San Antonio Living - The Botanical Garden

August 18, 2010 | Leave a Comment

San Antonio Living - The Botanical Garden

San Antonio is a great place to work and live. A favorite recreation spot is the wonderful San Antonio Botanical Garden. It’s very conveniently located close to center city, sponsors a farmer’s market, and has activities that appeal to adults and children.

Here are the remaining special events for 2010:

Playhouses and Forts Exhibit. June 26 through October 24 This activity is a kiddie must.

Gardens by Moonlight. September 25

Art in the Garden. October 14 - George Schroeder opening

BOOtanica. October 24 Not to be missed by the kids. It’s a Halloween happening.

For classes, tours, and more information click here.

If you looking to buy or sell a San Antonio home or just want to chat about the wonderful Alamo City, contact us.

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® of Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at 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.

Labels: Homes For Sale San Antonio, Homes San Antonio, PCS San Antonio, San Antonio Army PCS, San Antonio Physician Loans, San Antonio Realty, San Antonio Realty Market Report, San Antonio Navy PCS, Things To Do San Antonio, San Antonio Living

posted by Randy Kelley at 11:01 AM

Posted by Randy Kelley | Filed Under Randolph AFB, Lackland AFB, Brooks AFB, Uncategorized

Loans For San Antonio Military Home Buyers

August 13, 2010 | Leave a Comment

At SanAntonioHomeQuest.com, we believe an informed home buyer is a wise buyer. That’s why our Realty Solutions Team has compiled a series of easy to remember hints and rules for our home buyer guests.

First and foremost, here is the “Cardinal Rule” that home buyers should always keep in mind.

DON’T START YOUR SEARCH WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD.

Sounds logical, doesn’t it, but a surprising number of buyers waste time and effort looking at houses they can’t afford. Now, if you’re wealthy enough to make a cash purchase, just make sure your money is liquid enough to bring to the closing table. But, if you’ll need a mortgage loan to seal the deal, don’t hesitate to consult with one or more lenders before starting your home quest. Mortgage loan officers want your business and, usually without charge, will happily help you determine your purchasing power based on your available assets, income to debt ratio, and credit history. So, don’t be afraid to talk with at least one lender before seriously shopping for a home.

There are lenders with more military home buyer experience than others. If you want names and contact information for those lenders, please contact us.

Labels: Homes For Sale San Antonio, PCS San Antonio, San Antonio Army PCS, San Antonio Navy PCS, San Antonio Physician Loans , San Antonio Real Estate, San Antonio Realty, San Antonio Realty Market Report

Posted by Randy Kelley | Filed Under Randolph AFB, Lackland AFB, Brooks AFB, Uncategorized

Buying A Newly Constructed San Antonio Home

August 12, 2010 | Leave a Comment

It’s always worthwhile to look at the new home builders’ products. A newly built home’s appeal is great. It’s easy to see why. Each year, the builders seem to have more and more enticing features built into their products. The homes are new and unspoiled. They don’t have the expected wear and tear found in every resale home, no matter its age. The builders’ lending programs are very competitive and the builders offer additional incentives to encourage the buyer to use their affiliate lenders.

That said, be cautious if you decide to buy a new construction product . It’s not in your best interest to rely on the sales representative and construction staff to adequately represent your interests. Take along someone who knows the hooks and pitfalls of every new home buyer incentive and mortgage loan program. Use someone who knows how to monitor the process from contract writing to closing and who’s ready to step in on your behalf is something goes awry.

If you decide to buy a new construction home - or a resale - we”ll be happy to help.

Posted by Randy Kelley | Filed Under Randolph AFB, Lackland AFB, Brooks AFB, Uncategorized

Taxes, Auto Registration And Insurance For San Antonio PCS

August 10, 2010 | Leave a Comment

If you’re PCS’ing to a military installation near San Antonio, you’ll want to know about local taxes and the costs of registering your automobile and insuring your home. Here are the facts:

The area’s sales tax rate averages 8.125% but may vary a little between the various incorporated jurisdictions in and around San Antonio and Bexar County.

The real estate property tax varies between jurisdictions and is influenced mostly by the school tax component. Count on approximately 3% for the more costly school districts to as low as 2% or less for rural areas.

What about homeowner’s insurance? The cost will vary between insurers. As a rule of thumb, count on paying approximately .005 times your home’s value.

And now, what about the cost of bringing a non-Texas registered auto into the area? You’ll pay a registration fee of $60 to $90, a title application fee of $28 to $33 - depending on the county - and a new resident auto tax of $90. You’ll required to have the auto inspected. That will cost approximately $18.00.

Posted by Randy Kelley | Filed Under Randolph AFB, Lackland AFB, Brooks AFB, Uncategorized

San Antonio Home Property Taxes

July 30, 2010 | Leave a Comment

So, what can a home buyer expect to pay in yearly real estate taxes in and around San Antonio and Bexar and adjoining counties?

The following is a very good article from the Bexar County tax assessor’s website. It’s worth reading because it explains how the property taxes are set and collected, but doesn’t specifically address tax rates.

To save research time, simply contact a San Antonio area real estate advisor and ask for tax information on a representative property meeting your home ownership wants and needs. For example, tell the advisor you want to know about property taxes for the average recent vintage $100,000, 3 bedroom, 2 and 1/2 bath, 2 car garage home near Randolph Air Force Base.

Your real estate advisor should be able to tell you very quickly about the average property tax bill for such a property. By the way, the answer is approximately $3,000 per year.

Here’s the article explaining the Texas property tax system:

Property Taxes. Property taxes are local taxes. Local officials value your property, set your tax rates, and collect your taxes. State law governs how this process works.There are four main parts to the property tax system. The appraisal district values property, administers exemptions, calculates tax ceilings and maintains current ownership information on the appraisal records. The appraisal review board is a panel made up of people from the local community. They are independent from the appraisal district. They settle any disagreements between the appraisal district and the property owner about the valuation of the property. The governing bodies of the taxing units, such as the city councils, school boards, or county commissioners decide the annual budgets and set the tax rates. This determines the total amount of taxes to be paid. The tax office calculates the levy, mails the statements, collects the taxes and disburses the tax revenue to the taxing units.The Bexar County Tax Office collects taxes for 52 taxing entities. All property in Bexar County is taxable by the county, Flood Control, Alamo Community College District, University Health System, San Antonio River Authority and one of the independent school districts. There may also be additional taxes for cities or towns, or special districts such as municipal utility and Emergency Service Districts.Property taxes are a major source of funding for local services. They help pay for public schools, community health services, fire and police protection, streets, roads, flood control projects, and many other services.The property tax is an ad valorem tax. Ad valorem is a Latin phrase which means according to value. The tax is based on the value of the property. For example the property tax on land valued at $10,000 will be ten times higher than land valued at $1,000.

All property is taxable unless state or federal law exempts all or part of the value. Total exemptions may be granted for public properties or those owned by qualifying organizations such as churches, schools, or charitable organizations. A partial property tax exemption excludes part of a property´s value from taxation (i.e., General Residential Homestead, Over-65 Homestead, Disability Homestead and Disabled Veterans Exemptions).

What a property is used for on January 1, market conditions at the time, and who owns the property on that date, determine whether the property is taxed, its value, and who is responsible for paying the tax. A tax lien attaches to property on January 1 to secure payment of taxes for the year.

END OF ARTICLE

Of course, we’ll be pleased to answer your property tax questions and, if you’re a buyer looking to visit listings or a seller wanting to sell ahome, we can help.

Posted by Randy Kelley | Filed Under Randolph AFB, Lackland AFB, Brooks AFB, Uncategorized

Buying A San Antonio Home - Tips For Coming Up With A Down Payment

July 29, 2010 | Leave a Comment

If you’re looking to buy a San Antonio home and you’re entitled to VA mortgage loan benefits, you’ll most likely use a VA mortgage to make your purchase. Why? Because your VA mortgage loan provides 100% financing, ie., you can be in with no down payment.

But, what if you can’t qualify for a VA mortgage loan?

The good news is this. In today’s market, if your credit score (minimum 620) and your debt-to-income ratios are good, there will be a mortgage loan program available for you. The bad news is this. You’ll have to come up with a down payment.

So, how do you come up with down payment money?

Click here for timely tips offered by San Francisco blogger Tara-Nicholle Nelson. It’s a good article - well worth the reading.

And, of course, when you’re ready to visit homes for sale and deal with mortgage lenders, we can help. We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® of Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at 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.

Posted by Randy Kelley | Filed Under Randolph AFB, Lackland AFB, Brooks AFB, Uncategorized

San Antonio Foreclosure Homes

July 28, 2010 | Leave a Comment

So, you might want to buy a “foreclosure?”

You’ve heard a foreclosure might be an opportunity to snag a home for a bargain price. But, what, exactly, is a foreclosure?

The term “foreclosure” is defined by the status of the property.

First, there is the foreclosure being auctioned at the courthouse steps by a trustee representing the lender after the homeowner has defaulted on the mortgage payments. This type of foreclosure is risky and most buyers avoid taking the risk if they aren’t well versed with the legal and technical aspects of buying a foreclosure auction property.

Second, there is the foreclosure that has already been sold at the courthouse steps and, more often than not, bought by the lender foreclosing on the property in the first place. These foreclosure properties are most commonly referred to as REO (real estate owned) properties, meaning they are owned by lending institutions. Usually, a REO is eventually listed for sale in the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS).

Third, there is foreclosure signed over to the government by a lender after a borrower has defaulted on a FHA or VA loan. The lender gets the loan insurance proceeds guaranteed by the FHA or VA program and gets off the hook. The government takes over, MLS advertises the property, and, through an intermediary asset manager, sells the property.

A foreclosure may be a good deal, but don’t count on it in the San Antonio realty market. It seems like our market has stayed too healthy to drive down the value of foreclosures in good condition. The best foreclosures can even sell for a price above market value.

If you find a foreclosure that meets your needs, seek the assistance of an experienced realty advisor to help you through the bidding process.

We can help. We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® of Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. If you have questions, need San Antonio realty or mortgage loan advice or assistance, or just want to chat a bit about the wonderful Alamo City, please call us at (210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743, or E-mail us at 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.

Posted by Randy Kelley | Filed Under Randolph AFB, Lackland AFB, Brooks AFB, Uncategorized