Monday, January 5, 2009

Summerfield

SUMMERFIELD
North Central SA
Great Features : Excellent Location, conventient to shopping, highways, Medical Center. Nice community feel. Borders Voelker Park, close to Jewish Community Center, Shops at Alon, etc.
If you like this neighborhood and area, you may also like: Castle Hills Forest, Churchill Estates, Inverness, the city of Shavano Park, Castle Hills, Oak Meadow, Deerfield.
Limitations: There are few houses larger than 3400 SF.
Price Range: $230,000 to $350,000


When I was a kid, I liked to watch reruns of "Leave it Beaver". Maybe because it reminded me of the neighborhood I grew up in, just south of San Franciso. Things were quite idyllic with friendly, helpful neighbors, nicely kept homes, we;;-landscaped yards and good shade trees. Shopping and entertainment were close by, and getting to and from work was easy and hassle-free. All that kids had to do was make sure we didn’t hit a neighbor's window while playing baseball out in the street.

Then, I went away to college in Southern California and things started to change. I returned to the Bay Area and found that homes were no longer affordable. The streets were crowded. The stores were so busy that parking became a real hassle in the downtown area. All of the mom and pop run stores that I loved as a kid were edged out by big box retailers. Many neighbors hardly knew each other. The era of "Leave it to Beaver" was over, at least in my old hometown.

Now, now, don’t be discouraged. Our story doesn’t end there. As a matter of fact, there are still places where neighbors are friendly, traffic isn’t too bad, houses are affordable and shopping and entertainment is convenient.

That’s right. You can still find Leave it to Beaver-ville, right here in San Antonio. I have to admit that I am a bit biased. You see I bought a house a few years ago in a place called Summerfield. Ssshhhhh! I think its one of the best kept secrets in the North Central Area of San Antonio. It is tucked away well enough that many Realtors don’t event know where it is.

Near the corner of NW Military and Wurzbach Parkway, Summerfield is gated and guarded community of about 400 residences. The neighborhood has one of the great locations in the North Central area., being close to so many amentites, shopping and employers.

What I like best about Summerfield is the sense of community that we have. The home owners take pride in their homes and in their neighborhood. You will often see residents out walking, jogging, pushing strollers, walking their dogs or just chatting with their neighbors. I still am often surpised at how friendly everybody is. There are even streets where neighbors will hold informal, regular block parties during summer and fall evenings – always a great way to get to know your neighbors better.

Mature trees and a large greenbelt area are other features of the neighborhood that are hard to miss (and hard to find in many of today's developments). There is also a large community park area with pool, clubhouse, sports court and a playground.

Homes in Summerfield are typically 8 to 15 years old. The most common builders are Medallion and Pulte, but there are homes by other builders with a smattering of customs homes here and there. Many of the homes feature open floorplans which are very popular. Most homes here range in size from 2100 to 3400 square feet although there are some houses that are smaller and larger dotted throughout the neighborhood.

Prices in Summerfield range from the lower $200.000s to about $350,000.

Did I mention location? We like to think that this neighborhood is close to virtually everything you need in your everyday life. Summerfield borders the new Voelker Park, a great place to walk, bike and explore this wonderful nature area. Residents have direct access to the walking trails from the locked gate at the end of Trentwood Street. It is also just down the road from Eisenhower Park, which offers hiking trails, a playground and picnic areas. The JCC, with its excellent pool, athletic and classroom amentites is just across Wurzbach Parkway. The Jewish Community Center also hosts the Vexler Theater, where you can see many local productions of plays and musicals.

Also across from the JCC is the Shops at Alon, a convienient shopping area anchored by HEB market and Barnes and Noble. Just east a few miles on Wurzbach Parkway, you will find Medical Center, with its myriad of hospitals, clinics and doctors' offices. Summerfield is so convenitent to 410 or Medical Center that many doctors, nurses and other health professionals choose to make Summerfield their home.

In addition, Summerfield is also close to the Unversity of Texas at San Antonio, USAA, shopping at The Rim, La Cantera and Huebner Oaks. San Antonio International Airport is also just a quick drive down either 410 or 281. Summerfield is convenient to highways 1604, 281, IH10 and 410.

There you have it. You now know about one of the best kept neighborhood secrets in the North Central Area. Great location, great community and great amenities make a Summerfield a wonderful place to live. We love living here and enjoy helping our friends and clients find homes in Summerfield. Please feel free to call us if you have any questions about the neighborhood or need to buy or sell a home in San Antonio.

Hope to see you soon.

Rob and Camille Di Maio - North Central SA Specialists
Keller Williams Legacy

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Our New Blog on San Antonio's Best Neighborhoods!







Good Morning!

This is the first installment of our new blog about San Antonio neighborhoods. For now,we will focus on North San Antonio, since that is where we live, play and do the majority of our work.

We will start with the North Central area of San Antonio. This is roughly the area bordered by North Loop 410 to the South, I10 to the West, 281 to the East and 1604 (and just North of it, including Stone Oak, Rogers Ranch, etc) to the North.

As San Antonio continues to expand, homes in North Central San Antonio homes are in greater demand. While many people orignally loved the idea of being north of 1604 in a big,a new house, many have grown tired of the traffic and longer commutes that being outside the loop often entails. As a result, we have seen a good number of people relocating to be inside 1604 in the North Central area.

North Central has evolved into a prime location in San Antonio. Acclaimed NEISD schools, easy access to major highways, great neighborhoods, nearby shopping,close proximity to Medical Center, parks and other amenites make North Central a great place for people to call home, regardless of their stage of life. Whether single, married, with kids, empty nesters, retired, etc., North Central has a neighborhood to fit just about anybody.

In many ways, North Central offers the best of many worlds. You can get newer homes in recent developments or older homes in established neighborhoods. Different neighborhoods abound, with prices starting in the low $100,000 range for smaller homes in older developments to the multi-million dollar range for luxury homes in prestigious locations like Shavano Park and Elm Creek.

Once considered to be at the geographical fringes of the city, North Central is rapidly becoming an extension of the heart of the city -- close to downtown and all major amenites but maintaining more of the tranquility that we expect from a surburban location.

Well, this concludes our first installment of our Neighborhoods Blog. Future postings will have infomation on specific neighborhoods of North Central San Antonio. We hope you'll come back and join us as we tour through this great part of the Alamo city.

For more information about relocating to North Central San Antonio and the surrounding areas, you can contact Rob and Camille DiMaio at 210-488-1144. You can also visit their website at www.TexasFamilyHouses.com