Relocating to San Antonio from DC, where to live? (Austin: condos, townhouses)

[sshurgot]

There are many gorgeous homes in fantastic locations in and outside San Antonio, but it may not be so easy to find something that's not "new or a few years old, [doesn't] look extremely manufactured" for under $250K outside 1604.

Even if San Antonio's commutes dwarf DC's, who wants to be stuck on the highway in 100 degree heat after a long day at work? And who knows what the price of gas will be by summer? As far as property taxes are concerned, an advantage to staying outside 1604 might be that there are no city taxes, but the biggest portion of our property taxes goes to the school systems - not the city. So not having to pay city taxes really doesn't make THAT much difference and besides, there's always a possibility that the city will annex those areas in the future.

I'm one of those agents with a near-downtown office (I can walk to the Riverwalk) and I do sell real estate in surrounding counties, since our central location allows us to do that quite efficiently, but most of my business is focused near downtown. For someone who's going to work at Fort Sam, the areas Chaka mentioned are certainly worth considering. And although Kev is absolutely right in saying that any agent can sell any house regardless of where her office is located, for folks who don't want a house that's new or only a few years old, here's a word of advice: make sure that your agent has a strong knowledge of old houses because they're a very different "animal" and it's important to have an agent who has that specialized knowledge. It's not so much about the location of the agent's office, it's about the agent's professional experience with old/historic homes.

Regardless of what type of home/location interests you, make sure your agent listens to you. There are many excellent agents in San Antonio, but the simple truth is that some agents aren't good listeners and some don't want to get out of their geographical comfort zones.

[DCNative24]

We moved here from DC a little more than a year ago. I also recommend that your mother rent for at least a few months to get a feel for which areas she likes. I was born, raised, and lived in DC and the area until we moved here last year - it's really, really different here but I like it.

If it's important for her to live within walking distance to shops and restaurants I would think she'd want to look in some of the older, more established neighborhoods that others have recommended. We found a neighborhood where we can walk to some shops, restaurants, HEB (that's the grocery store here), and coffee shops and really like it. I don't know that there are many (any?) neighborhoods like that outside of 1604 or even outside 410 (but clearly I'm a newcomer so can't be sure).

One thing to note is that "walkable" here is different from "walkable" in DC. Some of the older neighborhoods don't have sidewalks on the side streets (e.g., Alamo Heights - the no sidewalk thing is really annoying) and the development isn't as dense as you see in DC, Arlington, Silver Spring, or any of the other close in DC suburbs. There isn't a ton of mixed-use development here, though it seems there's a move to get more of that. One new-ish example is the Pearl close to downtown, where they have residences, retail shops, restaurants, farmers market, and now entertainment (it's very cool - highly recommend). I'm sure there are other examples that other people on this forum could cite.

Finally, property taxes here are *way* higher than in any of the jurisdictions in and around DC, which will obviously impact what your mother can afford. Our prop taxes are probably about 3 times what they were in DC, which is quite a chunk of change.

Best of luck to her!

[ShaneSA]

As others have said, rent for 6 months and decide for yourself(herself) on what area is the best fit.
SA is so different that your mother will need some time to acclamate to a new culture and new definition of a neighborhood. That's not a bad thing, it's just different. i moved here from the northeast and it was a new world. I love it here and will not leave. I bet she finds it that way too.

[L210]

I would recommend the 78209 area east of Alamo Heights and north of Austin Hwy. The area around Northwoods Elementary and Oakwell Farms is nice and quiet.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by L210

I would recommend the 78209 area east of Alamo Heights and north of Austin Hwy. The area around Northwoods Elementary and Oakwell Farms is nice and quiet.

But didn't the OP say she wanted city life? The mom is quite young - 40s.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by kevcrawford

While this can be true, it's also funny how there are folks that think living ANYWHERE outside the little downtown bubble is blasphemy. They may want nothing to do with an older home. We don't really know. Their Realtor may have been showing them exactly what they thought they wanted, and now after seeing some of the homes, they may be changing their mind.

I think it's perfectly fine to live in the suburbs if that's what you want. But I know far too many people who came to San Antonio and felt pushed to live ONLY in the suburbs, never being shown the downtown areas or told by their realtors "no one lives downtown/no one raises kids downtown/it's only for tourists." In the end it's up to the buyer to know where they're looking and be educated about the are a(which it sounds this OP is trying to do).

Originally Posted by kevcrawford

Downtown living can be nice, but it's also not for everyone. Their Realtor may be doing exactly what was asked of them, so don't just jump on assuming things and suggesting they switch to another Realtor, because you have no idea of their working relationship. Those companies are just like all the rest and I've seen them sell houses all over south Texas. Not just in the bubble. They just have a downtown location. Not good, not bad, but they're not the only ones in town that know that area. Heck, I've got the two nicest homes in KW for sale (one under contract) and I office in the Dominion.

They know the downtown market better than any others, IME. They're located there because that's where most of their business is, and yes they do business all over, but when I was looking (and many friends had a similar experience) and contacted other realtors first, I found most had no clue about downtown living. At the time, realtors were still saying to stay away from Lavaca. Now they've finally caught on, but I can't tell you how many recent arrivals I know who've had to insist and almost argue with their realtors to show them downtown/near downtown options. Plenty of people - even on this board - say "downtown is only for tourists."

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by sshurgot

And although Kev is absolutely right in saying that any agent can sell any house regardless of where her office is located, for folks who don't want a house that's new or only a few years old, here's a word of advice: make sure that your agent has a strong knowledge of old houses because they're a very different "animal" and it's important to have an agent who has that specialized knowledge. It's not so much about the location of the agent's office, it's about the agent's professional experience with old/historic homes.

Regardless of what type of home/location interests you, make sure your agent listens to you. There are many excellent agents in San Antonio, but the simple truth is that some agents aren't good listeners and some don't want to get out of their geographical comfort zones.

Exactly!

One note, though, not all homes in the downtown area are old. There are some new buildings, so if new is your thing, it's worth asking about. Most of the new single family homes, however, are custom designed individual houses. Other new places are townhouses/condos.

[Penquin927]

Ok I am a Maryland girl myself here and have lived in San Antonio for seven years. Husband was military which brought us here. I am also in my 40s and have no children so of course living close to restaurants and shopping was very important to me. I am definitely a happy girl with my friends for Girl Night Outs. So with that said I will tell you my opinion on where I chose to live. (FYI .. We did rent first because we didn't think we were going to stay once my husband retired.)

Stone Oak/Canyon Springs: 78258/78260
Location: Outside 1604 on the north side

Pros: Lots of shopping/restaurants/fitness centers/bars ..... they continue to build more
Cons: Traffic can be bad at times but has improved with the expansion of Blanco and 281 Superstreet.

Home Prices: Definitely all price ranges and styles. Also some of the areas (78260) is outside the city limits which savees on taxes. Also, some homes are in the Comal ISD which is also a bit cheaper.

Apartments: Plenty available in the area and they have a lot that are brand new.

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Downtown Living: I have never lived downtown here but I don't think I would want to. To many tourists for me and the restaurants and bars downtown cater to tourists/convention folks. I am the person to get away from the tourist area in places.

Hill Country: Beiing in the far north I can head further north and be in the hill country where we have lots of winerys and small towns to explore when you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Fort Sam: Mileage to get to Ft. Sam I am really not sure. I don't drive there too often but I don't think it would be more then 45 minutes if you had traffic.

[sshurgot]

Downtown Living: I have never lived downtown here but I don't think I would want to. To many tourists for me and the restaurants and bars downtown cater to tourists/convention folks. I am the person to get away from the tourist area in places.

There are many really neat restaurants where I never see tourists; they don't even seem to know those places exist. Of course those restaurants aren't on the Riverwalk, which is where visitors tend to be. I made all sorts of discoveries when I moved down here!

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by Penquin927

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Downtown Living: I have never lived downtown here but I don't think I would want to. To many tourists for me and the restaurants and bars downtown cater to tourists/convention folks. I am the person to get away from the tourist area in places.

Apparently all of us locals who live and play downtown don't really exist. We must be figments of our imaginations. And all those independent restaurants and bars and galleries and music venues we walk to from our imaginary downtown homes also must be figments of our imagination.

Of the many reasons I live downtown is because it is what makes SA unique.