Why not?

We’re situated at the front gate of the highly lucrative and rapidly growing Eagle Ford shale oil boom.

Each month, we’re growing or attracting a diverse mix of new and relocating businesses and bringing in new Air Force, Army, and Navy personnel and their families to the sprawling Joint Base San Antonio complexes.

We have a relatively low unemployment rate when compared to America’s other large metropolitan areas and the nation in general.

Population growth is steady and well supported by the local economic, health and government services infrastructures.

So, what does such favorable economic news mean for San Antonio home buyers and sellers?

In January, we were seeing signs of an impressive 2012 sales year for both the residential construction and resale housing markets. Now, in early February, thanks to the aforementioned factors coupled with historically low mortgage interest rates, we are experiencing an exceptionally active early winter realty sales season.

Just look! Here’s the picture in and around San Antonio as of 4 February 2012:

Reasonably priced and well prepared resale homes are selling exceptionally well and new home builders are responding to better conditions by producing a larger inventory of production homes.

There are 9, 913 homes listed for sale compared to 11,399 one year ago.

The listings inventory is exceptionally low but will likely trend steadily upward as late winter/early spring listings are brought to market.

For the time being, the market has drifted into the 6 months supply range, reflecting a balanced market (a condition not seen in San Antonio for many years). A balanced market favors neither buyers nor sellers.

The average sales price for the most recent closings is $179,728 compared to last year’s $187,762.

Nonetheless, closed sale prices are steadily rising - a trend likely to continue through the higher paced late winter/spring and summer home selling seasons. That’s a good sign for sellers.

Average cumulative-days-on-the-market (CDOM) for the most recent sales is 147 compared to 137 last year. A continuing downward trend is expected. That’s a positive sign for home sellers and the San Antonio realty market generally.

Industry analysts see these data as reflecting a basically balanced housing market that is more likely than not to soon favor sellers over buyers.

That’s all for our February 2012 San Antonio realty market report. We encourage reader comments and recommendations about how to make our reports more informative and useful.

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® at 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 (Randy) or (210) 867-8743 (Stephanie), or email 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.

Go here to learn about our 2012 Reward Program For Public Service Home Buyers:  http://www.airforcepcs.com/2012/01/10/public-service-reward-program-for-san-antonio-home-buying/

Please contact us if you have questions about the residential real estate market in communities near Lackland and Randolph Air Force Base, the Kelly and Medina Annexes, Fort Sam Houston, and Camp Bullis.

Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Real Estate Analysts and Negotiators

kelleybus@aol.com or swkrealtor@aol.com

(210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743

The San Antonio Home Quest Realty Solutions Team

sanantoniohomequest.com

Keller Williams Legacy

Contact us for more information or an appointment to visit this or any residential property for sale in the San Antonio military bases area.  Ask us about your eligibility for our Public Service Reward Program For San Antonio Home Buying.

Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Real Estate Analysts and Negotiators

kelleybus@aol.com or swkrealtor@aol.com

(210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743

The San Antonio Home Quest Realty Solutions Team

Keller Williams Legacy

Contact us for more information or an appointment to visit this or any residential property for sale in the San Antonio, Randolph AFB, and Fort Sam Houston area.

Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Real Estate Analysts and Negotiators

kelleybus@aol.com

(210) 863-2661 or (210) 867-8743

The San Antonio Home Quest Realty Solutions Team

Keller Williams Legacy  

http://www.sanantoniohomequest.com/ext-search-listings.asp

We pay you to use us as your realty analysts and negotiators.  Go to this AirForcePCS.com blog article for the latest information about our highly regarded Public Service Home Buyer Award Program:

http://www.airforcepcs.com/2012/01/10/public-service-reward-program-for-san-antonio-home-buying/

If you have questions about, or want to visit, any Randolph AFB listing found on the Internet, please contact Randy at (210) 863-2661 - kelleybus@aol.com - or Stephanie at (210) 867-8743 - swkrealtor@aol.com .

Serving the San Antonio, Bulverde, Schertz, Cibolo, and Selma communities since 1992, we are the SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team.

If you are an active duty or retired uniformed services member, a uniformed services veteran, an active or retired teacher, active or retired government civil service or public service employee, or a survivor thereof, you are eligible for SanAntonioHomeQuest’s Public Service Reward Program .

Our calendar year 2012 program is offered to qualified buyers using our home buyer representation services to close on the purchase of a newly constructed or resale home on or before 30 April 2012.

San Antonio Home Quest’s Public Service Reward Program is very similar to USAA’s Mover’s Advantage Program.

Here’s what it’s worth to you:

Home Purchase Price       Reward

$1 - $99,999                          $350
$100,000-$149,999               $650
$150,000-$249,999               $950
$250,000-$399,999            $1,250
$400,000+                          $1,550

If you want detailed information about our Public Service Reward Program, please contact a member of our team telephonically, via email, or by filling out the buyer info here (mention Reward Program in Additional Information).

We’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® , sanantoniohomequest.com at Keller Williams Legacy, San Antonio, Texas. Contact us at (210) 863-2661 for Randy, or (210) 867-8763 for Stephanie, or E-mail us at swkrealtor@aol.com, or kelleybus@aol.com.  Our broker is Steven Gragg at (210) 482-3200.

Mortgage interest rates are at historic lows. Now is the time to get $417,000
or more through your VA Home Loan benefit.

Buy a home or  refinance now to

Lock In A Low Rate and Lower Monthly Payments
With No Downpayment or PMI Required
Or To Pay Off Higher-Rate Balances
Or To Pay Off a Second Mortgage

These San Antonio VA Home Loan lenders can help you buy or refinance :

Jamie Spanley

Mortgage Banking Officer

Physician And Other Professional Loan Programs & VA Loans

BBVA Compass Bank, San Antonio

200 Concord Plaza, Ste 600

San Antonio, TX 78216

(210) 370-6028 (office)

(210) 274-5011 (cell)

(866) 491-5619 (fax)

jaime.spanley@bbvacompass.com

or

Patrick Fitzgerald

Senior Loan Officer and Military Expert

Prime Lending

(210) 483-4900 (office)

(800) 671-4995 (toll free)

(210) 862-6296 (mobile)

(877) 877-9028 (fax)

Pat@PrimeLending.com

or

J.P. Watkins, Mortgage Broker

True Texas Lending, LLC

9311 San Pedro , Ste 100

San Antonio, TX 78216

Toll Free (1-800) 460-6990

Office: (210) 490-4253

Cell: (210) 837-3006

FAX: (210) 490-7253

Jpwatkins@truetexaslending.com

or

Melissa Kulikoff

Sr. Loan Officer

AMCAP Mortgage, Ltd.

Cell: (210) 849-9030

Fax: (210) 957-8535

yourtexaslender@gmail.com

Now, as San Antonio enters the New Year, there are clearly impressive indications that the Alamo City area is likely to see remarkable economic strides - and an interesting housing market - in the coming months.

Who are experts supporting that conclusion?

First, the respected Milliken Institute recently ranked San Antonio as number 1 on its annual list of Best Performing Cities Index. Second, Livability.com ranks San Antonio second among the best 10 places in the Nation for recent college graduates. Third, in an article last July, Forbes Magazine ranked San Antonio as number 4 in its list of the nation’s next boom towns. Fourth, Kiplinger Magazine gives San Antonio high rankings as a “best value city.” The list goes on and on.

Significantly, the last time San Antonio received such high rankings from so many quarters heralded the city’s historic 2006 realty boom. Is it possible that 2012 will see the return of a frantic residential realty market like 2006? It’s possible, but not likely, because the nation’s slowly progressing economic recovery should check what could otherwise be an overheated 2012 San Antonio realty market.

Nevertheless, as pointed out in our preceding Realty Times articles, many favorable factors are converging to make 2012 an exceptional realty year for San Antonio/Bexar County and the surrounding counties and communities. Specifically, the area’s employment rate is high, the population growth is steady, and, compared to other large metropolitan areas, home prices are more reasonable than average. Mortgage rates remain historically low and lenders are aggressively seeking qualified home buyers. The Eagle Ford Shale oil play just south of town is infusing manpower, money, and materiel into the economy and spurring high demand for housing for oil and gas industry workers and their families.

To say the least, there’s ample reason to believe that San Antonio’s 2012 realty market will be much more active than in any year since 2006.

For data lovers, here’s the picture in and around San Antonio as of 2 January 2012:

Reasonably priced and well prepared resale homes are selling exceptionally well and new home builders are responding to better conditions by bringing more new homes into production.

There are 9, 598 homes listed for sale compared to 10,984 one year ago. The inventory is exceptionally low but will likely trend steadily upward as New Year listings are brought to market. For the time being, the market has drifted into the 6 months supply range, reflecting a balanced market (a condition not seen in San Antonio for many years). A balanced market favors neither buyers nor sellers.

The average sales price for the most recent closings is $181,030 compared to last year’s $190,656. Sales prices are rising - a trend likely to continue through the higher paced late winter/spring and summer home selling seasons. That’s a good sign for sellers.

Average cumulative-days-on-the-market (CDOM) for the most recent sales is 149 compared to 144 last year. A continuing downward trend is expected. That’s a positive sign for home sellers and the San Antonio realty market generally.

Industry analysts see these data as reflecting a housing market slightly favoring seller’s over buyers.

That’s all for our January 2012 San Antonio realty market report. We encourage reader comments and recommendations about how to make our reports more informative and useful.

Wishing you and yours a Happy New, we’re Stephanie and Randy Kelley, Realtors® at 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, and areas surrounding our Air Force bases and other military installations, please call us at (210) 863-2661 (Randy) or (210) 867-8743 (Stephanie), or email us at swkrealtor@aol.com or kelleybus@aol.com. Our SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team is always eager to help you with your San Antonio military base area realty needs.

If you’re spending a lot of time surfing the Internet looking for San Antonio area listings be aware that all of the Internet search venues, including the one at SanAntonioHomeQuest.com, aren’t in real time sync with the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) because they all rely on periodic MLS uploads to stay current. In fact, some of the popular venues are many hours out-of-date.

Consequently, a direct San Antonio MLS search is far superior for detail and timeliness.

Even if you’re making an Air Force PCS to San Antonio next summer or fall, it’s not too early to start receiving detailed MLS listing reports matching your needs and coming to you directly from the San Antonio Multiple Listing Service.

The MLS search engine lets you save promising listings for future reference, and, by the time you arrive for your on-site housing hunt, you’ll be well primed with information about neighborhoods, home styles, builders (yes, you’ll also get occasional listings for new construction homes) and will have a nice list of promising homes to see right away.

There’s one caveat to keep in mind.

Only a Realtor® member of the local MLS can set up a dedicated search for you. So, if you want an ongoing automated MLS search set up in your name, you must call or send an email request to a San Antonio real estate professional of your choice.

Be sure to describe your ideal home in detail because the MLS search is highly flexible and can be exceptionally specific in terms of your home ownership wants and needs. Ask for your search to be set up as soon as possible. 

Be prepared to hear back and expect the Realtor® to explain how he or she can serve your consumer interests as your buyer agent.  That’s cool, because the majority of home buyers in the San Antonio area are represented by buyer agents and someday you’ll have to decide which agent will best represent you.

The  SanAntonioHomeQuest.com Realty Solutions Team will set up a free direct San Antonio MLS search for you without any obligation on your part. 

Just describe your ideal home in an email to kelleybus@aol.com or swkrealtor@aol.com or call Randy at (210) 863-2661 or Stephanie at (210) 867-8743. 

Comparing economic growth and prosperity for 200 large metropolitan areas,  the Milliken Institute has ranked San Antonio as number 1 on its Index of Best Performing Cities for 2011.

The Milliken Institute is an economic think tank whose mission is to improve the lives and economic conditions of people in the United States and around the world.

San Antonio was previously 13 places below other large U.S.  cities, but, this year, after considering San Antonio’s strong performace in the areas of  job availability, wages, and technological advancement, the Institute moved San Antonio to the top position.

Contributing factors were economic boosts realized from the area’s Military Base Realignment and Closing projects (about $3.8 billion in facility construction) and the financial impact of the Eagle Ford Shale oil and gas boom underway just south of the city.

How do those conditions impact on area military  home buyers and sellers?

The new year is  likely to see an unusually active realty market, shifting gradually from the current weak buyer’s market to a balanced market favoring neither buyer’s or sellers and seeing a significant reduction in the inventory of available homes and corresponding price increases for both resale and new construction homes.

This blog is brought to you by SanAntonioHomeQuest.com.  The members of our Realty Solutions Team are professional residential realty analysts and negotiators dedicated to helping our clients get the best price, terms, and conditions for their real estate investment.  Please call on us when need advice about the best way to go about buying or selling a San Antonio home.

Contact Randy Kelley at (210)  863-2661 - kelleybus@aol.com - or Stephanie Kelley at (210) 867-8743 - swkrealtor@aol.com  .