Tricky commute - where to live? (San Antonio, Spring: sales, apartments, lease)

[skeet09]

Originally Posted by RGJ

Yea, McAllister Freeway(IH37/Hwy 281), Charles Anderson Loop(Loop 1604), Loop 13(Military Dr/W.W. White, RGJ Memorial Blvd(Perrin Beitel from Chacho's to 1604)

Yes, sigh....

[Mom2Feebs]

Originally Posted by ashbeeigh

Moderator cut: see comment Of course we all know its Brooks City Base. It's like in the mid 90s calling "Kelly USA" "Kelly AFB"...which I know for a fact people still do.

Moderator cut: orphaned I know lots of people that are new to the city get the two (Brooke Army Medical Center and Brooks-City Base) confused. Sounds like he was just trying to clarify so anyone else reading this that might be new wouldn't get confused about the areas in which to live.

[majormadmax]

Highway 90 is also named after Cleto Rodriguez for his actions in the Phillipines during WWII for which he earned the nation's highest award, the Congressional Medal of Honor, and I commend the city in recognizing this local hero; but I have to be honest and admit that I always think of the comedian with the same name (http://www.latinostandup.com/pages/cleto.html - broken link) when I see the signs for it...

Also, 1560 changes names halfway between 471 and Helotes...

Then there's the argument over what consitutes "the Loop" (410 or 1604)?

I found sticking with the numbers (1604, 410, 281, etc) is the easiest way to avoid confusion!

Cheers! M2

[charlie_paige]

I'm sorry for all of the confusion about where he will be working. I have never been to Texas before, and I've never had to deal with the Air Force or Army before, either. They are very different services from the Navy. Even the ranks are different, plus all the regs, acronyms, etc. They don't even call the stores the same thing. So I'm muddling through all of this the best I can with limited information. Up until 2 weeks ago I thought we were going to be attached to Lackland, but it's actually Ft Sam because there is no Navy liaison at Lackland. This whole PCS has been a complete mess so far, but that is neither here nor there.

So, how is the market in San Antonio? In our current area, for instance, if a house has been listed for a while, and they are asking 300,000, you can easily expect to get it for 250,000. Is this about the same in the San Antonio area? From the listings on Zillow, it looks like nothing is moving. I'm not sure what range to look for, and my realtor has not given me any definitive information.

LittleTpot, thank for the information. That makes me feel better. I have been lucky enough to have lived in 7 states (soon to be 8!), and every area is just so different. Even within states places can be so different, like Helena Montana is nothing like Bozeman Montana. It's nice to know that San Antonio is pretty safe and has lighter traffic. It's sad I keep calling it San Diego. We lived there for 2 glorious years, and I have to make sure I'm not saying San Diego instead of San Antonio!

So, it looks like the Castle Hills area and the Alamo Heights/Terrell Hills (I like this one) and Olmos Park area would work for us. What about Mahnke Park? There's a listing there on Post that I am interested in.

I'm going to apply for the Ft Sam schools, so we'll see if we can get in. I wish we could live in housing, but the wait times are just too long. But, getting in to Ft Sam schools would give us a lot of wiggle room in neighborhoods. I haven't decided what to do about schools yet, so I want to be able to keep my options open.

[LittleTPot]

We look at Mahncke Park and really loved it, but there wasn't a house that would work for us at the time. You would still be in SAISD, but I think the area would be good fun if you're looking for an older home in a little bit more urban area. Depending on which part of Mahncke Park you'd be in, you'd be able to walk to a number of things on Broadway, including Brackenridge Park. I'd definitely give it a look if you're okay with not being able to send your child to the local public schools.

[markintosh]

charlie_page, did you live in Bozeman? We are about to move from Bozeman to San Antonio!

[smuboy86]

I thought that zillow wasn't accurate for Texas since it against the law for the actually selling price to be public knowledge?

[Chaka]

I'd agree the Alamo Heights/Olmos Park area would be ideal for you. Also Monte Vista, Terrell Hills would be good. Alta Vista is great but there are some sketchy areas so you need to know what you're looking for. I'd also consider King William or Lavaca - near downtown neighborhoods, collectively known as Southtown. The commute to Wilford Hall or BAMC is about 15 minutes. You might have a hard time finding something livable for under $350K in King William, but you can in Lavaca. As for safety, it's very safe - it's an urban revitalization area, so a few years back it wasn't as safe as it is now, and there are still a number of run-down houses, but lots of nice ones too. A number of BAMC docs live in the neighborhood. The local K-8, though part of the much maligned SAISD, is excellent and has a lot of out of district kids trying to get in. The local high school hasn't quite matched up to that yet, but involved parents are working to make it better, as the did the elementary (recently turned into a K-8 school). A number of newly restored homes in the $250-$350 range are available. As for selling, this neighborhood is a good bet, as the houses have a unique draw - being historical and close to downtown are part of the appeal, provided you ask the right price. A few houses have been on the market a long time because, IMO, they're asking too much (we're not up to King William prices YET), but others are reasonable. Also, it's close to Ft Sam so base schools there would be an easy commute.

Check out king william realty, urban dwellers, or southtown realty.

And Mahncke park is great, but there are questionable pockets - you just need to look at it in person to see if it'll work for you.

[Lauren0319]

I'm going to throw out Hollywood Park. Good to great location, fabulous schools, super safe... older homes with large, tree filled lots. Check it out!

[pan2sa]

Originally Posted by charlie_paige

So, how is the market in San Antonio? In our current area, for instance, if a house has been listed for a while, and they are asking 300,000, you can easily expect to get it for 250,000. Is this about the same in the San Antonio area? From the listings on Zillow, it looks like nothing is moving. I'm not sure what range to look for, and my realtor has not given me any definitive information.

Hi,

Being a Veteran I completely understand your frustration with the PCS. My wife and I did not look forward to any of the moves, except for the anticipation of seeing a new place. That being said, Zillow is one of, if not THE, worst website to obtain real estate information. It has a great following, but they are notorious for not updating their information. In fact, I have clients that call me to ask if a home is available, as they have been doing some research on their own, and come to find out it was a home that was sold 2 years prior yet still showing active on Zillow.

Moderator cut: see comment

I hope everything goes well and wish you guys good luck.

BTW, The housing market in San Antonio is great. In fact we are rated in the top ten Real Estate markets in the United States. Here is a link for your review.... Moderator cut: real estate link