Not true, when my company moved us we were able to use our Realtor they just had to sign some kind of contract with the relocation company.

Several new neighborhoods between Ralph fair road and fair oaks. Traffic is a little annoying at peak times, but 281 is the worst. I can from Houston so the traffic out towards Boerne is nothing to me. Construction will be ongoing for awhile but long term it should help a lot.

I live in Sable Chase off of Old Fredericksburg. Houses from the 250s to the low 400s. Don't want to live here forever but a great neighborhood.

It all depends on what you're into. I-10 between 1604 and leon springs is terrible. So is 281 north of 1604 through the stone broke area. If you have to be at work by 6, traffic in the morning is not going to be a problem for you. If you leave work between 4 an 6, it's going to suck balls if you're venturing outside 1604.

Since 4 bedrooms and no renovations are important to you, you're kind of in a bad spot as that means you will probably have to head out to McMansionville. That said, there are some good gems in Hollywood Park, Deerfield, Mission Ridge and Castle Hills at that price point. All of which are inside 1604 and you'll enjoy a better quality of life. HP, Deerfield and Mission Ridge are all zoned to Hidden Forest Elementary school, Bradley Middle and Churchill HS, all of which are the best in NE ISD, in my humble opinion. My SIL is a teacher at Hidden Forest and she loves it. She's taught in both SA ISD and NE ISD at another elementary (Jackson-Keller) and she's enjoyed it.

Castle Hills is desirable because you can get the 4 br/2+ba ranch on a quarter to half acre lot, much like Hollywood Park, you get your own police/fire/ems which is worth its weight in gold. Castle Hills Elementary is another good elementary school. Eisenhauer MS and Lee HS are not the best schools, but with school choice, you can send your kid to the schools of your choice in NE, so long as there is space. Location is great in that you get close proximity to the airport, dowtown, Hardberger park, museums, North Star Mall and if you wish to venture out to extremities, it's not bad.

If you're into quality of life and proximity to cultural amenities (museums, restaurants, no commute) and you don't mind being in private school, may I suggest Monte Vista/Alta Vista/Tobin Hill. SA ISD taxes are ridiculously low and the offset of tuition will get you in the same zone of cost that you would have to pay in NE ISD or Northside.

Boerne is nice and so are Bulverde/Spring Branch, but I think Boerne has kind of jumped the shark. As well, there are some that will say that if you're not from Boerne, it's a little hard to break into the scene there. The new hot chick is now Comfort, but it's a hike out there and you'll still have to deal with IH 10 outside 1604.

In full disclosure, we are in Alamo Heights. Yes, we paid a premium per sq. foot and yes, we are having to renovate, but I work downtown, I like the community feel of Heights and I get my own police/fire/ems, which is great; much like Castle Hills/Hollywood Park. I chose not include Heights/Terrible Hills/Olmos Park b/c if you're looking to stay under $400m and not have to renovate; you have a slim set of options. That does not mean you cannot find something in Northwoods/Oak Park or even on the fringes of Terrell Hills, but you'll have to be patient and ready to pounce on something aggressively if you see something you like. I do think AH ISD has great schools and they will prepare your child for A&M or the institution of your child's choosing.

Good luck on your decision and your move to SA. It is a great city with a bright future ahead of it. Most everyone is very laid-back, the weather is great most of the time and you can enjoy a wide variety of activities.

FYI, for anyone interested, if you do want Alamo Heights ISD and live outside the district you can pay to get in by the way. I believe it's around $8k a year, at least for the high school.

I'm a little late to the conversation, but probably in the same boat as you life-wise. We have a 3 and a 6 year old, and we moved to San Antonio in 2010. Built a new construction home in the Westover Hills area (near Alamo Ranch/Sea World) for sub 200k, we sold it for a 40k profit after being there 3 1/2 years. My job switched from the medical center to near 1604/ I-35 so we looked a lot around the entire 1604 corridor before winding up in a 5 bedroom 3500 sq ft on a qtr acre in Stone Oak Proper for just over 300k. We are happy with the schools and the traffic is honestly not as bad as I expected (I've experienced seen much worse in Houston, Austin, and Dallas). Having said that, traffic around I-10/281 and 1604 is probably some of the worst in SA. I usually am commuting around 9am, 3 pm, 6 pm, and 10pm, depending on meetings and I can make it from 281/1604 to I35/1604 in 20-30 minutes or less at any of those times. You could live as far out as Bitters and 1604 on the north side of 1604 and still be in the Stone Oak feeder system.

I've also had colleagues that have lived in Stonewall Ranch across I-10 from the dominion for under 400k which feeds into Brandeis and were fairly happy (newer homes) it is a good public feeder system as well.

Appreciate all the info here. Also gonna be relocating to SA soon. We have 4 kids and wife wants newer build, (we've always bought older and fixed up). I'll be working downtown, she'll be teaching somewhere.

Are Alamo Ranch and Stone Oak pretty much interchangeable as far as commute, home quality/price and family friendliness? Wife wants movie set suburbia this time around.

quote:

---

Appreciate all the info here. Also gonna be relocating to SA soon. We have 4 kids and wife wants newer build, (we've always bought older and fixed up). I'll be working downtown, she'll be teaching somewhere.


Are Alamo Ranch and Stone Oak pretty much interchangeable as far as commute, home quality/price and family friendliness? Wife wants movie set suburbia this time around.

---

If you want a newer build you will have a difficult time finding it in Stone Oak. That area has been fully developed for a few years. If you like that area there are great new neighborhoods still going up along 281 near there. Indian Springs, Bulverde Oaks, etc. I live in the Preserve at Indian Springs and it is miat definitely Suburbia type living.

Just pull your travel trailer in to the best location in San Antonio... Aggie Park!

quote:

---

Appreciate all the info here. Also gonna be relocating to SA soon. We have 4 kids and wife wants newer build, (we've always bought older and fixed up). I'll be working downtown, she'll be teaching somewhere.

Are Alamo Ranch and Stone Oak pretty much interchangeable as far as commute, home quality/price and family friendliness? Wife wants movie set suburbia this time around.

---

If you are working downtown, you'll probably take 151 from Alamo Ranch to 90 into downtown.

Good luck on 151. My wife is a teacher, and was privy to some knowledge shared by NISD. In essence, the total population within 2-3 miles of 151 is the size of Corpus Christi. Imagine Corpus using just one highway to get to and from downtown.

I used to take 151 years ago, and you could tell when it was Friday. No one in the left lane. Smooth sailing to 90. Starting 6 years ago, you couldn't even tell anymore. Traffic between Westover Hills and 410 will be terrible until they get the flyovers on 410 done. And there is usually one wreck a week on 151 or 90.

My advice. Find a way to take 10 downtown coming from either direction. Much better.

quote:

---

If you want a newer build you will have a difficult time finding it in Stone Oak. That area has been fully developed for a few years.

---

Out of curiosity I pulled new construction homes west of 281, north of 1604 and south of Borgfeld Rd. Here are the neighborhoods still building:

Silverado Hills Springs/Springs of Silverado Hills

Stone Valley

THE RIDGE AT LOOKOUT CANYON

WILLIS RANCH

Canyon View

HEIGHTS AT STONE OAK

MOUNTAIN LODGE

ESTATES AT ARROWHEAD

THE SUMMIT AT CANYON SPRINGS (Common) / CANYON SPRINGS

Coronado

KINDER RANCH

TUSCANY HEIGHTS

TERRA BELLA

OAKS AT SONTERRA

Venado Creek

VALENCIA PARK ENCLAVE

SALADO CANYON (Common) / ROGERS RANCH

STATELY OAKS

CLEMENTSON RANCH

There's also some infill new construction in Timberwood Park.

So there are options if you're dead set on the Stone Oak area.


There's also some smaller developments inside 1604 between I-10 and 281:

CANTERA VILLAGE

PRESERVE AT CASTLE HILLS

ESTATES OF ALON



Whew.


The listings/solds tend to get more expensive the further down the list you go.

quote:

---

Appreciate all the info here. Also gonna be relocating to SA soon. We have 4 kids and wife wants newer build, (we've always bought older and fixed up). I'll be working downtown, she'll be teaching somewhere.

Are Alamo Ranch and Stone Oak pretty much interchangeable as far as commute, home quality/price and family friendliness? Wife wants movie set suburbia this time around.

---

Commutes are going to be about the same, maybe a little better to Alamo Ranch. Quality of homes an people is better in Stone Oak area.

Thanks for all the info. I've resigned myself to a longer commute for the benefits of wife and kids enjoying suburban living. Gonna probably be a bit longer than the 10 minute commute i have right now, haha. On the bright side, i hear there are lots of good audio books out theses days.

We've taken two trips and looked at houses. Debating between a house in Crownridge and one in Fair Oaks Ranch. With two other houses as backup that we also really liked.
Does anyone have any input on Cibolo Trails? My husband is concerned that it might be more of a retirement community.
Thanks again for all the helpful info!

quote:

---

We've taken two trips and looked at houses. Debating between a house in Crownridge and one in Fair Oaks Ranch. With two other houses as backup that we also really liked.
Does anyone have any input on Cibolo Trails? My husband is concerned that it might be more of a retirement community.
Thanks again for all the helpful info!

---

Garden Homes can be a magnet for retirees. I would take a drive out there on a weekend and see what the pool is like. Tons of blue hairs, there's your answer.

Good luck Kay on your decision.

Not to throw anyone under the bus, but do most of the bigger builders in SA have decent reputations as far a s quality of work? Friends had foundation issues on a new build once and i'd like to avoid something similar.

As an aside, when did media rooms become so common in new builds? Sounds intriguing but not sure if it's effective use of space unless it's just replacing the "den" where the tv usually is.

Any thoughts or comments on the reserve at old fredricksburg, Sable chase, fallbrook and napa oaks. We are looking at a few homes in this area and wanted another opinion on the neighborhoods.

TIA.

All basically the same.

aduey, roughly the same but generally get a little nicer (and more expensive) as you move further north.

We live in Front Gate/Fair Oaks, and built new with Highland Homes. $350-650k. They've been exceptional and I'd highly recommend them.

Our kids are public-schooled, and that played a huge part in our decision to live in BISD rather than SA ISDs. If you're not concerned with schooling, there are some great neighborhoods west of 10 and north of 1604 with views, etc., and your money goes a little further there than it does 10 miles up I-10.

Oh, and yes the traffic can be a beast between Boerne Stage and 1604 during peak times (7-830a, 4-630p), but it doesn't hold a candle to 281 and Stone Oak areas. I'll switch medical providers before I have to drive in that area for a doctor appointment. Think gridlock, but hotter and slower.

After spending 12 years in Houston I chuckle at people griping about San Antonio traffic. When I lived in Stone Oak it never took me more than 20 minutes to get to work across from La Cantera.

BTW all the places on the feeder road in between Leon Springs and Fair Oaks Ranch, especially on the FOR side, are gonna have a ***** of a time commuting until they finish construction through Fair Oaks Ranch exit, which won't be for another 2 years or more. Right now the feeder road backs up in the mornings - it is your only exit out of your neighborhood in Napa Oaks and adjacent neighborhoods. IDK if Sable Chase and Village Green areas are any better now that Ralph Fair bridge is finished, but they are beginning construction on a bridge at Old Fredricksburg which will probably make things worse.

The Woods and FOR proper don't have as big of a problem yet, although during some mornings getting out of FOR can be problematic, especially during school times. But when they begin construction on the bridge at FOR we are going to have problems also.

(my screen name is old, we relocated to FOR in 2009)

Schools are good but crowded; bond just passed but building new campuses to meet demand will take awhile. Growth has outstripped current infrastructure.

quote:

---

After spending 12 years in Houston I chuckle at people griping about San Antonio traffic. When I lived in Stone Oak it never took me more than 20 minutes to get to work across from La Cantera.

---

Watch out everybody. We got a badass over here.

I live in rogers ranch and like my location a lot. Technically I'm out of stone oak so I don't have to deal with it all the time. I also try like hell to stay away from I10 and 1604.

My feeling mirrors what the above poster said about boerne. I think it's growing too fast and it going to be a real problem for the next decade or so. And stone oak gets a bad rap but it's not that bad, esp if you have lived inhjouston or DFW.

I am not looking forward to the day when 1604 has to be widened. That strip that goes through the north part of town is going to be a mess.

As for the west, out by alamo ranch, etc, I always hate it when I've got to go to that part of the city. I think traffic is worse there than stone oak. The good thing about stone oak is that it's pretty much built out. The traffic shouldn't get any worse.

So, one interesting tidbit about Rogers Ranch. It feeds into Vineyard Ranch Elementary and Lopez middle. Both Have attained lighthouse schcool designations. And then I feed into Reagan. Those three schools are just about as good as you can get.