Who Buys On South Padre Island

By
Real Estate Agent with Service 24 Real Estate

Yes, I know, the obvious answer is a beach lover, but I'd like to get a little more specific geographically.  SPI has long been a favorite of folks from Texas , including the Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas; from our neighboring states of Oklahoma, Arkansas; from the mid-west corridor of Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana; Kentucky in the south; Montana, Wyoming, Idaho in the west.  Over the last few years, our buyers have branched out more to include states from both the east coast and the west coast.  Life and real estate on the Island and the surrounding areas also appeal to an international clientele, specifically Mexico and Canada with occasional purchases by Europeans and Scandinavians.

Our abundant natural resources draw visitors and ultimately buyers from a multitude of locations.  We are a premier birding and wildlife destination and have immense appeal to those interested in a variety of water sports from surfing, to kite boarding, wind surfing and the list goes on.  Our bay and gulf waters offer outstanding opportunities for anglers as well.

While our real estate market has slowed, we have not been as impacted as many other locales.  A typical buyer will either be in search of a second home with an eventual hope to use it as a primary residence or will be an investor interested in acquiring the property as a short term rental vehicle.

Our prices have shown a small decline this year and offer some good opportunities for buyers considering diversifying their investments. 

Comments (5)

Keith McMullin
Port Aransas Realty - Port Aransas, TX
Port Aransas Real Estate

Marie,

Great post and once again welcome to the new Texas Gulf Coast group on Active Rain.  I love SPI and have friends and family in the area.  It sounds like everything is back to normal after Dolly.  I look forward to hearing the latest from SPI.  Keith

Dec 22, 2008 09:09 AM
Ricki Eichler McCallum
CastNet Realty - Corpus Christi, TX
Broker,GRI,ABR, e-Pro, TAHS

I lived there for a short time  a long time ago.  I love it!

Dec 22, 2008 10:22 AM
Julie Nelson
eXp Realty - Austin, TX
Smart real estate.

Marie ... I live in Austin but own two vacation rentals in Port Aransas.  I am always interested in where TX coast buyers (and vacation renters) come from.  Thanks for the post.

Jan 19, 2009 11:59 AM
Carl Winters
Canyon Lake, TX

Marie: People travel a long way to visit the Texas Gulf Coast and leave wanting to someday return and make it the place to retire. Something magic about living on the coast and Port Aransas offers everything a person would want. Port-A is one of our favorite places along with Rockport.

Feb 21, 2009 10:23 AM
Michelle Hatmaker
Real Living - The Hatmaker Group - Galveston, TX
Houston Galveston Real Estate

Marie -- Just curious how long it took after the last hurricane before things picked up again on SPI.  I'm in Galveston and the storm really affected us.  I know there are some incredible deals to be had...right now...and that as homes are rebuilt prices should go up.  What has your experience been?

Thanks!

Mar 15, 2009 03:45 PM