Sitterle Homes Opens New Model Home In Stately Oaks
May 28, 2008
We reported back in March a new gated community located in the Stone Oak area named Stately Oaks from homebuilder Sitterle Homes. Now a short two months later, Sitterle Homes has opened it’s new model home in Stately Oaks. A new family-oriented community in the Heights at Stone Oak priced from the $250′s.
The two-story model showcases the Pamplona plan, a family friendly design with soaring ceilings and many windows allowing radiant natural light to enter the home. The home features 4 bedrooms, with the master bedroom downstairs and 3 additional bedrooms upstairs. Also a game room upstairs, 3 baths, study, formal dining, a living/flex room downstairs, a family room with a 20′ ceiling, as well as an outdoor kitchen, patio and deck.
This gated community marks the first time in many years that Sitterle Homes has built traditional single-family homes in this price range. The all-masonry homes feature both one and two-story plans ranging from 2011 to over 3600 square feet. On the one-story plans, homebuyers can add bonus rooms and studies, among other options. The two-story plans feature game rooms with additional media rooms and bedroom configurations as other options. Outdoor living areas and special decorative touches are available with each of the six all new plans.
“We are excited to be building in this price range in the Stone Oak area,” Jeff Buell, Partner, said. “These homes are designed for families to live comfortably in one of San Antonio’s best areas.”
Children will attend North East ISD schools which includes Hardy Oak Elementary School. Residents will enjoy the Heights at Stone Oak’s family-friendly amenities, including a swimming pool, soccer fields, greenbelts and walking trails, playground, volleyball, tennis and basketball courts and community clubhouse.
To schedule an appointment to visit this great community in North San Antonio, register below:
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San Antonio Remains One Of The Healthiest Markets In The Country
May 27, 2008
Quoting from The ShowCase USA article, “San Antonio Housing Market On Leading Edge of Recovery.”
There is a general consensus that the United States is in the midst of a mild recession that will be documented by the end of the summer,” said Jack Inselmann, Vice President of the U.S. Central Division of Metrostudy, a national housing tracking and consulting company. “By the time it is documented, it may already be over. The homebuilding industry is working determinedly to rid itself of any excess inventory, and in many markets that process will be completed this year giving rise to some moderate optimism for 2009.
According to Metrostudy’s first quarter 2008 San Antonio new-home analysis, the current pace of new single-family construction activity totaled 11,445 annual starts and 14,527 annual closings. “This places San Antonio among the 10 most-active housing markets in the U.S.,” Inselmann said. “With the consistent effort of builders to reduce the excess new-home inventory that remains, closings continue to outpace starts.”
As forecast by Metrostudy, 2008 housing starts will continue their correction for most of the year before having a chance to bottom out by the end of the year. Even though the expected market decline is in full force, San Antonio remains one of the healthiest markets in the country, Inselmann said. As of March-2008, San Antonio was ranked ninth job growth, with 18,900 jobs gained (2.3 percent), when compared to metropolitan areas nationwide. In addition , Texas is gaining jobs at a rate of 209,000, a 2 percent rate that is far above that of New York (the second-ranked state), which posted a rate of 70,300 job gains.
According to the latest figures released by the Office of Federal Housing enterprise Oversight (OFHEO), in 2007, San Antonio experienced a home price appreciation of 8.3 percent, which places it 21st when compared to metropolitan areas nationwide. “However, when you look at the analysis by metropolitan areas that have a population of at least 1 million and more than 10,000 new home starts and closings, San Antonio is ranked first in home price appreciation,” Inselmann said. “And in terms of housing inventory, San Antonio maintains one of the lowest levels of new-home inventory when compared to other housing markets in the U.S. Though we consistently hear of extremely distressed housing markets around the country, San Antonio should not be considered one of them. Although the market has its pockets of problems we should thank our lucky stars that we live in San Antonio, Texas.”
Great information from Metrostudy published by The ShowCase USA and you can read the entire article here.
If you have been thinking about entering the market, it’s time to get off the fence and take advantage of San Antonio’s Great Buyer’s Market. Register below for assistance and as always, our services are FREE to you the Buyer.
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San Antonio Real Estate Market Report April 2008
May 23, 2008
San Antonio’s housing market continues to slow, with fewer home sales for the 12th straight month when compared to the same time last year. While sales may be down, home values continued to rise at a healthy pace.
Existing home sales dropped 17 percent in April to 1,681 sales compared with 2,017 sales in April 2007, according to the San Antonio Board of Realtors.
But home prices did appreciate, rising 5 percent to hit $155,300 from $148,400 in April 2007.
That’s still better than the rest of the nation, where overall sales for existing homes dipped 23.8 percent in February (the most recent figures available) and where the median home price fell 8.2 percent, according the National Association of Realtors.
In addition the average price per square foot for the San Antonio Market increased 3 percent to $89 from $87 last year. Average Days On Market(DOM) is at 88 days and San Antonio had a total of 12,811 active listings at the end of April 2008.
Source: SABOR
2008 Energy Star Sales Tax Holiday Begins Saturday May 24th
May 19, 2008
Energy Star Sales Tax Holiday
Memorial Day Weekend
May 24 – 26, 2008
During Memorial Day weekend, San Antonio shoppers get a break from state and local sales and use taxes on purchases of certain energy efficient products. The 2008 Energy Star sales tax holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, May 24, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, May 26 (Memorial Day).
The products qualifying for the exemption are:
- air conditioners priced under $6,000 (room and central units)
- clothes washers (but not clothes dryers*)
- ceiling fans
- dehumidifiers
- dishwashers
- light bulbs (incandescent and fluorescent)
- programmable thermostats
- refrigerators priced under $2,000.
* Because most dryers use similar amounts of energy, Energy Star does not label clothes dryers.
Qualifying products will display the Energy Star logo, which may appear on the appliance, the packaging or the Energy Guide label. Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.
Energy efficient choices can save families about a third on their energy bill with similar savings of greenhouse gas emissions, without sacrificing features, style or comfort. ENERGY STAR helps you make the energy efficient choice.
There is no limit on the number of qualifying items one can purchase during this sales tax holiday, and an exemption certificate is not required.
For more information you can read about it here.
Relocating To San Antonio: Top 10 Things Not To Do When Moving
May 18, 2008
1. Don’t rely exclusively on the Internet.
2. Don’t get the price over the phone. Movers can’t see everything through the phone.
3. Don’t take the mover’s word on it. Your estimate should be in writing.
4. Don’t put a deposit down on the move. But do confirm what methods of payment are accepted.
5. Don’t overlook the small print and read all the legal documents called your “Rights and Responsibilities.”
6. Don’t wait to pack. Packing takes the typical homeowner two weeks.
7. Don’t wait to make your moving reservation, especially during the summer.
8. Don’t assume. The American Moving and Storage Association suggests having three surveys performed to give you a good perspective on your move.
9. Don’t try to do it all the last week before you close on your home.
10. Don’t expect exclusive use of a truck. If you’re moving far, you might share a moving truck with another family.
San Antonio Relocating Tips Provided by: Scobey Moving and Storage
San Antonio’s Imagine Homes Named The Top Single-Family Production Builder
May 13, 2008
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) on Sunday honored 17 building industry professionals from across their country for excellence and innovation in green home building at the 10th Annual NAHB National Green Building Conference in New Orleans.
“These honorees are pioneers, artists and building scientists,” said NAHB President Sandy Dunn, a home builder from Point Pleasant, W. Va. “They’ve worked hard to bring sustainable building practices into the mainstream. These winners are not afraid to put great ideas in motion.”
Outstanding projects included:
SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES OF THE YEAR
- Production Home: Imagine Homes, San Antonio, Texas
- Custom Home: Chaffey Homes, Kirkland, Wash.
- Affordable Home: Green Builders Inc., Austin, Texas
- Concept Home: Torti Gallas & Partners, Omaha, Neb.
- Remodeled Home: Absolute Remodeling, South Salem, N.Y.
Imagine Homes has six communities throughout the San Antonio region. Homes start in the $130,000s and range up to the $310,000s.
Monterrey Village (San Antonio) – From the 130′s
Olympia Hills (Universal City) – From the 210′s
Stonebrook (Cibolo) – From the 130′s
Lakeview (San Antonio) – From the 130′s
Stillwater Ranch (San Antonio) – From the 160′s
Cibolo Canyons (San Antonio) – From the 250′s
If you would like to schedule an appointment to visit one of Imagine Homes communities, please fill out the information below.
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Forbes Ranks The Best Cities For The Outdoors
May 12, 2008
Forbes Methodology
To determine which of the 40 largest cities were best for the outdoors, we used research from the nonprofit organization Trust for Public Land, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). We included the following data: spending per resident, park land as a percentage of city land, number of recreation facilities, precipitation, sunshine, temperature extremes and air quality.
For spending, park land and recreation, we used fiscal year 2006 data collected by the Trust for Public Land, which gathered information from city municipalities. To measure recreation opportunities, we looked at the number of ball diamonds, tennis courts and pools and created a Forbes.com recreation index.
For sunshine, precipitation and temperature extremes, we used annual averages from NOAA. For air quality, we used data from the EPA and averaged the number of days between 1999 and 2006 when the air quality index for all pollutants rose above 100. Index values between 100 and 500 are considered unhealthy and/or hazardous. We ranked the cities in each category and assigned them total scores.
San Antonio, Texas
Rank: No. 24
Spending Per Resident: $56
Park Land As Percentage Of City Land: 7.6%
Forbes.com Recreation Index Rank: No. 39
Average Annual Percentage Of Sunny Days: 60%
Days With Temperature 90 Degrees Or Higher: 113
Days With Temperature 32 Degrees Or Lower: 21
Days With Measurable Precipitation (0.01 Inches Or More): 75
Days With Unhealthy Air Quality: 5.6
Full List: America’s Best Cities For The Outdoors Written By: Rebecca Ruiz
San Antonio Is The 5th Most Popular City For Relocating Families
May 8, 2008
Worldwide ERC, and Primacy Relocation announced that the top ranked metropolitan areas with populations of 1.3 million and above are Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Austin, Fort Worth and San Antonio for the 2008’s Best Cities for Relocating Families. The two organizations worked with Bert Sperling of Sperling’s BestPlaces to rate cities based on those factors – short-term and long-term – that determine the likelihood of a successful relocation.
“This study is a great indicator for our two most important customers – our clients and their transferees,” said Michelle Vallejo, SCRP, GMS, President of Primacy, The Americas. “We have seen a lot of movement within the list through the years, and applaud those cities that have moved to the top in 2008.”
Conducted each spring, this is the fourth year Primacy and Worldwide ERC have partnered on the study. This year’s city size categories of large, medium and small used updated population data from the U.S. Census Bureau, which adjusted the category sizes to 1.3 million and above, 600,000 – 1.3 million, and 360,000 – 600,000, respectively. Additionally, the 2008 study placed a special emphasis on both the housing market and economy, which continue to impact the relocation industry and an employer’s ability to transfer employees.
Several new categories were added to this year’s rankings, including recent job growth for 2007, percentage of nearby top-ranked colleges, average in-state tuition for four-year public colleges, percentage of population growth since 2000, amount of pediatricians per 100,000 population, and separate sales and income tax categories. Another new category is the green living index, which measures environmental incentives and policies, the availability of biofuel, wind power generation, and the amount of energy-efficient buildings.
Last Weekend For The San Antonio Spring Tour of Homes
May 5, 2008
The Greater San Antonio Builders Association
Presents the Spring Tour of Homes
May 3-4 and May 10-11, 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
The Greater San Antonio Builders Association invites you to the 2008 Spring Tour of Homes taking place all over town May 3 – 4 and May 10 – 11 from 11 am to 6 pm both days. Visitors to the tour will begin at one of the key communities where they will receive a Spring Tour guide which includes a map of the homes on the tour. Guests may decide which subdivisions they wish to visit, based on location preference and price range; or visit all the homes on the tour and explore some of the new communities in and around San Antonio. Guests who visit a minimum of six (6) homes are eligible to win a home theatre package from Bjorn’s Audio Visual valued at over $10,000.
Come tour these 15 beautiful communities and approximately 50 homes in and around San Antonio.
Click on the links below to visit the communities website.
San Antonio Builders Start Fewer Homes In The Last 12 Months
May 2, 2008
The pace of home building continues to slide downhill in San Antonio, but at least it’s not plunging off the cliff like much of the rest of the country.
Home builders started 36 percent fewer homes in the last 12 months in San Antonio, as local builders continue to pull back in response to the national economy and turmoil in the mortgage markets.
As of the end of March, builders started 11,445 homes, 6,500 fewer homes than at the end of March the previous year, according to the housing research firm Metrostudy.
The silver lining: San Antonio builders sold 14,527 homes in the last four quarters, chipping away at the inventory of new homes sitting and waiting for buyers.
For a year and a half now, builders have sold more homes than they’ve started. And in the last year, the inventory of new homes on the market has fallen by more than 3,000.
San Antonio has a lower inventory of new homes for sale — a 2.4-month supply — than any city in the 23 states Metrostudy surveys.
“I’m a believer that we’re better off here,” said Jack Inselmann, vice president of the U.S. Central Division of Metrostudy. “We’ve got better job growth than anybody. We’ve got a better housing market than anybody.”
Much of the decline is in the market for new homes priced under $175,000.
That’s the segment hit hardest by the mortgage crisis because it includes first-time buyers who may not have saved much of a down payment. Until recently they didn’t need one. But now mortgage lenders generally require money down and healthy credit scores.
Continue to read “S.A. builders start fewer homes” written by By Jennifer Hiller from the Express-News.
