Shirley's San Antonio Real Estate Blog: July 2008

President Bush has signed into law the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. This is great news for everyone: REALTORS®, consumers, and our entire nation.  Homebuyers will soon have access to more affordable financing and first time home buyers, including those who have not owned a home for three years, will receive a tax credit to help them become homeowners.  Thankfully, San Antonio has not experienced a real estate crisis like many other areas but this should help more buyers get into homes.

Relocating to or from San Antonio? 

Compare my incentive program to USAA Movers Advantage

Shirley Parks, REALTOR®:

• Is a dedicated professional who is focused on your satisfaction
• Is an agent who understands your needs and neighborhood
• Is with you every step of the way ensure your needs are met
• Acts as your advocate if questions or issues arise
• Cash Bonus:  In San Antonio get up to $1550 when you buy or sell your home through Shirley Parks.  Receive up to $3100 when you do both.

          Home Value                          Cash Bonus

• Up to $99,999                        $350
• $100,000 - $149,999           $650
• $150,000 - $249,999           $950
• $250,000 - $399,999           $1250
• $400,000 +                            $1550

Ft. Sam Houston, Randolph Air Force Base, Lackland Air Force Base. BAMC.

(The following is quoted from USAA MoversAdvantage website:)

A USAA Movers Advantage agent:

• Is a dedicated professional who is focused on your satisfaction
• Helps you select an agent who understands your needs and neighborhood
• Monitors your agent's performance to ensure your needs are met
• Acts as your advocate if questions or issues arise
• Cash Bonus:  In most states get up to $1550 when you buy or sell your home through Movers Advantage.  Receive up to $3100 when you do both.

          Home Value                 Cash Bonus

• Up to $99,999                   $350
• $100,000 - $149,999         $650
• $150,000 - $249,999         $950
• $250,000 - $399,999         $1250
• $400,000 +                       $1550

(Unquote)

 

    

To search for home listings in San Antonio go to www.shirleyparks.com or call me at 210-414-0966.

                               

Most Realtors require buyers to obtain a pre-approval letter from a mortgage lender before going out to look at homes.  This letter will show that you are a serious buyer and will save both you and your Realtor time and will make the home buying experience a more smooth one.

If you are not certain you can qualify for a mortgage, you may consider asking for an FHA loan.  Always compare an FHA loan with other loan types.  Your lender can help you with this. 

Because FHA insures your mortgage, lenders are more willing to give loans with lower qualifying requirements so its easier for you to qualify.

Even if you have had credit problems, such as bankruptcy, its easier for you to qualify for an FHA loan than a conventional loan.

An FHA loan has a lower downpayment, and that money can come from a family member, employer or charitable organization. Other loans don't allow this.

Many times, FHA loans have competitive interest rates because the loans are insured by the Federal Government. 

To search for home listings in San Antonio go to www.shirleyparks.com or call me at 210-414-0966.

No, no, no. The seller should not be present for the inspection.  And I have never had the seller present at the inspection until recently.  I was surprised to find him there and when I saw that he was not leaving, I stepped outside and called his agent and was told that they couldn't ask him to leave.  Oh, he was very nice, very charming, very engaging, very helpful.  But he didn't need to be there.

Having the seller present inhibits communication between the inspector and the buyer. This is frustrating for the buyer and probably for the inspector as well. When the inspection was complete the seller was the first to pipe up and ask how it went. The inspector said something neutral that I feel was interpreted by the seller that no problems were found.  And of course there were problems which were laid out in the report the buyer and I received later that evening by email.

The buyer pays for the inspection.  The buyer should be able to meet with the inspector and freely discuss the house without thinking about hurting the seller's feelings or worse, getting into an argument over the condition of the home.  In the future I will emphasize to the seller's agent that we need to inspect the home without the seller being present.

Go away, Mr. Seller!

The smallest of all San Antonio's historical Mission churches and the most elegant in its' simplicity, San Juan de Capistrano is the third in the chain of the five missions going south from Mission San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo) along the San Antonio River. Originally built in east Texas, Mission San Juan was moved to its present location in 1731. The mission served as housing for the friars, settlers, and Indian inhabitants who farmed fruit and vegetables.  A granary was operated on the property. Mexican troops were garrisoned here as well. Irrigation provided the ability to produce more crops in the fields outside the mission compound and 20 miles away the mission maintained a ranch where both sheep and cattle were raised. Workshops at the mission produced iron tools, wove cloth, and tanned hides. The mission was self-sufficient and livable for many years, developing a successful trading network for their surpus production.  Later the population declined and the progress on the building of a larger chruch was abandoned. The unfinished new church building is still standing on the grounds.

The San Antonio River served the water needs of the misson.  The San Juan Acequia (aqueduct), which is still functioning and was recently restored, holds the oldest water rights in the state.

Today, Misson San Juan de Capistrano is still used as a parish church (as are all the Mission churches here in San Antonio) and the restored convent building is used for visitor center. The open three bell tower, simple interior, and unrestored exterior give San Juan the quietest and most isolated feel of all the missions. 

www.shirleyparks.com

In line with Pentagon plans to covert Fort Sam Houston into a major military center for medical training and treatment, the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved $719 million for construction projects at the army post next year, according to the San Antonio Express-News.   On July the Bexar county commissioners voted to spend $900 million to expand the University Hospital and clinics, which will complement the San Antonio Military Medical Center at Ft. Sam Houston.  In total San Antonio bases would receive nearly $850 million for projects in fiscal year 2009, beginning Oct. 1.  Funding for Fort Sam and the new Medical Education and Training Campus will help create the world's largest military medical and education and training institution.

Conversion of Brooke Army Medical Center into the new San Antonio Military Medical Center is expected to cost $1.5 billion and be completed by 2011.  In addition, Lackland Air Force Base would receive $127 million and  Randolph Air Force Base would receive $2.3 million. These projects are part of a $119.7 billion spending bill for military construction projects sought by the Pentagon and ordered by the 2005 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission.

The expansion at Ft. Sam Houston and Brooke Army Medical Center, BAMC, is expected bring 5,000 personnel and 9,000 students to San Antonio. The Pentagon plans to create two major military medical centers, one at Fort Sam and  one at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD.

What is good for Ft. Sam, Randolph AFB, Lackland AFB, and BAMC is good for the city and for real estate in San Antonio.   Remember, for relocations to/from San Antonio I match incentives offered by USAA, NFCU, and others.  Call anytime for details!

 

For some reason that old song that goes "Look down my rain barrel, slide down my cellar door" is stuck in my mind today. Actually, the idea from "back in the day" of rain barrels would be a wonderful green idea for today.  We are moving toward more solar power and wind power and should be thinking of water conservation as well.

Getting a rain barrel or two for your yard is a simple and time honored way to collect and reuse rainwater.  The barrel can be placed under a downspout and it will fill up quickly.  A screen can be installed on top of the barrel to keep out mosquitoes, bugs, leaves, and other debris.  Barrels made especially for this purpose come with an overflow and a spigot to attach to a hose.  This system is great for saving on your water bill and yet having enough water to keep your lawn and garden green and vital.  Water is our most precious natural resource. 

There are about 10,000 rainwater-harvesting systems in Texas, including about 1,000 that serve as the sole water source for a home.   Few people living in a city or suburbs would be interested in whole-house rain harvesting systems but for a rural area, they make a lot of sense. 

                                        

Fort Sam Houston is named for the first president of the Republic of Texas and leader of the Texan Army in the fight for independence from Mexico. The historic post serves as headquarters for the U.S. Army Medical Command and the Fifth U.S. Army.  Some little known and well known facts:

• Fort Sam Houston was first established in 1845.
• The Army brought camels here to haul cargo in pre-civil war days.
• Apache chief Geronimo was held prisoner here after his surrender in Arizona.
• Deer have been kept in the Quadrangle for more than 100 years. Legend says that since Geronimo refused to eat Army food, wild animals were brought in for his benefit.
• In 1898 the fort served as a rendezvous for Col. Leonard Wood and Lt. Col. Theodore Roosevelt's "Rough Riders," before their departure for Cuba during the Spanish American War.
• The fort supplied the men and materials for Brig. Gen. John J. "Black Jack" Pershing's campaign against Pancho Villa in 1916.
• Military aviation got it's start here in 1910 under the control of military aviation pioneer, Lt Benjamin D. Foulois, the first military man to teach himself to fly and the first and only military test pilot flying "Old No. 1."
• Porfirio Salinas, President Johnson's favorite painter, served here during World War II and painted murals and landscapes in the barracks and mess halls.  
• BG David Stanley lived in the Commanding General's Quarters longer than any other resident - 1884-1892.
• Ike and Mamie Eisenhower resided in two different houses on Ft. Sam.
• German, Japanese and Italian prisoners of war were held on Dodd Field during World War II.  The Geneva Convention of 1929 requires that prisoners of war be moved to a climate similar to that where they are captured; apparently it was thought that the climate of Texas is similar to that of North Africa.
• Fort Sam Houston has the more historic structures than on any active military installation in the US.
• Within the state of Texas, the Quadrangle (the original post) is outranked in historic significance only by the Alamo.
• Distinguished Americans who served here include two Presidents, one Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, twelve Army Chiefs of Staff, two Air Force Chiefs of Staff, the first Sergeant Major of the Army, and a host of Army Surgeons General.
• 21 U. S. Navy ships have been named for soldiers associated with Fort Sam Houston.
• General Douglas MacArthur, Apollo I Crew member Lt Col Edward White, Colonel Oliver North, Presidential candidate and commentator Alan Keyes, Actor Peter Weller, and  Basketball great Shaquille O'Neal all lived here when their fathers were stationed at Ft. Sam Houston.

 Pershing House at Ft. Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas

You can't talk your way out of what you've behaved yourself into. 

There are three constants in life... change, choice, and principles. 

It's easy to say ''no!'' when there's a deeper ''yes!'' burning inside.

While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions.

When my granddaughter was three years old, she started expressing concern that she didn't know how to read.  This seemed to be of great importance to her and she would often attempt guessing (usually correctly) the words she saw on public signs.  When she started school, she learned to read quickly and was soon reading at an adult level, becoming the only child allowed to read aloud to her class.  At 14 she is an avid reader and since she reads through books quickly, my daughter told me she has stopping buying books and now checks books out at the library.  I will be vacationing with my daughters and granddaughter next month and have been thinking of books to carry along that a ninth grader may enjoy. Here are some of my choices (that is, if she hasn't read them already): 

The Call of the Wild

Jack London's classic, first published in 1903, about surviving the Alaskan wilderness sparked life into a genre still gaining popularity with newer books like Into the Wild. London uses his experiences of prospecting for gold in Canada, and a great deal of his philosophy of existence and perseverance gained there to tell the story of the dog Buck and his adventures.  I read this book in high school and loved it.  Another Jack London story I love is To Build a Fire.  On second thought, I will add this story as well.

The Martian Chronicles

Though not a typical school novel, Bradbury's book brings together a number of short stories about an odyssey to Mars and the Martians' response to humans. Though many of the stories are humorous, some have a somber tone. Bradbury was asking his 1940's audience to use their imaginations and imagine the world of 1999, today's readers will appreciate Bradbury's wit, humor, and social commentary.  I have not yet read this book.

Farewell to Manzanar

Jeanne Wakatsuki-Houston writes about her life as an 8 year old, uprooted from her home during World War II and placed in an internment camp with her family and other Japanese-American families.  Their lives are turned upside down after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, a time when all Japanese-Americans were unwitting victims of government fear of possible alliances with the Japanese. The Wakatsuki's are no different, and they are hauled off to Manzanar, an internment camp in California where Jeanne is forced to grow up and discover that, regardless of how people treat her, she still had her own distinct and valuable identity, and she had something to say to the world.  Loved this book - I read it for the first time a few years ago and would read it again.

The Chosen

This book is said to be a page-turner and a heart-wrenching story of two young Jewish boys and their struggle to find acceptance both outside the Jewish community and within their own community.  This struggle has more significance to their lives than they first think. The adventures the boys embark on an include hospital time, adventure in the library, and learning to communicate with their parents n a more mature manner.  I have not read the book but it sounds like a good read for a ninth grader.

Any more suggestions, anyone?