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.
Things To Do This San Antonio, Texas, Halloween
October 28, 2011 | Leave a Comment
If you are looking to buy or sell a haunted or not-haunted San Antonio home, visit
our world class listings search engine
otherwise, pass on (he.he) to the Texas Home Girl’s report of things to do on Halloween in San Antonio. The Home Girls’s report is found here:
The SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team wishes you a BOO-TIFUL Halloween 2011.
Witte Museum Free Halloween Admission
October 27, 2011 | Leave a Comment
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OUR WORLD CLASS RESIDENTIAL REALTY SEARCH ENGINE
Rent And Sale Prices In San Antonio Could Signal A Buyer’s Swing
October 26, 2011 | Leave a Comment
IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO BUY OR SELL A SAN ANTONIO AREA HOME, VISIT
OUR WORLD CLASS RESIDENTIAL REALTY SEARCH ENGINE
The following excellent article is writted by Kala Bell, our guest blogger from the University of Michigan:
RENT & SALE PRICES IN SAN ANTONIO COULD SIGNAL A BUYERS’ SWING
In most housing markets, the fall and winter months can often signal a slow period for both buyers and sellers. With the holidays accproaching, many families often get locked in and restart their search after the New Year begins. While this may often be true, trends and statistics often help to determine the market. Buyers who are on the fence are looking to reap the benefits of good trends and the San Antonio area offers up some appealing figures for buyers as October draws to a close.
The numbers for rentals in San Antonio are in for the fall season and they are telling for interested buyers. Right now, San Antonio apartments are averaging $758 per month. This is a 2.4 percent increase from the rent averages in 2010. Rentals in the area are at 93.5 percent occupancy, which signals low rental inventory and the possibility for even more rising rates.
With the rental rates up in San Antonio, potential buyers who are on the fence could certainly be tempted to pull the trigger on a possible new home. Median price in the area is also certain to have an effect on the feelings of potential buyers. Sale prices are down about 3 percent from 2010. In September, the median sale price in San Antonio was $183,762.
Also in September, the San Antonio housing sales numbers were very promising. An eight percent increase in sales over 2010 reflects an area market that could be primed for resurgence. Buyers can take note of the record low mortgage rates throughout the nation and in San Antonio, specifically. A 30 year, fixed rate mortgage is now as low as 3.94 percent, marking the first time a 30 year has dropped below 4 percent.
Inventory has been down for homes as well, however the average time on the market has gone up for homes. The market has stayed pretty steady in the San Antonio area for the past year. This is a good sign, as many other areas through the nation have taken catastrophic hits in the same time period. The San Antonio area, as well as other major Texas hubs, should continue to do well as many places in the country experience issues. With this area often driven by the oil industry, the region seems to be better off, especially when it comes to unemployment.
The San Antonio real estate market should continue to stay steady with the possible hope for a full bounce back some time in 2012. The numbers from January to September of 2011 are telling, signaling a hopeful resurgence in the late months of the year and early part of 2012.
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Many thanks, Kala, for your excellent analysis and thought prov0king blog article. We look forward to hearing from you again very soon.
This blog is brought to you by Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. We are professional residential realty analysts and negotiators. If you are looking to buy or sell a home, our goal is to help you get the best price, terms, and conditions. Visit us at sanantoniohomequest.com .
Brooks Air Force Base Is No More
October 18, 2011 | Leave a Comment
IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO BUY OR SELL A SAN ANTONIO AREA HOME, VISIT
OUR WORLD CLASS RESIDENTIAL REALTY SEARCH ENGINE.
BROOKS AIR FORCE BASE IS NO MORE
On Monday, 29 August 2011, the 95 year old mission of Brooks Air Force Base ended.
Actually, it hasn’t been Brooks Air Force Base since the 1990’s after Brooks Development Authority was chartered to arrange a partnership between the Air Force and private science and technology interests to privitize the base. At that time, it was renamed Brooks City Base.
So, Brooks Air Force Base is no more. On it’s grounds will be a $27,000,000 apartment complex and San Antonio’s 911 Call Center facility. There are also many non-military tenants already on site and additional plans are in the works to use the old base’s structures and grounds for multi-use purposes.
Is the U.S. Air Force mission totally gone for Brooks City Base? Not at all, because many Air Force activities will continue to reside there in a tenant status.
For more information and a complete list of government and non-government tenants, visit Brooks City Base’s website at www.brookscity-base.com/Partners/Tenants/.
If you are looking to buy or sell a San Antonio area home, please visit our sanantoniohomequest.com website for the latest in realty news and access to our world class residential listings search engine.
Brought to you by Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors, professional residential realty analysts and negotiators at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. We specialize in helping realty consumers get the best terms, conditions, and price for their real estate investments.
