings are selling particularly well.

As for home sellers, the advantage goes to the sellers most willing to reduce their price expectations and expend the money, time and effort to improve their property's condition and appearance.

That's all for our May 2011 San Antonio realty market report.

We're Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about our wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or email us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.

Homes For Sale Near San Antonio Military Bases

2011-05-05T12:31:00.001-05:00

More About This Property

Are you looking to buy a home near Lackland Air Force Base, Randolph AFB, Brooks City Base, or Joint Base Fort Sam Houston (Ft. Sam).

Then, here’s what you need to know.

■ Every San Antonio military base has reasonably priced neighborhoods relatively close by.

■ Many of the close-by older neighborhoods aren’t regulated by homeowners associations and, therefore, are poorly maintained. So, look carefully where you buy. Your real estate agent should advise you about neighborhood quality issues.

■ School districts and neighborhood school ranking are always a matter of home buyer concern, even for those who don’t have a school aged child. Homes serviced by quality schools generally maintain higher value over time, so always keep school issues in mind.

■ San Antonio is the nation’s 7th largest city. Area homeowners can’t escape this simple fact - San Antonio has road congestion problems and area commuters are suffering increasingly long commute times. So, ask your real estate agent for a frank evaluation of how long it should take for you to commute to work from any listing that looks promising.

■ Never, ever, buy a home just because it’s reasonably priced. Ask your real estate agent for a documented analysis of home values in the neighborhood over time. If there’s clear evidence of home value depreciation, move on. You don’t want to be stuck down the road with a mortgage balance that’s higher than your property’s market value.

■ Ask your real estate agent to set up a direct Multiple Listing Service (MLS) search for you. You’ll get the newest listings matching your needs much quicker than looking from them even on the most popular Internet realty search venues.

■ The best listings sell the fastest. So, don’t rely on the Internet to tell you about them. Rely on your MLS search to quickly send you the best listings.

If you are looking to buy or sell a San Antonio area home, you’ll find the best realty services team at

SanAntonioHomeQuest.com

THINGS TO DO IN SAN ANTONIO MAY 1 TO MAY 7 2011

2011-04-25T16:58:00.001-05:00

There’s still plenty to do in the Alamo City - like this:

FREE MOVIE NIGHT AT THE BIJOU

Visit the Bijou Cinema Bistro each Thursday night for a free movie!

Catch a classic film on the big screen in the luxury of San Antonio’s premiere art house cinema.

This week - Thursday - 5/05/11- The Da Vinci Code

4522 Fredericksburg Road

San Antonio, TX 78201

Phone: 210-496-1300

Bijou Website

Looking to buy or sell a San Antonio area home? Visit us at

sanantoniohomequest.com

Homes For Sale Near Randolph AFB, Ft Sam Houston, SAMMC

2011-04-23T13:25:00.001-05:00

Great Single Story home in Selma, 3/2/2 with covered porch and fenced yard just off Interstate -35, offering a quick commute to Austin or San Antonio and Randolph Air Force Base, Fort Sam Houston, and San Antonio Military Medical Center

Type: Single Family Home

Location: 8921 Pinseeker

Price: $134,500

Get more information >

Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors®

(210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743

The San Antonio Home Quest Realty Solutions Team

Keller Williams Legacy

1102 East Sonterra Boulevard, Suite 106, San Antonio, TX, 78258-3999

What's Happening In San Antonio Easter 2011 Weekend

2011-04-19T18:09:00.001-05:00

Community-Wide Helicopter Easter Egg Drop, Benefiting the San Antonio Food Bank

This special Easter event offers fun for the whole family. There will be games, inflatables and lots of giveaways delivered in a special way.

It's on Saturday, Apr 23 9:30 a.m. at Lopez Middle School, 23103 Hardy Oak Blvd, San Antonio, TX 78258.

Imagine!

Just look up in the sky! It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it’s a helicopter flying high above the San Antonio skies, ready to unload 30,000 toy and candy-filled eggs onto the grounds of Lopez Middle School.

Admission is free, but guests are asked to bring a non-perishable food item, and the San Antonio Food Bank truck will be on-hand to collect donations. read more

Phone: (832) 381-6848

Age Suitability: All Ages.

Announcement compliments of mysa.com .

Looking to buy or sell a San Antonio area home? Visit us at sanantoniohomequest.com .

Whats Happening San Antonio - April 16 & 17 Weekend

2011-04-15T17:36:00.000-05:00

IT'S FIESTA FINALE TIME

Saturday April 16 8am - 12pm

Fiesta Pooch Parade - Alamo Heights Swimming Pool, 250 Viesca

Saturday April 16 10am - 12pm

King William Fair and Parade - King William Historic District

Saturday April 16 7:45pm - 11pm

Fiesta Flambeau Parade - Downtown

Want to know more? Go to http://www.fiesta-sa.org/

April 2011 San Antonio Homes For Sale Report

2011-04-08T17:44:00.000-05:00

Despite the recent national economic downturn, San Antonio's realty market hasn't suffered significantly - just slowed.

Now, as our annual Fiesta celebration heralds the typically faster spring and early summer realty sales season, residential listing and sales activity is picking up.

Available home inventory is ample. In most neighborhoods, homes for sale list prices are stable and very comparable to last year's prices.

The indicators all point to the Alamo City's slower market having bottomed out and heading into a much more active phase for many months to come.

Foreclosure activity is moderate. Buyers have been actively seeking out bargains, particularly in the relatively large inventory of lender owned foreclosed properties.

Investor interest is also picking up significantly. San Antonio has always held high potential for diligent realty investors who know what they're doing.

So, why should realty investors consider San Antonio? The answer is evident.

In and around San Antonio, prices for good to excellent properties are generally low compared to other big cities. There is an ample supply of skilled tradesmen for home renovation and refurbishing projects. Materials are readily available and reasonably priced.

On the down side, home owners and rental and resale investors must be willing to accept relatively high property taxes, a low average home price appreciation rate, and, compared to other large cities, a longer than average holding period to make a profit.

All things considered, such down factors are more than offset by San Antonio's consistently stable economic condition, realty market stability, and steady growth.

So, who has the advantage in San Antonio's current realty market?

Industry analysts agree that the data reflect a market strongly favoring buyers over sellers. As for sellers, the advantage goes to the home seller most willing to reduce his or her price expectations and expend the money, time, and effort to improve the property's condition and appearance.

That's all for our April 2011 San Antonio realty market report.

We're Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat, please call us at (210) 863-2661 for Randy, or (210) 867-8763 for Stephanie, or email us at swkrealtor@aol.com, or kelleybus@aol.com.

Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.

Latest Libyan MilitaryTechnology

2011-03-31T15:25:00.000-05:00

Breaking news!

We've learned the Libyan Air Force is testing stealth aircraft designed to counter recently enacted UN no-fly restrictions.

This exclusive photo of a most recent test flight was reportedly smuggled out of Tripoli's military equipment test facility by a defecting Libyan technician affiliated with Moammar Gadhafi's armored vehicle development program.

We've learned the technician fled to Tunisia aboard a test model of the latest Libyan battle tank. We obtained this picture of the tank from a highly confidential CIA "shoes-on-the-ground" source.

Libyan Dromedary Class 1-A Battle Tank (Test)

Our source also furnished this picture of the high-tech-low-altitude bomber developed and manufactured for the Lybian air force by an unidentified Chinese aeronautical firm.

There are no reports the bomber has actually been seen in Lybian air space.

Stay tuned for more on this developing story.

Remember -you can always count on us for the latest news - fit to read or not.

(Fighter test photo complients Chris Guariglia)

San Antonio Home Buyers, Sellers, Owners and Visitors Deserve Something Sweet

2011-03-29T16:34:00.000-05:00

Are you a tired and weary San Antonio home buyer, seller, or owner, or maybe an Internet visitor to the Alamo City.

Are you hankering to cook up a quick and easy desert to top off your evening meal. Well, we have something special for you.

There's a recipe and accompanying instructional video for a tasty Texas cobbler at today's blog at TexasHomeGirl.blogspot.com .

Check it out and cook one for yourself.

You won't be disappointed.

SanAntonioHomeQuest

Realty Solutions Team

Randy and Stephanie Kelley

Realtors®

Keller Williams Legacy

(800) 201-9145

(210) 867-8743 (Stephanie)

(210) 863-2661 (Randy)

kelleybus@aol.com swkrealtor@aol.com

Homes For Sale Near Randolph AFB, Fort Sam Houston, Downtown San Antonio

2011-03-29T12:36:00.002-05:00

The SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team proudly presents our newest listing. It's located at at 4922 Spyglass View, San Antonio, Texas.

Single Story with Style

charming single story in a gated commmunity
rocking chair porch
granite counters (at this price?) YES!
3 bedrooms, 2 baths
open floor plan with high ceilings, fireplace, art niches, upgraded lights and ceiling fans
fenced yard and a storage building - WOW!
location: Oakview Heights, near Randolph AFB and Ft. Sam Houston
conveniently located near shopping, entertainment, and quick routes to downtown

price: $149,900

Don't miss this! If you use our services to buy this property, you could be eligible for a $650 Public Service Reward Program cash incentive .

Get more information about 4922 Spyglass View

The SanAntonioHomeQuest Realty Solutions Team

Randy and Stephanie Kelley

Realtors®

Keller Williams Legacy

(800) 201-9145

(210) 867-8743 (Stephanie)

(210) 863-2661 (Randy)

kelleybus@aol.com swkrealtor@aol.com

Are Cash Back Programs For Buying A San Antonio Home Legitimate?

2011-03-26T13:21:00.000-05:00

Here’s a question if you’re looking to buy a San Antonio area home.

If you’ve been to a Realtor’s advertisement offering a cash bonus for home buyers, how should you react?

It seems most buyers turn away - not trusting what seems to be a too-good-to-be-true offer. But is it?

Here are the facts.

The real estate business is highly competitive. Realtors ® literally fight for your business. Offering a cash back bonus is simply a way for a Realtor® to gain a competitive edge.

Look at it this way.

Every business has to pay money to make money. Cash back offers are a totally legitimate use of realty marketing funds; and, contrary to the counter marketing campaigns launched by the competition to discourage acceptance of buyer cash back programs, the programs are very good for home buyers.

So, don’t buy the argument that a cash back program in some way implies that the Realtor® is substandard, slick, or shady. Simply accept the fact that the Realtor® is willing to reward your loyalty by giving back a portion of the commission earned for capably serving you.

That said, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t carefully check out a Realtor® offering a cash back program because, when it comes to buying a home, you owe it to yourself to shop for the best Realtor® under all circumstances. Longevity, professional credentials, and references count. Don’t hesitate to be picky.

Our Realty Solutions Team is offering a cash back program for public service home buyers. Click for specifics and feel free to check out our credentials at SanAntonioHomeQuest.com.

March 2011 - This Month in Real Estate

2011-03-09T14:24:00.000-06:00

The San Antonio Home Quest Realty Solutions Team is pleased to present the March 2011 edition of This Month in Real Estate from Jay Papasan and Keller Williams Realty. This is a national overview. For local trends, news and real estate information about the San Antonio market contact us

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley and Missy McBee, Realtors® , sanantoniohomequest.com at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas.

or (210) 867-8763 for Stephanie,

or (210) 288-9810 (se habla español) for Missy,

or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com, or kelleybus@aol.com, or missymcbee@kw.com (se habla español).

Our broker is Steven Gragg at (210) 482-3200.

Your SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with all your home buying or selling needs.

Public Service Reward Program For San Antonio Home Buying

2011-03-06T14:29:00.001-06:00

If you are an active duty or retired uniformed services member, a teacher, or government civil service or public service employee, you are eligible for SanAntonioHomeQuest’s Public Service Reward Program .

Our calendar year 2011 program is offered to qualified buyers using our home buyer representation services to close on the the purchase of a newly constructed or resale home on or before 30 April 2011.

San Antonio Home Quest’s Public Service Reward Program is very similar to USAA’s Mover’s Advantage Program.

Here’s what it’s worth to you:

Home Purchase Price       Reward

$1 - $99,999                      $350
$100,000-$149,999            $650
$150,000-$249,999            $950
$250,000-$399,999          $1,250
$400,000+                       $1,550

If you want detailed information about our Public Service Reward Program, please contact a member of our team telephonically, via email, or by filling out the buyer info here (mention Reward Program in Additional Information).

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley and Missy McBee, Realtors® , sanantoniohomequest.com at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. Contact us at (210) 863-2661 for Randy, or (210) 867-8763 for Stephanie, or (210) 288-9810 (se habla español) for Missy, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com, or kelleybus@aol.com, or missymcbee@kw.com (se habla español). Our broker is Steven Gragg at (210) 482-3200.

Your SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with all your home buying or selling needs.
We look forward to answering your questions about our Public Service Reward Program for buying a San Antonio home.

Quality Affordable Home For Sale Near Randolph AFB And Fort Sam Houston

2011-02-27T10:49:00.000-06:00

The sanantoniohomequest.com Realty Solutions Team has found this fine listing near Randolph Air Force Base and Fort Sam Houston. We specialize in helping active duty and retired uniformed services families buy homes like this for the best price, terms, and conditions.

The home is newly listed for $154,900. It’s in the San Antonio area’s northeast sector in the city of Converse. It’s conveniently close to the area’s military facilities and shopping and entertainment centers and provides easy access to downtown San Antonio.

click to see more

Randolph AFB And Fort Sam Houston Living Feb 26 Weekend

2011-02-24T13:09:00.001-06:00

Randolph AFB and Fort Sam Houston Living is brought to you by the SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team, Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. Contact us for all your San Antonio area realty needs. We’re Stephanie Kelley at swkrealtor@aol.com (210 867-8743), Randy Kelley at kelleybus@aol.com (210 863-2661), and Missy McBee (se habla espanol) at missymcbee@kw.com
(210 288-9810).

Mike’s In The Village, Bulverde, is favored by residents of North San Antonio, Randolph AFB, and Fort Sam Houston. Here are Mike’s special offerings for the February 26 & 27, 2011, weekend.

This weekend, try our Poblano Bisque to start, and follow it up with the Shrimp, Scallop & Cheese Stuffed Chili Relleno entree.We will be hosting a special Food, Wine and Cigar event on Thursday, March 3rd at 6:00 p.m. Join us for our signature gourmet dishes accompanied by fine wines and fantastic cigars. Seating is limited, so call (830) 438-2747 or email us to make your reservations now.The wine and food pairings are:

Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc and Thai Chicken Salad Spring Roll with Ginger, Soy Dipping Sauce

Bollini Pinot Grigio and Sundried Tomato & Basil Pesto tossed Farfalle with Grilled Oreganio Shrimp

Callabriga Dauro and Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs

Black Stallion Cabernet Sauvignon and Pecorino Romano & Rosemary Crusted Lamb Chop with Black Stallion Syrup

Chef Mike was named one of San Antonio’s Top Chefs in the latest issue of Scene In S.A. magazine. You can find it on newsstands in HEB, Wal-Mart and Walgreens. Check it out for some fun facts about Chef Mike and a recipe for Chef Mike’s Seafood Stuffed Chili Relleno!

Bon Appétit,

Chef Mike

What Does A San Antonio Home Buyer's Agent Do?

2011-02-21T18:16:00.000-06:00

Each month, the SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team answers many questions about all things related to homes for sale in the San Antonio area.

Here’s a good one.

Q: What does a home buyer’s agent do?

A: Things to know about buyer agency:

■The buyer agent’s duty is to represent the buyer by putting the buyer’s interests first in all respects.

■The buyer agent’s role is to find and show properties, advise the buyer regarding acquisition strategies and offering prices, help with the process of obtaining financing, write the offer and associated documents, negotiate the purchase terms and conditions, and generally oversee and facilitate the purchase from inception to closing.

■The buyer agent is typically paid a percentage of the commission that the seller has agreed to pay the listing broker. But the source of the commission isn’t an issue, because legally, professionally, and ethically, the buyers agent represents the buyer, not the seller.

Putting it in simplier terms, the buyer’s agent serves the buyer’s realty needs and protects the buyer’s interests.

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley and Missy McBee, Realtors®, sanantoniohomequest.com, at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat, please call us at (210) 863-2661 for Randy, or (210) 867-8763 for Stephanie, or (210) 288-9810 (se habla español) for Missy, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com, or kelleybus@aol.com, or missymcbee@kw.com (se habla español).

Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.

If you have more questions about the role of a a San Antonio home buyer’s agent, please contact a member of our team.

North Central Area San Antonio Home

2011-02-18T18:26:00.000-06:00

The sanantoniohomequest.com Realty Solutions Team specializes in helping active duty and retired uniformed services families find and buy quality affordable homes for the best price, terms, and conditions.

Click To See More

This home is listed for $229,000. It’s in the north central San Antonio area, in the highly rated North East Independent School District, and is close to Randolph Air Force Base, Fort Sam Houston and downtown San Antonio. Shopping and entertainment amenities are an easy drive away.

February 2011 San Antonio Real Estate Market Report

2011-02-18T08:44:00.000-06:00

"Oh, the times, they are a-changing," - Bob Dylan

Across the nation last year, the business of home buying and selling ran an interestingly changing course. Burdened with excessive foreclosures, rigid mortgage lending requirements, lackluster job markets, sluggish home sales and rapidly falling home values, is it any wonder that home buyers and sellers, not to mention their Realtors®, grew tired of the trials and tribulations of the great recession.

Let's face it. In 2010, were it not for the brief changes brought about by the extension of the Federal Government's Home Buyer Tax Credit Program, the nation's realty market would have likely stayed in deep trouble.

But, not so in San Antonio! The Alamo City closed 2010 having one of the nation's healthiest large metropolitan area realty markets.

Granted, San Antonio's 2010 housing market was pinched a bit by the national economic downturn. Alamo City foreclosures went up and average home values went down in some neighborhoods. Now, in the second month of 2011, signs are favorable for reversing those trends.

Experts say San Antonio real estate sales should remain stable in 2011. All economic factors indicate the area's immediate future is highly favorable for strong economic growth, low unemployment, and the continuing strong infusion of the money and human resources needed to build an even more economically vibrant city. That's great news for home buyers and sellers.

That doesn't mean there might not be some trials and tribulations ahead for San Antonio real estate. Of particular concern, in this second week of February, is the fact that mortgage lending is getting more expensive and tighter. The trend is likely to continue into the summer. Consequently, if you are a prospective home buyer or a home owner thinking of selling your home, it's time to get off the fence and act now before mortgage lending trends disrupt your plans.

If you are a stats lover, here are the relevant market indicators for San Antonio single-family detached homes as of 16 February 2011.

There are 11419 active listings compared to 11324 last year. The inventory is increasing slowly. A plentiful inventory is a good sign for buyers.
The average list price for homes on the market is $252,607 compared to $268,597 last year. The drop in average list price reflects a lowering of seller expectations in the face of economic realities. It indicates a market adjustment favoring buyers over sellers.
The average cumulative days-on-the-market (CDOM) is 186 compared to 170 last year. This is another positive sign for buyers.

Industry analysts agree that these data reflect a market strongly favoring buyers over sellers.

That's all for our February 2011 San Antonio real estate market report.

We're Stephanie and Randy Kelley and Missy McBee, Realtors® , sanantoniohomequest.com at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat, please call us at (210) 863-2661 for Randy, or (210) 867-8763 for Stephanie, or (210) 288-9810 (se habla español) for Missy, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com, or kelleybus@aol.com, or missymcbee@kw.com (se habla español).

Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.

San Antonio Homes For Sale Near Randolph Air Force Base

2011-02-16T09:52:00.000-06:00

The sanantoniohomequest.com Realty Solutions Team specializes in helping home buyers find and buy quality affordable homes for the best price, terms, and conditions.

This home is listed for $158,900. It’s in the Cibolo community, in a highly rated school district, and affords easy access to San Antonio, local military bases, major road networks, and shopping and entertainment centers.

Click Here To See More

San Antonio Homes For Sale Questions And Answers

2011-02-11T15:50:00.000-06:00

Each month, the SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team answers many questions about all things related to homes for sale in the San Antonio area.

Here’s a recent one:

Q: What does ”active option” mean?

A: Active option means a buyer has successfully negotiated a contract to buy the property and, for a small fee, has purchased the unrestricted right to back out of the contract within a negotiated number of days, usually 10 days in this market. If the buyer exercises his option to walk away, the property will go back on the market.

During the option period, the buyer will have the property inspected by a licensed residential property inspector (if heor she so chooses), takes steps to finalize loan arrangements, and contemplates going through, or not going through, with the purchase.

The seller may allow continued showings during the option period in hopes of garnering a back up offer.

If you have a question about San Antonio real estate, call or send an E-mail.

We specialize in serving the realty needs of San Antonio area home buyers and sellers.

We are the sanantoniohomequest.com Realty Solutions Team, Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas.

Contact Stephanie Kelley at swkrealtor@aol.com (210) 867-8743, Randy Kelley at kelleybus@aol.com (210) 863-2661, or Missy McBee (se habla espanol) at missymcbee@kw.com (210 288-9810).

The Super Bowl Impacts The San Antonio Real Estate Market

2011-02-07T14:39:00.000-06:00

The stats don’t lie. The passing of Super Bowl Sunday heralds the dawning of San Antonio’s most active real estate season.

Yes, spring usually comes early in South Texas and the advent of longer and warmer days rarely fails to significantly heat up the area’s realty market.

So, if you’re planning to sell your San Antonio area home this spring or early summer, don’t delay. Get it listed right away.

Seek out an experienced listing agent. Ask for an analysis of your property’s current value accompanied by a customized marketing plan designed to optimize your chances of quickly attracting buyers and a timely sale.

If you are planning to purchase a home, consult with a seasoned buyer agent right away.

An experienced buyer agent is expert at harnessing the search power of the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) to identify the best properties meeting your needs, analyzing neighborhood and individual property values, and preparing and negotiating your home purchase offer.

Remember, both the listing and buyer agent share common goals.

First and foremost is to serve your realty needs and protect your interests as a consumer. Second, is to work hard to get you the best possible home sale if you are the seller or the best possible home purchase if you are the buyer.

Through experience and training, seasoned buyer and listing agents have acquired the negotiating skills needed to bring a seller and buyer to a mutually acceptable win-win agreement.

So, if you’ve been thinking about purchasing or selling a home, this is the best time to get started by engaging the realty expert who is best qualified to help you meet your home buying or selling needs.

We offer our services. Call or email us if you want to talk about your situation or to ask about things like the Super Bowl that impact on San Antonio’s realty market.

We’re the sanantoniohomequest.com Realty Solutions Team, Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas

Contact Stephanie Kelley at swkrealtor@aol.com (210 867-8743), Randy Kelley at kelleybus@aol.com (210 863-2661), or Missy McBee (se habla espanol) at missymcbee@kw.com (210 288-9810).

Why Waste Your San Antonio BAH On Rent?

2011-02-02T12:05:00.000-06:00

Home ownership is still the American dream, but, for most military members considering buying a home for the first time, the real estate market can be overwhelming.

Also, the recent “great recession” has clouded many a prospective military home buyer’s vision of owning a home. This is particulary true for service members worrying about holding a home long enough to build enough equity to overcome an unexpected housing market downturn.

So, here’s some advice for the military member destined for a permanent change of station (PCS) in the San Antonio area.

First, don’t approach buying your primary San Antonio residence as an investment unless you intend to keep it as a rental property when you make your next move. Simply, the recent recession wiped away the concept of owning a home as an investment. Now, be advised to consider your home only as a place to live with the possibility of making some money when you sell it.

Second, when weighing the pros and cons of home ownership, keep in mind the exceptional value of the government’s BAH contribution to satisfying your housing needs. Even after considering the risk of losing money because of economic conditions or being forced to sell early because of an early PCS, most experts agree that it’s better to use your BAH to buy a home instead of paying it to a landlord.

Third, before deciding to buy instead of rent, consult with an experienced Realtor® who can refer you to the most a reputable local lender specializing in VA mortgages. Realtors® and VA qualified lenders are held to extremely high ethical standards in Texas. They are duty bound to give you fair and honest advice.

Finally, consider this. The San Antonio realty market has favored buyers over sellers for many months. Mortgage interest rates remain close to historic lows. The San Antonio home market is highly stable and offers some of the best values in the nation. So, why rent when so many factors favor your becoming a San Antonio home owner?

Talk to us. We specialize in representing active and retired uniformed services families.

We are the SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team, Realtors® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas.

Contact Stephanie Kelley at swkrealtor@aol.com (210 867-8743), Randy Kelley at kelleybus@aol.com (210 863-2661), or Missy McBee (se habla espanol) at missymcbee@kw.com (210 288-9810)

Bulverde and North San Antonio Area Events

2011-01-27T12:30:00.001-06:00

This weekend, January 29 and 30, 2011, try our Creamy Roasted Artichoke soup special to start or the Oyster Rockefeller as an appetizer. For your main course, try the Grilled Tilapia over steamed Basmati Rice & topped with a Pineapple & Mango Salsa.

Valentine’s weekend we will be offering a special four course Valentine’s menu available on Friday, February 11th, Saturday, February 12th and Monday, February 14th. Don’t let our mistake get you in trouble! Make your reservations now to treat your Valentine to a delicious dinner on February 11th, 12th or 14th by calling 830.438.2747 or e-mailing us at mikesmanager@gvtc.com.

Thursday, March 3rd, join us for our food, wine and cigar tasting. Reservations are required and seating is limited so call 830.438.2747 now to reserve your spot!Bon Appétit,Chef Mike

Brought to you by the SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team, Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. Contact us for all your real estate needs. We're Stephanie Kelley at swkrealtor@aol.com (210 867-8743), Randy Kelley at kelleybus@aol.com (210 863-2661) and Missy McBee (se habla espanol) at missymcbee@kw.com (210 288-9810).

Nationwide Interest In San Antonio Homes For Sale

2011-01-11T17:52:00.000-06:00

Here's news from the SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team.

A January 11, 2011 article in the San Antonio Business Journal, reports San Antonio was the fourth most researched residential real estate market in the country in 2010, according to Realtor.com.

Realtor.com is one of the Internet’s most often searched sites for real estate listings in all 50 states.

Scanning its 2010 search history, Realtor.com ranked the nation’s top 10 realty markets based on the number of visitors seeking homes for sale last year.

San Antonio ranked number four behind Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Orlando.

All of the top ranked cities saw increased sales activity at the beginning of 2010, as buyers took advantage of the Federal home buyer tax credit programs and exceptionally low mortgage interest rates. After the tax credit programs expired, all of the leading markets also experienced a dip in sales activity.

That’s the latest home buying news from the SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team.

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley and Missy McBee, Realtors® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 (Randy) or (210) 867-8743 (Stephanie), or (210) 288-9810 (Missy) or email us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com or missymcbee@kw.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.

Nationwide or locally, we’re here to satisfy your interest in San Antonio Homes for sale.

Why You Should Purchase A San Antonio Area Home Right Now

2010-12-13T11:05:00.000-06:00

CLICK TO SEE

Here’s why you should purchase a San Antonio area home right now.

It’s December, typically the slowest month for Alamo City realty sales.

It’s likely there will never again be a home buyer’s market like we have in San Antonio right now.

If our realty market behaves as usual, after the first of the year, realty sales will perk up dramatically and list prices will rise.

Also, mortgage interest rates are rising now and expected to continue to rise in the first quarter of 2011.

So, please don’t wait. Now’s the time to take advantage of low home prices and low mortgage interest rates.

We’re here to give you home buying advice or assistance. Our goal is to help you purchase the best house, in the best neighborhood, for the price, terms and conditions most favorable for you. Don’t hesitate to call on us.

Queremos ayudarle con comprando la casa o perfecta ayudarle vendiendo su casa con servicio excelente. (210) 288-9810 Missymcbee@kw.com.

We will be honored to help. We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley and Missy McBee, Realtors® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 (Randy) or (210) 867-8743 (Stephanie), or (210) 288-9810 (Missy) or email us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com or missymcbee@kw.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs and will gladly give you the best advice regarding timing your San Antonio home search.

We’d love to tell you more about why you should purchase a San Antonio home right now.

Timing Your San Antonio Home Search

2010-12-07T18:32:00.000-06:00

When the time comes to house hunt, planning your lead time is very important.

Let's address buying a resale home first.

Give yourself at least 3 to 5 days to visit listings and at least 30 additional days to bring your purchase to the closing table. For example, if you want to be in your newly purchased home on 1 June, we recommend you be in San Antonio for your on-site home search no later than the 3d week in April.

What can you expect when you start visiting homes for sale.

Most buyers find they can't speed shop comfortably. They need time to develop a personal comfort level with the home search process. The comfort level will usually gel after the first or second day of visiting listings.

Keep this in mind. For the average home buyer, there's an inherent disadvantage in seeing too many listings over a short time period. Simply stated - visiting listings is a physically and mentally tiring experience. After seeing too many homes too quickly, there's a risk of developing a type of mental fuzziness whereby the details of homes you've seen start to meld and morph.

To keep from becoming confused, be prepared to take the time to make notes, maybe take pictures or videos, and, before leaving a listing, to discuss and record its pros of cons.

We recommend not trying to see more than 8 listings per day.

The next phase involves analyzing competing prospective properties, selecting your target property, and preparing and submitting the offer. That should take approximately 3 to 4 hours in an office setting. It's your realty agent's job to lead you through this phase and make it as clearly logical and comfortable as possible.

After the contract documents are prepared and submitted to the seller's realty agent, it's not necessary to stay in town. As long as you have telephone and Internet and/or Fax access, subsequent steps, to include actually closing your purchase, can be managed remotely.

What about buying a newly constructed production home?

Since the available home builder inventory is more concentrated in new subdivisions, it's somewhat easier to shop for a new construction home vs. going from point-to-point looking at resale homes. Consequently, if you are willing to rule out buying a resale home, you can cut your home shopping time to as little as 3 days by exclusive looking for a new construction product. We don't recommend that tactic, however, because you should at least peruse the resale market so you'll have a basis for comparing the value of buying a new home versus purchasing a resale home.

Finally, what about buying a lot and building a custom home?

That's a very attractive alternative for a buyer with the time and resources needed to produce a home that's highly customized to meet all of his or her home ownership wants and needs. It's also a very tedious and complicated process not to the liking or capability of the average home buyer.

Keep these factors in mind. In San Antonio, unimproved residential lots and acreage tend to be very expensive. Ask your realty agent to set up a MLS search for residential lot listings for you if you are interested in learning about lot features and costs.

After acquiring your lot, the process of dealing with the builder, the architect, selecting features, going to show rooms to select floor covering, fixtures, etc., might take weeks instead of days. The average time to acquire a lot and produce a customized home from ground up can require 9 months or more for an elaborate home.

Although you don't have to be on-site from beginning to end, it's unquestionably better to be around while the home is being built. Otherwise, it's highly recommended that you keep in touch by designating a third party to monitor the process for you.

If you don't know the ins-and-outs of Texas real estate, we recommend using an experienced realty buyer's agent to represent you irrespective of whether you intend buy a resale home, a brand new production built home, or even if contract to have your home built by a custom home builder. Real estate deals are complicated and quirky and a good buyer's agent knows when and how to advise you about unseen risks and to lead you around the home buying pitfalls no matter how you eventually acquire your San Antonio home.

You'll find that an experienced realty buyer's agent is indispensable when the time comes to scout out the San Antonio area for your best home buy. Keep this in mind. San Antonio is a very large city - the 7th largest metropolitan area in the United States. The area is highly diverse in terms of neighborhood demographics, geographic features and climate, quality of subdivisions and prices and styles of homes therein. Having a least a basic knowledge of where you might want to live in the San Antonio will help focus your search on the best neighborhoods, with the best conditions and prices meeting your home ownership wants and needs.

We will be honored to help. We're Stephanie and Randy Kelley and Missy McBee, Realtors® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 (Randy) or (210) 867-8743 (Stephanie), or (210) 288-9810 or email us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com or missymcbee@kw.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs and will gladly give you the best advice regarding timing your San Antonio home search.

December 2010 San Antonio Residential Realty Market Report

2010-12-05T15:54:00.004-06:00

San Antonio real estate is great this holiday season!

Although early December is typically the low season for realty activity in and around the Alamo city, there are indications that this year will be different. Many factors are contributing to an unusually active market for late fall and early winter.

First, because of the area's high employment rate, population growth, and better than average home prices, San Antonio is unquestionably a top market for home buyers and sellers.

Second, mortgage rates remain historically low and lenders are aggressively seeking qualified home buyers.

Third, there are positive signs suggesting the national economy is experiencing a slow, but relatively steady recovery. That factor alone is bringing more buyers than usual into the market this December.

Consequently, reasonably priced and well prepared resale homes are selling well and production home builders are offering enhanced buyer incentives in hopes of clearing out their new home inventories before the new year.

Although it's a great time to buy a new construction home, it's always prudent to diligently check out the incentives offered by the builders and particularly the loans offered by their affiliated lenders. Before signing a sales agreement, a buyer should seek the help of a real estate professional to verify (1) that the property is reasonably priced and (2) that the lender is offering the most favorable loan, with the best interest rate, for the lowest settlement costs.

For those who love stats, here are the key indicators for San Antonio's single family detached home listings as of 5 December 2010.

There are 11,733 homes for sale compared to 10,951 one year ago. The inventory is high but trending steadily downward. The plentiful inventory is a favorable sign for home buyers and the downward trend is a favorably sign for home sellers.

The average sales price for the most recent closings is $214,455, compared to last year's $181,959. That's an unreliable indicator because of the large number of lower priced properties sold in 2009 under the tax incentive program. An analysis of longer term data indicates an absence of any significant sales price appreciation since 2007. That's another good sign for buyers.

Average cumulative-days-on-the-market (CDOM) for the most recent sales is 135 compared to 126 last year. During 2009, CDOM figures were unacceptably high, but dropped fast during the Federal Tax credit home buying frenzy. It remains to be seen if cumulative market time will improve further, but a slight upward trend is possible. Nonetheless, for the time being, CDOM data is positive for San Antonio home buyers, specifically, and for San Antonio's realty market, generally.

Industry analysts see these data as reflecting a housing market favoring buyers over sellers but trending toward more balanced conditions in the coming months.

That's all for our December, 2010, San Antonio residential realty market report. We encourage reader comments and recommendations about how to make our reports more informative and useful.

Wishing you a merry Christmas and Happy New, we're Stephanie and Randy Kelley and Missy McBee, Realtors® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 (Randy) or (210) 867-8743 (Stephanie), or (210) 288-9810 or email us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com or missymcbee@kw.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.

We look forward to answering your questions about our December 2010 San Antonio Residential Realty Market Report.

BofA in WikiLeaks crosshairs? | Inman News

2010-12-01T08:53:00.000-06:00

Great article in Inman News this morning. Does Bank of America have it coming? To see the entire article, go here:

BofA in WikiLeaks crosshairs? Inman News

About San Antonio Residential Property Taxes

2010-11-17T17:01:00.000-06:00

We get lots of home buyer questions about San Antonio area residential property taxes.

It's understandable why property taxes are a matter of buyer concern. Almost every buyer we encounter has heard someone complain that Texas real estate taxes are confusing.

Basically, it's not easy to answer property tax inquiries without doing some detailed research.

Why?

In addition to San Antonio, the largest city in Bexar (pronounced exactly like "bear") County, there are 20 smaller cities located in the county. In addition to the cities, there are many other types of Bexar County taxing units, including, but not limited to, 11 independent school districts, 1 metropolitan utility district, a university health system, a community college district, the San Antonio River Authority, and two emergency service districts.

So, here's why a seemingly simple property tax question get complicated.

In Bexar County, it's not unusual to have a residential property fall within the jurisdiction of one set of taxing units while a neighboring property falls within the jurisdiction of a slightly, or even significantly different, set of taxing units. It's simply an issue of property location and taxing jurisdiction boundaries.

So, if you are a San Antonio/Bexar County home buyer, how do you go about determining the property tax rate for a particular area or for a specific property?

You might use a factor of 2.2% of appraised value. That's the median property tax rate; but, be prepared to be disappointed with that factor, first, because the rates are so variable around the county and, second, you'll need to know a property's appraised value if you want to know about the tax bill for a specific property.

If you know the address of a property located in your area of interest, you can go to the
Bexar County Appraisal District website and do a free search for tax information about the property. The results will show the property's taxing jurisdictions and the aggregate property tax percentage rate.

Be prepared to experience some frustration with the site because you have to have the property's address just right or else the program won't find it.

If you don't want to do the research yourself, ask a Realtor® to do it for you. Realtors® are expert property tax investigators, for both geographic areas and individual properties.

We will happy to answer your Bexar County/San Antonio property tax questions. Just call or send an email.

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or email us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.

We love to answer questions about San Antonio residential property taxes.

Buying A New Versus Resale San Antonio Home

2010-11-09T14:31:00.000-06:00

Here’s the sananantoniohomequest.com Realty Solutions Team’s evaluation of the pros and cons of buying a new versus a resale San Antonio home.

First, keep this in mind. The appeal of a new home is so great that, over the 19+ years we’ve represented home buyers, 80% have bought a newly constructed home. It’s easy to see why.

■Each year, the builders seem to have more and more enticing features built into their products.

■The homes are new and unspoiled. They don’t have the expected wear and tear found in every resale home, no matter its age.

■The builders’ lending programs are very competitive and the builders ofter offer additional incentives to encourage the buyer to use their affiliate lenders. That’s particularly true toward the end of the year.

■Texas law requires the builder to warrant the home’s structure for 10 years.

■The appliances are warranted by the manufacturers in accordance with their standard warranty programs. The home’s other components & systems are usually warranted for a minimum of 1 year and sometimes up to 3 years.

■In terms of settlement costs, they can be reduced by using a builder’s cash incentive, if one is offered.

What about a resale home?

■Resale homes over 10 years of age come without a warranty, however we encourage the buyer to negotiate for a seller paid 1 year home protection plan. Usually the seller will agree to buy the plan in order to sweeten the deal and help seal the sale.

■Resale homes usually come with owner installed features that new homes don’t have - things like upgraded blinds, curtain rods, garage shelving, etc. If you are short on the money needed to improve a new home, then a resale home might work out better.

■If you need help with a resale home’s settlement costs, we can negotiate for seller to contribute to your closing costs. Sometimes it works, sometimes not; and, your lenders might limit the seller’s contribution to approximately 3% of the sales price.

In summary, when balancing the pros and cons of buying new vs. resale, there are many factors to consider and many opinions to be heard and evaluated. You usually won’t have a feel of the way you’ll go until you’ve personally seen a few resale and new homes, listened to some sales pitches, and driven around some new vs. established resale home neighborhoods.

The preceding advice is commonsensical, but, when comparing resale to new construction homes, some pros and cons aren’t always evident. We have your back on these issues and will let you know when you might not be seeing a consideration that’s important.

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.

Call us for our advice about buying a new versus resale San Antonio Home

Interesting San Antonio Home Selling & Buying Survey

2010-11-08T16:34:00.000-06:00

Here's a recent San Antonio home selling and buying survey with a very interesting outcome.

It’s from Credit Suisse, a leading world wide financial services company specializing in advising clients about all aspects of finance, including real estate.

Each month, Credit Suisse surveys leading Realtors ® across the Nation to determine conditions in their market areas.

Here are the October 2010 survey results for San Antonio - the 7th largest realty market in the United States:

■Buyer traffic is below expectations for the season.

■Resale home owners are lowering their prices and offering creative buyer incentives. Home builders are offering more incentives.

■The length of time to sell a home is increasing. That’s usually an indication of continuing price declines in coming months.

Credit Suisse reports these interesting comments from real estate agents:

■“The terrible economy combined with tighter lending practices have discouraged people from buying”

■“Buyers only become seriously interested if sellers are willing to cut prices.”

Is this truly a a doom and gloom scenario for San Antonio real estate? Absolutely not!

San Antonio homes are still being listed and sold at a slower but steady pace. A home seller who is willing to set a realistic listing price and make improvements to put the best face on the property is most likely to quickly find a buyer willing to take advantage of lower prices and fantastically low mortgage interest rates.

In this market, proper preparation on the part of both sellers and buyers pays off.

If you’re looking for the most reliable advice about how to go about selling or buying a San Antonio home, call us.

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.

We solicit your positive and negative comments about this interesting San Antonio home selling & buying survey.

Sunday, November 7 - Turn Your Clocks Back

2010-11-05T17:21:00.000-05:00

Friendly Reminder… Time change this weekend, November 7th – clocks turn back 1 hour.

Compliments of:

JAY GILMORE
Senior Loan Officer
W.R. Starkey Mortgage
Office: 210-545-9300
e-Fax: 866-694-0243
Cell: 210-287-2659
jgilmore@wrstarkey.com
http://www.leavejayaloan.com/
NMLS# 232136

When it's time to buy or sell a San Antonio home, call on us.

We're Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about our wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.

Don't Forget - Sunday, November 7 - Turn Your Clocks Back

November 2010 San Antonio Realty Market Report

2010-11-03T12:19:00.000-05:00

It's Autumn in South Texas. Bright beautiful days, balmy afternoons, and cooler nights herald the approaching holiday season. Residents and tourists are out and about, delighting in San Antonio's most pleasant season.

Typically, San Antonio's residential realty market also cools in the fall and early winter months; however, this year, realty sales may be much cooler than usual. Here's why.

Twelve months ago, driven by the Federal First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Program, San Antonio's realty market was in the midst of a home buying frenzy.

The tax credit program was initially very successful as an exceptionally large number of home buyers rushed to purchase their first homes. Although the program prompted elevated home sales across the board, the inventory of properties priced below $150,000 sold off faster than homes in the higher priced categories.

After the tax credit program ended in April 2010, the market quickly drew back. Clearly, the tax credit program's success had drawn much of the energy out the market for the coming months.

Now, San Antonio area home sales and list prices are well below average for the second half of the year. Home values in some neighborhoods have depreciated and sellers have lowered their list prices accordingly. Nonetheless, buyer response has been tepid and the inventory of homes on the market remains high.

In order to attract buyers, owners of resale homes are offering attractive concessions and home builders are advertising enticing incentives.

Given the uncertain national economy, it's difficult to reach conclusions about San Antonio's long term realty market trends, but in the short term, it's clear San Antonio's home market remains relatively healthy and extremely favorable for buyers.

As for sellers, the advantage goes to the home seller most willing to reduce his or her price expectations and expend the money, time, and effort to improve the property's condition and appearance.

Looking ahead, all key economic indicators are positive for the San Antonio realty market's continued growth. Contributing factors are the city's low unemployment rate, a history of sustained job growth, and the activities of a highly successful alliance of politicians, government agencies, and private entities focused on supporting local business development and encouraging outside corporations to locate to the area.

Of particular note for the coming year is the continuing infusion of manpower, money, and material resources associated the area's Military Base Realignment and Closing (BRAC) projects.

For those who love stats, here are the key indicators for San Antonio's single family detached home listings as of 3 November 2010.

There are 12,053 homes for sale compared to 11,073 one year ago. The inventory is high but trending slightly downward. The plentiful inventory is a favorable sign for home buyers.

The average sales price for the most recent closings is $183,120, compared to last year's $169,225. That's an unreliable indicator because of the large number of lower priced properties sold in 2009 under the tax incentive program. An analysis of longer term data indicates an absence of any significant sales price appreciation since 2007. That's another good sign for buyers.

Average cumulative-days-on-the-market (CDOM) for the most recent sales is 127 compared to 128 last year. During 2009, CDOM figures were unacceptably high, but dropped fast during the Federal Tax credit home buying frenzy. It remains to be seen if cumulative market time will improve further, but a slight upward trend is possible. Nonetheless, for the time being, CDOM data is positive for San Antonio home sellers, specifically, and for San Antonio's realty market, generally.

Industry analysts see these data as reflecting a housing market strongly favoring buyers over sellers.

That's all for our November 2010 San Antonio realty market report. We encourage reader comments and recommendations about how to make our reports more informative and useful.

Wishing you a happy Thanksgiving holiday, we're Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.

15087 Spring Mist - Well Maintained And Affordable

2010-10-23T12:34:00.000-05:00

15087 Spring Mist -a well maintained and affordable 2 bedroom, 1 full bath property - is located in the San Antonio's Spring Creek neighborhood.

This resale home is in the Northeast School District and is within easy commute to downtown San Antonio, Randolph Air Force Base, and Fort Sam Houston.

Everything is neat and tidy and ready for a quick move in.

The home features a courtyard entry, really high ceilings in the living area, and a pass through window from the dining room to kitchen. The covered patio offers a nice retreat and there's just enough yard for a nice garden. There's cross fencing for a dog run. The home backs to church property that's almost like a park. The seller is offering a residential service plan.

Go here for more 15087 Spring Mist photos and information.

Contact us at (210) 863-2661 or at kelleybus@aol.com to schedule a showing.

We're here to help you with all your San Antonio area realty needs.

Click if you're looking for homes for sale.

Click for expert advice about selling your home .

We're Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® of Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.

Please keep 15087 Spring Mist - a well maintained and affordable property - in mind.

Buyers Look For The Negatives In A Property

2010-10-13T12:28:00.009-05:00

Did you ever notice how buyers look for the negatives in a property?

They look for a reason to rule out, to narrow their search. In the current market, there are so many homes available that I find that sellers aren't the only ones losing out.

Easily changed features of a home or even a very minor repair on a desirable listing that otherwise meets ALL of the buyers criteria can be the “Kiss of Death.” I call it the "Mona Lisa's eyebrows effect." Check it out. She doesn't have any.

Once distracted by a property's minor flaw or trivial issue, the prospective buyer "goes squirrelly" and loses the BIG picture like the kid in this YouTube video.

Thus distracted, it's walk out time, with the buyer thinking, "It may be a Mona Lisa, but why should I hang around a house with no eyebrows, when there are soooo many homes on the market and there must be something better out there than this."

Here are just a few minor items that have placed seeds of doubt in some of my clients minds.

• Cigarette smoke smell or animal smell at the front door.

• Any kind of minor damage around the entrance.(cracked or missing grout in tile, loose weather stripping, bad paint on door or trim)

• Dirty carpet (YUCK) This is the one that the new home sales people love to sell against! Who wants someone else’s nail clippings in their carpet?

• A toilet that runs or sticks when flushing. This opens a whole plethora of questions from the client. "OMG! What other plumbing issues are there? Do they have septic problems? "(Whether or not it's on septic)

• Dated wallpaper/paint. Client: "YUCK! What were they thinking?" Me: "Actually, this was a nice selection in 1989."

• Clutter (just too much of anything) Actually, this is my complaint, the clients don’t usually say anything, or sometimes they say, “Man, they have a lot of stuff,” which translates into, “This place is so cluttered and full of cha chas that I can’t see the house.” This is when they get real squirrelly and start looking at your collections of vintage tongue depressors, and seriously, why didn’t you lock that valuable stuff up anyway instead of distracting the buyers?

Anyway, these are just a few, I have more and I am sure that you have plenty that you could share. Unfortunately, not all sellers have gotten the memo: The best priced house, in the best condition, in the best location THAT WINS THE BEAUTY contest will sell first. The point is that these relatively inexpensive fixes cause the buyers to lose focus, get distracted (my favorite term is to "go squirrelly") and move on to the next best thing.

In the current market, when a home fits all the major needs of a buyer, we should be able to help them see the BIG picture, how to address the concerns and negotiate those minor distractions into financial savings. . . . . unless there's something better down the street. Hey there's a squirrel!

October 2010 San Antonio Real Estate Market Report

2010-10-07T14:11:00.000-05:00

Here's your October 2010 San Antonio real estate market report.

It proves what a difference a year makes.

Twelve months ago, driven by the Federal First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Program, San Antonio's realty market was in the midst of a home buying frenzy.

The tax credit program was initially very successful as an exceptionally high number of home buyers rushed to purchase their first homes. Although the program prompted elevated home sales across the board, the inventory of properties priced below $150,000 sold off faster than homes in the higher priced categories.

After the tax credit program ended in April 2010, the market quickly drew back. Clearly, the tax credit program's success had drawn much of the energy out the market for the coming months.

Now, San Antonio area home sales and list prices are well below average for the second half of the year. Home values in some neighborhoods have depreciated and sellers have lowered their list prices accordingly. Nonetheless, buyer response has been tepid and the inventory of homes on the market remains high.

In order to attract buyers, owners of resale homes are offering attractive concessions and home builders are advertising enticing incentives.

Given the uncertain national economy, it is difficult to reach conclusions about San Antonio's long term realty market trends, but in the short term, it's clear San Antonio's home market remains relatively healthy and extremely favorable for buyers.

As for sellers, the advantage goes to the home seller most willing to reduce his or her price expectations and expend the money, time, and effort to improve the property's condition and appearance.

Looking ahead, all key economic indicators are positive for the San Antonio realty market's continued growth. Contributing factors are the city's low unemployment rate, a history of sustained job growth, and the activities of a highly successful alliance of politicians, government agencies, and private entities focused on supporting local business development and encouraging outside corporations to locate to the area.

Of particular note for the coming year is the continuing infusion of manpower, money, and material resources associated the area's Military Base Realignment and Closing (BRAC) projects.

For those who love stats, here are the key indicators for San Antonio's single family detached home listings as of 8 October 2010.

There are 12,458 homes for sale compared to 11,304 one year ago. The inventory is high but stable for the time being. That's a good sign for home buyers.

The average sales price for the most recent closings is $187,140, compared to last year's $176,287. That's an unreliable indicator because of the large number of lower priced properties sold in 2009 under the tax incentive program. An analysis of longer term data indicates an absence of any significant sales price appreciation since 2007. That's another good sign for buyers.

Average cumulative-days-on-the-market (CDOM) for the most recent sales is 123 compared to 126 last year. During 2009, CDOM figures were unacceptably high, but dropped fast during the Federal Tax credit home buying frenzy. It remains to be seen if cumulative market time will improve further, but a slight upward trend is possible. Nonetheless, for the time being, CDOM data is positive for San Antonio home sellers, specifically, and for San Antonio's realty market, generally.

Industry analysts see these data as reflecting a housing market strongly favoring buyers over sellers.

That's all for our October 2010 San Antonio realty market report. We encourage reader comments and recommendations about how to make our reports more informative and useful.

We're here to help you with all your San Antonio area realty needs.

Click if you're looking for homes for sale

Click for expert advice about selling your home

We're Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® of Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.

That's all for your October 2010 San Antonio real estate market report.

Texas Attorney General Halts Foreclosures

2010-10-06T12:05:00.001-05:00

Breaking news - The Texas Attorney General halts foreclosures and sales of foreclosed properties!

This rather astounding development is summarized in the following bulletin from the Texas Association of Realtors Legal Department:

"The Texas Attorney General's office has halted all foreclosures, all sales of properties previously foreclosed upon, and all evictions of persons residing in previously foreclosed upon properties, until mortgage companies have completed a review of their processes, including whether employees or agents "robosigned” affidavits and other documents recorded in Texas."

"The AG suspension notices were sent to 30 mortgage-loan servicers doing business in Texas."

If you want to know more, read Nancy Sarnoff's and Parva Patel's Houston Chronical article reposted in the San Antonio Express News on 20 October 2010.

Call us if you want advice about San Antonio foreclosures. We're here to help you with all your San Antonio area realty needs.
Click if you're looking for homes for sale.

Click for expert advice about selling your home .

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® of Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.

That's the news about Texas Attorney General Halts Foreclosures.

How Do You Pronounce Bexar?

2010-09-30T19:07:00.008-05:00

So, how do you pronounce Bexar? Newcomers to San Antonio frequently stumble over the name of San Antonio's home county by putting great emphasis on the X, thereby pronouncing a first syllable rhyming with Mex.

It's a common and understandable error.

So how should you pronounce Bexar? Click here for an unforgettable way to remember.

Yes, Bexar is correctly pronounced exactly like "bear."

No matter how you pronounce it, Bexar County is a roaring great place to live, work, and buy or sell a home. We're here to help.

Click if you're looking for homes for sale.

Click for expert advice about selling your home.

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® of Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs

San Antonio, Texas, Residential Real Estate Taxes

2010-09-27T12:32:00.000-05:00

Looking for information about San Antonio, Texas, real estate taxes? Look no further. Here are the basics.

First, here's the good news. The State of Texas doesn't charge a personal income tax.

Now, here's the less than good news. Texas residential property taxes tend to be a bit pricey.

Keep this in mind. The real estate property tax rate is standard for the taxing jurisdiction where a property is located.

So why is it, when neighbors compare their property taxes, they tend to become confused. They ask questions like, "Why is Joe's property tax so much higher than Jane's, when their houses look the same ?"

The reason that property taxes seem so different for similar homes is, for the most part, not because the tax rates are different, but because the tax appraised property values are different from property to property.

Also, there will be slight variations in the property tax rate based on the taxing jurisdiction where properties are located. For example, Joe's property is located in the Northside Independent School District within the incorporated limits of San Antonio. Jane's property is also located in the Northside Independent School District, but in a part of the neighborhood that happens to fall outside the city limits.

Although both will pay the same Northside Independent School District tax rate, city boy Joe's taxes will also include taxes for San Antonio services that county girl Jane doesn't enjoy. Consequently, even though Joe and Jane's comparable homes have the same tax appraised value, Joe's property tax will, nonetheless, be higher, because he's getting more services and is subject to a higher overall tax rate.
On the average, a citizen owning a property located in an incorporated Bexar County jurisdiction will pay a yearly property tax that equals approximately 2.7% of the property's appraised tax value. Home owners in unincorporated areas of the county will usually pay lower property taxes because they enjoy fewer services and, therefore, their basic tax rate is lower.

Texas law requires the local property tax appraiser to reappraise all residential property located within his or her jurisdiction as of 1 January of each year, based on the sales of comparable property during the preceding 12 months. When you become a Texas home owner, you'll receive a property tax reappraisal notice yearly, usually in March or April.

That's the basics for San Antonio, Texas, residential real estate taxes.

If you need other realty related advice or assistance, we offer the very best.

Click here if you're looking for homes for sale.

Click here for expert advice about selling your home.

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® of Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs

Mortgage Loans For San Antonio Physicians

2010-09-24T18:17:00.000-05:00

Yes, there are still special mortgage loans for San Antonio physicians and other professionals.

We can refer you to a lender specializing in home financing programs designed specifically to meet the needs of doctors, dentists, medical students, lawyers, and members of similar professions.

Professional mortgage loans feature

■No down payments

■Up to $1,000,000

■No mortgage insurance

■Eligibility for condo financing

■High loan-to-value refinances

Interested? Click for more information.

We also offer the very best in San Antonio realty services.

Click here if you looking for homes for sale.

Click here for expert advice about selling your home.

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® of Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs including information about mortgage loans for San Antonio physicians and other professionals.

It's Happening In Bulverde This Weekend

2010-09-24T13:02:00.005-05:00

It's Happening In Bulverde This Weekend is brought to you by Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio. If you're looking to buy or sell a San Antonio home, go to SanAntonioHomeQuest.com, read our newsletter, or visit our San Antonio military websites at sanantonioarmypcs.com , sanantonionavypcs.com, or sanantonioairforcepcs.com.

Mike's In The Village is the place to go for fine dining in Bulverde. Here's what's happening at Mikes this weekend.

Bon Appétit,

Chef Mike

PS- Call us at 830-438-2747 to make your dinner reservation.

Go see Chef Mike where it's happening in Bulverde This weekend

San Antonio Mortgage Loan Comment - Week of Sep 20, 2010

2010-09-20T16:42:00.000-05:00

Market Comment - Week of September 20th, 2010

(Save Reading Time - Read The Bold Highlights)

Mortgage bond prices rose last week pushing interest rates slightly lower. Tame inflation readings helped to counter the better than expected weekly jobless figures. Core producer and consumer price data was generally bond friendly. The Philadelphia Fed report showed tremendous weakness in that region. Industrial product and capacity use data also came in below estimates, which helped rates improve.

Rates fell by about 3/8 of a discount point for the week.

The Fed meeting Tuesday will be the most important even this week. The housing data the beginning and end of the week can result in mortgage interest rate movements. Expect more volatility, as stocks and bonds are likely to continue their back and forth trading pattern.

Inflation

Inflation is an increase in the level of prices of goods and services over a period of time. Signs of inflation do not generally bode well for mortgage bonds. Inflation erodes the value of fixed income securities generally causing bond prices to fall and interest rates to rise. Tame inflation readings are usually well received.

The mortgage bond market received mixed inflation data last week. The producer price index, a major gauge of inflation at the producer level, rose 0.4%, higher than the expected 0.3% increase. However, the core rate, which excludes volatile food and energy, rose 0.1% as expected.

The relatively flat core producer price figure helps reinforce the belief that inflation remains in check. However, the higher than expected producer price figure supports the opposite conclusion. The consumer price release followed the same pattern. Consumer prices rose 0.3%, higher than the expected 0.2% increase. However, the core, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, was unchanged and lower than the expected 0.1% increase. Tame core inflation readings are generally good for fixed income securities such as mortgage bonds. We saw an example of this Friday morning as bond prices rose and interest rates fell.

If future data echoes that of the core consumer price data, then it is a real possibility that mortgage interest rates can remain low. However, if future data shows inflation spikes be ready for a jump in rates. Floating in this environment is risky. The good news is that mortgage interest rates currently are historically favorable.

This article is compliments of Shannon Collier of WR Starkey Mortgage, LLP - A different kind of company...where people come first!
12500 San Pedro Ave., Suite 100

San Antonio, TX 78216
Shannon Collier

Senior Loan Officer
Office: 210-545-9300
e-Fax: 866-703-8734
Cell: 210-725-8470
scollier@wrstarkey.com
www.ShannonCollier.com
NMLS# 232124

Forbes Ranks San Antonio As A Top Real Estate Market

2010-09-17T10:48:00.000-05:00

BREAKING NEWS!

Forbes magazine - one of the Nation's leading money and investing publications - has engaged real estate research firm Local Market Monitor to find the best cities with the jobs and growth industries needed to support a real estate market that's likely to show price appreciation in today's down market.

The research concludes the following are the most likely top 10 home price appreciation markets :

1. Raleigh-Cary, N.C.

2. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas

3. Austin-Round Rock, Texas

4. Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, Tenn.

5. San Antonio, Texas

6. Colorado Springs, Colo.

7. Albuquerque, N.M.

8. Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, Colo.

9. Springfield, Mo.

10. Indianapolis-Carmel, Ind.

Positive press for San Antonio is usually a reliable predictor for more active real estate market conditions down the road.

If you looking for expert advice on how to best buy or sell a San Antonio home, or just want to chat about the wonderful Alamo City, contact us.

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® of Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs

Seven Easy Tips For San Antonio Home Buyers

2010-09-09T12:43:00.002-05:00

So you want to buy a San Antonio home, but aren’t sure how to go about it? Here are seven easy tips to keep you focused on the basics and on track toward meeting your home ownership goal.

■ The absolute first step is to determine your ability to buy a home in the first place. That means looking carefully at your debts and income to see if you’ll have the cash flow to manage a monthly mortgage payment. Ask a lender to qualify you for a loan. It’s as simple as a phone call to your bank, credit union, or a mortgage broker. After answering a few questions, you’ll be told if you'll qualify for a loan and where you should set your home purchase price limit.

■ Find a real estate agent, preferably one that’s credentialed as a Realtor®. The best way is to ask co-workers, friends and relatives for the name of a Realtor® who has given reliable personal service. For an excellent article on the basics for selecting a Realtor® , click here.

■ Ask your selected Realtor® to set up an ongoing automated San Antonio Multiple Listing Service (MLS) listings search for you. Your MLS search will be better than anything you can do on your own and will promptly send you information about the newest listings meeting your requirements.

■ When you find promising listings, ask your Realtor® to conduct showings for you. Act quickly - the best listings go under contract fast.

■ Trust your Realtor® to lead you through the property analysis, pricing, and offer submission processes. That’s what a Realtor® is trained to do.

■Work with your Realtor® to negotiate for the best price and for any incentives the seller might be willing to offer. Certainly a sales price reduction comes first, but incentives like a home protection plan, contributions to your closing costs, home repairs, and seller paid mortgage points add value to your purchase.

■ Make sure you carefully read and comprehend your purchase contract and stay fully in touch with the purchase process from beginning to closing. Although it’s your Realtor’s® job to keep you, and the process, on track, it’s your job to stay focused and concentrate persistently on the home buying tasks at hand. If you feel uncomfortable about anything, tell your Realtor® immediately.

Buying a home is always a challenging process, but, if you follow the preceding tips and trust the leadership of a reliable real estate professional, it will be as close to hassle free as possible.

For unexcelled home buyer representation, you need look no further than our San Antonio Home Quest Realty Solutions Team.

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® of Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.

San Antonio Home Buying - Improve Your Credit Score

2010-09-08T10:42:00.000-05:00

If you’re looking to buy a San Antonio area home and you’ll need a mortgage loan to do it, it’s advisable to check your credit scores just to make sure you can qualify for a home loan. If the news is bad, click here for an excellent article on how to improve your credit rankings.

If you looking to buy or sell a San Antonio home or just want to chat about the wonderful Alamo City, contact us.

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® of Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.

San Antonio Living - The Botanical Garden

2010-08-18T11:01:00.000-05:00

San Antonio is a great place to work and live. A favorite recreation spot is the wonderful San Antonio Botanical Garden. It's very conveniently located close to center city, sponsors a farmer's market, and has activities that appeal to adults and children.

Here are the remaining special events for 2010:

Playhouses and Forts Exhibit. June 26 through October 24 This activity is a kiddie must.

Gardens by Moonlight. September 25

Art in the Garden. October 14 - George Schroeder opening

BOOtanica - October 24 Not to be missed by the kids. It's a Halloween happening.

For classes, tours, and more information click here.

If you looking to buy or sell a San Antonio home or just want to chat about the wonderful Alamo City, contact us.

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® of Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.

First Rule For San Antonio Home Buying

2010-08-13T12:22:00.000-05:00

At SanAntonioHomeQuest.com, we believe an informed home buyer is a wise buyer. That’s why our Realty Solutions Team has compiled a series of easy to remember hints and rules for our home buyer guests.

First and foremost, here's the “Cardinal Rule” that home buyers should always keep in mind.

DON’T START YOUR SEARCH WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD.

Sounds logical, doesn’t it, but a surprising number of buyers waste time and effort looking at houses they can’t afford. Now, if you’re wealthy enough to make a cash purchase, just make sure your money is liquid enough to bring to the closing table. But, if you’ll need a mortgage loan to seal the deal, don’t hesitate to consult with one or more lenders before starting your home quest. Mortgage loan officers want your business and, usually without charge, will happily help you determine your purchasing power based on your available assets, income to debt ratio, and credit history. So, don’t be afraid to talk with at least one lender before seriously shopping for a home.

There are lenders with more reliable experience than others. If you want names and contact information for those lenders, please contact us.

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® of Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.

Buying A New Construction San Antonio Home

2010-08-12T08:34:00.000-05:00

It’s always worthwhile to look at the new home builders’ products. A newly built home’s appeal is great. It’s easy to see why. Each year, the builders seem to have more and more enticing features built into their products. The homes are new and unspoiled. They don’t have the expected wear and tear found in every resale home, no matter its age. The builders’ lending programs are very competitive and the builders offer additional incentives to encourage the buyer to use their affiliate lenders.

That said, be cautious if you decide to buy a new construction product . It’s not in your best interest to rely on the sales representative and construction staff to adequately represent your interests. Take along someone who knows the hooks and pitfalls of every new home buyer incentive and mortgage loan program. Use someone who knows how to monitor the process from contract writing to closing and who’s ready to step in on your behalf is something goes awry.

If you decide to buy a new construction home - or a resale - we'll be happy to help.

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® of Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.

San Antonio Area Taxes, Auto Registration, Insurance Information

2010-08-10T10:49:00.000-05:00

If you're moving to the San Antonio area, you’ll want to know about local taxes and the cost of registering your automobile and insuring your home. Here are the facts.

The area’s sales tax rate averages 8.125% but may vary a little between the various incorporated jurisdictions in and around San Antonio and Bexar County.

The real estate property tax varies between jurisdictions and is influenced mostly by the school tax component. Count on paying approximately 3% of your home's tax appraised value for the more costly school districts to as low as 2% or less for rural areas.

What about homeowner’s insurance? The cost will vary between insurers. As a rule of thumb, count on paying approximately .005 times your home’s value.

And now, what about the cost of bringing a non-Texas registered auto into the area? You’ll pay a registration fee of $60 to $90, a title application fee of $28 to $33 - depending on the county - and a new resident auto tax of $90. You’ll required to have the auto inspected. That will cost approximately $18.00.

That's the facts.

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® of Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.