Sylvie Shurgot Real Estate Blog

Helotes is known as the Gateway to the Hill Country.  The small town of about 6,000 is right outside San Antonio, which over the past 10 years has grown to the edge of Helotes.  Made famous first by a controversy over a Super Wal-mart (which wasn't built) and later by the huge mulch fire "Mulchie...

Hi all you greenies out there,The rain is here, finally.  I'm hoping it'll help the wildflower season.  Meanwhile, I'm really enjoying the mountain laurel and agarita flowers in our area.  For those of you who like to know what you're looking at (and smelling), there's a great website where peopl...

As any loan officer or broker can tell you, the interest rate on your mortgage is just that - the raw interest you pay.  In addition to disclosing interest rates, laws require us to disclose the Annual Percentage Rate (APR).  When I first heard about this, I was taking the required classes for my...

This is a new group I created for those of you who, like me, try to live and work by environmentally and ecologically sound principles.  I live in a recycled Styrofoam house without air conditioning (in South Texas!) drive a Toyota Yaris, collect rainwater, compost and recycle, shop for food at l...

Late January/early February is the beginning of the most dangerous season for our oaks-red oaks especially and live oaks.  Oak wilt is an infectious disease that kills trees in a relatively short time by destroying their ability to take in water; the trees die of thirst.  Fungal mats form under t...

Don't overlook the possible environmental problems a property might have.  If your client buys a property that has been contaminated with hazardous/toxic materials, he's also buying those materials and he may have to clean up the site even though he's not responsible for the contamination.  Remed...

If you live in Bexar County, your property tax statement for 2008 will arrive soon.  For many people in Bexar County the increase in appraised value has been of the legal upper limit: 10% every year.  But for others, it doesn't change even though houses in their neighborhoods are selling for high...