Bexar County, TX Real Estate News

By Jerry Newman, Texas REALTOR, San Antonio Military Relocation
(Brown Realty, 210-789-4216,)
I know there are many buyers who prefer new construction homes over pre-owned homes. As a nice incentive, D.R. Horton is offering Special Interest Rates on VA and Conventional Loans for the month of May, that can close on or before July 31st. You will want to have representation of a local real estate agent, who knows the ends and outs of buying new construction homes in and around the San Antonio area. Give me a call today at 210-789-4216. Take a look at New Construction homes being offered this month. Why should I use an Agent to purchase a new home? The advantages of having an agent help you purchase a new home are the same as those for purchasing a resale home…knowledge of the market, help in finding the perfect home quickly, expertise in contract writing/negotiation, and closing as...
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By Jerry Newman, Texas REALTOR, San Antonio Military Relocation
(Brown Realty, 210-789-4216,)
Originally posted on Blog | Jerry Newman (selling-sanantoniorealestate.com). As technology advances at an unprecedented rate, it’s no surprise that it has made its way into the real estate industry. Real Estate Technology, or “PropTech,” is quickly becoming a game-changer for property buyers, sellers, and agents. From virtual and augmented reality to AI, big data, IoT, and blockchain, the possibilities for real estate technology are limitless. In this article, we’ll explore the latest trends and the future of this technology, its impact on the industry, as well as the challenges and risks associated with its adoption. 1. Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR) One of the most significant developments in real estate technology is the integration of VR and AR into property tours. This tech...
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By Jerry Newman, Texas REALTOR, San Antonio Military Relocation
(Brown Realty, 210-789-4216,)
If you are interested in buying a home in Texas, and don't have enough for your down payment, Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation (TSAHC) maybe able to help with the funds you need. There are eligibility requirements that have to be met. Your interest rate may be slightly higher since you are borrowing these funds. Keep in mind that down payment amounts will vary depending on the type of loan, FHA or Conventional. Your lender will help you figure out which TSAHC assistance option to choose and how much you need to put down on your house.  To see more about these available programs, and which ones are right for you, see home buyers down payment assistance programs offered in Texas. Be sure to check out those programs for professional educators, police officers, firefighters, corre...
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By Jerry Newman, Texas REALTOR, San Antonio Military Relocation
(Brown Realty, 210-789-4216,)
Location plays a huge factor in choosing a home. It may seem like finding the neighborhood you want to live in is the simple part but after factoring in cost, commute time, and your must have list, it may be harder than it seems. When searching for your perfect neighborhood use these tips and work with a REALTOR® for the best results.Property TaxesProperty taxes can play a big role in the affordability of a home. Make sure to research how much property taxes typically run in the area you are home searching. Your REALTOR® will be able to give you a ball park range of how much you can expect your property taxes to be, depending on the property you choose.School DistrictsWhether or not you have kids, knowing how the school systems in your area are rated can be important factors in home val...
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By Wayne Johnson, San Antonio REALTOR, San Antonio Homes For Sale
(Coldwell Banker D'Ann Harper REALTORS®)
Property Tax Initial Assessment notices are being distributed by most counties in Texas. Property values are increasing so taxes are increasing.Most property owners will have until May 15 to appeal the tax assessment, if you disagree with the initial valuation. You can look into getting some professional assistance to help support your case. 
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By Jerry Newman, Texas REALTOR, San Antonio Military Relocation
(Brown Realty, 210-789-4216,)
Buying our first home was like a dream come true. Although living in government quarters was very nice up to this point in my military career, but having our own home was something Chong Suk and I had been planning for some time.  We were living off base in a townhome without a private backyard while I was stationed at Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center in the early 1980's. Our daughter, Kimberly, was just turning 4 years old, and she had been given a new German Shephard mix puppy, which required us to have our very own private backyard. I was in my 14th year of military service, and was told that my duty station in Denver, Colorado would most likely be my last assignment before retirement. I had decided to use my VA loan benefit to acquire our first home, since it didn't require a down pa...
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By Jerry Newman, Texas REALTOR, San Antonio Military Relocation
(Brown Realty, 210-789-4216,)
Buying a home is a dream for a lot of people, and often the biggest purchase one can make. However, the state of the real estate market going 2023 is shaky, to say the least. It’s an unfortunate fact that the market still hasn’t completely recovered from the pandemic. As such, purchasing a home for you and your family can be fairly difficult, as things stand. However, the process doesn’t have to be so stressful, if you know what you’re doing. To that end, we’ve made a list of 7 real estate tips for buyers in 2023.Figure out your budgetFirst up on the list of 7 real estate tips for buyers in 2023 is figuring out your budget. Especially if you’re considering real estate investment, knowing what you’re working with is incredibly important. And even if you’re not considering an investment, ...
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By Jerry Newman, Texas REALTOR, San Antonio Military Relocation
(Brown Realty, 210-789-4216,)
The largest springtime festival in the country begins in San Antonio this week.  Yes, with the nice springtime weather and the pandemic restrictions removed, Fiesta San Antonio 2023 starts this Thursday, April 20th, and continues through April 30th.  It all started back in 1891 as a one parade event to honor the memory of heroes of the Alamo, and to celebrate the Battle of Jacinto, which lead to Texas Independence from Mexico. This makes the 132nd year for celebrating the victory and honoring the heroes of Texas history. Starting in 1959, the Fiesta San Antonio Commission coordinated the Fiesta planning activities for over 100 events sponsored by non-profit organizations, and over 75,000 volunteers who support all the events. Millions of partygoers have turned out for what has become a ...
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By Jerry Newman, Texas REALTOR, San Antonio Military Relocation
(Brown Realty, 210-789-4216,)
Average Sales price was $366,834. Median Price was $314,945. Average days on the market was 72 days. 94.1 percent was close to the original list price. There were 3.2 months of inventory. Average price per square foot was $177.  Average residential rental was $1815.  Still in a seller's market, but bidding wars are vanishing. Now is still a good time to buy or to sell a home. Call Jerry @ 210-789-4216 for more information. 
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By Jerry Newman, Texas REALTOR, San Antonio Military Relocation
(Brown Realty, 210-789-4216,)
Everyone loves browsing homes on online listing sites, it’s fun to look at home décor and fantasize about moving to a new place. Keep these three things in mind while looking at homes online. The most important thing to take into account when looking for homes online is that not all listing sites update as regularly as others. Often times home buyers will fall in love with a property they have found on a property search site, only to discover that it has been sold or taken off the market. To save yourself from disappointment, be sure to use websites that update frequently like SABOR.com and realtor.com.  Your REALTOR® is your greatest asset. REALTORS® have access to the local MLS and have the most up-to-date information regarding listing information. If you find a home that you’re inter...
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By Jerry Newman, Texas REALTOR, San Antonio Military Relocation
(Brown Realty, 210-789-4216,)
When it’s time to sell your home pricing it properly is the most important factor. While your home has a lot of value to you, it is important to see and price your home through the eyes of a buyer. Working with a REALTOR® can help you discover what your home is really worth and help your home sell quickly.When you work with a REALTOR® you are working with an expert in the real estate field. REALTORS® are able to run reports and compare your home with others in the area to determine how to price your home. Your REALTOR® is well versed in the local area and will know how to strategically price your home.The real estate market can be a big factor in how your home is priced. If homes are selling very quickly and you’re in a seller’s market, you may be able to get a little more for your home...
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By Jerry Newman, Texas REALTOR, San Antonio Military Relocation
(Brown Realty, 210-789-4216,)
Before you put your home on the market, carefully think about when you want to list it. When it comes to selling a home, the right timing is crucial. Even the day of the week you choose to list your home can greatly affect the sale. If you are looking to sell your home soon and for the right price, now is the perfect time to do so. This season makes it possible to sell quickly and find the perfect buyers. Let’s explore all the different reasons to sell your home this season and relocate to your new one.One of the reasons to sell your home this season is that the real estate market is right.Selling a home is a major life decision. A lot of factors can affect whether we want to sell it. Personal reasons will always have a big effect on whether we sell our home or not. A change in the numb...
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By Jerry Newman, Texas REALTOR, San Antonio Military Relocation
(Brown Realty, 210-789-4216,)
The Department of Energy has increased the minimum SEER requirements across all regions. The new SEER2 standards measure your heating and air conditioning system’s energy efficiency.  Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratings (SEER) for heating and air conditioning condensers have been updated. The new requirements went into effect January 1st, 2023. As homeowners, we rely on our air conditioners and heat pumps to keep us comfortable throughout the changing seasons. But our comfort comes with a price, and these home heating and cooling systems use 6% of the entire country's electricity each year! It’s imperative to monitor the environmental and economic effects that residential energy usage has in the U.S.—and that’s the reason we have SEER.What is SEER Rating and How Does It Affect You?Old Re...
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By Jerry Newman, Texas REALTOR, San Antonio Military Relocation
(Brown Realty, 210-789-4216,)
You have the opportunity to own a piece of Texas through the Texas Veterans Land Board Sales.  Tracts of land are available for Texas Veterans and Military Members to bid on in their quarterly land sales held every January, April, July, and October. Texas Veterans and Military Members may use the VLB Land Loan to purchase these tracts or other non-commercial properties in Texas that are one acre or more.  April tracts are available starting next week, and bidding ends on April 20th by 5 PM.  Take a look at the available tracts now, and contract a local REALTOR® to assist you in finding pieces of land in and around the Bexar County area, which include Comal, Guadalupe, Medina, Atascosa, Bandera, and Wilson counties. Purchase the desired amount of land to build your next Dream Home in a c...
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By Jerry Newman, Texas REALTOR, San Antonio Military Relocation
(Brown Realty, 210-789-4216,)
Have you been considering taking the next step toward home ownership? If so, check out these 4 things first time homebuyers need to know before going into the process. 1.    Know Your BudgetOne of the first things you will need to know when going into the home buying process is how much you can afford to spend. Save yourself the heartbreak and don’t look at homes that are out of your price range, know your spending limit before going in. To figure out what you can afford, go to your preferred bank or mortgage lender and find out what you can be pre-approved for. This pre-approval will help guide you to the homes you can afford and will be crucial when it comes time to making an offer on a home. Your mortgage lender will also be able to tell you more about loan programs you may qualify f...
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By Jerry Newman, Texas REALTOR, San Antonio Military Relocation
(Brown Realty, 210-789-4216,)
Many people find themselves buying and selling a home at the same time but knowing that it is a common occurrence doesn’t make it any easier. While buying and selling at the same time can be stressful, avoiding these mistakes can ease the process.Don’t wait too long to get your home ready to sell. As a seller you don’t want to wait until you’ve submitted an offer on a new home to get yours market ready. Waiting too long can put you in the financial bind of winding up with two mortgages. Work with your REALTOR® to prep your home for sale, so that when the timing is right you can buy and sell seamlessly. Contingency to sell another home is often best when you have your home already under contract. Don’t assume your closing timelines will align perfectly. When buying and selling at the sam...
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By Jerry Newman, Texas REALTOR, San Antonio Military Relocation
(Brown Realty, 210-789-4216,)
One of the main things brokers or agents need to do prior to putting a listing on the market is to verify the loan balance of the sellers. On one occasion early in my real estate career, I failed to do just that. Being relatively new in the business 20 years ago, I was just excited to have picked up a listing off phone duty. I guess the red light should have clicked on me when the seller told me that other agents had turned her down and were not willing to take on that listing and place her home on the market. First, the lady was not easy to get along with and often used profanity in her conversations with me. Consequently, I dealt mostly with her husband to obtain information about their property. Shortly after placing their home on the market, and spending time marketing their propert...
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By Jerry Newman, Texas REALTOR, San Antonio Military Relocation
(Brown Realty, 210-789-4216,)
There can be many things that can get a real estate broker or agent in trouble while working with buyers. On several occasions while out showing homes to potential buyer clients, many will ask you to show them properties or homes that you have not been given permission to show. They seem to think that brokers or agents can just open any lockbox to let them in to see properties, especially vacant homes. They have to be reminded that appointments need to be made in order to see any properties, whether they are empty or occupied.  What buyers fail to remember is that agents normally only show clients houses that met their criteria for a particular neighborhood. If that property was not on the list, most likely it was not in the price range or didn’t meet other criteria that was given. Just...
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By Jerry Newman, Texas REALTOR, San Antonio Military Relocation
(Brown Realty, 210-789-4216,)
Home inspectors perform a complete inspection on all houses from top to bottom and everything in between, but there are 5 top things that they all look for.  Foundation. Inspectors will normally walk the perimeter of the home looking for settlement problems, cracks, and sloping. If there’s  a crawl space, it will get a good once-over for moisture, mold and warping that could affect the integrity of the wood supports. The foundation needs to be able to support the home’s structure(frame,drywall, and everything up to the roof), furnishings, and most importantly, its occupants. Any foundation issues are often deal-breakers since these repairs can be quite costly. Electrical Systems. Assessing a home’s safety is top of mind for any home inspector, and electrical issues can pose a serious ri...
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