San Antonio
01-01-07, 01:33 AM
#1
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San Antonio
Im thinking of visiting San Antonio. It will be my first trip and im really excited.
Im use to California weather where its hot and dry and sometimes humid. Can you guys tell me where is a good place to live in SA? If things go well i might be moving there. My main purpose of move is basically for business/work. Any advice is really appreciated!
Im use to California weather where its hot and dry and sometimes humid. Can you guys tell me where is a good place to live in SA? If things go well i might be moving there. My main purpose of move is basically for business/work. Any advice is really appreciated!
01-01-07, 03:09 AM
#2
What type of work do you do? Are you looking at renting/buying how much space do you need family/none, schools? Also how many cars do you need space for will you be wanting to have a parts car around? these things will help us to guide you to the right spot
01-02-07, 12:08 AM
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Sorry..i should have been more specific. Im starting to get into real estate (flipping). Renovating homes will be what im gonna do. Im thinking of buying my first home (fixer upper), settle in it while i fix it up. Then buy another fixer. I guess you can say i will be buying junk houses and making them saleable. If i get settled there i might get another FC and fix it up on the side.I miss my old FC=(
So what part of SA has the most BLUE COLLAR NEIGHBORHOODS. Im not looking for COOKIE CUTTER type neighborhoods where home owner association controls the neighborhood. Advice will be appreciated!
Here are pics of my FC just before money was changed hand with the new owner.
So what part of SA has the most BLUE COLLAR NEIGHBORHOODS. Im not looking for COOKIE CUTTER type neighborhoods where home owner association controls the neighborhood. Advice will be appreciated!
Here are pics of my FC just before money was changed hand with the new owner.
01-02-07, 04:09 AM
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Well you wanna stay out of South San Antonio ((east and west)) at all costs...only gonna get yourself killed or end up in some trailer park there.......
North San Antonio is where you wanna aim...if your getting a house then try moving into a shavano neighborhood...its "in" San Antonio, but it is its own little town...gf's family lives there...nice small town feeling in the heart of a major city
Umm other than that if you decide to get an apartment then just pm me...can go into more details depending on what your looking at spending a month and whatnot
However if you want to stay right outside the city you can get some killer deals right now within 20 miles of the city limits off of Highway 281
North San Antonio is where you wanna aim...if your getting a house then try moving into a shavano neighborhood...its "in" San Antonio, but it is its own little town...gf's family lives there...nice small town feeling in the heart of a major city
Umm other than that if you decide to get an apartment then just pm me...can go into more details depending on what your looking at spending a month and whatnot
However if you want to stay right outside the city you can get some killer deals right now within 20 miles of the city limits off of Highway 281
01-04-07, 12:46 AM
#5
Well...I lived in San Antonio for 10 years before I moved to San Diego 2 years ago and let me tell you, you will NOT make as much money flipping houses over there as you are used to in SoCal. In SoCal, people pay quite a bit of money to be close to the beaches and the freeways. They also pay quite a bit of money just to be close to work. They'll pay stupid prices for a POS house just because it's close to work. It's not quite like that in San Antonio. Land is plentiful there and the traffic isn't too bad. People will just build a new house further up 281 or I-10 or I-35 (all outside 1604) rather than buy a 20-35 year old house that's been fixed up. Likewise, housing prices in S.A. are much lower and as such, you won't make as much money on your flip. I'm not saying that you can't make money on flipping houses in San Antonio, it's just that when you're only clearing 15-20K per house, it's quite a bit of work...especially when in SoCal you can clear 75-100K. In SoCal it's all about location. In S.A. the closest thing is being in the "right" school district.
If you do move to San Antonio, there are a couple of neighborhoods that might have what you're looking for in terms of flipping houses. Look at the following locations:
Alamo Heights - VERY expensive for San Antonio and considered upscale. Look just 1 block north and 1 block west of H E B Marketplace to understand what I'm talking about. Houses are from the 1950's - 1970's
King William - Very old part of town and is close to downtown. Houses look like plantation houses and are probably 100+ years old. Old wiring, old insulation, old windows, old everything...
Area just north (couple of blocks) of San Antonio College on San Pedro (East side of San Pedro). Older houses but are HUGE.
Shavano Park - Nice neighborhood and somewhat newer homes than the rest of the ones mentioned above.
If you're looking for new homes (15 years old and mostly much newer), just drive north on 281 past 1604 and pick a subdivison to turn into. They're frickin everywhere. That's also the school district everybody wants to be in (NorthEast ISD). That's your competition.
Good luck!!
PS: There is a show on A&E called Flip That House where a family in San Antonio has a business (Montelongo) flipping houses. On the last show I saw, they bought 5 houses on the same street that were circa 1940's and paid 26K each. They redid them and sold them for 62-65K each. Quite a bit of work compared to SoCal.
PSS: Austin might be better suited for flipping houses as people WILL pay more to be closer to town because traffic there is much worse than San Antonio. Likewise, the median household income is much higher in Austin when compared to San Antonio.
If you do move to San Antonio, there are a couple of neighborhoods that might have what you're looking for in terms of flipping houses. Look at the following locations:
Alamo Heights - VERY expensive for San Antonio and considered upscale. Look just 1 block north and 1 block west of H E B Marketplace to understand what I'm talking about. Houses are from the 1950's - 1970's
King William - Very old part of town and is close to downtown. Houses look like plantation houses and are probably 100+ years old. Old wiring, old insulation, old windows, old everything...
Area just north (couple of blocks) of San Antonio College on San Pedro (East side of San Pedro). Older houses but are HUGE.
Shavano Park - Nice neighborhood and somewhat newer homes than the rest of the ones mentioned above.
If you're looking for new homes (15 years old and mostly much newer), just drive north on 281 past 1604 and pick a subdivison to turn into. They're frickin everywhere. That's also the school district everybody wants to be in (NorthEast ISD). That's your competition.
Good luck!!
PS: There is a show on A&E called Flip That House where a family in San Antonio has a business (Montelongo) flipping houses. On the last show I saw, they bought 5 houses on the same street that were circa 1940's and paid 26K each. They redid them and sold them for 62-65K each. Quite a bit of work compared to SoCal.
PSS: Austin might be better suited for flipping houses as people WILL pay more to be closer to town because traffic there is much worse than San Antonio. Likewise, the median household income is much higher in Austin when compared to San Antonio.
01-05-07, 12:02 AM
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Originally Posted by fsae_alum
Well...I lived in San Antonio for 10 years before I moved to San Diego 2 years ago and let me tell you, you will NOT make as much money flipping houses over there as you are used to in SoCal. In SoCal, people pay quite a bit of money to be close to the beaches and the freeways. They also pay quite a bit of money just to be close to work. They'll pay stupid prices for a POS house just because it's close to work. It's not quite like that in San Antonio. Land is plentiful there and the traffic isn't too bad. People will just build a new house further up 281 or I-10 or I-35 (all outside 1604) rather than buy a 20-35 year old house that's been fixed up. Likewise, housing prices in S.A. are much lower and as such, you won't make as much money on your flip. I'm not saying that you can't make money on flipping houses in San Antonio, it's just that when you're only clearing 15-20K per house, it's quite a bit of work...especially when in SoCal you can clear 75-100K. In SoCal it's all about location. In S.A. the closest thing is being in the "right" school district.
If you do move to San Antonio, there are a couple of neighborhoods that might have what you're looking for in terms of flipping houses. Look at the following locations:
Alamo Heights - VERY expensive for San Antonio and considered upscale. Look just 1 block north and 1 block west of H E B Marketplace to understand what I'm talking about. Houses are from the 1950's - 1970's
King William - Very old part of town and is close to downtown. Houses look like plantation houses and are probably 100+ years old. Old wiring, old insulation, old windows, old everything...
Area just north (couple of blocks) of San Antonio College on San Pedro (East side of San Pedro). Older houses but are HUGE.
Shavano Park - Nice neighborhood and somewhat newer homes than the rest of the ones mentioned above.
If you're looking for new homes (15 years old and mostly much newer), just drive north on 281 past 1604 and pick a subdivison to turn into. They're frickin everywhere. That's also the school district everybody wants to be in (NorthEast ISD). That's your competition.
Good luck!!
PS: There is a show on A&E called Flip That House where a family in San Antonio has a business (Montelongo) flipping houses. On the last show I saw, they bought 5 houses on the same street that were circa 1940's and paid 26K each. They redid them and sold them for 62-65K each. Quite a bit of work compared to SoCal.
PSS: Austin might be better suited for flipping houses as people WILL pay more to be closer to town because traffic there is much worse than San Antonio. Likewise, the median household income is much higher in Austin when compared to San Antonio.
If you do move to San Antonio, there are a couple of neighborhoods that might have what you're looking for in terms of flipping houses. Look at the following locations:
Alamo Heights - VERY expensive for San Antonio and considered upscale. Look just 1 block north and 1 block west of H E B Marketplace to understand what I'm talking about. Houses are from the 1950's - 1970's
King William - Very old part of town and is close to downtown. Houses look like plantation houses and are probably 100+ years old. Old wiring, old insulation, old windows, old everything...
Area just north (couple of blocks) of San Antonio College on San Pedro (East side of San Pedro). Older houses but are HUGE.
Shavano Park - Nice neighborhood and somewhat newer homes than the rest of the ones mentioned above.
If you're looking for new homes (15 years old and mostly much newer), just drive north on 281 past 1604 and pick a subdivison to turn into. They're frickin everywhere. That's also the school district everybody wants to be in (NorthEast ISD). That's your competition.
Good luck!!
PS: There is a show on A&E called Flip That House where a family in San Antonio has a business (Montelongo) flipping houses. On the last show I saw, they bought 5 houses on the same street that were circa 1940's and paid 26K each. They redid them and sold them for 62-65K each. Quite a bit of work compared to SoCal.
PSS: Austin might be better suited for flipping houses as people WILL pay more to be closer to town because traffic there is much worse than San Antonio. Likewise, the median household income is much higher in Austin when compared to San Antonio.
The Montelongo brothers and their wives use to live here in CALI. Moved to TX to invest in RE and now are doing pretty good. I watch them all the time just to get motivations but i dont dream of becoming like one of them. Well probably someday..lol
Can you think of any other place in SA where i should be looking into??Thanks and i really appreciate your reply!..
01-05-07, 12:55 AM
#7
Could also try the area 2 blocks west of Fredericksburgh on Callaghan. This is the northwest corner of I-10 and 410 and they have some 1970's homes with HUGE lots there. They're good fixer-uppers. Another not well known area is in the neighborhood where I used to live. For the life of me I can't remember the name of the damn subdivison but you can mapquest my old address of 15431 Riverbend, San Antonio TX 78247. The neighborhood is on Bulverde Road inside 1604. The neighborhood has houses from the late 70's to mid-80's and are all contemporary custom. They're probably pretty good for flipping because no two are alike (even remotely).
Houses in the neighborhood in the Northwest corner of Vance Jackson and Hildebrand might be a good opportuity also. Just go North on Vance Jackson from 410 and go past Hildebrand and make a left into the neighborhood. Unique homes.
Seriously though...try Terrell Hills and Alamo Heights. One block North and One block West of HEB Marketplace (on Broadway just North of Incarnate Word college) will give you a great idea for what's available in the area. Drive up Broadway from Hildebrand to 410 to see what the area is like once you're done looking around near Incarnate Word College.
In general, as somebidy else noted, stay out of the East, South, and West of Town. With the exception of Alamo Heights, King William district downtown, and the area just north of San Antonio Colleg on San Pedro, you're probably going to want to look for houses that are east of I-10, North of Loop 410 on the North side, and West of I-35.
Good luck!
Houses in the neighborhood in the Northwest corner of Vance Jackson and Hildebrand might be a good opportuity also. Just go North on Vance Jackson from 410 and go past Hildebrand and make a left into the neighborhood. Unique homes.
Seriously though...try Terrell Hills and Alamo Heights. One block North and One block West of HEB Marketplace (on Broadway just North of Incarnate Word college) will give you a great idea for what's available in the area. Drive up Broadway from Hildebrand to 410 to see what the area is like once you're done looking around near Incarnate Word College.
In general, as somebidy else noted, stay out of the East, South, and West of Town. With the exception of Alamo Heights, King William district downtown, and the area just north of San Antonio Colleg on San Pedro, you're probably going to want to look for houses that are east of I-10, North of Loop 410 on the North side, and West of I-35.
Good luck!
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01-05-07, 02:06 PM
#8
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fsae alum-- sir you have been a great help!.. I really appreciate it. I joined city-data.com and most of the people there told me to avoid E,S,and West of town. Can you chime me in on why people are shying away from this part of the city??. Also you seem to know this neighborhoods like youre a realtor. Do you flip homes too?
01-05-07, 06:11 PM
#9
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^^They suck. Lived in SA all my life (25 years) and lived in those areas. Southside is changing SOME because of the new Toyota plant and all the extra plants that will come in to support it
01-06-07, 04:34 AM
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Buzzardsluck- yeah my old co worker acquired a property near the Toyota plant and he told me that i should look into that area because its growing. I might look into that area though.
ChunkyMonkey- i will definitely let you know. You guys dont have a strict emission laws do you?.. If ever i get settled in TX i might build me another 7..
ChunkyMonkey- i will definitely let you know. You guys dont have a strict emission laws do you?.. If ever i get settled in TX i might build me another 7..
01-08-07, 01:30 AM
#13
Originally Posted by fcturbo2
fsae alum-- sir you have been a great help!.. I really appreciate it. I joined city-data.com and most of the people there told me to avoid E,S,and West of town. Can you chime me in on why people are shying away from this part of the city??. Also you seem to know this neighborhoods like youre a realtor. Do you flip homes too?
No problem man!!
East side - Crime. Is typically lower income African American (no offense, just telling it like it is).
South Side - Economically depressed. It's where most of the military bases were until they closed, downsized, etc.... Is lower income Hispanic. Drive-by's, teenage pregnancy, and thugs
West Side (inside 410) - Older, smaller homes. High crime, Gangs, drigs, etc...
Wasn't a flipper but I know people from all over that town and spent plenty of time in just about every neighborhood. I also spent quite a bit of time tryting to find my home there. I wanted a unique, somewhat contemporary house that had large tree's. You see, there are a TON, and I mean a TON of 2 story, box homes with wood siding that were just thrown up by builders like KB on tiny lots. They're all over the place and that is NOT at all what I wanted in a house there in San Antonio.
Some things to look out for in a house out there are:
1.) All Brick Exterior - Termites are pretty damn bad out there and the best bet to prevent those is Brick. If buying house that is not brick....make DAMN sure there are no termites.
2.) Good AC - Summers there can be brutal so make sure the AC is new or newer. They're not cheap to replace so this could kill your flip!!
3.) Water softener - This is a big plus because the water there is real hard and will leave all sorts of calcium deposits on everythign from toilets, to faucets, to shower heads. We had a tub faucet in our house that was COMPLETELY clogged by calcium. Thank god for Muratic Acid!
Other than that, it's pretty straightfoward!
Good luck and keep me posted on how it turns out!
01-08-07, 11:21 PM
#14
^^^He pretty much hit the nail on the head. Also there are a lot of foundation problems due to the clay type soil around here which tends to settle over time leaving cracks in the walls/ceiling/slab.
I lived in SoCal for 10yrs. You will miss the ocean and weather for sure... I think about moving back quite often.
I lived in SoCal for 10yrs. You will miss the ocean and weather for sure... I think about moving back quite often.
01-09-07, 09:57 AM
#15
[QUOTE=wReXI lived in SoCal for 10yrs. You will miss the ocean and weather for sure... I think about moving back quite often.[/QUOTE]
Come on out....the weather is fine. Oh yeah....the women don't resemble Javelina's out here either!
Come on out....the weather is fine. Oh yeah....the women don't resemble Javelina's out here either!
01-11-07, 12:17 AM
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fsae alum- thanks again. I wouldnt have known that those areas are that bad. Those are absolutely the areas i want to avoid. I want an area where the market is hot and if i need to have the house rented that the tenant would take care of it like its their own home.
I found a good deal in CANYON LAKE. Whatcha guys think of that place. I did some research about it. Do you guys think its a good place to invest??.. also??.I dont think its part of Bexar County anymore but its still pretty close to SA and New Braunsfel..
I found a good deal in CANYON LAKE. Whatcha guys think of that place. I did some research about it. Do you guys think its a good place to invest??.. also??.I dont think its part of Bexar County anymore but its still pretty close to SA and New Braunsfel..
01-11-07, 12:19 AM
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Originally Posted by ENZO182007
house flippin would work off bandera and 1604 also .. are u goin to live in house or apt when u get here
01-11-07, 09:59 AM
#19
Originally Posted by fcturbo2
fsae alum- thanks again. I wouldnt have known that those areas are that bad. Those are absolutely the areas i want to avoid. I want an area where the market is hot and if i need to have the house rented that the tenant would take care of it like its their own home.
I found a good deal in CANYON LAKE. Whatcha guys think of that place. I did some research about it. Do you guys think its a good place to invest??.. also??.I dont think its part of Bexar County anymore but its still pretty close to SA and New Braunsfel..
I found a good deal in CANYON LAKE. Whatcha guys think of that place. I did some research about it. Do you guys think its a good place to invest??.. also??.I dont think its part of Bexar County anymore but its still pretty close to SA and New Braunsfel..
Regarding Canyon Lake.....HOLY CRAP that's far from town. It's seriously far from town. That's considered out in the sticks. Canyon Lake is for retiree's or people that don't mind driving forever to get home or people that are looking for a weekend home. It's seriously far out there for San Antonio. A good bet would eb to stay to under 5 miles from 1604. As a point of reference, less that 10 years ago prety much ANYTHING outside Loop 1604 was considered living in the country.
Seriously, try Alamo Heights area. It's the best sure fire Return on Investment real estate area in San Antonio. People living in that part of town WILL take care of your rental property. Typical residents of Alamo Heights are older (mid 30's-40's), have families, and have quite a bit of money. You really need to fly over there and check it out. Southwest Airlines has some cheap flights.
01-11-07, 12:50 PM
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fsae alum, I might be taking a long drive soon. Im meeting with an investor who will help me find properties. I will take Canyon Lake out of my list. I heard good things about that place but definitely not for investment stand point.
01-11-07, 03:14 PM
#21
Have fun on the drive. Either take an IPOD, lots of CD's, or satellite radio as it's one hell of a boring drive through New Mexico and West Texas. I make the drive out there and back once a year and it's long. Should take you about 20 hours straight through. Watch for speed traps in the following locations:
Driving into Tucson,
Driving out of Tucson (they hide in the median in the middle and all you can see are the tops of the cars)
Driving out of El Paso. El Paso couty east of town is REALLY bad for cops...alll the way to the county line. Don't even go 5 over the speed limit here.
Driving into Fort Stockton. There's always one cop there somewhere.
Driving out of Boerne into San Antonio there's usually one cop there too.
If you're looking for hotels to stay at along the way, there's a good, brand new, somewhat cheap, very nicely furnished Holiday Inn Express in Benson just east of Tucson. There's also a nice Hampton Inn in Las Cruces at the Mesilla exit (south side of town just off I-10). Mesilla also has some really good, authentic mexican food so that might be a good palce to crash for the night.
Everytime I go out there I usually stay in Las Cruces on the way out and Tucson on the way back.
Best of luck man and let me know how it turns out! When are you going out there?
Driving into Tucson,
Driving out of Tucson (they hide in the median in the middle and all you can see are the tops of the cars)
Driving out of El Paso. El Paso couty east of town is REALLY bad for cops...alll the way to the county line. Don't even go 5 over the speed limit here.
Driving into Fort Stockton. There's always one cop there somewhere.
Driving out of Boerne into San Antonio there's usually one cop there too.
If you're looking for hotels to stay at along the way, there's a good, brand new, somewhat cheap, very nicely furnished Holiday Inn Express in Benson just east of Tucson. There's also a nice Hampton Inn in Las Cruces at the Mesilla exit (south side of town just off I-10). Mesilla also has some really good, authentic mexican food so that might be a good palce to crash for the night.
Everytime I go out there I usually stay in Las Cruces on the way out and Tucson on the way back.
Best of luck man and let me know how it turns out! When are you going out there?
01-11-07, 06:28 PM
#22
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fsae alum- Thanks for the headsup I will make note of those areas. I have driven San Francisco to LA few times before and that was a pretty long drive for me. Driving is one of my hobbies so this will definitely be an adventure for me.
Thinking of going there in 2 weeks.
Thinking of going there in 2 weeks.
01-21-07, 06:03 AM
#23
HIt me or Chunkymonkey up and we can get a good bunch of the san antonio rx7 guys together for some dinner or something. Let us know when you are in town mang. My anme is Marcello by the way 
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07-19-07, 04:33 PM
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If your looking for newer more exspensive homes North Central San Antonio is the area to look. Especially north of Hwy 1604. I live in the north east erae of town where their are good and not so good areas. I personally would not live in the south or west San Antonio. Too much crime. I also lived in San Diego and believe me it's like two different worlds.
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