Buying a Home in SA for first time (Trinity, Olmos Park: construction, price)

[martinez4]

I do know Highland Park.....but a house does not determine ones taste. I guess I am more tolerate and forgiving of peoples individual tastes and opinions. Isn't any tuscan a fake if it is not located in Europe??? Any chateau "fake" if it is not also in Europe??

I don't think it is necessary to make a judgement call on something so personal as a home choice, especially when it is a home that they most likely, lovingly, built or bought.

Architecture is utilitarian, but it is also an artform, and is therefore something that can be judged both objectively and subjectively. Objectively, I can look at an ersatz Tuscan in the Dominion and say that it makes the owner happy, it is full of modern amenities some people look for, and the neighborhood is safe. From the subjective opinion of someone who loves architecture and has studied it intensively as an aesthetic form, I can also look at that house and say that, due to the fact it was built with modern materials by a builder who merely appropriates those aspects of the Tuscan (or Provençal, or Tudor, or Colonial) style that can be cheaply and quickly mass-produced to appeal to a trend-conscious market, it's a quick knockoff of an established style that lacks the gravitas and significance of a house built in the true Tuscan/Tudor/Colonial style by people who understand the form and style of what they are trying to replicate.

An example - a Meditteranean-style house built in Monte Vista in 1921 was built from real plaster, applied by artisans, with a roof of real tiles, just like it would be in Capri. A Meditteranean-style house built in New Fancy Subdivision X in 2007 is just a regular house with a layer of stucco applied by average construction workers in a hurry to get done so they can do the next five houses on the block and not hold up the roofing crew 's need to install the concrete roofing material that's been factory-aged to look old by Tuesday.

When you critique art, it's because you're judging the intrinsic value of the artistic expression. I can judge these newer homes from an artistic, aesthetic point of view, and it has nothing to do with judging the people who live inside of them. To say that one can never judge anything, because it might hurt someone's feelings is ludicrous.

I have researched the Alamo Heights area and do believe it or Monta Vista will be where I purchase a home. Any more opinions are welcome and greatly appreciated!

Hi,

I also wanted to throw the idea of King William out there, as well. It might be a bit more of a project than you are looking for, but it is such a lovely area. King William was one of San Antonio's original suburbs, and was settled by Germans in the 1880s and 1890s. The homes are Victorian and Edwardian, as opposed to the Colonial/Craftsman/Med. style of Monte Vista. The area went into decline for many years, but starting in the 80s a brave group of people moved back in and have renovated many of the old homes to their original splendor. It is a very urban neighborhood, right next to downtown, and the areas around it verge from gentrifying to "don't go out at night" but it is very special, and very historic. Even if you decide it's not for you, it's totally worth a trip down to walk around the area and sight-see.

[infinity & beyond]

Originally Posted by MWF3

Thank you for the responses. I am originally from Massachusetts and do not have many connections in Texas outside my current home in Dallas and ranch in extreme south Texas. I want to be close to downtown San Antonio, and I am really turned off by areas such as the Dominion. Dallas has countless communities such as Dominion for "new money" but I prefer an older, charming area of town with people of similar interests. I have researched the Alamo Heights area and do believe it or Monta Vista will be where I purchase a home. Any more opinions are welcome and greatly appreciated!

I'm actually surprised you'd consider Alamo Heights coming from Highland Park. It has more of a country ranch feel, with a greater mix of architectural styles, while Terrell Hills and Olmos Park both are going to feel more like wealthy New England towns - such as Greenwich - with large estates.

That said, I've always wondered, what exactly is it about "new money" - people that have increased their socioeconomic status through hard work and education - that turns you off? Furthermore, why would you assume that people in "new money" areas would not have similar interests?

Just to let you know, a number of people living within the Tri-Cities are by no means, "old money" - the area is often sought after by investors, AT&T executives, and other professionals - who may or may not have inherited their wealth. I'd venture to say the same thing about The Park Cities as well.

As far as I'm concerned, money is money and it's quite off putting to read comments like yours. As I stated, The Dominion, Shavano Park, and Stone Oak all boast median incomes in excess of $100,000, which is considerably higher than each of the Tri-Cities.

[infinity & beyond]

Originally Posted by Rockin' The TriCities

To say that one can never judge anything, because it might hurt someone's feelings is ludicrous.

Which I suppose explains why you became obviously irritated when I shared my opinion that The Tri-Cities could benefit from some serious aesthetic gentrification.

[JTL IV]

As a resident of Olmos Park and native of Pittsburgh, I would have to say that this area seems apt for you as it has been for me. The people and the homes are wonderful and elegant. Suburbia, that seems to captivate others in this town, cannot be seen in Olmos Park.

[MWF3]

Originally Posted by infinity & beyond

I'm actually surprised you'd consider Alamo Heights coming from Highland Park. It has more of a country ranch feel, with a greater mix of architectural styles, while Terrell Hills and Olmos Park both are going to feel more like wealthy New England towns - such as Greenwich - with large estates.

That said, I've always wondered, what exactly is it about "new money" - people that have increased their socioeconomic status through hard work and education - that turns you off? Furthermore, why would you assume that people in "new money" areas would not have similar interests?

Just to let you know, a number of people living within the Tri-Cities are by no means, "old money" - the area is often sought after by investors, AT&T executives, and other professionals - who may or may not have inherited their wealth. I'd venture to say the same thing about The Park Cities as well.

As far as I'm concerned, money is money and it's quite off putting to read comments like yours. As I stated, The Dominion, Shavano Park, and Stone Oak all boast median incomes in excess of $100,000, which is considerably higher than each of the Tri-Cities.

Yes, I am very aware of Greenwich as a New England native and graduate of the university up the road in New Haven. By Alamo Heights area, I meant Olmos Park, Terrell Hills and Alamo Heights. Also, the homes in Olmos Park can by no means be compared to the "estates" of Greenwich. Some homes I have viewed online do indeed remind me of Highland Park, however. Median income is nowhere near important as character. I believe older, more established neighborhoods have a certain class that the sprawl cannot provide.

[kevcrawford]

A lot of the homes in these areas seem to be better built too. There are quite a few homes in the Dominion that I wouldn't wish upon anyone, as they're falling apart. Older homes were built to last. I'm not saying that all new homes are poorly built, but many are. You really have to inspect a lot of them closely.

King William, Olmos Park, Terrell Hills, AH, etc all sound like they'd fit your needs. It all depends on what you're looking for in a house. There are also places in Hill Country Village, Shavano, etc that would work for you as well.

My team (I'm a Realtor) is getting ready to list a really great, 100 year old home in King William for just over a million. We've got a lot of listings that cost more, but this one's got character and there's nothing like it, which appeals to a lot of people.

Sent you a PM.

[infinity & beyond]

I certainly agree. Out of the "new money, six-figure" four - Shavano Park, Hill Country Village, The Dominion, and Stone Oak - Shavano Park has the highest quality, most put together homes with the most character. Unfortunately, it does lack the established feel of the Tri-Cities because it doesn't have as many trees and isn't as green. However, the benefits outweighed the negatives, and that's why I selected it over the aforementioned cities.

Plus, the friendliness, active community spirit, and unpretentious nature of many residents is another reason why I chose to live here. Things I'm sure you can find in Tri-Cities as well. But a definite and observable arrogance among residents there seems tarnish that entire areas' reputation, not just for me (this coming from someone who lived in Brentwood, CA), but also others as well.

But from what you've described, I'd steer you either in the direction of Terrell Hills or Olmos Park.

Which I suppose explains why you became obviously irritated when I shared my opinion that The Tri-Cities could benefit from some serious aesthetic gentrification.

I love a good ad hominem attack.

[hello13685]

I would buy a large, older home in Monte Vista to get away from that "new money" nonsense that turns you off. I've played voyeuse at some open houses in the Monte Vista area, and I swear that 50% of the places I've seen have a room as a devoted "art studio," which I think is super cool. In the Dominion, on the other hand, the designated rooms are probably home theaters with wet bars and fridges for packs of beer, you know what I mean? (YAWN!!)

Tangentially, and maybe someone could direct message me about this, but someone above mentioned plaster as a building material in past decades. I'm really curious about architectural history, and something has caught my attention... I have a couple of friends who live in two-story 1930s stone duplexes in Monte Vista. These homes have slightly ornate fireplaces and the mantels seem to be made out of plaster--or maybe it's concrete? I've never seen this in other parts of the country, and wondered about this. In other cities, I've only seen wood mantels. But here, the whole fireplace, including the mantel, is made of plaster, or whatever--even one built in the early 40s. This is such a weird point to notice, but it made me curious. Does anyone know about this? Was plaster a cheaper way to go at one point in history, just after the depression? (But then the floors were all wood, so one wouldn't think so).