Hill Country Real Estate blog

TOP 5 THEORIES “WHY WEALTHY PEOPLE ARE MOVING TO TEXAS HILL COUNTRY”

Administrator — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 18:00:00 -0700

Surprise! America's wealthy like warm weather and low taxes. That's the takeaway from IRS data, analyzed by Forbes, on people moving between counties. Forbes looked for counties that the rich are moving to in big numbers.

I’m pretty sure that wealthy or not, most Americans enjoy warm weather and low taxes, but that’s just my own assumption. What I am sure about is the correlation between no state income taxes and the influx of people moving into Florida and Texas. Florida has eight of the top 20 counties in the Forbes list, and Texas has four, which by the way are all located in the Texas Hill Country . After accounting for property taxes, Robert Shrum, manager of state affairs at the Tax Foundation in Washington, D.C., says analysis shows that Texas has the fourth-lowest personal tax burden in the country, and Florida has the eighth lowest.

Top 20 Counties “Where America’s Money is Moving” As a Realtor and professional gadabout I have developed several theories as to the comings and goings of people in the Texas Hill Country and I would like to share them with ya’ll.

Theory 1.Yankee Baby Boomers are tired of shoveling snow and are ready to move to where the sun shines more than it doesn’t, real estate is cheaper, hard earned retirement dollars go further and there is no state income tax. (See Ted Nuge nt as the Poster Boy for this Theory) I get a lot of calls from recent retirees from places like New Jersey, Michigan, Washington State and Pennsylvania, looking to make a move to the Texas Hill Country. Yankee or not, Texas and Texans for the most part are generous and welcoming to Texas New-comers.

Theory 2. How many states can you really use to fill in the blank on this bumper sticker?

I wasn’t born in ___________ but I got here as fast as I could

Ohio, New Jersey, Arkansas?…I don’t think so.

Texas seems to be the only realistic answer.

Theory 3. If you’re going to live in Texas, don’t you want to live in the very best part of it? I must admit for disclosure purposes that I was born in Odessa, Texas (a.k.a. great football but not the very best part of TX) and have lived all over this great state, but when I got in a financial position to choose where I wanted to live, I made a bee line to Bandera and the Texas Hill Country. There is a lot of cool stuff to see and do in the Hill Country. Rivers run all over the place so tubing and kayaking opportunities are aplenty. There also seems to be an inordinate number of golf courses to people ratio in the Hill Country so tee times are easy to come by. If you like wine, then you can keep a busy schedule visiting Hill Country wineries and vineyards. Got a Harley? Almost every road in Bandera County is designated a scenic route! The list of things to do in the Hill Country goes on and on as demonstrated on the Facebook site 365 Things to do in the Texas Hill Country I figure there are a lot of native Texans like me that have made and continue to make this migration pattern.

Theory 4. With the advent of the virtual office and virtual commuting, more and more people from all over the world are able to work from anywhere with a good internet connection. I know several people that have moved to Bandera because they can make the commute to work on the internet super highway; and depending on your location in the Hill Country, you can make it to either the San Antonio or Austin airport in one to one and half hours if you have to leave your Hill Country paradise.

Theory 5. I don’t think most folks want to spend their golden years in some crammed housing edition in Dallas, Houston or any other big city teeming with the hustle and bustle. Nope, when you retire from the rat race I think you want to stretch your legs and spread your wings without hitting your neighbor in the mouth with your elbow. That’s right, with age comes your increasing inability to put up with the traffic, noise, crime and all the other fun things the big city has to offer. And where better to take up residence than the Texas Hill Country where the deer are plenty, the land beautiful, golf courses abound and houses far apart.

Well, these are my Top Five Theories for the migration of the wealthy to the Texas Hill Country. If you would like to find out how you can join us in this Hill Country Paradise visit my website http:www.BanderaTexasRealEstate.com or call me at (830) 460-0889 and I will help you find you a great place to call home.

Top 10 MLS Listing Tips

Administrator — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 18:00:00 -0700

1. Use the maximum number of Pictures your MLS allows you to upload. (Funny side note; I recently saw an MLS listing in San Antonio that read, “Pictures tell a thousands words”, first of all the grammar is pretty bad, but the biggest laugh is they only loaded 5 pictures, so I guess they only got to tell 5000 words.)
2. Take good clear pictures of the inside and outside of the house. If it’s just land walk around and take lots of pictures from all sides of property, large trees, good views, fence, gates, cattle guards, etc.
3. When you take pictures, make sure the beds are made, counters are clean, lights are on, blinds are open, towels are hung, etc.
4. Make the most of the “Remarks” section. Put some time and thought into what features will sell this property.
5. Use spell check and read through it once or twice to make sure it’s right. (copypaste your remarks and description into Word to check your grammar and spelling) This remark is from a current MLS Listing- “Cute 3 bedroom 2 bath modgular”
6. Add your plats, HOA report, disclosures, etc., to the Additional Information to make life easier for everyone.
7. List the actual names of the Elem, Middle & High schools instead of just Whatever ISD.
8. Add all of the neighborhood amenities; these can be a big selling factor.
9. Get the HOA and Assoc Transfer Fees correct, don’t guess.
10. Do inform people, don’t scare them. In agent remarks I recently saw “BEWARE OF DOG”, it turned out to be a sweet little mutt named Dixie. I was expecting a Rottweiler or Pit-bull.

Laurel Canyon Ranch, Mico Texas

Administrator — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 18:00:00 -0700
Laurel Canyon Ranch is heaven on Earth for nature lovers. This 1400 acre ranch is located just 10 minutes west of San Antonio's Loop 1604 on County Rd. 1283 which turns into Culebra Rd. in San Antonio. The developer built Laurel Canyon Ranch for outdoor and nature enthusiasts. He left 600 acres of the total 1400 acres in a natural preserve which is owned in equal shares to all residents to be enjoyed and explored. You can walk for miles in the preserve area and in the San Geronimo Creek. If 600 acres isn't enough to stretch your legs, no problem, the ranch buts up to the Government Canyon State Natural Area, which is approximately 8,624-acres and opened to the public in 2005. Call me for more details (830) 460-0889.
2.5 acres in Laurel Canyon Ranch just 10 min W. of San Antonio's 1604 View more presentations from Bandera Texas Real Estate .

Bandera River Ranch

Administrator — Mon, 10 May 2010 15:39:31 -0700

The Bandera River Ranch subdivision is a small acreage residential community nestled in the beautiful Texas Hill Country located approximately 4 miles south of Bandera off Hwy 16, and approximately 30 minutes from San Antonio.

This community was developed between 1972 -1977 and consists of 800 acres of beautiful country home sites ranging from 12 to 5 acre lots; some lots overlook the Medina River, Privilege Creek Bluff or back up to private ranches, many with a gorgeous view.

Currently there are 255 single family residential homes with custom homes continuing to be built on a regular basis.

This community offers to its members many fine amenities including: swimming pool, tennis and basketball courts, playground, picnic areas, and park sites on the Medina River.[slideshow]Bandera River Ranch show

Bandera, TX was founded in 1853 as a cypress shingle camp, and site of a Mormon colony established 1854. One of the oldest Polish communities in the U.S. An authentic Western town surrounded both by working and guest ranches. Horseback riding available plus swimming in resort pools or clear Hill Country lakes and rivers. Fine year-round fishing; hunting in seasons for wild turkey and white-tailed deer; camping, hiking, rodeos, horse races, two 18 hole golf courses and country western dances.

Visit the Bandera Home Owners website at http:www.banderariverranch.com for more information about the neighborhood.
If you’re interested in moving to the Texas Hill Country, let me know and I will do everything I can to help you find your piece of Texas Paradise.” Larry Wood [caption id="attachment_26" align="alignright" width="500" caption="Bandera River Ranch just off of Hwy 16 South"][caption]

Short Sales get a makeover

Administrator — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 11:36:43 -0700

Thanks to our fantastic economy I have been brushing up on the rules and processes of the Short Sale. Basically the bank or mortgage lender agrees to discount a loan balance because of an economic or financial hardship on the part of the borrower. The home owner then sells the mortgaged property for less than the outstanding balance of the loan, and turns over the proceeds of the sale to the lender. Be aware however that the lender may or may not forgive the outstanding balance. The reason people opt for the Short Sale over Foreclosure are for the much less severe credit and credit history ramifications. The Reason banks go for it is because they tend to come out much better financially with a short sale than a foreclosure, and they really want what's best for you and your family...NOT! I saw in the news today that there are new rules on short sales that will help relieve the ambiguity of the sales aspect and significantly speed up the sales and closing process. Check out the News Story here www.suntimes.combusiness2142369,CST-NWS-SHORT06.article