Another possible relocation (San Antonio, Alamo, Alamo Heights: real estate, house, neighborhoods)

[bigthirsty]

My wife and I might be making a quick move to SA in the next month. We are a young couple with an 8 month old. Been doing some research and everything and I was wondering if you could tell me about the following home areas:

Stone Oak
Shavano Park
Helotes

I tried to map here..

Is it better to live outside the farthest loop?

What about the NE area?

Looking to spend between 175K and 200K on a house.

Everybody's posts have been great to read!

[MichelleSG]

Do yourself a favor and stay away from Stone Oak. Even the real estate agents suggest against it. The traffic there is pure hell. Mornings afternoons, mid-day, weekends, week days, it doesn't matter. NE is a bit flatter, less hill country-esque and most people like the look of hill country with the trees. Outside the 1604 is suburbia, further in is city (obviously) but still has lots of nice places. We live in Helotes (kind of) so I'm biased, we love it. It's getting more expensive by the month though so if you plan on buying keep that in mind. $175-200 will still get you a very nice house in San Antionio. Try to keep it real though and minimize the amount of time you'll spend commuting to your job and chose your home accordingly.

[neddy]

I live right outside of Shavano Park and have plenty of friends in all areas you talked about and I would go with Shavano Park. Seems just a little less on the traffic than Stone Oak and the Helotes areas of town. Still lots of traffic but a more central location. The schools in Shavano (if you think you will be here that long) are great. However they are going to start building on the 3rd mall at the 1604/10 interchange so I am not sure how that will affect traffic in the area. But all of San Antonio seems to be having that problem.

[210]

If your price range is between 175k and 200k then I think your two best choices will be Helotes and Stone Oak.

Traffic is pretty bad in Stone Oak, but not throughout the day just certain times. If you don't mind the traffic then Stone Oak is a great choice.

Helotes is very nice and is its own city.

You can't go wrong with either.

The reason I don't include Shavano Park is because homes there are really expensive. But if you find a home in your price range there, then that's another great choice.

Honestly, you really really can not go wrong with any of the three.

[MichelleSG]

Where exactly is Shavano Park? Is it the area west of the 10 and north of the 1604 off of Babcock or am I completely off?

[neddy]

Shavano Park is a small island of a city surronded by SA. It sits approx off of I10 by about a mile ( Lockhill selma reallyis its western border, if you are looking at a map)from the 1604 /10 area on the north down to about Huebner on the South and just over NW Miltary on the Eastern side of things. We call it the Republic of Shavano over here cause ya really need to go the speed limit or else....babcock is not involved with Shavano Park at all

[MichelleSG]

Ok I usually approach it from De Zavala then, I know where it's at. My husband and I equate neighborhoods here with neighborhoods in San Diego so we can keep them all straight. That area we call Mira Mesa, well established older family neighborhood right?

[neddy]

For this side of town its an older neighborhood.

[LivingLikeAGradStudent]

The 281 up into Stone Oak, especially in the afternoon rush, is tough. I might look west out by UTSA or even the Boerne Stage area, or get a smaller place in Alamo Heights.

[eyeamsochill]

My parents just recently bought a home in Helotes, and they love the city,I have not heard one bad remark about the city. And the fact that they didnt want wal-mart in helotes is even a better reason to love it. Ive been looking for a house in helotes in the 175,000 price range as well,and you can get a great house with that, good luck, and I must admit it is such a cute little city. Stone Oak has some great homes, but traffic is horrible!