US 281 Loop 1604 Interchange Update
November 22, 2011 | Leave a Comment
The US 281/Loop 1604 interchange construction project is well into its eighth month. Long awaited and sorely needed, the completed interchange is projected to relieve the chronically congested traffic conditions at one of the Alamo City’s most heavily travelled intersections.
The project is truly a ”pardon our improvements” situation. Motorists have cause to be aggrevated by the rerouting of area access roads, periodic traffic stoppages, delays incident to movement of materials and heavy construction equipment, and the much lower and slower construction zone speed limit. Everyone wants to know what’s happening now, what’s next, and when will it all end.
Leroy D. Alloway, the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority’s Director of Community Development, wants you to know that the Authority has developed a number of ways to keep citizens up-to-date and in tune with the project. Here they are:
Visit www.AlamoRMA.org for daily closure announcements.
Go to www.facebook.com/AlamoRMA .
Go to www.twitter.com/AlamoRMA .
Get instant telephonic text messages by texting “follow AlamoRMA” to 40404.
This blog is brought to you by the sanantoniohomequest.com Realty Solutions Team. If you’re looking for a San Antonio homes for sale, visit our world class search engine at
http://www.sanantoniohomequest.com/ext-search-listings.asp
If you have questions about San Antonio living, real estate, mortgage loans, or anything realty, call Randy Kelley at (210) 863-2661 or Stephanie Kelley at (210) 867-8743 or - go here -and we’ll get back to you with our answer as soon as we can.
Reduction In Force Looms For San Antonio Air Force Civilian Employees
November 13, 2011 | Leave a Comment
The Department of the Air Force has announced the elimination of 800 civilian jobs in San Antonio. The reduction in force should be completed by November 2012.
It’s part of a 9,000 position nationwide reduction designed to keep manpower costs at FY 2010 levels.
What does it mean for local Air Force civilian employees?
According to Brent Boller of Joint Base San Antonio, the local commands have taken steps to mitigate effects of the drawdown by taking steps to avoid non-voluntary separations. For example, hiring controls are already in force, there’s a 90 day hiring freeze, and eligible employees are being encouraged to avail themselves of voluntary separation and early retirement programs.
Current Air Force civilian employee positions are spread around the area. There are 955 at Fort Sam Houston, 5,220 at Randolph Air Force Base, and 5,942 at Lackland Air Force Base. Positions at all of the bases will be considered for draw down.
How will the reduction in force effect delivery of current services? Officials feel there might be some curtailment of lower priority services, including, but not limited to recreational activities. It’s foreseeable that some services might be contracted out to adjust for the Air Force civilian employee reduction.
Thanks to Mike W. Thomas, reporter at the San Antonio Business Journal, for the information upon which this blog is based.
This blog is brought to you by the sanantoniohomequest.com Realty Solutions Team. If you’re looking for a San Antonio homes for sale, visit our world class search engine at
http://www.sanantoniohomequest.com/ext-search-listings.asp
If you have questions about San Antonio living, real estate, mortgage loans, or anything realty, call Randy Kelley at (210) 863-2661 or Stephanie Kelley at (210) 867-8743 or - go here -and we’ll get back to you with our answer as soon as we can.
San Antonio Real Estate Questions And Answers
November 10, 2011 | Leave a Comment
The SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team loves to answer questions about buying and selling homes in San Antonio. Here’s the latest one:
Q: How do I get prequalified for a home mortgage loan and what is a good down-payment when buying a home?
A: If you’re just wanting to get an idea about your qualifications, just go to the link below and do the rough calculations for yourself:
http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/houseafford/houseafford.html
When you’re seriously ready to purchase, you should visit with a loan officer that you feel trustworthy. Your agent might recommend one or you could ask friends to suggest someone with whom they have had a good experience. You could also visit your personal bank or credit union.
A loan prequalification shouldn’t cost you anything. It’s just a matter of telling the loan officer how much you make and how much you pay out each month. A loan preapproval is another issue. It’s essential when you’re are ready to make an offer. Just be prepared to pay the cost of your loan application and credit check. Prequalification is good enough to get started in most areas, but eventually you’ll reach the point where you can’t proceed without the pre-approval.
The downpayment is variable and is different from your earnest money. How much you choose to put down (along with other things) can affect your mortgage interest rate. If you are VA loan eligible, or qualify for USDA financing, you may get by with no downpayment. A FHA loan requires 3.5 percent down. A conventional loan will vary and can run anywhere from 5% to as much as you can afford to put down. Many people choose 20% down on a conventional loan to avoid private mortgage insurance (PMI).
A good agent and/or a good loan officere will guide you the this maze! Good luck!
If you’re looking for San Antonio homes for sale, visit our world class search engine at
http://www.sanantoniohomequest.com/ext-search-listings.asp
If you have a question about San Antonio living, real estate, mortgage loans, or anything realty - go here - and we’ll get back to you with our answer as soon a possible.
November 2011 San Antonio Texas Homes For Sale Market Report
November 7, 2011 | 1 Comment
It’s autumn in South Texas. Bright beautiful days, balmy afternoons, and cooler nights herald the approaching holiday season. Residents and tourists are out and about, delighting in San Antonio’s most pleasant season.
Typically, San Antonio’s residential realty market cools down with the season. It’s to be expected because San Antonio’s realty market runs in a predictable seasonal cycle. The lowest sales month is January, the higher sales season kicks off in March and usually peaks in June, and, after school starts in August, the market draws down in a leisurely fashion through the fall and early winter.
So far, this year’s cycle has been typical, with one exception. The area has experienced a significant reduction the homes-for-sale inventory.
Currently there’s approximately a 7 months supply of homes on the market - signifying a weak buyer’s market. If the supply drops much lower, the market will experience a balanced market neither favoring buyers or sellers and likely causing a gradual rise in home prices.
Balancing the market is a healthy trend indicative of improving economic conditions. That’s unquestionably the case in San Antonio this year.
Here’s why.
Job growth is excellent and the unemployment rate is relatively low. Just south of the city, the developing Eagle Ford shale oil field is attracting new businesses and generating thousands of new job opportunities throughout South Texas. Also, the Alamo City’s traditional economic generators remain strong with financial, service sector, military, bioscience, and medical establishments leading the way and showing no signs of weakening.
Barring unforeseen factors, San Antonio’s realty market will likely mirror San Antonio’s vibrant economic conditions - strong, resilient, & growing.
Here are the relevant market stats for San Antonio area single-family detached homes as of 5 November 2011.
There are 10771 active listings, compared to 12072 one year ago. The inventory is decreasing very rapidly. That’s a good sign for home sellers.
The average sales price for the most recent closings is $181,243, compared to last year’s $183,131. Because the decrease is likely seasonal and not indicative of a long term trend, it’s neither a good nor bad sign for buyers or sellers.
Average cumulate-days-on-the-market (CDOM) for the most recent sales is 146 compared to 126 last year. For the time being, CDOM data remains positive for San Antonio home buyers.
Industry analysts see these data as reflecting a housing market moving toward balanced conditions. That means the market will soon favor neither buyers nor sellers.
That’s our November 2011 San Antonio realty market report. We encourage reader questions, comments, and suggestions for making this monthly report more relevant and informative.
Wishing you an wonderful November and a blessed Thanksgiving, we are Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors ® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio. If you have questions, need San Antonio area realty or mortgage advice or assistance, or just want to chat, please call (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743 or send an email to swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always ready to help you with your home buying or selling needs.
