Central Texas Real Estate Blog

Taking a good bike ride with the family is one of San Antonio residents favorite hobbies. There are so many excellent bike paths that can give you a fun and free experience with loved ones or by yourself after a long day. Not only are these bike paths around San Antonio beautiful, but you’ll enjoy yourself as you get in some physical activity outside taking in the city you live in. Take a look at these recommended bike paths and where you can find them.

Missions Hike and Bike Trail

807 Mission Road, San Antonio

If you like the idea of incorporating a bit of local history into your physical activity, biking at Missions Hike and Bike Trail will give you just that. You’ll begin the 16-mile loop at Mission Concepcion and then complete the ride at Mission Espada. Here, you’ll...

Well, it’s 2019: That means it’s time for us to take a look back at how the real estate market here in Central Texas fared in 2018.

Today I wanted to take a little bit to look back on how the market did in 2018, with specific attention to residential home sales.

In 2018, home sales were up. The median sales price went up to about $310,000 on average, versus $299,000 in 2017. We made a nice improvement there.

The number of sales was also up across the board by almost 1,000—there were 32,400 sales in 2018, whereas there were about 31,400 in 2017.

The number of active listings was also up year over year in eight of the 12 months in 2018.

Interestingly enough, the average days on market was also...

First dates are pressure-filled, overwhelming meetings that sometimes feel like a job interview. Maybe you met online and you're going to meet in person for the first time. Regardless of how you met, getting together for a first date can be stressful.

In San Antonio, there are plenty of great ways to enjoy a first date and take the pressure off. You don't have to spend a ton of money and you can easily have plenty of fun together. Here are a few great ideas for your first date in San Antonio.

Get Active

Maybe you both love to hike or bike. If so, get active on the first date. When you get outdoor sand you do something active, such as hiking, kayaking, biking or just a walk around the park, you get to enjoy the outdoors. It...

You're ready to find your dream home in Austin, but you're a bit worried. It's a big deal and even if you've purchased a home in the past, finding your dream home takes it to a whole new level.

When it's time to start shopping for a home, it can quickly become overwhelming. You'll get opinions from everybody you know and it can be hard to sift through everybody's advice to find what you really want. Here are a few things to consider when buying your dream Austin home.

Why are You Buying a Home in Austin?

Before you go any further, you need to consider why you want to buy a home in Austin. Whether you've lived in Austin all your life or you're relocating to the area, it's important to really think about this question as buying a...

You've made the leap and you've packed all your things to relocate to San Antonio. After the big move, you may be wondering how you will meet new people in San Antonio.

When you move to a new city, there are plenty of great ways to meet new people. Here are a few tips to help you meet new people after relocating to San Antonio.

Join the Club

There are several clubs found all throughout San Antonio you can join to meet new people. Whether you want to be a part of a sports team in a league or you want to join a different type of club, this is a great way to meet new people. The best part, you can choose a club doing something you love and meet others that enjoy doing it, too.

December is a busy month with plenty of things to do, places to go, and events to attend. With the holiday season in full swing, there's certainly something on the calendar you'll enjoy. Here's a look at some of the top things to do throughout Austin for December 2018.

Blue Genie Art Bazaar - November 23rd to December 24th

With all types of original work on display and for sale, the Blue Genie Art Bazaar is one of the top spots to find a unique holiday gift. You'll be supporting local artists when you head out to shop here. Many of the items are handmade and provide excellent gifts.

You'll find plenty of paintings, jewelry, clothing, glassworks, ceramics, prints and so much more. The Blue Genie Art Bazaar is found at 6100 Airport Boulevard in ...

It's that time of year again and many will be looking for the right place to pick up their Austin Christmas tree. Whether you want to cut down your own tree or you're searching for an artificial tree, there are plenty of places to go throughout the city. Here's a look at some of the best choice for your Christmas tree this year.

Brungot Farms Christmas Trees

The trees found at Brungot Farms Christmas trees show up just days after they were cut from a mountainside field. They come in a refrigerated trick and they are stored in a 2,000-gallon water pit. These trees actually come from New Hampshire and North Carolina.

In addition to the trees, this farm provides handmade Fraser Fir wreaths, Christmas tree stands and more. You can find the farm at 204 East Little Elm Trail in Cedar Park and at 100 North Brushy...

Let’s break it down and keep it very simple: We keep hearing about how interest rates are going to change, and just to give you a little perspective:

• In July 2016, interest rates were at an all-time low of 3.41%.
• In November of 2018, rates are at 4.83%.
• Experts predict that rates will rise to about 5.02% by June 2019, and 5.8% by November 2019.

That’s almost a full 1% increase from this year to next year. But what does that all really mean?

For every full 1% that interest rates rise, your purchasing power—your ability to keep your monthly payment at about the same range—decreases by about 10%.

That means if this year, you were trying to buy a $295,000 house...

San Antonio is home to several great breweries. Sometimes, it can be difficult to pick the right one. However, when you know which breweries are the best in the city, you'll be able to make a decision, enjoy some good beer and have a great time.

Here's a look at the very best San Antonio breweries. Visit them all to find your new favorite.

Freetail Brewing

A brewery known for events, Freetail Brewing holds many events every year. They have all kinds of things going on no matter the season of the year. You can take a private tour of the brewery, as long as you give them seven days’ notice and they also offer plenty of great beer to enjoy.

They offer both a brewpub and a tasting...

Austin is filled with parks. When you're trying to choose a new neighborhood to call home, finding one with a park or near a park may be a priority. Here's a look at some of the best parks you will find all throughout the Austin area.

Katherine Fleischer Park

Found in North Austin, the Katherine Fleischer Park is right in the heart of Wells Branch. It's a park with a very popular playground and playhouse. There's a pool here and plenty of sports courts, as well.

Odom School Park

A location in South Austin, Odom School Park was recently renovated. It offers a new shade structure and plenty of fun equipment for the kids. This park even has musical play equipment to enjoy.

Play for All Park

A ...

Choosing to eat healthy gets harder when you go out for dinner. Hanging out with friends and family in San Antonio doesn't have to be difficult if you've chosen to eat healthy. Here are a few of the top spots you can go to and eat healthy without any issue.

Vegeria Vegan Restaurant - 8407 Broadway Street

Veganism has become more than just a trend and many are adopting a more plant-based diet. Eating fresh, delicious plant-based food is very healthy and Vegeria has you covered. While this spot serves up the healthiest vegan food you will find, it's also some of the most delicious you will find.

Vegeria isn't just known as a popular spot in San Antonio. It's well-known across the...

When you're ready to sell your home, it's important to look at a few things you can do to prepare. Once your home is on the market, it will be much more difficult to do anything to make it easier to sell.

Cleaning the home makes such a huge difference. If a home is spotless, it will be more attractive to potential buyers. Here are five things you should pay close attention to when getting ready to sell your home.

The Front Porch

When a buyer shows up at the home, they will wait on the front porch as their agent opens the key box. This means, they will have a few minutes to see this area closely and you want to make sure it's very clean. Take the time...

When you want to hit happy hour, there are so many great choices throughout San Antonio, it can be overwhelming. If you know your spot will be in North San Antonio, you're in luck. There are some very good happy hours in this area of the city. Here are four of the best spots.

Little Woodrow's Babcock - 2535 Babcock Road, San Antonio

From 3pm to 7pm, you can enjoy some of the best happy hour specials in the area. Little Woodrow's Babcock is known as the spot for the big game. They serve burgers, wings, chicken tenders and more. It's also a great spot for beer and other drinks.

During happy hour, you can relax and enjoy plenty of discounts here. Happy...

The summer may over, but that just means the heat gets dialed down a little bit in Austin. It will still remain a bit hot and a refreshing snow cone can still be found.

When you just cannot live without that perfect snow cone, you need to know where to go. Austin has plenty of great choices for excellent snow cones all throughout the city. Here are a few of the top options.

Bahama Buck's - 105 East Stassney Lane

They call it shaved ice, but it's a snow cone and it's delicious. Bahama Buck's offer a great choice for your craving with plenty of original flavors to choose from. They have 91 total flavors all unique and not found anywhere else.

Along with snow cones, Bahama Buck's offers lemonades,...

Sometimes, you don't have the time or money to leave your hometown and go on vacation. This is where the staycation comes in. You can go right down the road in Austin and find plenty of great places to stay and things to do. Why not create a staycation to get away from your regular day-to-day life?

Whether you're trying to go out with a group or just relax yourself, there are staycation options in Austin. Here are some of the top choices to consider.

An Adult Staycation

If you want a staycation just for you or for you and some adult friends, the Kimpton Hotel offers a good choice. This boutique hotel is a great choice with a convenient location on Rainey Street. It won't attract many families or children, so you can enjoy an adult trip by staying here.

When...

Deciding to become a homeowner isn't a small decision. However, when you compare renting to buying in Austin and you find out it's cheaper to buy; it may be an easier decision than you thought.

Trulia puts out a Rent vs. Buy Report regularly and it compared the cost of renting compared to the cost of buying a home in the largest metro areas in the country. The latest report shows that owning a home in Austin is about 23.5% cheaper than renting.

Currently, Austin isn't alone on this report. It showed only two major metro areas in the United States to be cheaper to rent than buy; San Francisco and San Jose, CA. This is due to the median home prices in both cities rising more than $1 million for this year. It also marks the first time this has happened over the six years...

If you didn’t put your home on the market this summer, don’t worry. Your chance at selling success in 2018 hasn’t passed you by. There are actually three unique benefits sellers can enjoy by listing in the off-season.

1. Buyers in the off-season months tend to be more serious. During the peak of the market, many buyers are more curious than committed. The buyers that sellers encounter during the off-season, meanwhile, are often highly dedicated to striking a deal.
   

2. There is less competition in the off-season. In most markets, the majority of homes are sold between April and August. Listing in the off-season will therefore allow you to avoid competition while simultaneously...

If you’re working with a budget of $700k for your home search in Austin, you are going to find some really wonderful neighborhoods that will be hard to choose from. This is a great price point to get a large, modern, and beautiful home in a great area of town for your family. You will be able to look in neighborhoods like Barton Hills, Steiner Ranch, and Mueller. Take a look at these and other best neighborhoods to consider in your upcoming move to Austin.

Mueller

For those that love easy access to Downtown Austin, Mueller is the closest community that you’ll find in the $700k price range. It’s the perfect East Austin location being built on the former site of Robert Mueller Airport....

For those that love Chinese food, Chin’s Garden is where you can get all of your traditional favorites on a budget. From the crispy and flavorful egg rolls to sesame chicken dish, Chin’s Garden’s menu of traditional Chinese favorites will have your mouth watering.

Being open seven days a week, there will always be a time that works in your schedule to visit this San Antonio gem. Take a closer look at what you’ll enjoy at the delicious Chin’s Garden of San Antonio.

Why you’ll love this restaurant

If some of your favorite family memories involve sharing large platters of delicious Chinese food on the weekends, Chin’s Garden is going to be your go-to restaurant once you give it a try....