San Antonio Real Estate Blog

AL CANNISTRA ** REALTOR® ** SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS ** SAN ANTONIO HOMES ** TEXAS PREMIER REALTY ** Best of San Antonio real estate blogs - for buyers, sellers and real estate agents. Search the MLS for San Antonio homes, houses for sale, land and property for sale. Information for first time buyers, military, relocation, seniors, investors, FSBO, houses for rent, current market information, the latest real estate news, schools and more. We aim to be San Antonio’s #1 Real Estate blog. *210-757-0211*

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Begin the Search With Modern Technology

Modern search technology - modern home! Check the video and then the website: SanAntonio.Homes

We are ready when you are. Reach out to us today!

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

We have made "one click search" for real estate in San Antonio very easy. This is a list of all the specialized pages we have (so far) and you can save any of interest to your favorite bookmarks, or choose them directly from our main site: www.SanAntonio.Homes

Monday, June 14, 2021

The Right Expert Will Guide You Through This Unprecedented Market

In a normal market, it’s good to have an experienced guide coaching you through the process of buying or selling a home. That person can advise you on important things like pricing your home correctly or the first steps to take when you’re ready to buy. However, the market we’re in today is far from normal. As a result, an expert isn’t just good to have by your side – an expert is essential.

Today’s housing market is full of extremes. Mortgage rates hovering near record-lows are driving high buyer demand. On the other hand, an absence of sellers is creating record-low housing inventory. This imbalance in supply and demand is leading to a skyrocketing rate of bidding wars and more houses selling over their asking price. This is driving home price appreciation and gains in home equity. These market conditions aren’t just extreme – they can be overwhelming. Having a trusted expert to coach you through the process of buying and selling a home gives you clarity, confidence, and success through each step.

Here are just a few of the ways a real estate expert is invaluable:

Contracts – We help with the disclosures and contracts necessary in today’s heavily regulated environment.
Experience – We’re well-versed in real estate and experienced with the entire sales process, including how it’s changed over the past year.
Negotiations – We act as a buffer in negotiations with all parties throughout the entire transaction while advocating for your best interests.
Education – We simply and effectively explain today’s market conditions and decipher what they mean for your individual goals.
Pricing – We help you understand today’s real estate values when setting the price of your home or making an offer to purchase one.

A real estate agent can be your essential guide through this unprecedented market, but truth be told, not all agents are created equal. A true expert can carefully walk you through the whole real estate process, look out for your unique needs, and advise you on the best ways to achieve success. Finding the right agent should be your top priority when you’re ready to buy or sell a home.

So, how do you choose the right expert?

It starts with trust. You’ll have to be able to trust the advice your agent is going to give you, so make sure you’re connected to a true professional. An agent can’t give you perfect advice because it’s impossible to know exactly what’s going to happen at every turn – especially in this unique market. A true professional expert can, however, give you the best possible advice based on the information and situation at hand, helping you make the necessary adjustments and best decisions along the way. The right agent – the professional – will help you plan the steps to take for success, advocate for you throughout the process, and coach you on the essential knowledge you need to make confident decisions toward your goals. That’s exactly what you want and deserve.

Bottom Line

It’s crucial right now to work with a real estate expert who understands how the market is changing and what that means for home buyers and sellers. If you’re planning to make a move this year, let’s connect so you have someone who can answer your questions, give you the best advice, and guide you along the way.

Content previously posted on Keeping Current Matters

* This article was originally published here

Americans Have Their Hearts Set on Homeownership

There is probably no place else in the world that values homeownership more than we do! American Dream is something we usually hear from childhood on. Checkout our short video and let's begin to make your dream come true. Yeah, let's do it!

Saturday, June 12, 2021

Cash In on Today's Housing Demand by Selling Your Second Home

Have a second home to sell? Looking to move to a new second home? Watch our short video and let's chat. We are here to help.

Friday, June 11, 2021

It's a Great Time for Your House to Shine

The majority think this is a great time to sell. Check out the video - then, if you want to go for it, call me Al.

Thursday, June 10, 2021

Why This Is Not Like 2008 Again

During the Great Recession, just over a decade ago, the financial systems the world depended on started to collapse. It created a panic that drove some large companies out of business (ex. Lehman Brothers) and many more into bankruptcy.

The financial crisis that accompanied the current pandemic caused hardship to certain industries and hurt many small businesses. However, it hasn’t rattled the world economy. It seems that a year later, things are slowly getting back to normal for many companies.

Why is there a drastic difference between 2008 and now?

In a post from RealtyTrac, they explain:

“We changed the rules. We told banks they needed more reserves and that they could no longer underwrite toxic mortgages. It turns out that regulation — properly done — can help us navigate financial minefields.”

Here are the results of that regulation, captured in a graph depicting the number of failed banks since 2007.

What was different this time?

The post mentioned above explains:

“In 2008 the government saw the foreclosure meltdown as a top-down problem and set aside $700 billion for banks under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). Not all of the $700 billion was used, but the important point is that the government did not act with equal fervor to help flailing homeowners, millions of whom lost their homes to foreclosures and short sales.

This time around the government forcefully moved to help ordinary citizens. Working from the bottom-up, an estimated $5.3 trillion went to the public in 2020 through such mechanisms as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), expanded unemployment benefits, tax incentives, and help for local governments. So far this year we have the $1.9 billion American Rescue Plan with millions of $1,400 checks as well as proposals to spend trillions more on infrastructure…Bank deposits increased by nearly $2 trillion during the past year and credit card debt fell.”

Bottom Line

Many have suffered over the past year. However, the economic toll of the current recession was nowhere near the scope of the Great Recession, and it won’t result in a housing crisis.

Content previously posted on Keeping Current Matters

* This article was originally published here

Wednesday, June 9, 2021

Why Is This Spring a Great Time to Sell Your House

Spring is almost up! Check the video. Are you ready to sell now?

Tuesday, June 8, 2021

Why You May Want To Cash in on Your Second Home

When stay-at-home mandates were enforced last year, many households realized their homes didn’t really fulfill their new lifestyle needs. An office (in some cases two), a media room, space for children to learn, a gym, and a large yard are all examples of amenities that became highly desirable almost overnight.

Zelman & Associates recently reported that sales of primary residences grew by 9% in 2020. That increase in demand was met by the lowest supply of homes for sale in history. High demand and low supply caused prices to skyrocket over the past twelve months. Here are three home price indexes released most recently that show how home values have risen:

FHFA Agency House Price Index shows a 13.9% increase
CoreLogic Home Price Insights Report shows an 11.3% increase
S&P Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index shows a 13.2% increase

Prices increased by double digits in every region of the country and in 19 of 20 major metros. Chicago was the only exception, where prices still rose by 9%.

What does this mean to those who purchased a second home during the pandemic?

Many people didn’t want to give up a home in the city or close to their office. Instead, they purchased a larger second home farther away and moved there to stay safe and have more space. According to the same Zelman report, sales for second homes rose an astonishing 27% in 2020.

That large second-home retreat on a lake or in the mountains would demand a higher price than the average house. Let’s assume a buyer purchased such a home for $500,000. Assuming the middle 13.2% appreciation shown above, that home would now be worth about $566,000.

Those who bought second homes to improve their lifestyle during the height of the pandemic, or those who just wanted to be in a safer environment, also made a great investment.

What should these homeowners do now as the pandemic is receding, and the economy is reopening?

The buyers of those second homes now have a decision to make. Many will move back to the original home they still own (the one that’s closer to work, friends, and family). Should they keep the second home? That could depend on answers to questions like these:

Now that you may have to go back to the office (at least a few days a week) and students are required to physically attend school, would you still use the second house enough to warrant the expenses of an additional home?
Would you go to the second home on most weekends, or would you return to the movie theater, attend sporting events, eat out at fine restaurants, or spend your time traveling again?

Bottom Line

If you purchased a larger second home during the pandemic, you were able to make day-to-day life much easier for those important to you. You also made it much safer. However, with those goals already accomplished, you now need to decide whether to continue paying the extra expenses or sell the house and cash in your profit. If you decide selling makes sense, let’s connect today to discuss the value of your second home.

Content previously posted on Keeping Current Matters

* This article was originally published here

Saturday, June 5, 2021

Summer 2021 Buyer & Seller Guides Are Ready Now

We have never done this before - usually we spread new editions out over a few days, but the country is in recovery mode and we are looking to help that along. The latest information and all the new summer editions of the buyer guide, the seller guide and the millennial home owner guides are all listed below along with the links necessary to download your personal copy. Share them as you wish!

DOWNLOAD Buyers Guide AT: http://sco.lt/7L11MG

DOWNLOAD Buyers Guide (in Spanish) AT: http://sco.lt/5WKGie

DOWNLOAD Sellers Guide AT: http://sco.lt/8DW0Ke

DOWNLOAD Sellers Guide (in Spanish) AT: http://sco.lt/6gza1A

DOWNLOAD Millennials Guide AT: http://sco.lt/54rZsu

DOWNLOAD Millennials Guide (in Spanish) AT: http://sco.lt/6FWtBQ

Thursday, June 3, 2021

Dreaming of a Bigger Home? Why Not Buy It This Year?

Are you clamoring for extra rooms or a more functional floorplan in your house? Maybe it’s time to make a move. If you’ll be able to work remotely for the long-term or your overall needs have simply changed, it’s a great time to sell your house and move up. Why? With mortgage rates in their favor and higher-priced home sales powering more moves across the country, sellers in today’s market are finding the space they need (and have always dreamed of) by purchasing a home in the upper end of the housing market.

With so few homes available for sale and high demand from today’s homebuyers, sellers are profiting in major ways this season. Bidding wars are gaining traction, driving up the sale price of more and more homes throughout the country. This means sellers are able to leverage extra cash from higher-priced sales while also taking advantage of today’s low mortgage rates when they purchase their next home. It’s the perfect scenario to move up into a true dream home. According to the April Luxury Market Report from the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing:

“The Institute’s recent analysis of sales in 2020 for homes over 5,000 square feet support the continuing preference for larger homes. The analysis determined that there was a 17% increase in the number of 5,000+ sq ft homes sold when compared to the number of sales in 2019.

Luxury home prices continue to see record highs in the majority of affluent ex-urban communities, as the influence of being able to work from home is still driving buyers away from living in high density areas. Low interest rates also remain in play, allowing buyers to realize the affordability of owning a larger property, which further reinforces this trend.”

Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for the National Association of Realtors (NAR), also explains:

“The market is hot pretty much everywhere and across all price points . . . The only area where there is sufficient inventory is in $1 million-plus homes . . . .”

While this price range certainly doesn’t fit every budget, if it’s in your reach this summer, you may want to make your move sooner rather than later. Today, more homes are available in this segment of the market, but as the report mentions, more buyers are investing here too, so competition may heat up sooner rather than later.

Bottom Line

If you’re planning to sell your current home to move into a larger one, let’s connect today. We’ll discuss your current situation and the opportunities in our local market.

Content previously posted on Keeping Current Matters

* This article was originally published here

San Antonio Real Estate Blog

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Begin the Search With Modern Technology

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Monday, June 14, 2021

The Right Expert Will Guide You Through This Unprecedented Market

Here are just a few of the ways a real estate expert is invaluable:

So, how do you choose the right expert?

Bottom Line

Americans Have Their Hearts Set on Homeownership

Saturday, June 12, 2021

Cash In on Today's Housing Demand by Selling Your Second Home

Friday, June 11, 2021

It's a Great Time for Your House to Shine

Thursday, June 10, 2021

Why This Is Not Like 2008 Again

Why is there a drastic difference between 2008 and now?

What was different this time?

Bottom Line

Wednesday, June 9, 2021

Why Is This Spring a Great Time to Sell Your House

Tuesday, June 8, 2021

Why You May Want To Cash in on Your Second Home

What does this mean to those who purchased a second home during the pandemic?

What should these homeowners do now as the pandemic is receding, and the economy is reopening?

Bottom Line

Saturday, June 5, 2021

Summer 2021 Buyer & Seller Guides Are Ready Now

Thursday, June 3, 2021

Dreaming of a Bigger Home? Why Not Buy It This Year?

Bottom Line

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