What kind of house would you NEVER buy in San Antonio? (Balcones Heights: hardwood floors, salons)

[LindaGrace]

I'm taking a chance with this thread. PLEASE don't let it become a shootin' match.

But I am curious as to how many of you prefer:

- A brand new house
- A newish house (15 to 40 years old)
- An old house (40 years old or older) that's been remodeled/refreshed
- An old house that's a fixer-upper
- None of the above/something completely different

ETA: Assume all these houses are in San Antonio, with our 'hoods the way they are now!

[sinsativ]

a lot depends on the builder

[texasgirl1]

I would never buy a house built in the late 70's/early 80's with the contemporary look....high pitched roof....angular windows...kinda of like the homes in Hunters Creek.....great area but the homes are not my style

[jules07]

Of your choices, the one closest to what I'd answer is "an older house that's been remodeled/refreshed" ~ UNLESS it's very obvious that it wasn't "flipped"! That's what we ended up doing because it was a very rushed decision. Had we taken more time AND had a good Realtor (it was just before I went to RE school and got my license and learned WHY you should always have a Buyer's Agent! LOL!), we probably wouldn't have bought this house. AMAZING what pops up after that "fresh coat of paint" starts peeling away!

[ashbeeigh]

I wouldn't want to live in a house in an "up and coming" neighborhood that used to be out in the middle of nowhere. One that the developers are flocking to..putting nail salons and Jack in the Boxes and Starbucks one on top of each other. One where cookie cutter neighborhoods are placed one after another and you can breathe on top of your neighbor who has exactly the same house as you do...down the the same paint color and patio set.

Whatever neighborhood that is. It could be a number of areas...from the far east side to the far southside. It's just not my cup of tea. I'd rather live in a nice little house where the dogs can go out and bark and not get yelled at fix my house up how I wanted to. My honest to goodness dream house is a little one on the near westside, maybe woodlawn?

[LindaGrace]

Originally Posted by ashbeeigh

I wouldn't want to live in a house in an "up and coming" neighborhood that used to be out in the middle of nowhere. One that the developers are flocking to..putting nail salons and Jack in the Boxes and Starbucks one on top of each other. One where cookie cutter neighborhoods are placed one after another and you can breathe on top of your neighbor who has exactly the same house as you do...down the the same paint color and patio set.

Whatever neighborhood that is. It could be a number of areas...from the far east side to the far southside. It's just not my cup of tea. I'd rather live in a nice little house where the dogs can go out and bark and not get yelled at fix my house up how I wanted to. My honest to goodness dream house is a little one on the near westside, maybe woodlawn?

Ashbeeigh, this is my preference as well, right down to the Woodlawn area. We're looking in that neighborhood, as well as in Hillcrest and Balcones Heights.

I'd prefer NOT to have a fixer-upper, though. My dream house would be an old home, built in the early 1900s, that has been recently updated throughout...but retaining its original hardwood floors.

[dvlpr]

Originally Posted by LindaGrace

Me neither. All kinds of "cost cutting" shortcuts.

Just so you know, almost every production homebuilder in SA uses precisely the same type of building technology (built by the same shoddy subcontractors). The whole debate about which mega-builder is best or worst is really funny, because from a structural stanpoint, they're virtually all the same.

[heimerswt]

Originally Posted by texasgirl1

I would never buy a house built in the late 70's/early 80's with the contemporary look....high pitched roof....angular windows...kinda of like the homes in Hunters Creek.....great area but the homes are not my style

Heh...I actually like this style quite a bit. The natural light from the angles and windows does well on the interiors too.

Moderator cut: off-topic

[mrstxcop]

i guess i am the minority here --- but dh and i prefer new construction --- both the homes we have purchased we contracted to be built --- i guess we just prefer knowing that everything is new and we have warranties on everything...our current builder offers a 2yr home warranty and it's comforting to know that we can put in a work order and things will be done...

with that being said...in looking at real estate websites i do find myself really be drawn to homes in the Monte Vista area or similar that have been redone on the inside but still have that old charm...

[LindaGrace]

To be honest, I wouldn't mind a brand new house IF it were in an older neighborhood and it looked like an old house. I'd also have to hire a builder who wasn't one of the corporate builders. I don't know how I would go about that, but that's ok because it's never going to happen.

Thanks for your posts, guys!