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Precisely one of the reasons we didn't buy in SO or the Dominion areas. We aren't "elite" kind of folks nor do we pretend to be such. We are hard working, community involved, family oriented, fun loving kind of people who want to live around like minded folks. "Elite" to me equals snobs and from much of what I've read on this site, there are quite a few of those living in SO and I just don't care to be a party to that culture. I'm sure there are some great down to Earth folks in SO but I've not seen much evidence of that on this site so I'll just keep my money and my family over here in the "ghetto" thank you very much
I'm pretty down to earth and I think if you checked you could only find one post where I said anything bad about another neighborhood. When we moved back here I was shocked to read the massive hate for SO. Sure there are snobs--although the worst aren't from our country--but there are also a lot of nice, hardworking, helpful people out here not living in $300k + houses. I just hang around here to help people with the info I know from having lived in different parts of SA for 30 years. Mostly NC so despite whatever opinion I have on other areas I don't say much. I've seen some snobby SO people here but a lot are perfectly nice and helpful.
I'm pretty down to earth and I think if you checked you could only find one post where I said anything bad about another neighborhood. When we moved back here I was shocked to read the massive hate for SO. Sure there are snobs--although the worst aren't from our country--but there are also a lot of nice, hardworking, helpful people out here not living in $300k + houses. I just hang around here to help people with the info I know from having lived in different parts of SA for 30 years. Mostly NC so despite whatever opinion I have on other areas I don't say much. I've seen some snobby SO people here but a lot are perfectly nice and helpful.
I wasn't referring to any post you made and did give some SO'rs the benefit of the doubt on my snobbery comment if you'll notice. I truly believe we should all share our opinions here about the different areas of town but we need to be honest. Calling AR a ghetto is far from the truth Moderator cut: orphaned like some have posted on this board, that's all I'm saying.
Last edited by BstYet2Be; 06-22-2012 at 05:57 AM..
Agree about the ghetto part. There are areas of town I don't go in Moderator cut: orphaned I do love SO but considering some posts I read I must live in the SO ghetto because my house was well below $300k! It's awful pretty though and huge plus it's smack dab on top of my favorite school anywhere.
Last edited by BstYet2Be; 06-22-2012 at 05:58 AM..
I am always amused at how many labels get placed on people and areas of town and how much judgement is passed...
And it goes both ways, it really does...
People on the North side think the Far West side is ghetto... People on the Far West side think the North side is full of snobs...
I grew up off Culebra Rd, right by the Culebra/Benrus intersection... For those that are locals or have lived here a long time, you know the area, that would be in the heart of what many would consider ghetto... My parents still live there, always have, always will... And honestly, when I drive there now I often wish mom and dad would move... But it's not like I don't feel safe going over there... Yes, I have to answer the questions from my kids about why there is grafitti, why that yard has a dog chained up in the front yard, etc... But it is what it is and it's where my childhood home is and I am in no means embarrased or ashamed of where I grew up...
When I got married and hubs and I moved to the Bandera/Eckhert area nobody said anything... It was a step up from where I grew up, but I guess it was still "close to home" so to say...
But when we moved to our home now, off the I-10 access road, just past Ralph Fair Rd, and our address is now Boerne, instead of SA, OMG! my friends, my husbands friends, everyone judged us for some reason... Do my kids go to school with kids who live in Anaqua Springs and The Dominion, yes, but do we live in a neighborhood that can compare to those places? Absolutely not... Our neighborhood ranges from the $170's - $250's... We are FAR from rich, but just because of the area people were judging us...
Dh's friends wondered how he could afford to move us out here on 1 income, my friends all of sudden labeled me as not being "hispanic" enough... All of a sudden, according to them, I forgot where I came from... And heaven forbid they hear one of my "new" friends call me Anna, instead of the mexican form, Ana... I never hear the end of it...
I guess my whole point in this long ramble is that the judgement and the labels will never end...
To the OP, move where your heart tells you to move... If you love AR, and you have done your homework about the area and you truly feel you can and will be happy there, then move there... It is a beautiful area... One of my best friends lives there and her house is gorgeous... Would we live there, as I said before, no, but only because of DH's job as a police officer and the calls he has handled from that side of town... Note that I said that side of town, not AR exclusively, west patrol encompasses a very large area... Just remember that crime happens everywhere, no one will ever escape it...
Maybe you should rent a short term apt for 6 months, before buying, just so you can get a better feel for San Antonio as a whole... Maybe then you would feel better about where you end up buying a home...
I'm not doing your research for you. Prove what you're saying or stop claiming it.
You make a lot of negative comments about this area of town but have little real proof to back it up.
We get it, you don't like this area but many people think it's a nice area.
Prove that real estate agents on here own properties in areas that they pump up? You want me to write their name along with a list of addresses they own? I've done the research myself but I will not be posting personal information.
As for 1604/Culebra and Alamo Ranch in particular, Alamo Ranch is a cookie cutter development. Small lots, clearcut trees, boring houses, horrible commute. Explain how any of this sounds like a $400K neighborhood.
Let's get into even more detail:
Moderator cut: real estate listings of any kind from any source are not permitted in these forums
This is a random $400K new house for sale in Alamo Ranch.Yes, it's a large house, but it sits on a quarter of an acre. The average house in that zip code is $113K. Do you really want to be the expensive house in the neighborhood? Personally, I'd rather be the cheapest house in a nice area.
Moderator cut: real estate listings of any kind from any source are not permitted in these forums
In Shavano Park, you can buy an old house for $75K less (and it's overpriced!), get an extra thousand square feet and three times the land, plus the area is well known to be extremely safe. Put that $75K towards renovations since the house is older and will need it, and you still come out ahead.
Last edited by BstYet2Be; 06-21-2012 at 11:57 AM..
Yes, I have to answer the questions from my kids about why there is grafitti, why that yard has a dog chained up in the front yard, etc... But it is what it is and it's where my childhood home is and I am in no means embarrased or ashamed of where I grew up...
I grew up poor as well, in a rough neighborhood in another city. There is nothing wrong with it but not at the OP's price point. I'm sure you will agree that that neighborhood (or driving through that neighborhood to get to another) is not what one would expect when buying a $400K house.
Prove that real estate agents on here own properties in areas that they pump up? You want me to write their name along with a list of addresses they own? I've done the research myself but I will not be posting personal information.
As for 1604/Culebra and Alamo Ranch in particular, Alamo Ranch is a cookie cutter development. Small lots, clearcut trees, boring houses, horrible commute. Explain how any of this sounds like a $400K neighborhood.
Let's get into even more detail:
Moderator cut: real estate listings of any kind from any source are not permitted in these forums
This is a random $400K new house for sale in Alamo Ranch.Yes, it's a large house, but it sits on a quarter of an acre. The average house in that zip code is $113K. Do you really want to be the expensive house in the neighborhood? Personally, I'd rather be the cheapest house in a nice area.
Moderator cut: real estate listings of any kind from any source are not permitted in these forums
In Shavano Park, you can buy an old house for $75K less (and it's overpriced!), get an extra thousand square feet and three times the land, plus the area is well known to be extremely safe. Put that $75K towards renovations since the house is older and will need it, and you still come out ahead.
I've spent a whole lot of time this past week combing over the entire AR area, and I can tell you that there's a plethora of subdivisions containing 200K to 450K homes. Maybe that wasn't the case before, I don't know, but they're building like crazy there. I'm looking only at homes in the 300K to 400K price range. I understand your point about Shavano, and it's a lovely wooded area, but I prefer new homes.
I completely understand that some people prefer old homes with character, some people prefer downtown, etc, and that's great. I'm tired of the constant repairs on my 10 year old home, and my husband doesn't like dealing with renovations, so this time I'm looking for something new.
I'm pretty down to earth and I think if you checked you could only find one post where I said anything bad about another neighborhood. When we moved back here I was shocked to read the massive hate for SO. Sure there are snobs--although the worst aren't from our country--but there are also a lot of nice, hardworking, helpful people out here not living in $300k + houses. I just hang around here to help people with the info I know from having lived in different parts of SA for 30 years. Mostly NC so despite whatever opinion I have on other areas I don't say much. I've seen some snobby SO people here but a lot are perfectly nice and helpful.
I completely understand that some people prefer old homes with character, some people prefer downtown, etc, and that's great. I'm tired of the constant repairs on my 10 year old home, and my husband doesn't like dealing with renovations, so this time I'm looking for something new.
Ah, I see the issue. A 10 year old home is built nothing like a 30, 40, or 50 year old home. Your 10 year old home is exactly what your new home will be in 5 to 10 years, based on the construction I've seen at friend's houses (or even at the parade of homes). These houses get thrown up at record pace (just as you say you've noticed with the plethora of houses for sale), by unskilled labor, by companies with a history of poor build quality and lawsuits (who change their name every decade and scam yet another generation of home buyers).
At any rate, it's your money and your decision. Best of luck.
I've spent a whole lot of time this past week combing over the entire AR area, and I can tell you that there's a plethora of subdivisions containing 200K to 450K homes. Maybe that wasn't the case before, I don't know, but they're building like crazy there. I'm looking only at homes in the 300K to 400K price range. I understand your point about Shavano, and it's a lovely wooded area, but I prefer new homes.
I completely understand that some people prefer old homes with character, some people prefer downtown, etc, and that's great. I'm tired of the constant repairs on my 10 year old home, and my husband doesn't like dealing with renovations, so this time I'm looking for something new.
This is exactly why we bought new as well, tired of fixing things. We also WANTED a small yard to reduce the time needed to take care of it. Sure, ya gotta research the builders to make sure they build quality and that's what we did and we love our new home. Don't listen to the haters on here AR is a very nice area with lots of options. Good luck with your search
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