What kind of house would you NEVER buy in San Antonio?

[banker]

Originally Posted by Chaka

Another house I'd never buy: one where the first thing you notice is the garage.

This is hard in today's communities with narrow lots. I have seen some communities that offer 30' wide homes on 40' lots...the garage is all you see when you drive up - not my cup of tea. Even a 40' wide home (probably the most common in newer communities) is hard - you end up with over 50% garage on the face. The trick is finding a builder that offers larger lots. This is difficult in new construction - which is why many people prefer older homes when lots were bigger (the old "they don't make them like they used to" mantra).

So much can be done with garages if the architecture is appealing. Again - harder to find with newer construction - but not impossible. Detached garages behind the house or side entry garages on the front can do much to hide the garage impact as you drive up. You will have to search high and low to find this with a new home - but they are out there.

[Chaka]

Originally Posted by banker

This is hard in today's communities with narrow lots. I have seen some communities that offer 30' wide homes on 40' lots...the garage is all you see when you drive up - not my cup of tea. Even a 40' wide home (probably the most common in newer communities) is hard - you end up with over 50% garage on the face. The trick is finding a builder that offers larger lots. This is difficult in new construction - which is why many people prefer older homes when lots were bigger (the old "they don't make them like they used to" mantra).

So much can be done with garages if the architecture is appealing. Again - harder to find with newer construction - but not impossible. Detached garages behind the house or side entry garages on the front can do much to hide the garage impact as you drive up. You will have to search high and low to find this with a new home - but they are out there.

Hence my preference for an older home (as in the one I bought which is ~120 yrs old and has a coach house in the rear) or a custom designed home if new, and one of the many reasons I'm less than fond of the typical newer subdivisions

[banker]

Originally Posted by Chaka

Hence my preference for an older home (as in the one I bought which is ~120 yrs old and has a coach house in the rear) or a custom designed home if new, and one of the many reasons I'm less than fond of the typical newer subdivisions

Thankfully my newer subdivision is not typical. There are homes in my neighborhood with detached garages in the rear. It does add a very nice look in the community. I think there are just a dozen or so of these houses out of the 66 built so far - but it breaks things up. Some have a nice porte cochere with a gate across the drive which gives these homes a nice formal and garage-less curb appeal.

Here is an aerial shot taken from about two years ago that gives you an idea of the detached garages and how they set back from the houses: http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=...cl=1&encType=1

The only thing I don't like about the detached garage (which is very common in Houston where my wife is from) is that I hate walking out in the rain to go to the garage. So...I sacrifice form over function.

To each his own though.

[LindaGrace]

It never rains here, so a detached garage isn't that big of a deal.

[banker]

Originally Posted by LindaGrace

It never rains here, so a detached garage isn't that big of a deal.

LOL. That may be true for the past 18 months...but having been here since 1994 I can remember many years where it seemed to rain all the time. I went through several summers where I rarely watered my yard it was so wet. So - to me it is a big deal. Plus - where would the big freezer go with the ice cream supply...don't want to go out at night when the urge hits and the freezer in the kitchen is fresh out!

[LindaGrace]

Originally Posted by banker

LOL. That may be true for the past 18 months...but having been here since 1994 I can remember many years where it seemed to rain all the time. I went through several summers where I rarely watered my yard it was so wet. So - to me it is a big deal. Plus - where would the big freezer go with the ice cream supply...don't want to go out at night when the urge hits and the freezer in the kitchen is fresh out!

Ok, I hear you on the freezer. We had the drinks fridge in the garage when I shared a house with my sis, and you're right - having to actually go outdoors to fetch beer every night would stink!

I've lived here since '97 and I do remember rain...vaguely.