San Antonio schedule of events December 2013

Don't forget all the great events coming up in San Antonio this month:

Ford Holiday Boat Caroling

December 4th– 22nd

6:30pm-9:30pm on the River Walk

Click HERE for the full schedule

This charming home is located within walking distance from Downtown. A tasteful blend of historic details and modern amenities await you. Beautiful wood floors, large backyard, garage apartment in the back could be reconverted to a garage or would make the ideal space for an art studio, hobby room, storage...so many possibilities.

Sylvie Shurgot Real Estate in today's paper

An article in today's paper about one of our great transactions: http://www.mysanantonio.com/default/article/Just-Closed-Beacon-Hill-property-was-on-display-3535650.php

Charm and History near Fort Sam Houston - $115,000

Built between 1895 and 1903, recently renovated - $89,900

More pictures coming soon!

Large, fully-rehabbed 5/3.5 located five minutes from Fort Sam Houston. Offered at $199,900

Three-bedroom house for sale - $82,900 - short commute to Fort Sam Houston and BAMC

This house is located just outside Dignowity Hill.

Home inspections

You will find a list of home inspectors in the San Antonio area at the bottom of this post. All the inspectors may not be on there, but the list is from our MLS so it should be a good start.

I always recommend that my buyer clients hire the independent inspector of their choice to take a detailed look at the house they've made an offer on. The process works like this: find the house you would like to buy, make an offer, negotiate and enter into a contract (with option period), hire an inspector to inspect the property, negotiate for repairs (or a drop in price) - or back out. Your real estate agent will help you through that process. (Call us if you don't already have an agent; we never charge a buyer for representation.)

Home inspectors in San Antonio

Dignowity Hill house featured in the Express-News

This neighborhood is only minutes from Fort Sam Houston and BAMC. Click HERE for the full article and for some pictures.

Buying a home in Texas: step-by-step

1. Find a REALTOR who will help you through the entire process: call Sylvie Shurgot, military relocation specialist, at (210) 380-8681 or email sshurgot@gmail.com

2. Go to a mortgage company and obtain pre-qualification

This will help you figure out how much house you can afford. It doesn't make much sense to look at $300,000 houses if the lender will only let you borrow $200,000 (unless of course you have cash to make up the difference). Your lender and your real estate agent can help you find the magic number.

3. Make a list of the characteristics you're looking for in your new home (neighborhood or area of town, number of bedrooms, square footage, and so on).

This list will help you and your real estate professional narrow the search and avoid wasting time. A good agent is a good listener who will make small adjustments to your list as you look at houses in person.

4. Give your REALTOR a copy of the pre-qualification letter and of your list of characteristics

Most listing agents require a pre-qualification or even a pre-approval letter with the offer you make on the property. If you're paying cash, the seller and his agent will want to see proof of funds.

5. Your REALTOR will access the Multiple Listings Service and look for properties within your price range that fit your description. She will set up a secure site for you to access all the information and pictures of those properties through the internet. If you don't have internet access, you can meet with your agent in person and look through houses.

This first stage will help you weed out the properties you don't like and decide with ones you want to see in person.

6. Once you have found the house you want to buy, your agent will write up a contract and all the required addenda to present to the seller. The price you offer will depend on the market analysis conducted by your agent. Obviously you don't want to pay more than the market value of the property. There may be some "back and forth" and counter-offers at this point.

7. When your offer is accepted, your agent will deposit your earnest money with the title company. You will use the option period (usually 10 days) to have your inspection done by an independent inspector of your choosing.

The inspection report will list (and provide pictures of) everything that needs attention, perhaps some plumbing issues, a cracked window, a roof in need of repair, etc. You can go back to the seller and ask that some or all the repairs be done, or you can request a price adjustment. You may also decide not to buy the property at all, in which case the seller will keep your option fee and the title company will refund your earnest money.

8. At this point your agent will work closely with the title company to ensure all the proper paperwork is submitted in a timely manner.

There may be HOA documents to be submitted, the lender may require a survey or accept a previous one, the lender will send an appraiser to the property; countless details have to be attended to.

9. As the closing date approaches, your agent will make sure everything is in order and ready for the closing. You will set a closing date and time.

10.On closing day, you will need to bring two forms of ID and a cashier's check in the amount calculated by the escrow officer (the person at the title company who will have you sign all the documents). Before going to close on your new home, you will complete a final walk-through with your agent.

The purpose of the final walk-through is for you to make sure everything on the property is as it should be, based on the contract.

Interesting houses near Fort Sam Houston

Help us welcome Tyler Tully to our real estate family!  Tyler has extensive experience helping military families relocate to and from our wonderful city.  With an office centrally located near downtown, he can easily reach every area of San Antonio.  This is especially convenient if you're being reassigned to Fort Sam Houston or BAMC; our office is 5 short minutes away from Fort Sam Houston and Tyler is very familiar with the neighborhoods in the immediate vicinity.  Keep your commute short, call Tyler at (210) 688-0079.

Neighborhoods surrounding Fort Sam Houston and BAMC

All of these are a short distance from Fort Sam Houston.
 
Posts that are italicized and hyperlinked have a more detailed related article in this blog.  If you have any questions, please email me!

Alamo Heights
- Alta Vista
- Army Terrace
- Beacon Hill
Dignowity Hill and Dedicated blog
East Terrell Heights
East Terrell Hills
Government Hill
King William
Laurel Heights - not enough homes sold to provide reliable data
Lavaca
Mahncke Park
Monte Vista
Northridge Park
Northwood Estates
Oakwell Farms
Terrell Heights
Terrell Hills
Terrell Park
Tobin Hill
Westfort
Wilshire Park
Wilshire Terrace

4/3/2 Home for sale near Fort Sam Houston

Another record-breaking July for selling prices

This year, San Antonio reached another historical high for median selling prices of single residential properties with $154,025.  Most of the country has not recovered from the real estate woes of two years ago, but once again the San Antonio market is better than ever.

Pictures of Homes Near Fort Sam - Dignowity Hill

Here's a link to a companion blog focusing on my neighborhood, Dignowity Hill

I'll be posting pictures of properties in other neighborhoods near Fort Sam Houston, so be sure to come back and take a look!

Texas First Time Homebuyer Program (FTHB)

If you're moving to Texas and are a first-time home-buyer, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) might be a useful resource for obtaining a loan with a lower interest rate - "typically 1% below current market rates" according to the TDHCA website.  Being a "first-time home-buyer" doesn't mean that you've never owned a home but, rather, that you "have not owned a home within the past three years."

You might also be able to qualify for down payment assistance; find out through this other TDHCA LINK.  

Northwood Estates

Northwood Estates is located north of Fort Sam Houston, relatively close to Loop 410.  It provides an ideal situation for family members who need to commute to Fort Sam or get on Loop 410 to reach other areas.

Here are the median selling prices for 2004 to 2009:

Homes in this neighborhood were built mainly in the 50's with a few in each subsequent decade, and the occasional 1930's home.  The more expensive ones on lots just under an acre.  Square footage ranges from about 1,000 to over 8,000 sqft.  Homes have 2 to 5 bedroom and 1 to 5 full bathrooms; some also have half-baths.

The zip code for Northwood Estates is 78209, the same as for the famous city of Alamo Heights. As a matter of fact, some Northwood school children attend Alamo Heights schools.  You can find more info on that zip code here but please understand that the information is for the entire zipcode and not just 78209. 

Zip Code

78234 Fort Sam Houston

King William

This prestigious historical neighborhood was one of the first areas in San Antonio to be developed, during the second half of the 19th century.  It offers a wide range of homes, from less than 500 square feet to over 8,000 sqft, 1 to 10 bedrooms, and 1 to 10 bathrooms.  If you're looking for historical features and proximity to downtown San Antonio, this is the place for you.  Prices can range from less than $100,000 for a modest home in need of repairs to over $2,500,000 for a mansion.

There are two zip codes for King William: 78210 and 78204 (both hyperlinked).  Be careful if you research this neighborhood for crime statistics by zip code because some areas with higher crime rates also fall into the 78210 zip code.