Here are the sales statistics for San Antonio during the third quarter from 2004 to 2008. The number of single family residential properties sold is much lower than in 2004, but the list prices and sale prices are much higher. The sales price to list price ratio is a bit lower too, and homes are staying on the market longer.     10/15/2008

Green Spring Valley is a popular well-established neighborhood located off Bulverde Rd. inside Loop 1604.  Schools are in desired the North East Independent School District.  Neighborhood amenities include a community center, pool, tennis, basketball, volleyball, playground and trails.  This is a comfortable and friendly neighborhood conducive to walking your dog(s) or walking for exercise. Currently there are five homes listed on the MLS in Green Spring Valley ranging from $149,000 for a 4 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage home with 1816 square feet to $240,000 for a brand new 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 2 car garage home with 2190 square feet. To view homes in Green Spring Valley call me or visit my website at www.shirleyparks.com  . 10/13/2008

Stonewall Ranch is an upscale gated community located across I-10 from the Dominion, San Antonio's most prestigious neighborhood.  Surrounded by beautiful rolling hills and featuring  25 acres of greenbelt, mature oaks, and amenities such as a state of the art recreation center, Stonewall Ranch is in a country setting but convenient to employers such as the South Texas Medical Center and USAA. Currently there are 23 homes listed for sale on the San Antonio MLS in Stonewall Ranch.  They range from $249,000 for a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage home with 2119 square feet up to $459,000 for a 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath, 2 car garage home with 3683 square feet.  To see any of these homes call me or visit my website at www.shirleyparks.com. 10/13/2008

Nationwide home prices have dropped 10.9 percent in the last year, according to the latest Loan Performance National Home Price Index, which compared prices from July 2008 to July 2007. The drops are starting to finally flatten out. Loan Performance compared the current national picture to the home price declines in Texas and Massachusettes in the 80s and early 90s, a decline which took two years to bottom out. California, Florida, Nevada and Arizona continue to lead the race to the bottom in the Loan Performance HPI. Home prices in the Los Angeles area dropped nearly 28 percent in the last year. Meanwhile, Texas continues to sail through the crisis relatively unaffected. Austin had the best price appreciation of any city in the U.S., at 4.15 percent. Houston's price appreciation was 4.... 10/11/2008

The members of the Christopher Columbus Italian Society of San Antonio, Texas  will top off a week long celebration of events with their annual Genuine Spahetti and Meatball dinner on Sunday, October 12th.  Spaghetti and meatballs will be served from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and homemade Italian desserts such as cannoli, pizzelle, and spumoni ice cream will be available.  You can dine in or order carry-out (bring your own container).  The all day event will include music, Italian dancers, an antique car display, art show, craft booths, and a Bocci tournament.  For the children there will be a moonwalk, balloon characters, and face painting. The Society is recognized as one of the oldest, if not the oldest, Italian-American organization in the United States and has been in continuous existence ... 10/11/2008

The San Antonio Board of Realtors has released it's MLS stats for August 2008.  Here are the high spots:   The total Active Listings has stayed steady at around 13,000.  The top three sales prices for homes that sold in August, 2008 were:   1.  $140,000 to $159,999 (at a whopping 181).  2.  $120,000 to $139,999 (close behind at 179). 3.  $200,000 to $249,999  (167 homes).   Another interesting stat that was listed was time on market of units sold with the highest days on market being for 531 units at 120+ days on market and the lowest for 74 units at 0-30 days.  The average sales price for August 2008 was $189,509 a tad up from the average sales price in August 2007 at $188,897.  Days on market has increased from 68 days in August 07' to 83 days in August 08' as well as the number of ho... 10/11/2008

Looking for some answers on how to go green?  Do you consider yourself enironmentally conscious?  Are you looking for ways you can achieve full fledged "green status?" You might want to check out the Live green fest being held TODAY Saturday, October 11, 2008 at the Olmos Basin park (10-4).   You are invited along with many other San Antonio locals to become part of San Antonio's "Green Scene".  Spend the day at the Olmos Basin, here's what you can expect there:    receive Energy Effecient information Earth friendly products Free TREE give-away Arts & crafts featuring recycled materials Music & fun  Food! All while you are learning how to help the environment.  This is a green event sponsored by CPS energy.  You can read more about it here.   10/11/2008

In the most recent monthly review of the Texas economy by the Real Estate Center at Teas A&M university San Antonio continues to rank high in categories from employment to affordability. Texas' economy continues to gain jobs while the nations' economy is losing them.  San Antonio, Texas is at a 2% increase in employment growth when looked at from the time frame of August 07 - to August 08.   Texas as a whole is the fastest growing state in population and is estimated to increase 13.6 million by the year 2030.  Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin are expected to DOUBLE in size.     Texas is 2nd to Florida as a favorite place to retire to.         You can read more about it here.   ________________________________________________________________________________________________________... 10/10/2008

•        Preparing Your Home for SaleAsk your agent for suggestions on preparing your home for sale. Generally, you will want to move out any bulky or excess furniture; make sure your home is sparkling clean, de-cluttered, and odor free before the lockbox is put on the door. •        Repairs Before SellingNot all resale repairs will net a payoff. You don't want to spend a lot of money on improvements but you do want to repair obvious and neglected maintenance problems. •        Home StagingYou can either hire a professional stager (it is worth the money,) ask your agent to help stage, or stage it yourself. You will probably get a better and/or quicker offer for your home if it is staged. •        Home PricingDo not choose an agent based on suggested sales price. Some agents may overbid ... 10/10/2008

The 22nd Annual Gruene Music & Wine Fest - October 10 to October The Gruene Misic & Wine Fest will be held this week-end in the town of Gruene, located "halfway between San Antonio and Austin and a little behind the times."  Whether you are new to the area or have lived her for a while, you are sure to enjoy this event and this little town.  They "have been gently resisting change since 1872" and you will see why. This Americana event benefiting local charities will be featuring the best in live Texas music and the best in Texas food and wines at Gruene Hall and The Grapevine. All three days will be filled with vintner and music events, wine & food samplings, and the Great Guitar Auction. Friday, October 10 -- Featuring music and meet 'n' greet photo op with the Flatlanders, catered din... 10/08/2008

I have often thought it interesting that the accordian is prominent in both Mexican and German music.  Actually, accordian music is incorporated into other ethnic music as well.  The annual International Accordion Festival  will be held October 10 to October 12 in the beautiful downtown Riverwalk area on the grounds of historic La Villita located just 3 miles south of the Alamo.  It's not Lawrence Welk!  The event features accordian performances, workshops, open mic sessions, accordion jams, and a fun area for young people and families.  There will be three stages with ensembles from around the world playing everything from "Celtic to Creole, Conjunto to Quebecois, Cowboy to Klezmer, Chamame to Chicken Scratch and much, much more."  In the workshop area, there will be informal sessions ... 10/08/2008

DYNAMOZE INDOOR PLAY CENTER    Whether you are looking for a good place for a kid's birthday party or just looking for a new place to take the kids for fun and play time, check out Dynamoze Indoor Play Center in the 281/Brookhollow area. For Kids •     Fun activities for children aged 0 through elementary. •     A large soft play area with lots of soft play activities, a toddler inflatable activity, numerous pretend     play areas and developmental toys. •     For the older kids, monster trikes, inflatable obstacle course, remote controlled vehicles, foosball tables and air hockey table. •    Toys that help to develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. •    Pretend play areas that help children to play interactively. •    Activities that allow children to exercise. •    An ope... 10/06/2008

OCTOBERFEST FREDERICKSBURG came and went this past week-end but unfortunately we were too busy to make it to this fun event. The festival celebrates the Hill Country's heritage with German and Mexican style food and beverages, polka and waltz contests, music on three stages and a kinderpark reserved for children. More than 45 artisans from across the state marketed their arts and collectibles in addition to the showcases of Hill Country artisans. I am sorry to have missed this event but there are other events of interest coming up here in San Antonio in the month of October for all to enjoy, especially if you are a fan of music. LOS LONELY BOYS are returning to San Antonio to rock out at the Majestic Theatre October 29th at 8 p.m.  Admission prices are $35, $40, $47.  Contact:  www.los... 10/06/2008

The popular Texas Renaissance Festival opens in October 11 and runs through November 30. This acclaimed renaissance themed park is located north of Houston, an easy trip from San Antonio. Part of this year's Renaissance Festival is their eight themed weekends. Themes include Oktoberfest, 1001 Dreams, Pirate Adventures, All Hallows Eve, Highland Fling, Barbarian Invasion and Celtic Christmas. Besides the themed weekends, the Texas Renaissance Festival features over 200 daily performances, 300 arts and crafts shops, 60 food and beverage shops, nightly fireworks and more than 3,000 costumed characters strolling the grounds. I took my kids and one of my nephews to the Renaissance Festival when they were in their young teens and we all have a lot of fun.  Don't miss an opportunity to attend ... 10/05/2008

The Alamo 225-1391 Alamodome 207-3663 Alamo Visitor's Center 225-8587 Arneson River Theatre 207-8610 Art Pace 212-4900 Artisian's Alley 494-3226 Auto Rentals   Better Business Bureau 828-9441 Botanical Gardens 821-5143 Buckhorn Saloon & Museum 247-4000 Carver Community Cultural Center 207-7211 Cascade Caverns 755-8080 Convention Center 229-8500 Golf Courses of the area GolfSATX.com Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art 828-6491 Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center 271-3151 Guenther House 227-1061 Hemisfair Park 299-8590 Hertzberg Circus Museum 207-7810 IMAX Theatre 225-4629 Institute of Texan Cultures 458-2300 Josephine Theatre 734-4646 Kiddie Park   King William Historical District 225-5924 La Villita 207-8610 Laurie Auditorium 736-8177 Majestic Theatre 226-5700 Market Square 207-8600 McNay Art Mu... 10/04/2008

  It's not as easy to slap lipstick on a pig as it used to be.     Have a house that you need to sell, but it needs a great deal of "fix up" work?  Have you been watching too much HGTV?  Too many flip this house episodes?  I promise you that "flipping" is not for the faint at heart. Here are a few things that you need to consider BEFORE you decide that a paint job will make it all better.   Today's Buyers are savvy.  With inspections taking place, their visual, appraisers, etc. you can't simply apply paint and think that will correct (or hide) your problem.   To receive top value your property needs to be in sound condition, all exterior to good condition (no rotten wood, peeling siding, carports falling down and the like).  The interior needs to be a good representation of the exterior... 10/04/2008

While sitting in my doctor's waiting room yesterday I picked up a magazine, Scene in S. A., and started casually flipping through it.  While scanning "News From the Restaurant Scene" the name of one of our neighbors caught my eye:  "Phillipe Place, of Las Canarias fame, has opened a haven for chocolate lovers at 18402 U.S. 281 N. at Loop 1604.  Coco Chocolate Lounge and Bistro features chocolate martinis, chocolate desserts and even a few savory chocolate goodies.  Visit sa-coco.com, or call 491-4480 for all the yummy details". Phillipe, a native of France, his lovely Texas wife - a San Antonio native, and their two darling toddlers are our neighbors.  They only live a couple of doors down so I was surprised that I didn't know about this, especially since this new restaurant caught our ... 10/04/2008

Sonterra is a series of popular subdivisions in what is referred to as the North Central Corridor of San Antonio between Loop 1604 to the south and the subdivision of Stone Oak to the north  The Club At Sonterra is a private golf and tennis country club. To become a member, you must be nominated and sponsored by a current member of the club. The Club At Sonterra offers a beautiful golf course, tennis courts, informal and formal dining facilities, swimming pool, state-of-the art fitness center, Kids Club playground, car wash services, etc. They also offer a book club, bridge club, singles club, moms club and other social clubs for their members with similar interests and hobbies. For more information go to their website, ClubAtSonterra.com or call (210) 483-4292. Sonterra Homes: The subd... 10/03/2008

Here is an easy and affordable way to see the most popular attractions in San Antonio.  It is called "San Antonio & Beyond:  A Prepaid Pass to Attractions and Museums."  The pass is offered at a discounted price and you can choose from three bundled packages.  • The Downtown Pass includes entry to family friendly destinations downtown. • The Museum Pass features many popular cultural and historic destinations.  • The Super San Antonio Pass offers the deepest discounts and packages all participating attractions.  The San Antonio Tourism Council developed and coordinates the San Antonio & Beyond passes and seeks to offer more full travel itineraries.  The pass gives the tourism council an opportunity to learn more about visitors to our city, learn about attractions that are popular, and r... 10/03/2008

The highly acclaimed movie "Fireproof" is in San Antonio theaters this weekend.  This wonderful movie is brought to you by the same people who brought you the movie "Facing the Giants" a couple of years ago.  It stars Kirk Cameron and Erin Bethea and is a PG rated faith based movie.  If you want to laugh and cry and be inspired at the same time, this is the movie to see this week end.  You will be glad you did!  I very seldom go to movies because I find most of them to be offensive but "Fireproof" is different; this kind of movie doesn't come around very often. Locations to see Fireproof: Alamo Quarry Stadium 16 - 255 E. Basse Rd. 800-326-3264  13707 Embassy Row - 210-496-2221 AMC Huebner Oaks - 11075 IH-10 W. 210-558-9988 10/03/2008