San Antonio Real Estate Blog

While homes remain well priced in comparison to the country at large, San Antonio’s Residential Real Estate Market could be “maturing out”. Maturing means that the boom days are over and that more careful consideration of home values, neighborhoods, local economic conditions and real estate trends are required before buying. 

Recently the local economy has been given a big boost by the entry of several big national players like Toyota, Washington Mutual, National Security Agency, Microsoft, Rackspace,  and The PGA Village. Increasing wages with these jobs has driven housing prices higher, but now that we have absorbed those increases.

Local market conditions are characterized by high rent to price ratio’s, low rental vacancy rates, relatively smooth price lines and good tax structure. Also, Texas as a whole will be benefitting from  the Texas legislature measure to reduce the current property tax rate by approximately one sixth by this year. Already, the market is anticipating these reduced taxes because sales activity increased from 2003-2006.
Inventory is the biggest problem facing San Antonio Real Estate. The North Central surplus rental inventory has largely faded and rents are returning to a more stable level. As more support businesses follow the large employers and hire more workers to address the expanding economy, San Antonio Real Estate will remain a strong housing market and provide home owners and investors alike with a good home to value return.

On May 12, 2007, San Antonio voters will have the opportunity to consider the City of San Antonio’s $550 Million Bond Program. The program includes 151 projects designed to improve and enhance existing, as well as acquire or construct, new, local streets, bridges, sidewalks, drainage facilities, parks, athletics facilities, libraries and public health centers.

The $550 million program is the largest municipal bond program in San Antonio history. The program can be achieved without a property tax rate increase due to San Antonio’s expected strong economic growth and the City’s disciplined debt management plan. The bonds will be repaid with property tax revenue the City collects on an annual basis. Bonds will be issued, and each project funded, over a five-year period (2007 through 2012). Several proposed projects combine City bond resources with other entity funding to complete needed improvements.

Do you have questions regarding the bond program and the bond election? Click here for answers or call 207-7080 or 311.

Here are three upcoming opportunities to get on board as a Parks and Recreation lifeguard:

Applicants are welcome to apply at the department’s 27 year-round community centers from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 5.

The Parks and Recreation Department is hosting its first ever Wanna Be a Lifeguard? Party for strong swimmers who are interested in earning $9.02 an hour as a member of our aquatics team. The party will feature refreshments and music and will be held on Saturday, May 12, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the San Antonio Natatorium, 1430 W. Durango.

Applicants should come with swimming suits, ID, and their Social Security cards. The skills test includes a 300 yard continuous swim utilizing the front crawl and breast stroke, and a dive of 13 feet to retrieve a 10-pound object and return it to the pool deck.

The department provides CPR and lifesaving training.

If you can’t make it on May 12, you’ll have another opportunity on May 19, when applications will be taken at the Roosevelt Park pool, 500 Lonestar Blvd., from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Applicants must be prepared to take the swim test on site.

Applications for lifeguards are currently being taken daily at the San Antonio Natatorium, 1430 W. Durango, from 2 to 7 p.m. Applicants must be 16 years old and strong swimmers. CPR and First Aid training will be provided. Bring a swimming suit and be prepared to take a skills test. The starting pay is $9.02.

City of San Antonio staff have announced the launch of the Neighborhood Challenge and Commercial Tree Planting programs with the goal of planting 825 new trees across the city during the upcoming fall tree planting season.

The San Antonio Parks & Recreation and Development Services Departments are collaborating on these programs to encourage neighborhoods and businessses to plant trees in their community.

“This is an excellent opportunity for citizens to beautify their neighborhoods and to contribute to the ecological health of their community,” says Parks and Recreation Department Forester Michael Nentwich. “We also want to give neighborhoods an opportunity to work together and foster good relationships within those communities.” Each applicant for each program will be eligible to receive up to 25 trees.

Two neighborhood projects and one commercial project will be selected in each of the 10 City Council Districts. This means that each district and the ETJ (Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction: 5 miles outside the city limits) is eligible to receive up to 75 trees.
Informational postcards will be sent out to all registered neighborhood associations within the City to advertise the program.
The program is funded through the Tree Mitigation Fund, which comes from non-compliant development, Nentwich says, so no tax dollars are being used.

Application packets also may be downloaded from the Development Services Department website at the following link: http://www.sanantonio.gov/dsd/environmental.asp (go to related documents: ‘Planting Challenge - Neighborhood’ or ‘Planting Challenge - Commercial’).

Applications may also be requested by phone by calling 207-3108.

Completed applications are due at the City Clerk’s Office by Friday, June 29, at 4 p.m. Project selections will be announced in August. The mandatory training is scheduled for Sept. 15 and trees will be delivered for immediate planting on Oct. 12, 19, and 26.