You may not have even known, but last fall I made a big tadah about moving to Austin, Texas. But I'm moving back to the Greater San Antonio area next week.
I didn't say San Antonio because even though my new house is surrounded by San Antonio, and has a San Antonio address, it's in the City of Alamo Heights.
What's with all the moving? Why did I move? Why am I moving back? I thought you were happy from your Facebook photos.
I moved because in 2010 we decided to downsize and well, with the recession our builder only built two larger houses then changed his business plan to build small homes, making it damn near impossible to sell my house. Our intent was to move into an older, historical, and/or urban area within 5 miles of the Alamo. We looked into condos in Alamo Heights too. But the house didn't sell.
Years later, our daughter was accepted to the University of Texas and we thought it would be cool to live in urban Austin, be near her, and maybe retire on Lake Austin. After-all, San Antonio and Austin are only 60 miles apart and I could hire a Team Leader to run the office, which I did. You know and love Jerry Newman. He's wonderful and will continue as Team Leader, creating stronger leadership and freeing me up to concentrate more on the brokerage. But things aren't always what they may seem. We love Austin, the lifestyle, the healthy and creative thinking, but we don't love the traffic, congestion, long lines everywhere you go, or have to live outside the core to have any sense of normal. Our lease expires in a couple of months and school starts in two weeks. So, we are moving back.
Alamo Heights is an older part of town with mostly single family homes, just North of downtown by a few minutes. We get the urban feel, with the fun lifestyle we were seeking, but staying in Greater San Antonio and therefore life is easier. Bonus! I became #1 in my market by just changing markets, LMAO!
Was it a mistake? Absolutely NOT! I don't think I would have been willing to spend on a house what I am given what I could buy elsewhere. But having experienced Austin prices, the price we paid seemed very acceptable, and located in an area we know and love. But I say this too, you need to explore your ideas. We probably wasted $3,000 in the move, but what we gained was much more valuable. A greater appreciation for San Antonio, for our affordable living, and well, Travel Magazine just named SA #3 for Friendliest cities in the country. Can't beat that!
Bonus #2: We discovered recently that the City of San Antonio just opened sections of the San Antonio River to Kayaking and Paddle Boarding, Now we don't have to lose out on our outdoor activities!
