relocating to San Antonio-best areas to live in with easy commute to USAA?

[hoddys2]

There are great communities in Helotes with 1 acre+ lots with homes up to 800k:
Sonoma Ranch is the most conveniently located for you, your commute would be about 15 to 20 minutes with traffic. Sonoma Ranch has a more city suburban feel and has 1+ acre lots with city views.

Iron Horse Canyon also has a suburban city feel I prefer Sonoma Ranch but Iron Horse is still very much worth checking out.

Shadow Canyon & los Reyes are gorgeous communities that feel more country, lots of trees, large lots and beautiful homes. Another benefit to these communities is that they are within the Helotes city limit and so do not have to pay city property taxes. Iron horse and Sonoma ranch both are in Helotes but are annexed by SA.
Los Reyes Canyon: Moderator cut: url removed
Shadow Canyon: Moderator cut: url removed
I would honestly steer away from Stone Oak, the traffic is horrible and really not worth the trouble. I actually don't know what the hype about this area is.

Here are some searching tips:
for homes in Helotes:
Moderator cut: url removed

To search for homes in Helotes/San Antonio by subdivision go to:
Moderator cut: url removed click on Real Estate and use the search tool to select a subdivision to view. I moved here from a state where Subdivisions aren't as prevalent and so when someone advised me to look in a certain subdivision I had no idea how to find the homes.

Good luck and welcome to SA!

[hoddys2]

one more thing... you may want to check out an area within SA called Castle Hills. I'm not that familiar with this part of town but have heard that it has older upscale well established neighborhoods and is close to USAA.

[TXRose]

Castle Hills is a very nice neighborhood with older homes. It has sections inside loop 410 and outside loop 410. Personally, i prefer the areas outside loop 410, but both areas are very nice. However, if I was going to live in Castle Hills I would put my kids in private school once they got to middle school. Castle Hills elem is a great school, but I'm not crazy about Jackson MS or Lee HS.

Go to realtor.com and search 78213. For Shavano Park search 78231.

Also - there is a new neighborhood going in at NW Military and 1604, which is Shavano Park. It's called Willow Wood (I think) and the builder is Woodside Homes. They have "estate sized" lots. The homes are gorgeous, IMO. It might be a good option for you if you want a new build on a big lot. Your drive to USAA from that area would be 15-20 minutes...mostly b/c of stop lights. You wouldn't even need to get on a highway. It would be a 5-6 mile drive.

Willow Wood

[yatmel]

You best bet is to contact a Real Estate agent and let him/her know what you are look for.

I would love the opportunity to assist you in your home buying needs even if you decided that San Antonio is not the place for you. Feel free to search for homes in & around San Antonio at Moderator cut: url removed

Off 1604 and IH-10 would be a great area for you but remember most housing inside 1604 will not have the acreage you are looking for. Especially if you like the acreage for privacy. Stone Oak is a very nice community to live in but the homes are very close and most do still consider that to be track housing. There are alot of Ranch type communities going up. Moderator cut: removed



Remember that you the buyer don't pay the commission of the Realtor that is the responsibility of the seller. Also remember that the sign in the yard is the Seller's agent and their agent will have their best interest. Moderator cut: removed

[annemorehead]

Hi! We moved here from Seattle and we really like the area of North Central San Antonio. We love the area close to "LA CANTERA" Mall. You can find houses that's on your price range. Roger's Ranch, Dominion and Alamo Ranch are my favorites. Good Luck! If you want more infos: you can just e-mail or check my website.

[5535]

Thank you for all of the suggestions so far - they have been very helpful! I am now trying to get a feel for the cost of living in the northwest area. I understand that Texas does not have an individual income tax (does San Antonio have a local one?), so I am guessing property taxes may be high depending on where you live (within or outside of city limits?) I have a 4000+ sq ft house in the $700K range where I live now (the property tax apprasier has it listed for closer to $600K in assessed value) and my tax bill is approx. $8500 a year (which may go up another $1000 soon if scheduled school bond vote passes). In addition, utilities can be pricey as well ($200 a month for water if I use sprinklers for lawn three days a week, $400+ a month for natural gas in the cold winter months - similar monthly cost for electricity in the summer months, etc).- are utilities expensive in the Northwest area of SA as well? If I purchased a $700K new/newer house (with a lot size between 1/2 and 1 acre) in the NW SA area - what would be the approx. property tax bill each year (quotes for both inside and outside - Helotes area? - the city limits)? Are there any other costs/taxes that I am not aware of (property taxes on vehicles, etc)?

Thank you again for your continued help!

[5535]

Some more questions - how are parks & rec amenities in the Sonoma Ranch and Shavano Park areas? We like to bike (both road & mountain bike), hike, and play tennis and the kids are into soccer, competitive swimming (summer & winter? are there indoor pools in SA?), baseball, tennis, etc. Do the neighborhood community pools/tennis courts do any summer swim & tennis programs (or are they small & overcrowded in the summer?) or do you have to go to a larger community rec center or YMCA program to get those (and are they close-by)?

What are the top-rated public school districts in the area? Is Northside it or there more?

Thanks again!

[Joli]

Areas close to Sonoma Ranch and Helotes have lots of biking opportunities. Many road bikers ride the Scenic Loop that starts at Hwy 16 in Helotes and goes north towards Boerne Stage Road. Many bikers also start at the HEB on I-10 and Boerne Stage Road and ride out Boerne Stage Road. The Scenic Loop can easily be reached from Sonoma Ranch by taking Kyle Seale Parkway
north to Babcock Road. Turn left on Babcock and it will eventually T into the Scenic Loop. Lots of hills in this area. One road biking group in San Antonio is the San Antonio Wheelman.

There are several close mountain bike venues to Sonoma Ranch. First, there is OP Schnable Park on Bandera Road (Hwy 16), about 3-4 miles inside Loop 1604. There are paved and dirt trails in this park. The dirt trails can be challenging. The park was very busy in Sunday with bikes when it was 78 degrees. There is also a YMCA and a little league fields in this park. There is also a state park close by called Government Canyon which has good trails. The front country was initially developed as horse trails, so these trails are relatively easy. However, the backcountry is MUCH more challenging. Plus there are lots of other local parks and state parks in the area for hiking and biking. One is the Hill Country State Natural Area.

Mountain bike racing is big in Texas. Look up TMBRA.ORG and you can find lots of other mountain biking venues in Texas.

I think Sonoma Ranch has a swim team. Northside is a very large school district and the only one in Helotes and Sonoma Ranch area. There is a large aquatic center in NISD next door to their stadium along Loop 1604 between Bandera Road and Hausman, not far from Helotes or Sonoma Ranch. Search on Northside ISD Aqautics.

[Coloratura]

I would check the Northside school website when house shopping as some the neighborhood schools are capped until 2009 and 2010. The children not grandfathered in are bused to other nearby schools.

As to parks, there are lots of parks around here. However, they are different than what you are probably used too up North. I know they were a change for my family from what we are used to in Virginia. They are still very nice, just different. City taxes aren't too bad down here. The school tax can be high. Depending on where you live your tax bill will probably be about the same as you are paying now or alittle higher. Depending on where you buy since you are looking in the NW area of San Antonio you may not be subject to city tax. You can also homestead in TX after living down here for awhile to get a break on property taxes. There is not a city income tax in San Antonio.

We really like the area and I don't think you will be disappointed if you chose to move down here. Everyone is very friendly and the city has a unique sense of community in my opinion. It is a large city with a small town feel.