San Antonio VA Home Loans

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

or

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

or

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

or

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

October 2011 San Antonio Real Estate Market Report

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

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

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

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 Homes For Sale Today

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

$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.

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 Jobs For Veterans

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.