San Antonio property

How to Maintain your Lawn at Homes in San Antonio?

May 26, 2013 by Clint Chancellor Leave a Comment

Lawn Maintenance

Do you own a San Antonio property? Then, you might have a small portion of lawn in your house, and, there is hardly a single person on this earth who does not want to keep his lawn beautiful . Here, we have come up with some cool tips that can help your lawn stay breathtakingly beautiful year after year. And here’s a great post on caring for your orchid.

Here’s how:

Watering

Proper watering is critical to your lawn’s proper maintenance. It helps in keeping your lawn in proper condition. Watering your lawn does not mean that you have to put a big quantity of water, but make sure that you are watering it at regular interval of time. Create smart watering schedule and an underground sprinkler can be of much help. While watering your lawn , make sure that you give enough water for a deep soak. Normally, there should be 1 or 2 inches of water per week in your lawn for a deep soak. .

Timing is also important. According to the experts, early morning is the best time to water your lawn. Watering your lawn even before the sun rises, helps keeping it fresh for long. Moreover, the weather being comparatively calm at that time, watering your lawn will be much easier.

Fertilizing

Fertilizing the lawn has become widely popular in many homes in San Antonio. In fact, the lawns should be fertilized accordingly once a year. If you feel, you can fertilize your lawn frequently, even once in a year. It can make it look lush and thick. Nowadays, a lot of different fertilizers are available for your lawn, but, you need to make sure that you are picking out the right fertilizer for your type of grass. Spring is the best time to fertilize your lawn as it helps you in growing warm seasonal grass. However, for cool seasonal grass, fertilize it during the fall.

Mowing

Perhaps the most important steps about maintaining a lawn is to mow it properly. Make sure that you do not cut off just more than 1/3 of the grass length. Many homeowners in San Antonio mow their grass once in every month. But, putting a regular interval for cutting your grass is important, because excessive mowing can stress the grass. Remember that grass is beneficial to your lawn and you cannot make your lawn look good without healthy grasses.

Genius Realty – San Antonio is an experienced real estate agency that can help you search for your perfect home in San Antonio, TX and the nearby cities like New Braunfels, Shertz, Live Oak, Alamo Heights, Olmos Park, Canyon Lake, Terrel Hills, Garden Ridge, Seguin, Boerne, Castle Hills, and Stone Oak and Sonterra. Get access to all available homes for sale on and the off MLS in San Antonio and the surrounding areas, regardless of the listing company. Please call 210-436-4877 for all your real estate related needs.

How to Short Sale your home in San Antonio?

May 25, 2013 by Clint Chancellor Leave a Comment

Short Sale San Antonio Property

Short sales in San Antonio mean that the creditor will receive less than the actual amount of the loan payments from the sale a particular property. Banks allow this kind of process as long as there are legal documents for this agreement. Granted that they tend to lose a modest amount from the original price, but they get the chance of having a sure buyer for the property that the previous owner will find together with a REALTOR in San Antonio. It can be a win- win situation for both parties.

Living in San Antonio

If you own homes in San Antonio, it can be quite a myriad of opportunities for a short sale. People who want to move to homes in San Antonio will automatically flock your way. San Antonio TX is known for being a hub for large enterprises, commercial companies, tourist spots, and health service centers. It also continues to be a city of Texas that has the second largest population in the state. With all the flurry of business and opportunities that surround the city, there are a lot of people in search of homes.

Preparing Your Home for the Sale

Contacting lending companies or the bank are the first things to do. Contact people who are in charge of short sales. You submit necessary documents of your income statement, a hardship letter that states reasons for inability to pay, bank statements, and contract agreements. Once you have been authorized by the bank and qualified to make a short sale, get hold of help from a trusted REALTOR in San Antonio who can help you process documents for the short sale. The bank and real estate agent will help you put a price on your property and find buyers. Once buyers expressed their interest in buying, you may want to evaluate the various offers that you have come up with.

It takes hard work and patience to be able to close a short sale and usually lasts around 120 days. Remember that it is easier to wait for buyers with good offers than have your property foreclosed.

How to Go Green in an Apartment

May 24, 2013 by Clint Chancellor Leave a Comment

Go Green

Being the second city that has the largest number of residents, it is also quite an effort for the government to maintain an eco- friendly city. Having companies and business full of activity every day, it is an effort for these institutions and even in neighborhoods to sustain the cleanliness of the surroundings. There are ordinances regarding taking care of the environment but this movement must start within the confines of your San Antonio apartment.

Starting with the Apartment

Since you are just renting out a unit, it is impossible for you to make major changes or installations especially without the landlord’s or landlady’s approval. Even without an immense renovation, you can still go green and help out with the cause. You can start by collecting plastic bottles or containers that is of no use to you and recycle them. You can make projects and crafts out of these materials and it diminishes the chances that they end up in waste bins. If you cannot make projects out of them, you can always give them to recycling services that are more than happy to get those junk. Use bulbs that only eat up minor wattage so that you can lessen electricity consumption. It can also help you in managing the bills. Keep maintenance of heating and cooling systems in your San Antonio apartment. Place curtains to your windows so that it can trap heat during cold seasons or shield you from the sun.

Developing Habits

If you own an Apartment in San Antonio, you can develop new habits that will help you go green. You may start planting simple potted plants. Having plants in your apartment will make the air inside fresher. If you have access to a balcony then it is even better because you can grow flowering plants or even vegetables. Also make sure that appliances that you are not using are all unplugged.

Going green or eco- friendly is quite easy to manage as long as you remember these things. It lies on discipline and your sincere effort to start making a difference and preserve the environment.

Types of Home Mortgages

May 22, 2013 by Clint Chancellor Leave a Comment

Home Mortgage

Before buying any San Antonio property, you might be wondering about available financing options. Home loans are becoming more popular in the city especially because many homebuyers prefer to obtain any home mortgage in San Antonio to afford the homes they like to purchase.

A home mortgage in San Antonio could be fixed rate or adjustable rate. In a fixed rate, the interest applied is the same from the beginning of the loan payment until its last payment. If the loan maturity is set at 30 years, the interest rate applied should be just one all throughout.

Adjustable interest rate mortgages are more common across the San Antonio property market. This mortgage has changing rates, depending on the economy and on many other factors. The rates could adjust up or down. If rates are dropping, you can find your mortgage going cheaper. Otherwise, you may shoulder the burden of higher rates required.

Conventional and Veterans Administration loans

A conventional mortgage is a traditional loan that may take a term of about 15 years to 30 years. This type of home mortgage in San Antonio may include jumbo loans or conforming loans. Jumbo loans have amounts of $417,000 or more, while conforming types are loans below $417,000.

As the name implies, VA loans are guaranteed partially by the Veterans Administration. The Veterans Administration has recently introduced expansions of its qualifying criteria so that its mortgages include more veterans.

FHA loans

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans are getting more popular in the San Antonio property market. It is administered by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, along with its various home loan programs. FHA mortgages are more popular as those require lower down payments. A borrower also more easily qualifies in it than in any conventional home loan.

It is possible for these loans to be availed by borrowers with poor credit. In general, FHA mortgages also cost less. It may impose more competitive interest rates especially because such home loans are fully insured by no less than the Federal Government. You may compare it with other loan types to verify this information.

Which type of mortgage available in the city is best for your current financial and credit condition? It is important to obtain approval for financing before buying any home in the city so you could be sure you would not meet any hassle upon making the important home purchase.

Source: Summit Mortgage.

Pet Friendly Housing at Your Homes in San Antonio

May 21, 2013 by Clint Chancellor Leave a Comment

Pet Friendly Homes

One distinct attraction of most homes in the San Antonio property market is that those are pet friendly houses. Developers know that most homebuyers and homeowners are moving in with their beloved canines or felines. If you have pets, you may consider the following tips when finding and buying a home or renting one in San Antonio.

Inspect the home for overall pet safety

As you inspect the home when considering your pet, try to look at it at the perspective of your beloved animal. Take a look around and see which areas of the home could be a possible cause of concern. For one, look for any area where strangulation, choking, electrocution, and suffocation could be potential hazards to your pet.

There are some homes in San Antonio that have very tall and high windows, which could cause danger to your cat. Many veterinarians use the term ‘High-Rise Syndrome’ to refer to the usual accident encountered by cats living in high-rise and tall houses. If your home has a high location and tall windows, there should be screens installed to provide adequate protection to your feline pet.

Find a carved out space

Many homes in San Antonio have carved out small spaces particularly for pets. These little nooks have been made popular recently by online figures like https://twitter.com/bluebuffalo who have made a small but noticeable mark on this market. Puppies and kittens have the instinct of sneaking into small places in the house. Your home should have a hazard-free zone where you could put your pet’s cozy bed, eating station, and water source. The pet should have enough space to roam around and space so it could rest well especially at night and avoid whining or barking for attention.

Litter boxes for cats should be placed in a separate carved out space in the house. It should be far from designated feeding areas but should not be found too isolated by your feline. You may be surprised that many homes in the San Antonio property market have designs and features that facilitate this purpose better.

Find safer flowing and fabrics

Choose flooring and fabrics that would require less work from owners like you. Ultrasuede or easy-care leather could easily be wiped clean and would not be significantly affected by wearing. Crypton Super Fabric is the best for pet owners as it is synthetic to be stain and germ resistant.

Carpets may not be advisable for homes in San Antonio where there are pets. But it is still possible to install it; just choose colors and fabrics that can match your pet’s color. You may check out more insights for pet friendly flooring.

Fellow contractors: International Movers.

Getting Your Home Ready For Fall

May 20, 2013 by Clint Chancellor Leave a Comment

Fall Season

Fall season brings about the anticipation of the coming winter season. Fall or autumn lasts for three to four months. And these three months is predominant of falling leaves, Halloween, and festivities. If you find yourself in a thorough search for potential home properties, then you would not want to be left out from the merry- making. As winter approaches, it is important to find a new house that will protect you from the coming harsh and cold season.

Finding a Property

For people who are looking for possible homes around Texas, then San Antonio is a good choice. Aside from having the second biggest population in Texas, it is also one of the most thriving cities in the country. On choosing a San Antonio property or a likely place for a home, it is important to consider the location of the neighborhood and the establishments near it. Seasons and weather changes must also be considered for this future house should be able to protect you from the blazing cold of the upcoming winter.

There are many available homes in San Antonio in various neighborhoods. You can choose from Alamo Heights with various amenities like parks and gardens, from Northwest Side which houses several universities, medical and industrial centers, from South Side that boasts their historical and art galleries, and from Downtown San Antonio which is the center for all dealings in San Antonio Texas. Available homes in San Antonio include foreclosed, rental, or newly- built properties. You may find realtors to help you out with prices.

Preparation for the Season

San Antonio has both warm and rainy days during fall so before moving in to your new San Antonio property; make sure to prepare your home for the fall season and the upcoming winter. Clean your windows, chimney, and hearth because you will be mostly spending your time indoors. If you have a glass door, have it inspected by a glass door repair company, you would likely be surprised to know how much heat a faulty glass door let’s through. Have your heating systems and water heater inspected with Savannah Water Heater Co. for clogs or accumulated dust for a meticulous clean- up.

Fall is the overture to a chilly weather. Even if San Antonio does not experience too much snow during winter, it still pays to be prepared at the onslaught the upcoming season.

Is Owning a Home Really Worth The Trouble?

May 19, 2013 by Clint Chancellor Leave a Comment

Home Buying

Your home your identity

How many people would like to live in a rental home all their life? Not many, right? Similarly, people would go to any extents to own a home of their own. Even if they cannot afford to own one, they will try hard to get a mortgage somehow and make their dream come true. So owns a home really worth the trouble? Of course, it is because your home is your identity and place where you feel you truly belong to. It is that space on earth that you can call your own and nobody can take that from you. And you don’t have to be at the mercy of a landlord in San Antponio property who wishes to raise the rent as and when he likes. As a homeowner, you belong to a community, you have neighbors and if you are careful in your purchase, a very friendly and secure neighborhood. If you are a socially active person, then owning your own home would certainly appeal to you. When you own a home you are establishing your roots somewhere in the world and you can raise your family and give your children something to remember their childhood by. They can make steady friends, which will not be possible when you live from one rental home to another.

Be cautious

Many people advise that owning a home would weaken you financially but it will certainly give you stability in life, once you finish off with the mortgages. And there are others who say that you are throwing your money away by paying rents, money that you can eventually use for buying your own home. So when you are buying a home in San Antonio, be an informed buyer. A specialized REALTOR in San Antonio who deals with San Antonio property all the time will be able to tell you a lot about properties that would suit your purpose. Sometimes the pretty pictures that you see posted online might lure you to make a buy. But in reality it may be not that good. Nor will it be as comfortable. So when you are getting ready to buy a home in San Antonio, make sure it is really an investment by hiring an experienced REALTOR.

How To Ready Your Kitchen For Your Home Sale – At An Economical Rate

May 18, 2013 by Clint Chancellor Leave a Comment

Kitchen Remodel

A bland, dull and boring kitchen will certainly put you off. Imagine a new buyer inspecting your house from one end to the other. What will he think of such a kitchen? And what will your REALTOR say when you put your home for sale in San Antonio?

Here are cool ideas that you can use to make the homes in San Antonio stylish and modern:

Lively, bright walls

It is true that renovating an existing kitchen is an arduous task, but you can make certain subtle changes and the difference will be amazing. There is nothing like trendy paint on the kitchen walls to break the monotony. Since the walls are likely to get dirty and grimy faster, you need to choose colors that will hide the grime. A dash of color on the walls will increase your zest in cooking too and of course, the sales value of your house.

Trendy countertops

There are plenty of natural ways to make your kitchen countertop the most appealing thing in the kitchen. The trendy options available now will not only make your kitchen look modern, but they will also render that fresh, new look at all times. If you are interested in selling your home in the near future, then maybe you can try out stainless steel counter tops. They look great and can protect the surface from scratches and dings. They require very less maintenance and are resilient to germs, bacteria and water. Cork is another great option for kitchen countertops. Not only is it sturdy, lightweight and durable, it is also cheaper and environment-friendly. It is a growing popularity in kitchens in modern times. If you have plenty of cutting, chopping and peeling in your kitchen, you can install reclaimed wood countertops. It is a much cheaper option, versatile and extremely durable.

Cabinetry and flooring

These two aspects will take a long time to complete, so you must be prepared. Cabinetry made out of wood products is certainly hot in the market and comes in the mid-price range. As long as the material don’t warp or sag with age, you are in for a good buy. For that, the quality of construction and the brand name is important. As for flooring, there are plenty of budget-friendly options. According to an expert from Perth Flooring Solutions, it is best to pick flooring made out of materials like porcelain, vinyl and linoleum. These are the current trendy styles for kitchen flooring because they are durable, stylish and definitely worth the money and effort you put into it.

How Do I Price My Home Right to Sell without Giving It Away?

May 17, 2013 by Clint Chancellor Leave a Comment

San Antonio Property

It is always a big challenge to sell a house, whether you are doing it on your own or you are obtaining assistance of a REALTOR in the San Antonio property market. It is tough to be a seller especially in a buyer’s market, when prices are falling and homes in San Antonio are getting cheaper.

One of the main concerns you have to face initially would be the pricing strategy. How would you price your property in a way that it would still be competitive against other homes in San Antonio that are for sale? Here are some tips that could be of help.

Determine local home prices

Remember that housing prices can be compared to the weather. Those can vary in different areas. Demand definitely varies depending on price ranges and the type of neighborhood. Check out price tags of similar houses that were recently sold within the San Antonio property market. It is ideal to review selling prices of similar homes three months, six months, or one year ago. This way, you can have a clearer idea about the trend in San Antonio.

Analyze buyers and sellers in your market

Is your house located in a neighborhood where a lot of buyers continue to come in? Or do you live in a community that does not attract many new residents? Consider this when setting prices for your house. If your property would be competing with lots of new homes in San Antonio that are available in the market, it may be wise to price competitively. If your home stands out in a market where most houses for sale are older and less attractive, you may still have a stronger chance of selling even if you price higher.

Get an appraisal

Of course, the most logical measure is to obtain an appraisal to determine the actual valuation of your house. Obtain such an appraisal from a credible and certified professional appraiser. The resulting appraisal should take into consideration several important factors, like those already mentioned here. Take the appraisal as the real and updated worth of your home.

Use strategic pricing

If prices in the San Antonio property market are consistently dropping, set a price for your house that would reflect an amount that would deduct the expected declines for several months. This way, you may not have to decrease your asking price in the coming days, weeks, or months. For instance, if home prices in your neighborhood drop by 1% every month, you may instantly deduct 3% off your asking price. Through doing so, you could maintain your competitive edge over other sellers who continuously drop their prices each month.

What to Consider for Vertical Living in San Antonio

May 16, 2013 by Clint Chancellor Leave a Comment

Living in San Antonio

Vertical living developments now abound across the San Antonio property area. Since 2008, development of high-rise condominiums, mid-rises, condo-hotels, and lofts has been breaking ground in this city. These developments now provide homebuyers and investors more options when buying a home in San Antonio.

It is not surprising that demand for such residential options is constantly rising. If you are scouting for available vertical developments in the San Antonio property market, you should set your sights on three centers—the downtown community, the area around South Texas Medical Center, and the Alamo Heights.

If you consider buying a home in San Antonio, you should check out available units at new vertical residential buildings that are about 20 stories to 34 stories high. Price tags may be between $100,000 and $1 million, depending on location, amenities, and dimensions. What are the things to consider before purchasing such units in the San Antonio property market?

Commute time
Vertical living is perfect for professionals who are working in San Antonio. After a tiring day at the office, you may not like to suffer from a long and tedious commute time going home in the suburbs. Vertical living can offer housing options in areas that are near your work place. You can save not just time but also gas and money.

Safety
Safety is never an issue if you are buying a home in San Antonio. It is a top priority in high-rise residential buildings in the area. In terms of structural soundness, materials used in construction of towers adhere to seismic and wind ratings. As for general safety, the buildings are heavily guarded through security monitoring systems as well as onsite security personnel.

Amenities
Vertical living developments in San Antonio offer unmatched amenities. Basic services include room service, concierge, spas, fitness centers, valet, restaurants, entertainment rooms, conference halls, and recreational facilities. Turnkey-style residences are also available.

Property maintenance
You would surely like it if a professional repair man is always on-call. Thus, you know you would always be assisted when your pipe breaks or when there are electric problems. There are onsite property managers who are readily available to assist residents in every aspect of home maintenance.

Investment
Vertical living residences can be ideal investments. The properties are in prime locations within San Antonio. Thus, if you eventually decide to rent out your unit, you can easily find tenants. You may opt to make the residence a vacation or second home.