Tag Archives: housing market

New Year, New Home!

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You know we always say there’s no better time to start planning your dream home, and that’s never been more true as we launch into 2019. If, indeed, you are ready to get the ball rolling, here are some things that will help you make the best decisions possible as you move forward.

San Antonio Housing Market

According to MetroDepth, the San Antonio housing market is predicted to continue to see a rise in the cost of housing prices. This comes as no surprise to us, as San Antonio is one of the most booming towns in the United States. For locals, this means, there’s no time to delay! Good news is, price growth is anticipated to slow.

Currently, the median home value in town is $165,000, according to Zillow. That’s about an 8% increase from the previous year.

Mortgage Down Payment

Although, it’s recommended to put 20% down, many lenders allow a lot less than that. While this can be useful, we recommend that you put at least 20% down, if not more, and here’s why. You’ll be paying a lot more in the long run, and it could result in higher costs when paying for private mortgage insurance. Here’s a wonderful little tool – a down payment calculator, that will hopefully help shed some light on what to expect.

Know Your Neighborhood

Finding the right house or the right builder is only half the battle. Your neighborhood is the other half of the equation that will determine whether you and your family will be happy with your new home for the long run. To ensure a good match, consider a few things. Do you wish to be a in neighborhood with a homeowners association? Find out just what this entails. Sometimes the fee is worth the amenities.

Additionally, if you have kids, you’ll want to research nearby schools. Even if you don’t have children, the quality of the schools could affect the value of your home. Look into safety and crime statistics and take the time to map out all the important go-to’s, such as the closest hospital, grocery store, gas station and other relevant stops. Although time consuming, try driving through your potential neighborhood on different days and various times throughout the day to check on the traffic and noise. You won’t regret making the effort!

These are just a few notes to help prepare you for your new home. When you’re ready, we’re here to help build your dream. Give us a call at 210-494-5400 or fill out our online form to get started.

 

2018 Mid-Year Housing Market Update

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We’re already over halfway through the year, if you can believe it!? School’s about to start up again, and the holidays seem right around the corner. We decided it was about time for an update on the housing market. If you’re considering buying a new home, here are some things you should know.

We’ve been saying for a while now that there’s no better time to buy a house than right now, and that statement has never been more true. According to the San Antonio Business Journal, home sale prices in San Antonio are still on the rise.

The good news is if you’re looking to sell your current home, before investing in your new dream home, it’s currently a seller’s market. The average sales price per year is increasing by approximately 6 percent. Primarily, homes being sold range from $200,000 to $500,000.

With the market being so hot right now, it makes even more sense to invest in building a home designed specifically for you and your family’s needs – one that will last a lifetime. At Stone Creek Custom Homes, we also go above and beyond to help you find just the right property. Why not start from the ground up, instead of moving into a pre-built home made for somebody else’s family, where you don’t really know what you’re getting into?

With us, you will know exactly what’s going into your home, from the quality of the materials to the expertise and dedication. We work with our customers every single step of the way, so there are no surprises.

According to the San Antonio Express-News, builders aren’t constructing enough homes to keep up with the demand – yet another reason to work with a personalized company such as ours. You’re not just a number in a long line of home owners.

On a national scale, U.S. house prices are expected to rise at twice the speed of inflation and pay, according to a Reuters poll. House prices have been rising more than 5 percent over the past few years – driven again by the shortage of affordable homes in the U.S.

It’s clear San Antonio will continue to grow as well. It’s already considered one of the best places to live in America for a variety of reasons, and we agree. When you’re ready to bring your dream home to life, you know we’ll be here for you! For a consultation, please call at 210-494-5400, or fill out our online form.

New Year! New Home?

8.28.17

The new year is a great time to set goals and make a plan of action. If buying a new home is on your list this year, there’s no better time to get started. With an estimated million more people moving to the Alamo city within the next ten years, now is the time to bring that dream to the forefront – find your ideal location, plot of land, and let us build you a luxury home you will love for life.

As always, we’re here to help. Here are some updates on current housing market trends, so that you can be as informed as possible when making your home buying decisions:

-          According to Market Watch, mortgage rates are expected to rise in 2018. CoreLogic, a data provider for the real-estate industry, averaged six forecasts of mortgage rates, arriving at a consensus view that the 30-year fixed will average 4.7% in December 2018. In November 2017, the 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.07%.

-          According to USA Today, the U.S. has been experiencing a housing shortage. Baby boomers are staying in their homes longer than previous generations, it’s assumed, because they’re living longer, healthier lives. What this means is building a new home might just be easier than buying a previously owned one.

-          As far as San Antonio is concerned, the housing market is showing no signs of cooling. 2017 was another record year for our beautiful city. New home sales are expected to increase by 7% this year, while existing home sales are likely to increase only 2.5%. Looks like everyone’s wanting a custom-built home!

Find out why a custom-built home is the best idea for you too! Call us at 210-494-5400 to set up a free consultation. You can also fill out our online form to request more information.

 

Hot! Hot! Hot! in San Antonio – Mid-Year Market Update 2017

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It’s not just the weather that’s got us burning up – the local market is also hot as ever! The housing market in San Antonio hit record sales in 2016 with almost 30k homes sold, an 8.2 percent increase. So how are things looking now?

It’s no surprise we’re still seeing a lot of New York and California plates all over town. San Antonio also leapt into the top 20 “markets to watch,” according to Urban Land Institute.

With the continued low cost of doing business as well as the low cost of living, especially compared to other metropolitan cities, San Antonio is holding strong as a highly appealing place to live. The prediction is San Antonio will continue to rise to the top. Median home prices in San Antonio are $198,000, compared to the national average of $231,000.

Just last month, 2,981 homes were sold in the San Antonio-New Braunfels metro area, according to our own San Antonio Express-News. This is a 5.6 percent increase from the previous year.

Home sales are in line with national averages, but the good news for San Antonio dwellers looking to buy, appreciation rates are not as high as other cities, making it more affordable to buy or build a new home.

We’ve also seen fixed mortgage rates in the entire U.S. hitting a new low in 2017. According to Freddie Mac News, 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 3.88 percent with an average 0.5 point for the week ending June 29, 2017. However, as the market is always fluctuating, you should do your own research to determine the best time to invest in a new home.

At Stone Creek Custom Homes, we are extremely proud to live and work in one of the best cities in the United States. We work closely with all of our customers to make sure they’re always getting the most bang for their buck, from the light fixtures to the foundation.

If you’re looking to build a custom home in this strong-as-ever market, give us a call at 210-494-5400 for a free consultation. You can also fill out our online form to request more information.

 

Mid-Year Market Update

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Nationwide, the housing market is still very strong, with new home and existing home sales being consistently steady all year. Now that we’re hitting the mid-way point, we thought we’d check in and see just where we’re at, both nationwide and in San Antonio. Here are some highlights:

-          U.S. existing home sales just hit a 9-year high, according to CNBC. Chief economist, Mark Fleming, says the property market is close to its full potential.

-          Unfortunately, new home sales dropped 6% in May, but we’re thankfully not seeing those same numbers in San Antonio.

-          The National Association of Realtors just released that the median national home price across America just hit $239,700 for homes sold in May, which is the highest since they began tracking it in 1968. The state of the housing market indicates that while the market is recovering nicely, the biggest hurdle is housing affordability. Those in the Midwest are seeing more affordable housing markets due to supply, but not surprisingly, housing costs in areas like Orange County are rising faster than a runaway bull. We are also seeing markets across Texas exceeding peaks from 2006. Can you guess which ones? As suspected, it’s Dallas and Austin, and that’s because in Texas we didn’t see home prices fall as far during the crash.

-          According to the San Antonio Board of Realtors, we are still one of the nation’s most affordable large metropolitan area home sales markets. Chairman Bob Jacobs recently said, “Our average and median sales prices continue to see some growth each month, but at a manageable pace that keeps our city affordable and stable.  We expect this trend to continue throughout the summer.”

-          Good news for home buyers! The average sales price data indicates a slight slowing down in the dramatic price increases chalked up in 2015 (10%) and 2014 (4%).  If the trend continues until July, end of the home sales high season, it might be an indicator that San Antonio’s long seller’s market may be ebbing.

We’re incredibly grateful to live and work in the San Antonio area! If you don’t and would like to, consider a custom home designed specifically for you and your family. Our focus is on providing impeccable customer service and quality. We care about bringing your dreams to life! Call us at 210-494-5400 for a consultation. If you wish to be added to our private email list for our newsletter, please sign up here.