Real estate, Texas gardening, wildlife, and other stuff

This is a charming home for sale in one of my favorite neighborhoods, Northwood, in north-central San Antonio. The previous owner is an accomplished remodeling contractor, and he did a fantastic job updating the home. Then my seller took it a step further with some beautiful landscaping and decorating. It is move-in ready.

Northwood is an established neighborhood in north-central San Antonio close to major employers, such as Fort Sam Houston, several universities, and downtown. Check out the mini Real Estate Show below for a glimpse of the home, and for more information just click the Details tab.

Homes near the Medical Center are always in high demand as the summer approaches. This 4-bedroom home has a great floor plan for a single, a couple, roommates, or folks with kids. The master bedroom is huge, and one of the guest bedrooms has a sitting area with shelving that would be perfect for a computer desk.  It's in the gated Summerwind subdivision right off Babcock Road, a bike ride from the Medical Center or USAA, and a short drive to UTSA.

You can view the Real Estate Show below or click here if it doesn't show up in your browser. Click on the Details tab for more information.

San Antonio has a robust economy, with the unemployment rate recently dropping to just over 7%. The three main industries traditionally represented are the military, healthcare and biotechnology, and financial services.

In addition, energy and manufacturing are key industries. Valero Energy, NuStar Energy, and Tesoro Petroleum are headquartered in San Antonio, and  Boeing and Toyota have major facilities here.

Lots of jobs means more demand for housing, both new and resale homes, and rental homes. And accordingly, the local real estate market is approaching a 6-month inventory again, indicating a balance between buyers and sellers.

According to the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation, the largest employers in the metro area include the following (see table below):

Spring has sprung in San Antonio, and right before Fiesta kicks off we get some news worth celebrating. The average and median home prices in the San Antonio metro went up. And so did market activity.

By March end, the average price for a home increased to $185,561. That’s up 2% from a year ago, according to the San Antonio Board of Realtors.

The median price was $155,600. Half of single-family homes sold for more than that, and half sold for less. It increased by 4% from March 2011. Also recording a 4% increase was the total number of residential home sales. It was 1,637 in March. Year-to-date residential sales totaled 3,355.

In 2011, San Antonio was named the best-performing city out of 200 metros by the Milken Institute. According to their December 2011 press release, area housing prices, which dropped less than 5% overall from their highest level, are rising again because of demand from home buyers attracted by San Antonio’s vibrant job market.

Speaking of demand, some of these folks in Market Square, tourists and locals alike, will be demanding some great Tex-Mex food and margaritas from Mi Tierra and La Margarita.

I lost a listing in Rogers Ranch (not named after me, at least as far as I know) because I didn't succeed in making the owner see that his house would not sell for what he wanted. At least, that was my understanding. I was referred to him by a friend, so I thought he would be open to my advice. However, the seller told me he chose another agent because he had a better "rapport" with her.

That listing agent put it on the market for about $70,000 more than what the sales comparables I showed him indicated would be realistic. Six months and three price drops later, the listing was canceled, and he still owns the house.

It was a nice home, but I'm not sorry I didn't get the listing. A listing that doesn't sell because it's priced too high wastes everyone's time, patience, and money.

Check out Jared's post:

Now is your chance to buy a home in the quiet neighborhood of Royal Oaks Acres in Cibolo.

Never heard of it? It is tucked away on the border with the city of Schertz and bounded by the neighborhoods of Greenshire, Braewood, and Deer Creek.  Royal Oaks is almost one street long, with four cul-de-sac streets coming off either side of it. The custom-built homes are situated on large lots filled with stately oaks, redbuds, cedar elms, and mountain laurels. 

Watch the Real Estate Show below or click here if it doesn't show up in your browser. Click on the Details tab if you'd like more information.

This article is just as inaccurate, misleading, and offensive as a similar one published on Yahoo.com a few years ago. Strangely enough, only one word in the title of this piece is different from the previous article.

So very many things are wrong with this article. Read the comments in Leslie's post and on the Womans Day site to find out more.

The real estate market in San Antonio got off to a mixed start in January.

The good news is that existing home sales went up by 4.5% compared to this time last year. The bad news (for sellers, anyway) is that the median price for a home went down to $141,200 from $147,300.

This isn’t terribly surprising to me, though. Many sales close in January for tax reasons, or because after having properties on the market during the slowest months of the year, the sellers finally agreed to a lower price just to get the deal done.

I’ve been busier than I’ve ever been in previous years at this same time. According to James Gaines, research economist for Texas A&M’s Real Estate Center, the market is transitioning from strictly a buyer’s market to a balanced one, with six months of inventory. That’s more good news! For the first time since January of 2007, the number of homes on the market for sale in the San Antonio area is less than 10,000.

And I will be happy to help sell, oh, I guess, 500 of them.

I have been very busy in San Antonio real estate sales so far this year. As I've conducted searches for my home buying clients, I have run across more delightful remarks from listing agents describing the features of the homes and neighborhoods they are marketing.

Here we go:

-  Peer into your neighborhood from your porch area

-  LIVE ON THIS HOME AND SEE THE MOON ON DARK NIGTHS...

-  This home has a state of the ark swimming pool.

-  Located in a knuckle sac with an extra-long driveway that can fit SIX cars.

-  The original owners have kept this home without children.

-  Directions: … R into subdivision by pawnshop building.

-  … in walking distance to hospitals

What do you think? Which one is your favorite?

Mid-century modern is all the rage in San Antonio, and this custom rancher is a perfect example of the genre. The tile in the kitchen and bathrooms is in pristine condition. Other parts of the home have been lovingly updated, while still preserving its style.

It's located in the friendly and charming city of Castle Hills in north-central San Antonio. Castle Hills is close to shopping at North Star Mall and several retail centers along Loop 410; it offers dining options running the gamut from popular Lucky Burger to the romantic Lodge restaurant; and it's an easy commute to the Medical Center, USAA, Fort Sam, and downtown.

Play the Real Estate Show below, and if you want more information, click the Details tab. If the show doesn't open in your browser, just click here.