Moving to San Antonio (Alamo, Mercedes: sales, crime, how much)

[hotpizza]

Hello,

My husband and I are considering a move to San Antonio. Could anyone tell me how property taxes are figured? We are trying to figure out how much house we can afford, but I have had a hard time finding info on property taxes. I would also appreciate any suggestions as to a safe family friendly neighborhood, good schools, 20-30 min commute max to downtown. Castle Hills seemed nice, but again I dont know if it is a good neighborhood. Thanks!

[210]

Hope this helps with the tax question:

http://www.sanantonio.gov/finance/ta...=1024&ver=true

Castle Hills is a nice area.

So is Shavano Park, Stone Oak, Westplex, Sonterra, Hollywood Park, Westover Hills, Alamo Heights, Windcrest, etc.

[Dr. Internet]

Hotpizza,

We have lived in Castle Hills for about 15 years and really like it. CH is not a neighborhood, per se, but an incorporated city completed surrounded by San Antonio. We have our own city government, police, fire, and publics works departments. A couple of the things we like are the large yards, friendly people, and 15 minutes to everywhere location.
The property taxes are administered by the county (Bexar). The only hit from CH is a .5% additional sales tax.
My understanding is that the valuation of the property is based on the area of the footprint of improved property, which includes the house, garage, and driveway. A pool would also count if you have one.
We have about a 2500 sq ft house and paid a total of $4,000 in property taxes last year.
CH is bisected by Loop 410. There is a fairly wide range of housing sizes, ages, and types, although most of the homes date from the 1950's and early 1960's. Some people have started tearing down and rebuilding, but it hasn't really become a trend yet, as many of the homes are still occupied by their original owners.

[CherylLee]

Hello
I read your reply to HotPizza regarding the nice areas of San Antonio. We will also be movng to San Antonio but were thinking about b uying a new home. Could you tell me of any good builders and the ones to stay away from?
Many thanks
Cheryl Lee

[firstclassflyer]

210 is not a member any longer....and the last poster hasn't posted in almost 3 years. Good luck. This will answer most of your questions.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/san-a...index-san.html

[rerockstar]

hotpizza,

Like Dr. Internet mentioned, Castle Hills is comprised of many neighborhoods and each has its own uniqueness to it.

For school information I would suggest:
San Antonio Schools - San Antonio Texas School Ratings - Public and Private
(Look at the "Accountability Rating" which is Texas' ranking system)

For crime and safety issues:
San Antonio Crime Data Directory
(San Antonio Police Department Crime Data)

Property taxes here in San Antonio/Bexar County can range widely amongst similar houses on the same street. We are constantly trying to educate buyers on protesting their property taxes as the appraisers come up with some widely varying figures at times (Texas is a non-disclosure state which means the county doesn't have access to sales price data to base taxes off of). Also, when looking at homes, be aware of any exemptions the seller might be claiming (Disabled vet, senior citizen, homestead are all very common here and can make a big difference in what they paid and what you will pay when you buy the home).

Based on your commute criteria I would definitely suggest you look into Castle Hills, Alamo Heights, and the north central area.

CherylLee,

It depends on where you are looking to live in the city, what you're looking to spend and what you want in a house. Opinions vary greatly on the builders here in San Antonio. Imagine Homes builds great "green" homes. Centex and Fieldstone build very simple, lower priced homes. KB Home builds some nice homes, but people have very strong opinions on them (search the forums here for some of the back and forth on that issue). In the higher end homes, Mike Holloway and David Weekly build some beautiful stuff (I'm partial to Holloway's designs). And this is only the tip of the iceberg really. Gehan, Lennar, Armadillo, Mercedes, McMillian, Legacy/Meritage, Pulte, DR Horton, Sitterle and a host of smaller builders build in the area.

I'd say your best bet is to start with what you want to acheive in buying a home here (commute, schools, closeness to attractions, military bases, etc.) and then as you begin to get an idea of which area you want to live in, then you and your agent can get into what builders are in the area and what the pros/cons are to each.

Hope that helps. Feel free to ask any follow up questions and I'll do my best to get you the answers.

**Although I realize hotpizza has come and gone with buying a house, I kept the answers in there anyway (after I realized the dates) in case they might help someone in the future.**

[djw]

Don't forget Medallion Homes. They are a unique builder around here. You'll find great variety of floor plans, beautiful neighborhoods with mature trees, and they place heavy emphasis on conservation and efficiency throughout the home and the neighborhoods. Trophy Ridge is on the West Side and is easily only 20-25 minutes into downtown.

[rerockstar]

djw, I started to realize how long my list was becoming so I stopping it short there. There are quite a few more (plus the local builders who build just a few homes - Cornerstone Classic is one of my favorite for that).