Shirley's San Antonio Real Estate Blog: August 2009

Homes in Green Spring Valley

Located in the North East Independent School District, NEISD, Green Spring Valley is an established neighborhood nestled among 167 acres of peaceful wooded winding streets.  You may feel like you're in the country here but Green Spring Valley is located a mile inside Loop 1604 off Bulverde Road and convenient to shopping and entertainment.

Green Spring Valley has a recreation center with swimming pool, wading pool, and a cabana sheltered under giant oak trees.  There are lighted tennis courts, basketball court, and sand volleyball court.  There is a new play area for the kids complete with a sitting area for adults.  There's also a 32 acre nature preserve with jogging trails, a picnic grove, baseball and soccer fields, and a "wildscape" for nature lovers.

To view homes in Green Spring Valley or any area of San Antonio, contact me at 210-414-0966.  To search the MLS and view these listings go to my website www.shirleyparks.com.

Graphic: San Antonio Board of Realtors

San Antonio Neighborhoods Series ~ Monte Vista

Monte Vista is included in the National Register of Historic Places and is the largest such historical district in the country.  The area is located less than 2 miles from downtown San Antonio and borders Trinity University.

Monte Vista prospered and blossomed during San Antonio's "Gilded Age" between 1890 and 1930 when the city emerged from being just an outpost for cattle drives and became the place where many rich people, particularly cattle barons and oilmen, started having elegant homes built in which to live and raise their families.  Instead of the usual Spanish style architecture, San Antonio architects designed diverse homes in the style of Queen Anne, Georgian, Victorian, Neoclassical, Moorish, and many more styles that give Monte Vista a unique flavor all its own.

Monte Vista is known as a showcase of architectural diversity with homes designed by more than two dozen architects who adapted national trends to create an interesting mix of distinctive homes built for both the wealthy and for those of lesser means.  This resulted in a mix of wealthy ranchers and oilmen living in the same neighborhood as schoolteachers, but with all living in houses designed and built by talented architects and builders.

Monte Vista has never fallen into decline and is the most extensive and intact neighborhood of this historical era in Texas. 

Currently, the most expensive home on the MLS is listed at $995,000.  This is a 3686 sf, 4 bedroom, 4.5 bath home that was built in 1929 and set on 1.10 acres.  The listing agent says it is a historically significant home, built by famed architect Adams & Adams [for] concrete baron Charles Baumberger.  The home has a guest house and maid's quarters.

Below is a photo of Bonner Garden Bed & Breakfast in the Monte Vista district. 

Photo courtesy Bonner Garden Bed & Breakfast

San Antonio Neighborhoods ~ King William

The King William National Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places.  It carries much historical and cultural importance and is protected by city ordinances.

A little bit of history:  The King William area was originally farmland, owned by the Mission San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo) and irrigated by acequias flowing from the San Antonio River.  By the early 1800's the missions were fully secularized, and the farmland was bought, sold, and divided into tracts by land speculators beginning in the 1840's.

One of the earliest settlers was Carl Guenther, a German immigrant who built the Pioneer Flour mill on the lower San Antonio River.  Other German immigrants discovered the area and began building mansions in the Greek Revival, Victorian, and Italian architectural styles. Ernst Altgelt, the first resident to build on King William Street, is said to have named the street after King Wilhelm I of Prussia.

As of today the most expensive home listed in the MLS for King William is a 4 bedroom, 4.5 bath, 6568 sf home built in 1893 listed at $2,680,000.  The home is a .63 acre compound on the banks of the San Antonio River.  According to the listing, it has a main house, a large guest home and separate studio.  There are extensive patios, a pool, and an outdoor kitchen. (It is not the house shown below.)

Tax free shopping holiday begins tomorrow, August 21.

This year for the first time school supplies have been added to the tax-free shopping list. This should help many parents save by shopping during the upcoming tax free holiday, which runs Friday through Sunday.

Texas shoppers will be exempt from local and state sales taxes for many school-related items during this time. Shoppers should save about 8% or $8 on every $100 spent.  The Texas comptroller has exempted from sales tax clothing and footwear under $100, backpacks under $100 for elementary and secondary students, and layaway items.

New this year will be a tax cut on items such as pens, paper, binders, notebooks and other standard school supplies.  Also exempt are messenger bags and backpacks with wheels as long as they can be attached to the back like a regular backpack.

There are some limitations on tax free shopping such as luggage, briefcases, athletic/duffel/gym bags, computer bags, purses or framed backpacks. No more than 10 backpacks can be purchased at one time without an exemption certificate.

The tax break is estimated to save families nearly $9 million in state and local sales taxes this year on school supplies, for a total savings of $65.7 million in state and local sales taxes, according to the Texas comptroller's office.

Retailers will observe extended hours during the tax-free shopping holiday. Many stores will be open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Do you plan on doing some tax-free shopping week-end? What are you planning to buy?

"The city of comfort and happiness" is the motto of Olmos Park.  That may be because almost every home in Olmos Park is expensive and beautiful.  It could be because Olmos Park is a small incorporated city of about 800 large and lovely homes surrounded by the city of San Antonio, with access to all the conveniences of a big city. 

A little bit of history:  In 1920 H. C. Thorman, an oil and real estate tycoon, bought the land from an Austrian count.  Thorman then created Olmos Park and built it into an upscale suburb of San Antonio.  That "suburb" is now in the heart of San Antonio.

Even if you can't afford to buy a home in Olmos Park but it is worth a visit just to see the amazing architecture of these beautiful homes, surrounded by mature trees and gorgeous landscaping that add to its beauty. It's also a lot of fun to visit the high end boutiques and restaurants located here. Olmos Park is located north of Hildebrand Avenue and east of San Pedro Avenue, near Alamo Heights.  San Antonio Botanical Gardens, Japanese Tea Gardens, McNay Art Museum and the San Antonio Zoo are popular destinations.

The most expensive home in Olmos Park currently listed in the MLS is a 4410 sf 4/4.5/2 on a half acre and offered at $1,795,000.

Olmos Park is in the Alamo Heights Independent School District.  There are private and Catholic schools nearby as well as institutions of higher learning, such as Trinity University.

Terrell Hills

A little bit of history:  Looking back from the vantage point of 2009, I find this story to be quite amusing.  In 1919, a group of 6 families and 3 bachelors organized with the goal of emigrating from the City of San Antonio and settling in a "remote rural area."  They selected a 24 acre tract that was formerly Terrell Farms (which now lies in the heart of San Antonio.) The southern boundary was Terrell Road, Garraty Road to the north, and western border was Eldon Road. The eastern border was Fort Sam Houston and what is now Harry Wurzbach.

In 1939, Maury Maverick* was running for Mayor of the City of San Antonio. He made it known that he would take those "silk stocking areas" in San Antonio and "tax the hell out of them" With that advance notice in mind, Terrell Hills held a an election on March 25th to decide the fate of their little township. Terrell Hills was incorporated on March 31, 1939 and received the charter as "Town of Terrell Hills". Maury Maverick took office on June 1st but was now powerless to override the town charter.

In July of 1945, San Antonio again tried to take in both Terrell Hills and Alamo Heights. The 4th Court of Appeals upheld the law that would not allow San Antonio to overtake any incorporated township already within its borders.

Today, real estate in Terrell Hills is some the most expensive in San Antonio and compares to some of the pricier places in the entire state of Texas.  The average housing cost is in the $300s but a modest home on some streets can be had for less than $200,000.  The most expensive home listed in MLS as of today in Terrell Hills is a luxurious 13,056 sf 6 bedroom, 6 bath, 3 half bath, 4 car garage built this year and offered at $7,750,000.

Terrell Hills is served by two school districts. Which one a child attends depends on which part of Terrell Hills a home is located in. The school districts are Alamo Heights Independent School District and North East Independent School District.

*The term "maverick," used to describe someone who doesn't go with a herd mentality, originated with the Maverick family.  But that's another story.

What a great idea and what a great way to say "Thank you for your service"!

"First we make our habits, then our habits make us." ~Charles C. Noble

"Ideas are the beginning points of all fortunes." ~Napoleon Hill

"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." ~Henry Ford

"Even if you're on the right track you'll get run over if you stay there." ~Will Rogers

"I was taught that the way of progress was neither swift nor easy." ~Marie Curie

"My best tips regarding goals are: Write them, read them, and believe they can happen." ~Brian Buffini

"People say motivation doesn't last.  Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily."   ~Zig Ziglar

The San Antonio Express News reports that the brand new Simeon of Olmos Park Condominiums celebrated their grand opening last week.

The 3 story, 2900 square foot condos located at 215 Annie St. in Olmos Park  each have a private elevator and impressive high-end features:  Luxurious kitchens with Viking appliances, wine cooler, quartz counter tops; steam shower in master bath, outdoors areas on every level, two-car garages and security cameras.

Alamo Heights School District.

The condos are listed by Dawn Swisher Campbell of Swisher & Martin Realty. For more information, call (210) 279-2654 or check out MLS number 796218 to see photos.

The Simeon of Olmos Park Condominiums sound gorgeous!