There seems to be a trend in today’s luxury homes that simply keeps getting better: the outdoor kitchen.

In fact, many of today’s luxury homes are sure to feature the finest outdoor living spaces, complete with a fantastic outdoor kitchen.

Going Back Home: Entertaining at Home

There has been a shift in living over the last few years that has highlighted the popularity of outdoor kitchens. In short, many individuals are not heading out to find entertainment; they are finding it in their own backyard. Gathering with friends and family has taken on an all-new importance, and the home is the place to be.

Today’s affluent homeowners realize that an outdoor kitchen is simply an extension of home entertaining and, as such, many of today’s Alamo Heights’ luxury homes are boasting these outdoor living spaces; and the outdoor kitchen is, without a doubt, the centerpiece to any outdoor entertaining space.

High-Style Heads Outdoors

One of the best things about today’s outdoor kitchens is that homeowners can have all the bells and whistles that they expect in their indoor kitchens.  It is also quite common to see Alamo Heights’ luxury homes flaunting some high style in their outdoor kitchens.

As a result, many of the outdoor kitchens found in Alamo Heights’ luxury homes are beautiful, functional and quite suited for entertaining. Best of all, they are durable in design to withstand the weather conditions.

When only the Best will do

What does an outdoor kitchen have to offer? For starters, you can kiss your basic charcoal grill good-bye and say hello to everything from built-in refrigerators and weather-resistant cabinetry to bar systems and built-in cook tops.

But it doesn’t end there, either, as entertaining has become just as important as design in today’s outdoor kitchen. It is therefore not uncommon to see such features as plasma televisions, surround sound systems, fire pits, professional freezers and heating systems.

The common theme of today’s outdoor kitchens is that you can entertain just as easily outside as you can inside; and the many bells and whistles will certainly make the process much more enjoyable!

Have you considered location in your home search? Not just the physical location, but the location within the community.

In other words, is your home conveniently located so that your lifestyle and schedule can be accommodated? For example, purchasing the Alamo Heights’ home of your dreams, only to find that the noise from the nearby highway makes it hard to fall asleep with the windows open, may just dampen your spirits.

Location Tips to Remember when House Hunting:

• The home’s proximity to shopping, dining and recreation – Many homeowners may desire a close proximity to grocery stores, restaurants and night clubs, for example, while other homeowners want to avoid any nearby commercial activity due to noise and traffic.
• The home’s proximity to medical centers, hospitals and doctors – Finding a home that is far from any type of medical services may prove to be inconvenient or dangerous. Consider how long it will take emergency personnel to get to your home, or how long it will take to visit your family doctor.
• The home’s proximity to major roads and highways – Often times, homeowners look for homes that are located in close proximity to major roads and highways, as this often makes the task of commuting to and from work an easier one. However, it is also important to consider road noise. For example, your close proximity to a major highway may be convenient, but it may also produce a great deal of noise and local traffic.
• The home’s proximity to undesirable locales, including garbage dumps, power plants, etc. – You may have found the ideal home, but if it is located next to a power plant, for example, that home may become slightly more undesirable. And, even if you aren’t bothered by a nearby garbage dump, for example, the next buyer may certainly be.
• The home’s proximity to community services, parks and playgrounds – You may want to consider your neighborhood’s quality of life, particularly if you have children and pets, or if you enjoy outdoor exercising and partaking in outdoor recreational activities.

Are you considering purchasing your first San Antonio home? If so, congratulations! You are making an excellent financial move.

There are, however, a number of factors that you must remember when obtaining a home loan and purchasing your first Bexar County home:

1. Don’t make any large purchases before closing – Don’t make the mistake of spending money on a big-ticket item before you close on your home. Taking out additional loans in the midst of asking a lender to approve you for a mortgage could be a huge mistake, as it could raise your debt-to-income ratio into the “danger zone.” In other words, it can raise a red flag with your lender that you are simply under the thumb of too many debts and not enough income.
2. Don’t change jobs before closing – In fact, keep your job for as long as possible to avoid looking like a risk to lenders. A steady job for a steady length of time reflects positively for you in terms of financial stability. In other words, a lender wants to know that you aren’t hopping from job to job, as this sets off an alarm with a lender. The bottom line: too many job changes spell financial irresponsibility in the eyes of a lender.
3. Let common sense, not emotions, to be your guide when purchasing a home – Make a list, check it twice and come armed with it when looking at houses. Know what you want and what you absolutely must have. Therefore, you will likely not get caught up in falling in love with a home that simply isn’t practical for your lifestyle or your budget.
4. Get a great real estate agent – Your first home purchase will often be filled with questions and uncertainty, which is why the presence of a qualified real estate agent is invaluable. Take your time and find an agent who: (a) has a good understanding of the market; (b) has experience and education under his or her belt; and (c) has developed a good rapport with you.
5. Don’t forget about comprehensive homeowners insurance – With all of the commotion surrounding purchasing a home, many buyers gloss over the fact that a comprehensive homeowner’s insurance policy is essential for protecting yourself, your family and your assets. Take the time to find a policy that suits your needs and your budget!

Selling your home is a bit of an art these days. Gone are the days of the real estate boom when all we needed to do to sell a home was to slap a “for sale” sign up in the front yard.

Instead, buyers are more particular, mainly because there is an influx of homes on the market. In other words, if your home isn’t well kept and updated, the house next door probably is. The bottom line is that homebuyers these days want turn-key homes; homes that they can settle into without much repair or updating.

Aside from the obvious rule of performing all home repairs before listing your Helotes’ home for sale, there are a number of things you can tackle in a weekend to make your home more desirable to homebuyers. So, what are you waiting for, weekend warrior? Roll up those sleeves and get started today!

• After you have given each room in your Helotes’ home a fresh coat of neutral paint, consider adding decorative moldings. Molding is inexpensive, yet when installed it can turn any ordinary room into a very attractive one. Also, consider adding a chair rail and picture frame molding to your dining room to make it stand out. Don’t forget to trim all doors and windows, as well!
• Refinish the cabinets – If you have good, wooden cabinets that are simply a bit outdated, take them down and refinish them. A crisp coat of white paint, along with new hardware, is all you may need to give your kitchen an instant facelift.
• Tear up any old, outdated, worn or damaged flooring and replace it with new flooring. The flooring of today is varied and attractive, and can be quite inexpensive. Head to your local home improvement center and check out the latest vinyl tile flooring options; vinyl floors of today are inexpensive and easy to install!
• Get your hands dirty and clean up the yard. If your home’s first impression is less than desirable then it’s probably time to dig in and clean up your yard. Weed and mulch the beds, add colorful annuals and freshen up the front door with a coat of paint. Consider replacing your old mailbox with a new one, replace an old light post with a more modern one and add new hardware to your front door.

Are you hunting for San Antonio commercial lease space, but you’re not sure where to start?

The San Antonio commercial lease space market is the place to be for renters because there is a high vacancy rate and the lease rates are quite reasonable.

There are a slew of major differences between commercial leases and residential leases, so it pays to understand the ins and outs of a commercial real estate lease before signing on the dotted line.

Questions to ask when seeking commercial lease space:

• What is the rent price, and what increases are expected?
• What is the security deposit and what are the conditions for the return of the deposit?
• What is the length of the lease? Is this negotiable?
• What does my rent cover? Does it cover utilities, taxes and maintenance, or will I be charged separately for these items?
• Will I have the option to renew the lease?
• How, if necessary, can I terminate the lease? What are the notice requirements regarding the termination of a lease?
• What does my rent include? Common areas, hallways, bathrooms and elevators?
• Do you have specific rules regarding the placement of signage?
• Do you have any plans for improvements or modifications to my lease space or to the building?
• Will you entertain build-outs? Who will pay for them?
• Who maintains the property?
• Can I sublet the space, if necessary?

Although all of these questions may not personally relate to you and your lease, it is important to get answers to all of these questions, as they may pertain to you at some point throughout your lease. Read the lease agreement thoroughly carefully and, if necessary, have an attorney review it. Although you may be wary to pay an attorney to read over your lease agreement, it can actually save you quite a bit of money in the long run.

The courthouse steps of Bexar Country have seen a lot of activity over the past year. Foreclosure auctions, unfortunately, have become an all-too-common occurrence, not only in Bexar County, but throughout most of the country.

Looking ahead, it is expected that mortgage lenders will be coming in to take back 1,652 properties throughout Bexar County in January alone. This will likely be the highest total on record and also a clear indication that Bexar County may not be out of the woods just yet when it comes to foreclosures.

Foreclosures at Record High

This hard news is even harder to take, considering that 2009 was a quite the dismal year for real estate in Bexar County.  In fact, the total numbers of properties that fell into foreclosure in Bexar County during 2009 was an astonishing 14,000, which is the highest number of foreclosures in Bexar County in nearly 20 years.

For many analysts and economists, this type of grim news makes it hard to see the silver lining in the real estate industry; but it is there, we just might have to look a bit harder for it.

Who’s in Jeopardy of Foreclosure

Because many homeowners’ adjustable rate mortgages that they took out in 2004 to 2006 are due to reset, the number of foreclosures is expected to continue well into 2010. However, the low interest rates may just be the industry’s saving grace amidst all of this doom and gloom.

Although the homeowners who secured adjustable-rate or interest-only mortgages a few years ago are falling onto hard times, it appears that the homeowners who purchased homes since then are having more luck hanging onto their homes.

Many homeowners struggling with interest-only mortgages, for example, often find themselves in an “upside down” situation; in other words, they can’t even sell their homes because they owe more on them than what they are worth.

Nationally, 23 percent of the properties across the nationwide were in this precarious position, while just 11 percent of Texas homes were underwater.

One of the problems with identifying when the foreclosure crisis in Bexar County will come to and end is that many lenders have offered moratoriums on foreclosures; unfortunately, this is often simply delaying the inevitable.

The real estate catastrophe of 2009 has given way to a bit of a hangover syndrome, with everyone from buyers and lenders to home builders dusting themselves off and looking forward to 2010 to begin posting gains.

Returning to Normalcy

The real estate market in San Antonio, including the luxury real estate market, seems to be returning to a bit of normalcy, much to the relief of sellers and home builders everywhere.

The signs of recovery really took off in November, when sales jumped 52 percent from a year earlier. In fact, more than 1,500 San Antonio homes were sold in November, compared to just 1,000 in November 2008. This recent spike in sales has left the market on the same playing field as before the market began to peak.

Reasonably Priced Homes are a Hot Commodity

Although the luxury real estate market in San Antonio hasn’t fully recovered, mainly because many buyers still can’t secure jumbo loans through lenders, the market for reasonably priced homes – especially those under $250,000 – is fairing quite well. In fact, the numbers reflect quite a normal market for San Antonio.

The roller coaster ride of the peak market in 2005 and 2006, as well as the subsequent crash in 2008, appears to have subsided and a steady stream of activity has taken its place.

Consumer confidence is beginning to return and, along with it, real estate transactions are rising.

Luxury Real Estate still has its Challenges

Luxury real estate in San Antonio, although improving alongside more reasonably priced real estate, has its share of challenges, including the fact that homes in this price point remain on the market much longer than lower priced homes.

With interest rates still very attractive, and the with the extension of the Homebuyer Tax Credit, analysts feel very confident that sales throughout the San Antonio real estate market will remain strong throughout 2010.

San Antonio commercial real estate is still struggling, make no doubt about it. The number of San Antonio commercial properties that fell into foreclosure in 2009 is a clear indication that this sector of the real estate market in San Antonio has a long way to go.

Commercial foreclosures for San Antonio commercial real estate rose nearly 55 percent during 2009; in other words, there were 863 commercial property foreclosures in San Antonio in 2009, compared with 557 in 2008.

Throughout all of the trouble that the San Antonio commercial real estate market is experiencing – and is likely to experience in the months ahead – economists note that the trends of the past year can’t even hold a candle to the real estate collapse of the 1980s.

Commercial Foreclosures Peak for Older Buildings

Case in point: many of the commercial foreclosures in San Antonio in 2009 were from smaller, older buildings in less desirable parts of the city. However, larger, nice properties have also not been spared the brunt of the foreclosure crisis.

Construction in San Antonio has slowed, and vacancies have risen. The hardest hit sector of the commercial real estate market was industrial buildings. There were 47 industrial building foreclosures in San Antonio in 2009.

Apartment building foreclosures also experienced a huge jump, with 87 foreclosures posted in 2009, compared to 33 in 2008.

Retail foreclosures were up, as well, from 51 in 2008 to 66 in 2009.

The surprising factor in the commercial sector, however, was that office building foreclosures dropped eight percent from 2008 to 2009.

A Bright Spot

Because the commercial real estate market in San Antonio is linked to the residential real estate market, and usually follows the trends of the residential real estate market, many analysts turn to the residential real estate market to gauge the future of the commercial real estate market.

Luckily, after nearly three years of double-digit drops in the residential market, home builders are starting to build once again because demand is on the rise.

The residential real estate market clearly hit bottom in 2009, and is now on the way to a rebound. This is good news for home builders; and perhaps even better news for commercial real estate builders and investors.