Potranco & 1604 Part II (Cool: gated, affordable housing, communities)

[wcresident]

Rental homes are spiking everywhere; it's a shift that we will have to get used to. But I wish HOAs would get to work on the issue of how more renters/fewer owners living in properties affects the neighborhoods/subdivisions as a whole.

Yes, there are plenty of trashy renters who have no vested interest in the property. I've seen the changes over the 12 years I've lived in my subdivision. But there are plenty of owners who got themselves into houses where they could barely cover the mortgage and were completely unprepared for improvements and landscaping, routine maintenance and repair expenses, so their houses look just as crappy as the rental properties.

I just returned from a trip to Southern California, where I spent time in neighborhoods with a fair amount of ethnic diversity, education and income levels not too different from what I see around me in SA, and more rental homes than they were used to seeing a few years ago. Everywhere I went, the homes were immaculate from the curb, no dumped furniture on the side of the road, no tagging, no stray animals, no cat furniture, rug sales or puppy giveaways at the intersection...it was depressing to come back to SA.

[GlorifiedMalcontent]

Originally Posted by wcresident

Rental homes are spiking everywhere; it's a shift that we will have to get used to. But I wish HOAs would get to work on the issue of how more renters/fewer owners living in properties affects the neighborhoods/subdivisions as a whole.

Yes, there are plenty of trashy renters who have no vested interest in the property. I've seen the changes over the 12 years I've lived in my subdivision. But there are plenty of owners who got themselves into houses where they could barely cover the mortgage and were completely unprepared for improvements and landscaping, routine maintenance and repair expenses, so their houses look just as crappy as the rental properties.

I just returned from a trip to Southern California, where I spent time in neighborhoods with a fair amount of ethnic diversity, education and income levels not too different from what I see around me in SA, and more rental homes than they were used to seeing a few years ago. Everywhere I went, the homes were immaculate from the curb, no dumped furniture on the side of the road, no tagging, no stray animals, no cat furniture, rug sales or puppy giveaways at the intersection...it was depressing to come back to SA.

i think what i noticed the most, personally, was that in sa it practically takes an aggressive hoa to keep a neighborhood looking nice. at least, that seems to be the complaint. back in my hometown, there were very few hoa's (gated communities were the ones that mostly had them, that might have changed by now though) and the worst neighborhood there tended to look a lot better than the best mid-range neighborhood here, as far as general maintenance of the property and neighborhood upkeep is concerned. not to belabor the point, sa isn't the only city i've been to with this phenomenon. but just to say i've felt the same way, wcresident. it's almost surreal sometimes.

[24annie]

I have owned land out here for 24 years, lived in the house we built on the land for 14 years and in all fairness, the bar and trailer parks were here way before the houses. You all knew they were here when you bought. It's not fair to condemn them now because someone built a houseing development next to them.
I do agree the weekend flee market must go. There are no parking signs there and if everyone would call 311 and complain when you see them, they could be stopped.

[rd2007]

I liked the Potranco of 2001 (when I moved here) much more than I like the modern one. It was SO nice to be able to drive for miles without even passing a car (yes, you could actually do that during the day even). I also liked what I called the "secret Potranco" outside 1604. It was like you were out in the sticks instantly and now it's just a non-stop line of idiots in cars..

[svg210]

Originally Posted by rd2007

I liked the Potranco of 2001 (when I moved here) much more than I like the modern one. It was SO nice to be able to drive for miles without even passing a car (yes, you could actually do that during the day even). I also liked what I called the "secret Potranco" outside 1604. It was like you were out in the sticks instantly and now it's just a non-stop line of idiots in cars..

Werd! Potranco/1604 is the new modern Nacagdoches/1604 except you got the list of idiots who U Turn into walmart from the double yellow solid line.

[rd2007]

nice.. I haven't seen that one yet, but I can totally believe it happens often. I've noticed most of the worst (slow) drivers always turn into wally world. Coincidence? creo que no..

[gia78245]

gas station going up on marbach and 1604 corner. the property owner nooner has different stores around town.

[rd2007]

could've been worse I guess..

[940]

Originally Posted by rd2007

I liked the Potranco of 2001 (when I moved here) much more than I like the modern one. It was SO nice to be able to drive for miles without even passing a car (yes, you could actually do that during the day even). I also liked what I called the "secret Potranco" outside 1604. It was like you were out in the sticks instantly and now it's just a non-stop line of idiots in cars..

I agree, rd2007....heck, I'd take the Potranco of '91, '81 or even '71, when I was a kid. I remember them all and it was a much different place then. As kids, we used to walk down Potranco to the country store at Talley Rd and hardly ever saw a car pass. Anything past 1604 was considered "the boonies" or "the sticks". That bar, which was mentioned earlier, started out as another little store but over time it grew into what it is today. The trailers and few homes in Cool Crest were there too, though folks then had pride of ownership.

Oh well...I'm not down there as often as I'd like for visits, but I'm glad to have my memories of what used to be since it will never be that way again.

[rd2007]

yeah, all the "progress" we've been making lately is pretty recessive..