Moving to San antonio (for rent, live, areas)

[annadowling]

Thank you for the info, Yes my husband currently works at Rackspace in London.


We would be looking for a 3 bed or possibly a 4 its within our budget but would have to be a house.

[bspray]

If I were in your situation, I would look at Cibolo, just north of San Antonio. Lots of nice, new development out there and great schools.

[Azure110]

Originally Posted by annadowling

Hi, we are currently thinking of relocating to San Antonio from the uk. My husband would be employed by Rackspace, Where would be the best area to live, we would be looking at renting with a budget of $1500 per month and moving with 4 children, ages 14,12,10 and 2. What are schools etc like? Am a little worried about them fitting in! Any help would be appreciated. Thanks..

I am not sure if anyone asked you yet....how long of a commute are you ok with? That can help a lot when answering your questions.

San Antonio is so spread out due to lots of open land to build on. Unlike London, the population density per sq mile is much lower here. Depending on the area you settle in, your husband could find himself spending a lot of time on the road to and from work.

If your husband is used to being 10 mins or less away from work, then he will most likely want to be in the Windcrest area. Windcrest area is not terrible area, but it isn't the best either. There are some sketchy areas around Windcrest area that will make you wonder. That is just my opinion. I know some people are very protective and will defend the area they live in (or have connections to) very aggressively. They will promote the area as being the perfect fit for you but only YOU can decide if you like the area or not.

With four children of those ages, it looks like you are a stay at home mom. I wish you luck in finding your place.

[annadowling]

Hi thanks for the reply,

We would be coming from London, my husband is currently with Rackspace there.

We would be looking for a house with 3 bedrooms or 4 if that was within budget, no 5 bedrooms are rare here in uk!!!!

We are unsure of the areas, but we wouldnt mind a commute if it was easy.

[annadowling]

Thank you Azure 110,

We currently travel 20 minutes to work in the uk , so we dont mind the travel. Thank you for the advice, we appreciate it.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by annadowling

Thank you Azure 110,

We currently travel 20 minutes to work in the uk , so we dont mind the travel. Thank you for the advice, we appreciate it.

Pretty much anywhere will be more than 20 minutes on the road here in SA, much more in rush hour. And it'll be via car, the public transportation leaves a lot to be desired.

Do you want suburban or urban? The latter is possible but will require some sacrifices on space. Suburban opens up many possibilities, but figure 30-40 minutes commute at least, more depending on where you go. And that also means driving for anything, not just work. (Shopping, etc)

[austindoxie1972]

Chaka gave you great advice on several solid areas. I personally think the schools around Rackspace are not that special.

[annadowling]

Brilliant thanks a lot guys, fantastic advice, lots for us to consider.

[DJSATX]

You might consider renting a house initially to allow yourself to become familiar with the area before buying. Different areas of the city vary greatly. Do you want to live in an urban area with great walkability? Do you prefer to have more land so you can have a large garden or horses? An older historic neighborhood or one where most houses and businesses are new or upscale? Large schools or small? How much traffic can you tolerate? My husband and I moved to San Antonio 17 years ago and rented a house in a nice area for a few months. We ended up buying the house we rented, but we rented until we were sure we liked the area and the commute and found a church we liked nearby.

You definitely need a good Realtor. As the owner of a home inspection business, I know literally hundreds (if not thousands) of Realtors in and around San Antonio, both very good ones and not so good ones. The one my husband and I use for our personal real estate needs and highly recommend is very knowledgeable and professional and never pushes you in any direction. He just gives you information and his opinion, if you ask for it, and allows you to make your own informed decision. He won't try to push you into a decision just to close a deal. I'm sure others also have recommendations and don't want to possibly violate City Data's terms of use, so I won't post his name. If you'd like his name and contact information, send me a direct message. Since we've dealt with Realtors on a daily basis for the last 10 years or so, I can give you names of several good ones.

As others have said, pretty much everything here is cheaper than in the UK. One website says overall groceries are 15% less and restaurants 55% less, but I'm not sure that data is current. We don't have a state income tax and no sales tax on most food and drugs. And you'll probably like our mild winters. It's 81 today! It's supposed to be cooler the rest of the week, but overall our winters are nice, never very cold.

Welcome to San Antonio! Hope you love it here. Feel free to DM me if I can help you make the transition.

[annadowling]

Thank you, thats very kind. I will defo be in touch when get our moving date. x