1. Great time to buy.  It is truly a great time to buy a home in Schertz.  Prices are low, interest rates are low, and the government is even offering incentives to first time home buyers.  “Buy low and sell high” is the motto for many industries including real estate.  Unfortunately some people are forced to sell in a down market.  The fact is they NEED to sell.  I have many Schertz clients who feel bad for taking advantage of a difficult situation.  You did not create that situation so do not feel guilty.  In many cases you are helping the sellers get out of a predicament.  Go ahead and buy low and get a great deal!

2. Schertz, TX is a highly desirable place to live.  There are many reasons behind this.  Schertz, TX gives you the small town feeling with the quick access to San Antonio.  Schertz is an easy commute to the heart of San Antonio and the local Air Force bases.  New Braunfels is a short drive up IH-35 and Austin is about an hour away. Schools are always a hot topic with buyers and Schertz schools are top tier.  Many families make the move to Schertz just to have their kids attend the fabulous schools. Beautiful weather, a strong city administration, a wonderful sense of community, and new business growth are some of the other factors that bring home buyers to Schertz, TX.

3. Price Points are Key.  Every Schertz home buyer looking for a home has different criteria.  They may want a certain number of bedrooms, a big back yard, or school district.  All home buyers have one search criteria in common:  price point.  Home buyers have a desired budget for how much they are willing to spend on a home.  Schertz, TX has excellent price points.  The average sales price for the last 3 months is right at $156,000.  This price range is very affordable for the first time home buyer and the seasoned home buyer.

Schertz, TX is not only a desirable place to live, but the price points allow it to be an attainable area to live in.  Right now is one of the best times we have seen to buy real estate.  Take advantage and make the move to Schertz!

Schertz first time home buyers have a reason to thank the government.  The new stimulus bill made a couple of changes to the Tax Credit that was in place.  The original Tax Credit awarded first time homebuyers a $7500 tax credit if you purchased a principal residence before July 1st, 2009.  The “credit” was more like a loan.  The $7500 is to be paid back over a 15 year time frame.  The original Tax Credit is still in place for those individuals that qualified before January 1st, 2009.

The revised Tax Credit has a couple of changes.  The timeframe for first time home buyers to qualify for the new Tax Credit is January 1st, 2009 to December 1st, 2009.  The amount has been pushed up to $8000 and the “credit” is really a credit.  You DO NOT have to pay it back.  The main qualifications are that you must be a first time home buyer, the purchase must be in the designated time frame, and the purchase must be a principal residence.  The following website has a lot more information on the new Tax Credit for first time home buyers.  The FAQ page is extremely helpful.

So what does this really do for the real estate market in Schertz?  No one has a crystal ball, but this would seem to be a good spark to ignite some movement here in Schertz.  Rates are low, prices are low, and now you will receive $8000 from Uncle Sam if you decide to be a Schertz first time home buyer this year.

For first time home buyers in Schertz, TX this is a very good thing.  First time home buyers typically want to stay in a safe price range and get approved to buy in a moderate price range.  In Schertz, TX the average sold price for the last 3 months is around $150,000.  That price point fits perfectly into the Schertz first time home buyer’s range.

While the market is still tough for sellers, this $8000 incentive for first time home buyers may be the first step to a turn around in the real estate market.  This is an opportunist time to buy in Schertz.  If you have questions about the buying process in Schertz please do not hesitate to contact me.

Schertz, TX is a wonderful place to call home.  In fact in 2007 CNNMoney.com rated Schertz as “One of the Best Places to Live in the United States.”  Schertz ranked in the top 40 for the entire United States.  If you are a resident of the Schertz community then you probably knew this already.  With top level schools, beautiful and affordable homes, perfect weather year round, and a powerful sense of community it is no surprise that Schertz ranked very well.

The Schertz community has grown leaps and bounds since becoming an incorporated city 50 years ago.  With new homes being built everyday, strip centers springing up on major roads, and more and more popular companies expanding to Schertz, this rapid community growth does not seem to be slowing down.

With more and more people making the move to Schertz the community home sales have stayed very strong.  In fact home sale prices actually went up in the community in 2008 compared to 2007.  In 2007 there were 462 homes sold in the city of Schertz.  The average sold price for those homes was $180,377.  In 2008 there were 325 homes sold in the community of Schertz.  The average sold price for those homes was $183,966. (Numbers in this paragraph are based on reports from the San Antonio MLS)

This past year was portrayed as one of the worst real estate years we have seen in a very long time.  Every media outlet you turned to would reiterate how tragic the real estate market had become.  In that same devastating year of real estate, sold home prices went UP in the community of Schertz.

When buying a home most people want to buy a home that they can confidently sell later for a higher price.  The community of Schertz saw an increase in the average sale price in one of the worst years for real estate.  That speaks very highly of the resell value in this thriving community.