San Antonio Area Property Tax Rates

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

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

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

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)

Contact us if you have questions about applying for a mortgage loan or to get our recommended lender list.

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

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

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

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'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

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

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

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

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

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.

June 2011 San Antonio Homes For Sale Market Report





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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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 .