Possible Move to SA, What area to Live?? (San Antonio, Converse: for rent, low crime)

[shereeloves2travel]

Hey SA Locals,

Husband and I will be visiting SA in about 2 weeks, we are planning to move to TX sometime in 2017. But we need some suggestions on great neighborhoods in SA. We need to rent the first year, so we are looking for a low crime area, our budget for renting is $1100. We also plan to purchase a home within a year, what neighborhoods should we look at for buying? Our purchasing budget is $150-190K. The school system would not be much of an factor because we have no little ones. We would like to be no more than 30 mins from the city, but close to shopping, grocery, movies, and etc. Any help is greatly appreciated

[sapphire]

2017, really? What's good today may not be good by then. Your perfect home may not even be built yet. If you're coming in 2 weeks, just enjoy the visit.

[shereeloves2travel]

Sapphire,

That is true, it is a little prematurely. Although I will be visiting family, I still want to have some sort of idea of where I want to be.

[rynetwo]

Cibolo, Converse, or Live Oak would have plenty of options in your price range today. Home prices are here are rising at steady clip so in tow years you might be pushed a little farther out.

[smuboy86]

I depends if you definition of city I think. You can find smaller homes for that price in the city of San Antonio, they will be very suburban and possible a bit older. For that price though for a new home you are just asking for future trouble.

[huckster]

Northeast S.A. has a soils composition problem in some areas. Beware of this, ask a realtor. This has been discussed here time and again about the northeast area of the City. I have experience in this. Residential Foundations will shift and crack and is , far more likely to happen on the northeast side. The soil of that area is not of a homogenous composition. IT can run the gamut of variations there. Differing rates of Soil expansion and contractions is a problem and will cause foundation failure due to different stresses on the concrete foundation. One side may rise inches higher than the other side of the house, CRACK!!!! Sometimes the entire house may heave!
A soils engineering survey of the site will fix this. Probably. IF you've the money.
Look Outside of loop 1604.
Heavy rush hour traffic is to be considered on N.W. side however, outside of the outer Loop. Inside Loop is Loop 410.
You'll experience it, if you rent. There are other considerations of course but firstly to be considered is the housing structure itself, many a tale of woe can be told about home foundation failures here due to the differing clay composition of the soils of N.E. San Antonio. These will cause cracking and sometimes bringing very expensive repairs to correct the problem. Even the residential streets- will develop large cracks
in them shortly after construction.
Poster Trapper , a member here, can inform you.

Welcome, Bienvenidos, a San Antonio. Have fun, there are many diversions here to occupy your time
with.

[RadiantBaby]

Government Hill. Buy soon and you'll be sitting on a goldmine in the next 10 years.

[MrC55]

RadiantBaby & huckster:

Thank you so much for the tips! Will definitely try to visit those areas while visiting.

[CyVaquero]

30 minutes from the city gives you a lot of room to work. Pretty much anything up to a few miles outside of 1604 will get you to downtown in that amount of time in normal traffic. If you are talking to areas on the periphery you can get pretty far into the country with that drive.

It should be noted that you may want to consider where you all plan on working as Far West Side to Converse can be a 40 minute drive with no real traffic. North to South is probably a few minutes less since the south of town isn't as developed.

[shereeloves2travel]

Originally Posted by CyVaquero

30 minutes from the city gives you a lot of room to work. Pretty much anything up to a few miles outside of 1604 will get you to downtown in that amount of time in normal traffic. If you are talking to areas on the periphery you can get pretty far into the country with that drive.

It should be noted that you may want to consider where you all plan on working as Far West Side to Converse can be a 40 minute drive with no real traffic. North to South is probably a few minutes less since the south of town isn't as developed.

Thanks for the tip. I plan on working in the Human Services Field/Behavioral Health, so maybe being next to a Hospital /Health Services area and my husband is still deciding on occupations, as he is a young retiree.