Brenda Mullen

REDLAND OAKS, REDLAND RANCH AND REDLAND SPRINGS SAN ANTONIO, TX are located in the North East section of San Antonio TX off of 1604 and Bulverde. Located in established neighborhoods with mature landscaping, these homes typically have open floor plans that boast pride of ownership! This area is also located in the desired North East Independent School District.

Here is a snapshot of what has been happening in these three communities the past month.

AREA MARKET REPORT FOR Redland Oaks, San Antonio, TX for October

Currently Redland Oaks has three Active Listings with the median list price being $199,900. 2 properties Sold in Redland Oaks with the median Sold price being $202,750 and the average days on market being 16.

AREA MARKET REPORT FOR Redland Ranch, San Antonio TX

Redland Ranch currently has one Active Listing with the list price being $189,900. 2 properties successfully Sold in Redland Ranch, San Antonio TX with the median Sold Price being $155,500 and the Average Days on Market being 111.

AREA MARKET REPORT FOR Redland Springs, San Antono, TX

Redland Springs currently has one Active Listing with a list price of $205,000. One property sold in the past month in Redland Springs with the Median Sold Price being $165,000 and the Average Days on Market being 434.

If you have questions or are interested in Buying or Selling a home in any of these three beautiful communities, give me a call and I will be happy to help!

I suspect there are going to be a lot of posts today Thanking Veterans and I certainly hope so.  I sit today and remember when my husband and I first got orders to go over to Iraq back in 2003.  It was a scary time when we had to drop our children off to my mothers for God knows how long, pack our bags and head off to a Country and a future we were unsure of. 

During that time and since, there have been many songs and tributes to come out honoring the American Soldier, but this one is my favorite.  We show the Soldiers that we train, (I also help train Medics at FT Sam Houston, TX), to inspire them.  Each time I see this, or a video with this song on it I am filled with pride for the Men and Women who have joined the Armed Services and continue to fight for our Freedom! 

When you get a chance today, stop and thank a Veteran, they will appreciate you for it!

Thanks for Reading and Happy Veteran's Day!

Home Sellers in San Antonio, TXand everywhere else can breath a little sigh of relief because President Obama signed legislation that helps extend some unemployment benefits and a few other things to include Home Ownership, called the Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009.

Now, you may be wondering why I am talking to Home Sellers in San Antonio, rather than Buyers. First of all, there are going to be TONSof blogs and news articles talking about assisting buyers with this First Time Homebuyers Tax Credit extension. It is going to be no mystery to those Buyers who are now ready to hop off of that fence and purchase a home. By the way, those of you still thinking of buying a home, trust me, now is the time to get off of the fence as this Tax Credit has most likely seen its last extension. Of course, you can always take a Gamble and roll the dice one more time to see if they will extend it yet again.

I wanted to specifically talk to Home Sellersbecause this Tax Credit Extension is sure to help you during one of the toughest seasons to sell, the Holiday Season. I wrote a BLOG yesterday about deciding whether to keep your home on the market or list it during the Holidays. It is a tough decision at times, because as you now know, the Buyer pool tends to slow down during the Holidays. Although during this time frame, you get fewer lookers, you most likely get more serious Buyers. With the First Time Homebuyers Tax Credit extension, selling a home during the Holiday Season just got TONS better! The Buyers should be coming out of the woodwork and getting down to business in getting into a home!

Additionally Sellers, those of you who have been thinking about moving up can also enjoy this new legislation. It offers those of you who have been living in your home for 5 consecutive years out of eight an opportunity to get into another home, and with that, get a $6,500 Tax Credit! That's kind of cool. So now, you get to Sell your Home and get Help getting that New One!!! There are still some guidelines that will need to be followed; however.

To get all of the information and answers to your questions, please click go to the Federal Housing Tax Credit Website. This area will give you the most precise information to your questions.

As Always, if you need assistance buying or selling a home in the San Antonio area I am ready for the call :o)! Good luck and Thanks for Reading!!!

Thinking of Selling a Home in San Antonio, TX during the Holiday Season and don't know if you should: There are many opinions running rampant about listing a home for sale during the holiday season. And you know how the saying goes, opinions are like......attitudes......everyone has one, (what did you think I was going to say?)!

There are pros and cons to listing and selling a home during the Holiday season in San Antonio and anywhere else for that matter, and if you are thinking of selling, you should be aware of some of them. Some of the cons that you may encounter is that buyers start slowing down. It's just the nature of the beast. During the holiday season people start concentrating on family time, not so much on home buying. Buyers also may be watching their wallets during this time frame.

Another perceived con is that Realtors take off during the holidays and so you won't get the great representation that you deserve. Now, there are some, however, in my case, that is simply not true. In my opinion, (reference above), Realtors are a lot like Soldiers, they work 24/7, 365 a year if necessary.

Already have a home listed? Some Realtors will advise you to take your home off of the market during the Holiday season. Mainly for the reasons listed above. They also may tell you that when you put your house back on the market, it will be refreshed and new for the new season. And while some of this may be true, it is not an absolute in every situation.

Here is the deal. You need to really think about what your goals are initially when you are thinking about selling your home at anytime of the year, not just the holiday season. This is something that you and your Realtor should talk about in depth at the beginning of your listing appointment. If you need to sell your home in San Antonio, I have some good news for you!

Homes do SELL in San Antonio, TX during the holiday season!!! No lies! Just check out the stats below. I did a search of the North East and North Central areas of San Antonio, TX of homes that SOLD during this time last year and as you can see, a total of 250 homes SOLD during that time frame last year! So, what does that tell you?!

There are BUYERS in San Antonio looking for YOUR home during the Holiday Season, or really anytime. So, if you are thinking of SELLING your home at this time, there is HOPE for you! Let me tell you some PROS to listing and SELLING your home in San Antonio, TX during the 2009 Holiday Season.

First-Buyers who are looking to buy a home during this time are SERIOUS about buying a home. They are most likely looking for a home that they will be able to move in quickly.

There are Buyers who only have time to look for Homes during this time frame as this is typically one of the only times of the year they can take time off of work to Look, (if your house isn't there, then.....well, they won't see it).

The holidays leave plenty of opportunity for you to stage your home and set it in the best light! So, when those buyers do come to your home, you can ensure that you give them that comfy Welcome Home feeling!

Here are a few tips that you should be aware of when listing your home for sale during the 2009 Holiday Season in San Antonio, TX.

First, find a Realtor who will work with you and guide you through the process. You should do this at any time of the year you are thinking of selling. Ask your Realtor how available they will be during this time frame and Hold them to it!

Evaluate your reasons for selling. If you need to sell, listing your home during the 2009 Holiday Season is as good as a time as any so you don't miss out on those serious and qualified buyers!

Decorate your home tastefully! You can really set the stage to put your home in the best possible light during this time frame!! Tastefully decorated Christmas Trees or a Menorah on the Fire place give Buyers a feeling of good will and a comfy feeling. The smells of the holiday season are great too! Cinnamon Apple candles or hints, (and I do mean hints), of gingerbread cookie smells also give the buyer the "I'm at Home" feeling.

Don't overdo it however! Now is probably not the time to put every Holiday decoration you own up. You want to enhance your fireplace, not hide it. You want to enhance the yard, not set ALL of your stuff on there. Buyers want to see what they will be getting.

If you need some assistance in listing and Selling your Home in San Antonio, TX during the 2009 Holiday Season or anytime, I would be happy to help!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and upcoming Holiday Season and Thanks for Reading!

The Bin 555 Restaurant and Wine Bar is located at 555 W. Bitters Road, San Antonio, TX. It is near the San Antonio International Airport just off Highway 281.

Bin 555 serves a Tapas style menu with great wines, in a very casual and relaxed atmosphere, (they even have an outdoor eating area with a stone fireplace!). What are Tapas? Well, when I went to go find out, I was surprised at all of the different definitions that came up. The word Tapas means cover or lid in Spain. Tapas are small plates of food that can be eaten as appetizers or as a meal. Please click HERE for a great article on the history and origin of Tapas.

My husband and I decided that after I attended the wine pairing at the Tre Trattoria restaurant, Check out the Blog I wrote about it HERE, that we should go ahead and give one of Jason Dady's other restaurants a try. What a Great idea that was. Here are some photos from my Blackberry of the great Tapas we had the pleasure of trying last night!

Get a load of the deserts!!! I am a true sucker for Crème Brule. In fact, it was the first thing on the desert menu, my eyes got all foggy, and I didn't see anything else. But my husband did, and as you can see, he had the Blue Cheese Cheesecake; and the coffee served in the French Press was too cool!

If you get a chance you really should check out the Bin 555 in San Antonio, TX! As you can see, my husband and I had a wonderful time!!

No worries, we didn't drink that much :o)! Have a Happy and Safe Halloween and Thanks for Reading!