Moving to San Antonio (Alamo, Terrell: sale, apartment, HOA)
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Totally agree with poster above. I used to live in the 78251 Westover Hills area 8 years ago and have seen that whole area slowly decline. I have friends that live in Alamo Ranch that are trying to sell their home to get out of that area. I wouldn't personally recommend 78250 or any area on the West Side for that matter. The areas the poster above recommended are better areas IMO. Helotes 78023 is also a decent area.
I also agree. Avoid the area around Lackland. Westover Hills, and the rest of the far west side has some very small nice gated sommunities, but the area as a while has gone downhill. Try looking into Helotes or even Boerne (could be a tough commute down I10, though, but great town with great schools). Within the city, the best areas would be on the far north side centered around the 281/1604 corridor within NEISD. Those areas will lead to a 30 plus minute commute, but NEISD schools feeding into Reagan, Johnson and Churchill are the best schools in the city. The largest school district, Northside, has schools predominantly centered around the far west side (except O'Connor in Helotes). Those schools are decent but are not the best. They would be much closer to the Lackland area, though.
I would second looking NW. Outside 1604 is preferable. Depending on where you are willing to live, there are great schools, good shopping and entertainment, and hill country views in a less congested, non_cookie cutter neighborhoods. It is well worth the commute. Schools were the major factor in our final decision of where to buy.
I also agree. Avoid the area around Lackland. Westover Hills, and the rest of the far west side has some very small nice gated sommunities, but the area as a while has gone downhill. Try looking into Helotes or even Boerne (could be a tough commute down I10, though, but great town with great schools). Within the city, the best areas would be on the far north side centered around the 281/1604 corridor within NEISD. Those areas will lead to a 30 plus minute commute, but NEISD schools feeding into Reagan, Johnson and Churchill are the best schools in the city. The largest school district, Northside, has schools predominantly centered around the far west side (except O'Connor in Helotes). Those schools are decent but are not the best. They would be much closer to the Lackland area, though.
I second the recommendation on 1604 around I10 and 281. By the way, the NISD schools around la Cantera (Blattman, Leon Springs, Aue) are consistently ranked among the best in the city and they feed into excellent middle and high schools.
I would second looking NW. Outside 1604 is preferable. Depending on where you are willing to live, there are great schools, good shopping and entertainment, and hill country views in a less congested, non_cookie cutter neighborhoods. It is well worth the commute. Schools were the major factor in our final decision of where to buy.
I disagree if you're talking about the developments outside of 1604 west of Bandera and all along the west side. Those are all cookie cutters. They're the definition of cookie cutters. Most of the people I know have regretted moving there, especially since the area is so congested that it is actually a longer commute (time wise) than driving from 281.
I disagree if you're talking about the developments outside of 1604 west of Bandera and all along the west side. Those are all cookie cutters. They're the definition of cookie cutters. Most of the people I know have regretted moving there, especially since the area is so congested that it is actually a longer commute (time wise) than driving from 281.
Northwest, towards Boerne and Fair Oaks Ranch. Not cookie cutter all, but larger lots, custom homes are available, great schools.
I would second looking NW. Outside 1604 is preferable. Depending on where you are willing to live, there are great schools, good shopping and entertainment, and hill country views in a less congested, non_cookie cutter neighborhoods. It is well worth the commute. Schools were the major factor in our final decision of where to buy.
Where are these non-cookie cutter neighborhoods you speak of? Cookie cutter is all I can think whenever I drive out to the far NW area, esp outside 1604 in that area.
(Not saying cookie cutter is bad, just not my preference)
Pretty much any planned community has some varying degree of "cookie cutter". Even Fair Oaks Ranch is cookie cutter. Anytime you are selecting an already designed floor plan from the builder catalog, you have gone the "cookie cutter" route.
Northwest, towards Boerne and Fair Oaks Ranch. Not cookie cutter all, but larger lots, custom homes are available, great schools.
Fair Oaks Ranch is completely cookie cutter. If choosing the color of brick is "custom", then I guess everyone lives in a custom home. Drive around your entire development. If there is another house that is exactly the same design and floor plan as yours, yup, you have a cookie cutter home. As for Fair Oaks Ranch, why would I want to drive all the way out there to live on a quarter of an acre for $350,000?
Fair Oaks Ranch is completely cookie cutter. If choosing the color of brick is "custom", then I guess everyone lives in a custom home. Drive around your entire development. If there is another house that is exactly the same design and floor plan as yours, yup, you have a cookie cutter home. As for Fair Oaks Ranch, why would I want to drive all the way out there to live on a quarter of an acre for $350,000?
At least builders now are doing every 3rd home identical, so there's some variety. Unlike when track housing started and some neighborhoods were the ONLY difference is paint color and you can mix up houses.
And, FWIW, as a diehard fan of historic neighborhoods, even I'll admit that in many, we have a similar phenomenon. Not quite so extreme, but definitely houses built in a similar time period follow a similar style.
Fair Oaks Ranch is completely cookie cutter. If choosing the color of brick is "custom", then I guess everyone lives in a custom home. Drive around your entire development. If there is another house that is exactly the same design and floor plan as yours, yup, you have a cookie cutter home. As for Fair Oaks Ranch, why would I want to drive all the way out there to live on a quarter of an acre for $350,000?
You apparently have not been through Fair Oaks Ranch or any of the newer developments towards Boerne like Menger Springs, Codillera Ranch, Tapatio Springs. There are several small subdivisions in the Fair Oaks Ranch area that have similar houses on smaller lots, but the vast majority are homes on an acre plus with custom built homes.
My idea of cookie cutter are the KB/DR Horton/Centex/Perry/Gehan etc. neighborhoods with about 5 total floorplans, with about three elevations each on lots just large enough for the house to go all the way to the build line.
I wouldn't call a neighborhood with custom homes on acreage lots cookie cutter by any stretch.
You apparently have not been through Fair Oaks Ranch or any of the newer developments towards Boerne like Menger Springs, Codillera Ranch, Tapatio Springs. There are several small subdivisions in the Fair Oaks Ranch area that have similar houses on smaller lots, but the vast majority are homes on an acre plus with custom built homes.
My idea of cookie cutter are the KB/DR Horton/Centex/Perry/Gehan etc. neighborhoods with about 5 total floorplans, with about three elevations each on lots just large enough for the house to go all the way to the build line.
I wouldn't call a neighborhood with custom homes on acreage lots cookie cutter by any stretch.
Are you kidding me? Menger Springs currently has 5 houses for sale. The cheapest one is $750,000. I should think that for almost a million bucks I could buy a custom home on an acre. I won't even bother looking into the other ones you mentioned.
I hope you have enough in your brain to assume that unless somebody is asking for million dollar homes on acreage, that they are looking for something more modest. I wouldn't even suggest a $350,000 house to anyone unless they ask.
And don't even get me started on the stupidity of buying expensive real estate or retiring in a state with high property taxes.
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