The Scoop on Housing in 2009

Submitted by:Kathy Moore Cloud, Realtor, Boerne Office
What’s in store for housing in 2009?
Well, there’s oodles of good rates, that’s for sure. The best I’ve seen in years and plenty of people well able to afford to buy a home. So why aren’t they ? Fear. Plain and simple. They’ve bought into the media doomsday reports and have not looked at the local picture. Fear of making a mistake. That’s what it is. But you know what? Mistakes are made from lack of knowledge. If YOU want to get ahead of the pack, simply get informed, contact your local Realtor, check out the market firsthand. There is no better time than now to KNOW whether or not you can buy into a future for your family. Quote from an email Heidi Nereson of Trinity Mortgage’s January 5, 2009 update in Mortgage Minutes: “prices can only fall so low. We can say, with some certitude, that we are definitely closer to a bottom than to a top, which is why we will be surprised if we're not writing about a stable, likely rising, housing market this time next year. After all, people can overlook bargains for only so long, so we expect the number of bargain hunters to swell considerably in 2009.” Get in the KNOW. Now. Not later when the prices go up along with the rates! For more infomation on properties in Central Texas, contact Kathy Moore Cloud at bradfieldproperties.com/KathyMooreCloud or email her at KathyMooreCloud@bradfieldproperties.com

Homebuying 101

The current housing market is everywhere in the media these days. You hear that this is a great time for first time home buyers to get their feet wet. Interest rates are great and inventory is up...but where do you go from here?

If you’re a first time home buyer or even if you just want to know what’s new in the home buying process, we invite you to come to our debut Homebuying 101 workshop on Tuesday, April 7th from 6-7 pm. We will answer questions regarding pre-qualifying for a mortgage, the benefits and drawbacks of new vs pre-owned homes, inspection and survey reports, title policy and insurance, a BradfieldProperties.com “how to” home search, and of course the $8,000 tax credit program. We will also have Realtors® available to answer any questions you may have and get you started on the path to home ownership...deep in the heart of Texas.

For more information, call us at any of our locations or send an email to events@bradfieldproperties.com.

Locations:

San Antonio/Alamo Heights
Alamo Heights Office
5945 Broadway
828-0001

San Antonio/Fair Oaks Ranch
Fair Oaks Office
8000 Fair Oaks Parkway
210.698.0731

San Antonio/IH-10
IH-10 Office
24165 IH-10 West, Ste 202
210.698.0070

San Antonio/Stone Oak
Stone Oak Office
18830 Stone Oak Parkway
210.496.4949

Boerne
Kendall County E.D.C.
1221 S. Main
830.816.9400

Bulverde
Bulverde Office
29710 Hwy 281 North,
830.980.5944

New Braunfels
New Braunfels Office
219 E. San Antonio St
830.609.1956

Bradfield Properties is having an SAPD Blue Christmas!

submitted by: Rebecca Lowther - Marketing Director

BP Holiday Break"feast" Choir

Submitted by: Rebecca Lowther - Publicity Director

Jack Jones awarded the 2008 Joseph M. Cullinan Farm and Land Specialist of the Year

Submitted by: Joyce Bradfield, President & Owner

"Jack C. Jones is the 2008 recipient of the Joseph M. Cullinan Farm and Land Specialist of the Year award. A native to San Antonio, Jones spent 35 years in the information technology industry until he became a Realtor® in 2002 and joined the Boerne office of Bradfield Properties. He primarily specializes in working with buyers and sellers in residential and land transactions. In 2006, Jones recieved the People's Choice Spirit Award at Bradfield Properties and earned his GRI designation in the same year. he has also been active at SABOR where he was elected as vice-chairman of the Farm & Land Committee in 2006 and was the 2007 chairman. Jones is also a 2007 graduate of the Texas Realtors® Leadership Program. His is married and has one daughter."
-Taken from "San Antonio Board of Realtors® presents special awards", San Antonio Express News, December 11, 2008

Jack and I were childhood friends and we reconnected through our real estate careers. I am thrilled to have him on board at Bradfield Properties. Congratulations Jack and keep up the good work!

It is a Great Day for Real Estate

submitted by: Kristy Bradfield Petlin, Chief Operations Officer

It was a Great Day for Susan Jones, Bradfield Properties Stone Oak Office Realtor.
Susan was our featured host for the KENS TV Great Day SA Morning show which also had a surprise appearance from the Spurs Coyote! She promoted the open houses for Great Sunday as well as a positive forecast for the central Texas real estate market with amazing interest rates and lots of homes for sale. Thanks to Susan for representing Bradfield Properties so professionally today.

Thanksgiving 2008 thoughts: It is good to be in San Antonio!

Submitted by - Reagan Greer, Broker
As Thanksgiving 2008 approaches, we at Bradfield Properties, Inc. would like to thank all of our clients and customers for trusting us with your real estate needs. Our Company and our top team of professional Realtors appreciate your time on our web site and pledge to continue to stay a step ahead by providing you with useful as well as updated information.

2008 has been an unusual year for the real estate market. Economic uncertainty has had an impact on our local market, but as a whole, San Antonio and the surrounding areas have done much better than other parts of the Country. We continue to find ourselves in a buyers market (more than 6 months of inventory) with over an 8 month supply of inventory of homes available today. Interest rates remain favorable, between 5.75 and 6.25%, with many options for consumers to consider. Getting pre-approved for a loan is important, as credit and your ability to pay need to be settled up front prior to venturing out in market. Housing appreciation in San Antonio remains in the positive / plus column and your agent can provide specific information on the subdivision you are interested in for more clarity. The overall outlook for the local area remains good via unemployment rate is down, job growth rate is up and interest in new people moving here remains on the rise proven by our population increases. It is a great time to consider moving up or down in home size plus buying verses renting with these factors in mind.

Sellers need to be aggressive in marketing their home in coordination with their Realtor. Getting the property exposed on the internet, in print and in the real estate community is very important. The property should be in good condition inside and outside, priced competitively to sale quickly and the seller should be proactive with the feedback they receive on the home. Houses are selling, however the days on the market may be a little longer, so look at the facts in your neighborhood up front to have a clear expectation. Ask your agent to provide this for your review in the process of listing.

Real estate is a big part of Thanksgiving celebrations, as homes around the Country are filled with family and friends this holiday season. We at Bradfield Properties stand ready to assist you with your real estate needs today and in the days ahead.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!