West Side Revitalization (San Antonio, Mesquite, Anton: transplants, rentals, new house)

[Bo]

Originally Posted by raisins99

Somehow it's still billed as this super affordable city but it's beyond that affordable label, except for some small pockets in less desirable areas.

If you want to spend under $100K on a new-construction home, check out the Converse area. There are builders out there with signs touting that their homes start under $100K.

Back in the mid-'00s, there were billboards along 1604 with developers advertising homes priced in the 30s and 40s. That's the real heyday of affordability here. The housing crisis and financial meltdown at the end of the decade marked the end of those developments. It's been years since I've seen a sub-100K development in the city proper.

In the city, you're going to have to settle for older homes in neighborhoods with homes that have bars on the windows to get a home for significantly under $100K.

[huckster]

I looked online at the pictures and the new subdivision streets are already cracked. Beautiful homes.
That is the Heave -Ho of the clay soils underneath buckling the street. Not too badly. I'd be very cautious. Made on the cheap and in a hurry in my opinion. That area just to the east is renowned for the instability of its' soils.

[Hopeful for Life]

Originally Posted by Bo

Why the focus on West side gentrification, OP?

The West side is where you go if you want to get in on the ground floor of gentrification. The East side is much farther along in the process. There are plenty of places in Government Hill, Dignowity Park and Denver Heights you could consider, if you're looking for fixer-uppers and neighborhoods on the rise.

There are very few home structures that would appeal to the hipster’s aesthetics. The only ones that I can think of are the ones in the neighborhood where the Carol Burnett house is. Are there more?

[Hopeful for Life]

Originally Posted by raisins99

It’s shocking to me that people don’t want an improved city.

People don’t want a city that is overrun with people (especially those not from here) who make things very expensive, crowded and diminish Quality of Life. All of the major Texas cities have become unrecognizable from even 10 years ago. Very sad.

I point to where I live in Houston as an example. The Barker and Addicks reservoir water were released on the taxpaying citizens who lived in their path, leaving many devastated and losing property as a result. Greedy cities encourage growth through corporate welfare giveaways, but it was the citizens who paid the price for this unbridled growth to the area.

[raisins99]

Originally Posted by Pancho-Villa

Maybe you should consider another city, since you've seemed to sour on SA. Or come up with a way to increase your income.

Something specific brought me to SA and I'll be here for a couple of years. It was very spur of the moment, as in I received a call on a Friday and was here within a week. It's not that I've soured on the city. It's that I arrived here with only internet research and comments from friends, but what's said and written about SA doesn't match the reality. I still know little about the city other than it's expensive.

I'm a disabled veteran. I can only increase my income as my disability allows. Otherwise I'm reliant on my disability.

Originally Posted by huckster

Housing is not so cheap here, I agree, but overall in comparison to places in the northeastern part of the country or California, it is very cheap.
A meager income will not buy very much house anywhere.
One relocatee coming here from around New Jersey I think it was as best I can recall-,( so many post comments here) expressed astonishment at the reasonableness of housing prices in San Antonio. It depends on perspective I think. Try looking in zip code 78250.
The inner city east side can be bad, yes.

A meager income (mine is equal to a teacher income, about what I made as a teacher, anyway), can buy you a decent house all over the country. Perhaps not in major east or west coast cities, but certainly throughout the northeast, midwest, and southeast.

Originally Posted by Bo

If you want to spend under $100K on a new-construction home, check out the Converse area. There are builders out there with signs touting that their homes start under $100K.

Back in the mid-'00s, there were billboards along 1604 with developers advertising homes priced in the 30s and 40s. That's the real heyday of affordability here. The housing crisis and financial meltdown at the end of the decade marked the end of those developments. It's been years since I've seen a sub-100K development in the city proper.

In the city, you're going to have to settle for older homes in neighborhoods with homes that have bars on the windows to get a home for significantly under $100K.

I don't understand the obsession with new construction. It's not something I care about. I don't need a "new" house, or even a house in the city. I just hope to buy a house, period. I'm tired of renting. I'm disabled, it gets very difficult dealing with landlords.

I also can't really ethically support all the new builds. It's environmentally unsound, at least the way it's done in this city. That area north of the city is devastating.

[raisins99]

Originally Posted by Hopelesscause

There are very few home structures that would appeal to the hipster’s aesthetics. The only ones that I can think of are the ones in the neighborhood where the Carol Burnett house is. Are there more?

What do hipsters have to do with anything?

[Juventud Guerrero]

Originally Posted by raisins99

What do hipsters have to do with anything?

I'm not sure exactly what you're looking for but there plenty of decent housing available for under 150k. You should try looking on RedFin there are plenty of houses available. I think you're looking in the wrong places if you really think San Antonio is expensive. Look at this one:

https://www.redfin.com/TX/San-Antoni.../home/48775377

[rynetwo]

Originally Posted by raisins99

Something specific brought me to SA and I'll be here for a couple of years. It was very spur of the moment, as in I received a call on a Friday and was here within a week. It's not that I've soured on the city. It's that I arrived here with only internet research and comments from friends, but what's said and written about SA doesn't match the reality. I still know little about the city other than it's expensive.

I'm a disabled veteran. I can only increase my income as my disability allows. Otherwise I'm reliant on my disability.

A meager income (mine is equal to a teacher income, about what I made as a teacher, anyway), can buy you a decent house all over the country. Perhaps not in major east or west coast cities, but certainly throughout the northeast, midwest, and southeast.


I don't understand the obsession with new construction. It's not something I care about. I don't need a "new" house, or even a house in the city. I just hope to buy a house, period. I'm tired of renting. I'm disabled, it gets very difficult dealing with landlords.

I also can't really ethically support all the new builds. It's environmentally unsound, at least the way it's done in this city. That area north of the city is devastating.

Once adjusted for COL this city is one of the most affordable top 25 population centers.

Poncho said it best, supplment your income, or rent, or moved to Marion. Stop being annoying and expecting nice in a desirable are for peanuts.

[raisins99]

Originally Posted by rynetwo

Once adjusted for COL this city is one of the most affordable top 25 population centers.

Poncho said it best, supplment your income, or rent, or moved to Marion. Stop being annoying and expecting nice in a desirable are for peanuts.

Have you read a single thing I've written? I'm not looking for "nice, new" areas. I've not even mentioned needed so called desirable. The only thing I've wanted is one that I can afford and one that isn't actively losing value because I can't afford to one day be underwater on my house. In case you misread, this thread is about the West Side, an area that isn't considered desirable by San Antonian standards because it's not new. I was more concerned about how the revitalization efforts were going because if it's still a failing area (there are dozens of houses with boarded windows when you drive by), then the low costs of the houses are useless as a buyer would lose money in resale anyway.

So excuse the heck out of me for being disabled, for being curious about the city, for looking for something I can afford and for not liking that 'new' crap being built up all over the place. I appreciate those who at least have answered the questions, especially the bits about soil problems and other locations that are up and coming and won't be losing value in the coming years.

As for the COL, I've found that these things tend to be out of date by at least a couple of years. San Antonio's is far outdated. Even basics like milk and fuel are often listed very wrong. I've lived all over the place and am used to a bit of flubbing with the numbers. This is something different.

[rynetwo]

I can’t with you anymore. Sorry you are stuck here and sorry your not finding what your looking for, but dang you hate this town with a passion.