Kristin's Blog

The Enclave at Westpointe Village ~ Jimmy Jacobs Custom Homes in New Braunfels, Texas

Jimmy Jacobs sure knows what he is doing out in New Braunfels, Texas with The Enclave at Westpointe Village.  He has built a fabulous 55+ Active Adult Community located right off of Hwy 46 & 35 behind the new H-E-B. 

The Enclave at Wespointe Village offers seven floor plans to choose from:

Camp Mabry     1714

Fort Bend         2013

Fort Mason       2047

Fort Hood         2051

Fort McKavett    2231

Fort Bliss          2349

Fort Davis         2621

Pretty awesome, right? The lot's are beautiful with trees & the neighborhood itself is pretty secluded.  We visited this community last night at their grand opening event. We sat outside by the fireplace in the neatly manicured yard & enjoyed the breeze & the floorplan.  And, of course there are amenties galore!

Coming soon to the Amenity Center, The Enclave at Westpoint Village will have a 3,489 square foot with a great room, a workout facility a catering kitchen and an outdoor recreational swimming pool.  Active enough for you?

Prices at The Enclave at Wespoint Village range from around $250-$350.  You really must see this spectacular community to appreciate it. 

Should I get the home i'm buying inspected?

I get this question all the time...the short answer is YES!  Who pay's for it?  You will.

The home inspection is a VERY important part of the home buying process.  You won't be able to close on the home without hearing about the need for a home inspection multiple times.  Real Estate agents encourage home buyer's to get the home inspected and you will have to sign documents that state your desire to do so or not.  The small amount of money you pay for that inspection can save you thousand's of dollars in the long run.

So, what's the big deal?  What does the inspector look for?   

Inspector's are trained to look at a home with very different eyes than you and me.  They are very thorough & will go through a laundry list of items they will make sure are working.  Working or not, you will hear about it.  Some of the items inspected are:

• Plumbing
• Electrical
• Structure
• Appliances
• Garage 
• Roof
• Windows
• Fire place/chimney
• A/C units
• Water heaters
• etc.

What do I do once the home inspector tells me what's wrong with the house?

Once you receive the report back, chat with your agent about what's important to you to have the seller repair.  It might be wise to get your own estimates so you know the amount of money it will take to get the job done. 

Some of the items on the list might be a deal breaker for you, some won't but keep in mind no home will be without some flaws, even new homes.  The inspector's report can be daunting at first as well but think what he would come up with if he went into your existing home, review it with your agent & decide your next steps. 

We bought a second home a few weeks ago, having lived through this frustrating experience recently I know  what buyer's go through & thought i'd laugh about it, only so I don't cry........

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If you want a home with a yard, step back & recognize that getting a loan is going to be HARD.  You must have a J-O-B & you better put down those credit cards, you better be debt free!  Cuz' twenty-ten is the year of the perpetual loan, sit back & get comfy if you want a new home. 

There's paperwork galore, all of which you will abhore, if you get frustrated easily you might want to try and ignore....but get ready, The lender will ask you for all sort's of things, from bank statements to check stubs to letter's explaining your rings.  But the lender isn't the one that you should hate, there's a certain someone else very evil, hidden behind the gate, he's called an underwriter and by the end of your transaction he will turn you into a fighter. 

Rest assured he's after blood, he's got multiple eyes on him so he keeps himself out of the mud.   He's got a job to do and he takes it to heart, nothings getting by him so don't even start! 

These days are different, you will find out, there's verifications & re-verifications & paperwork that will make you scream and SHOUT! 

"Enough already! I give up! I don't want the home anymore, let's stay here!?" 

"But no, we're almost there, one step closer to our dream of living in Bel-Air!"

"So GO!  FIGHT!  WIN!  We'll give them what they want and we will do it with some smiles, even if it is just to have a new home within a couple of miles............

Is it better to rent or buy?  The Today show say's San Antonio is a great place to buy!

I am sure we have all heard this question....the Today show answered it this AM calling your home your "piggy bank", and likening it to a 401k and a cheap investment. 

They do have very good opinions on why it's better to rent vs. buy, some being length you will be in the home and getting someone else to do repairs for you.  Some GREAT points on the buying side of things are the RECORD LOW interest rates and cheap money, I love it.....it's an "amazing miracle", I think i'm gonna use that one.

Here's the video & please note at the end, San Antonio is the #5 spot for best places TO BUY!:

Santa Maria At Alamo Ranch ~ San Antonio, Texas ~ TriStone Homes

Affordable, professionally built homes is what you will find in the quaint community of Santa Maria At Alamo Ranch, featuring exceptional architectural designs with an impressive list of included features you can't go wrong with.  Just outside 1604 at Hwy 151, there's a bundle of new shops around the area, restaurants galore & let's not forget minutes from Sea World as well as Lackland AFB. 

Santa Maria At Alamo Ranch is a TriStone Home community within the NSISD shool district and with it's elementary & middle schools within walking distance in the neighborhood!

This builder has some true Texas love that shines proud in it's floor plan names. From "The Bandera" to "The Huisache", there's even "The Lampasas" and "The Nacogdoches" anyone that has a true love of Texas knows these familiar spots & their namesakes should be proud!

Gorgeous homes from the 185's to 220's with 1,877 up to 3,200 square feet a community playscape and swimming pool, there's something for everyone at Santa Maria At Alamo Ranch in San Antonio, Texas.

Here's Rebecca Hall a Sales Pro with TriStone Homes to tell you a little more about the community she knows so much about & share some pictures with you. 

I've said it before, you know i'm gonna say it again....choosing a lender in San Antonio, Texas

I had the unfortunate experience today of getting yelled at by a buyer who chose their own lender.  I'm not proud of it, i'm by no means happy BUT, I can honestly say, I didn't do anything wrong...

I'm not saying you have to use the lender I refer to you by any means, but PLEASE do not yell at me when your lender fails you.  I will honestly say to you "I'm sorry!"  Do you expect more?  Why?

I work with lenders everyday.  I don't get a "kickback" from any of them, I don't get a commission, I don't get a new buyer, I don't get a steak dinner, I don't get a trip to the Caribbean, that's not the way I work. 

So, what do i get for referring a lender to you, Mr. & Mrs. Buyer?

I get peace of mind.  That's enough.  TRUST ME!  I get peace of mind that you will be taken care of by someone I have done business with before, someone I trust, someone that works on commission & is hungry for your business, wants your business & appreciates your business.  Someone that you will want to do business with AGAIN and AGAIN, in the words of Paris Hilton, "that's huge...."  I agree with her, it's HUGE!

I know some folks don't know the questions to ask of a potential lender, so start with these:

1. Are you in the same city as me?
2. Will all the individuals I work with (processors, underwriters, etc. ) be in the same city?
3. Can we meet face to face?
4. Do you work on the weekends?
5. If I were to call on a Friday evening @ 5:00, how long would it be before I got a return call?
6. If you request paperwork of me, what's the average turn around time to review it?
7. How many loans has your company closed ON TIME this month?

Ok, that's plenty, enough to get you started at least.  The above is what get's things delayed in a loan & when I say delayed, I mean DELAYED!  Delayed to the point of everyone involved in the transaction (besides the lender who's 5 states away) frustrated beyond belief, the buyer's anxious, the seller's frustrated & the agent baffled...

 What to do, what to do, what to do????  I'll tell you what to do!!  Listen to your agent!

Moving up San Antonio? How can YOU get your tax credit for purchasing a new home?

During the first round of the government's homebuyer tax-credit program only new homebuyer's could walk away with $8,000.  Now many current homeowners can put cash in their pockets as well. 

I've been taking a poll, it's been very unofficial.  Basically, after I talked to about 7 folks who didn't know what I was talking about when I mentioned the "Move up" or "Repeat home buyer" "Long time homeowner" tax credit and WEREN'T in Real Estate I realized it was my duty to help try & spread the word. 

So, here goes my attempt at explaning how you might be eligible for up to $6500 if you decide to sell your home in the next couple of months & buy a new one.....

Does it have to be my 1st home ever?

No, the home doesn't have to be your first home purchase.  However, to get the credit homeowners must have owned and used the home as a primary residence for at least five years with an eight year time time period. The eight year period starts from the closing date, going back eight years.  Easy enough, right? 

When does this credit end?

You must purchase a new home before getting the credit, you have to be under contract by April 30th and be set to close by June 30th, 2010. This means that long-time homeowners must sell there current home and close on a new one in this time frame.

Is there a limit on the amount of home I can purchase?

Yes, the sales price of the home must not exceed $800,000. 

Are there any income limits to who can get the credit?

Of course there is.  Single folks can't make an adjusted gross of over $125K, & joint filers are under $225K.  If you have a singe income of up to $145K & joint up to $245K you might be eligible for partial benefits.

Ok, Ok, so I did all of this & meet the requirements...where's the form I file to get MY $!?

$ Form

I only re-blog when I feel strongly about something.  I completely agreed with Erik's words below & felt it worthy of a re-blog!  I couldn't have said it better myself...in fact, I wish I had thought of it myself.  Thanks Erik!

To mirror Erik's words, if you are in the San Antonio, TX area & want to take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit, call me.  I'd love to help you!

P.S. - I know who you are in SA too!