Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
momj47

San Antonio

momj47
17 years ago

This is really OT. I usually hang around the cooking forums, but I'm looking for some information.

My SIL, DD and precious grandson will be moving to San Antonio.

My SIL will be going down there in a few weeks to start his Officer Basic Training Course, and then he will be stationed there for about two years.

This will be a big adventure for them, and a big change for me. Right now, they live about an hour from me, soon, they'll live 1600 miles from me. Fortunately,Southwest has direct flights from Baltimore to San Antonio, so I'll visit as often as they'll have me.

But still.........how will I know what to worry about, and what to "nag" them about. They'll be too far away. I'm a Yankee - northern New England; Texas is going to take some getting used to.

If anyone is from the area and has suggestions or information about housing and life in San Antonio, I'd appreciate all you care to share.

Thanks

Barb

Comments (29)

  • natvtxn
    17 years ago

    What a cutie! Does he need a Texas granny? Which base will they be at once basic is over? That would help determine whic area they should think about, as far as housing is concerned.

    Housing is a lot cheaper here than other places. My house is a custom house built in 1996, is 1800 sq. feet. and would sell for around $190,000.
    I don't know about apartments or rentals

    San Antonio is one of the friendliest places.

    The heat will be hard to adjust to the first summer.

    I moved here by choice in 1973.

  • Texasorbust
    17 years ago

    awwwwww, You don't need to worry about them momj. We are yankee transplants from joisy and have family in bryans road md. It is a different world here. The people are extremely friendly. Probably some right on this forum will let you bunk and kid spy from their houses in exchange for weeding, lol. The sun&heat can sneak up on you quickly here, start telling DD importance of keeping everyone sunblocked & hydrated, and they'll be fine.

    If they were from here and heading back that way would be a different story. Keep whatever housing info you collect, after your first visit you may be shopping for yourself. =D

    take care,
    Susan

  • bossjim1
    17 years ago

    That boy looks like he was born to be a TEXAN! Good lookin' little guy.
    Jim

  • momj47
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Thanks so much. Sure is a friendly bunch gardening in Texas!

    My grandson might do just fine in Texas, wide open spaces suit him. Though he and his mom are going to need a lot of sun screen.

    I believe my SIL will stay at Ft. Sam Houston after his training. They told him he would probably be there for 2 or 3 years. My daughter contacted the housing office and there's a 6 month wait for post housing, so they'll be looking off post.

    Two to three years will give Chris and me a lot of time to explore.

  • pjtexgirl
    17 years ago

    I'm from the West(CA) moved here at the same time Joisy(TxorBust)did.
    She's not joking about the heat and water. I'm from the Mojave Desert so I had some clue about intense heat. I've had relatives from Michigan find themselves overcome quickly and unexpectedly by the dry heat of the desert. Humid heat is even quicker!
    Sunblock is essential too. Skin cancer is no fun and it's more likely to happen here than up North.
    Chiggers and Fireants...oh my!!! You can't see chiggers they sneak up on you and take the skin off your ankles. Incredibly itchy.They will stay off you if you're wearing OFF. Fireants climb all over you and bite all at once. Fire ants leave blisters. They think of OFF as Tabasco.
    Houses are cheaper because they get their money later in the form of property tax. The property tax can easily out do a morgage. Find out what the property tax is in that area BEFORE you buy and make sure you can afford it. Also, they usually don't include property tax in the monthly payment on the house. They want it all at once in January.
    People are freindly and mellow here. I've met a lot of very nice,intelligent people that are just amazing.PJ

  • natvtxn
    17 years ago

    I have never had to pay the taxes when I had a mortgage. The reason I do now is we paid cash for our house.

  • jolanaweb
    17 years ago

    We never have either, it's always been included.
    Welcome to Texas your DD and GS will love it
    jolana

  • sylviatexas1
    17 years ago

    Welcome!

    If your kids are looking to buy, they can check out realtor.com for info.

  • pjtexgirl
    17 years ago

    Well, the property tax must just be a local thing! Sorry! PJ

  • honeybunny2 Fox
    17 years ago

    The best thing for your son in law to do, is talk to the officers at Ft. Sam, they will direct him in the right areas. They will probably live on the North or Northeast side of San Antonio. Both have great school districts and housing. I live on the Northwest side of San Antonio, by USAA Ins. Co.( which your son in law will quickly learn about), Fiesta Texas, and the Medical Center. Barbra,

  • momj47
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Barbra, thanks for the information.

    We do know about USAA. All my kids and I have it through my ex, he was in the Public Health Service (the unarmed forces) in the late '70's. I belong to that select group of women who will never remarry because we don't want to lose our USAA insurance!

    Barb

  • pjtexgirl
    17 years ago

    Can't beat good insurance with a big stick! PJ

  • honeybunny2 Fox
    17 years ago

    Barbara,I am so glad to hear that you like USAA. I have worked there for 41 years, this June. Who told you that you would loose your insurance if you remarried? I hope it was not your ex-husband, because its not true. Barbra,

  • bossjim1
    17 years ago

    Now that's good news! Barbra, can you line her up with a date when she comes down?
    Jim

  • maden_theshade
    17 years ago

    Oh Momj - my friend used to work at USAA and their policy is 'once a member, always a member' so feel free to ditch whoever and remarry! just kidding! :-)

    I used to live at Ft. Sam Houston as a kid. Great base. My parents had wanted to live off base, but that was during the 80's and the interest rates were too high to buy. Now of course it's a different story. As long as your son buys in a good established neighborhood he should make his money back when it comes time to sell. And the property taxes should be rolled into the mortgage payment. You pretty much have to opt-out of that when you close and almost nobody does. Basically the mortgage company will save that portion of the payment and pay the taxes when they're due in January. It's much easier that way!

    Ditto on the hydration thing - they need to drink LOTS of water while they're adjusting to the heat. And ditto for the sunblock too. You know, they're not kidding about that ozone layer going away! I never used to get sunburns in the spring time as a kid, but now it seems I get one every spring b/c I go outside 'just for 15 minutes' and it's so breezy and cool....and then I get distracted by a darn weed and before you know it I've been outside a couple of hours and I'm getting pink darnit!

    Come visit them soon! Go to the Riverwalk and drink some margaritas! San Antonio is great!

  • honeybunny2 Fox
    17 years ago

    Barbara, if you come to San Antonio to visit, come in the middle of April, San Antonio, has Fiesta. You will need to stay with your kids, because everything else will be booked. Its the only time this city parties. I'm too old to go downtown, but my kids love to go. Barbra,

  • carrie751
    17 years ago

    San Antonio is a beautiful city - I am certain you will all fall in love with it.

  • momj47
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Well, that's good news, though I don't want to remarry, so it shouldn't be an issue. I'm having way too much fun. No expectations, no disappointments.

    I'm looking forward to seeing what Texas is like, I've only driven through the panhandle on the way to NM, and that was many, many years ago. It's probably changed since then.

  • bev1951
    17 years ago

    Are you in for a BIG surprise !! The panhandle & San Antonio are completely different. Dh's family still live in the SA area so we go as often as we can. Think of humidity, heat, beautiful gardens, wonderful food, great people - - - that's not even counting Seaworld, Fiesta Texas, Riverwalk, & the zoo. The botanical gardens are out of this world.
    The panhandle is flat, with few trees but you may see some of the giant wind turbins now, the beauty here is the sunrises & sunsets & if you're far enough from town, the stars go on forever. I hope your kids love their stay here & when you come to visit let us know & we'll tell you all the best places to go. Bev

  • rick_mcdaniel
    17 years ago

    Barb, there's a wealth of info on the web about SA. It is a relatively nice city, at the edge of the "hill country", which is the "cool" part of Texas.

    It is near lots of places for outdoor recreation (when it really is cool), and there are lots of fun places in or near the city itself.

    Texas has some of the most affordable housing in the country, but due to something in the water, we have a population explosion that has forced property taxes through the roof, to support all those schools. (Yeah, they all pay those taxes, whether they are hidden in the escrow paypment, or not.) LOL.

    Bottom line is.....Texas is hot, the soil is horrendous, and the weeds are like everything else in Texas.....BIG!

    In SA, it helps to know Spanish, (well....almost anywhere in Texas), although the 33 or so other languages I encounter in Dallas, probably won't be as plentiful in SA.

    If they like German food, New Braunfels, just north of SA, has a tradition of a German community, and they have some good German cooking there.

    Just north of that, at San Marcos, is one of the largest outlet malls anywhere, and hopefully it has not suffered as much as some of the malls, from the travel declines in recent years. (I haven't been down there since 2001.)

    One caution....there are lots of deer in that area, so taking care while driving, expecially out in the fringes of the city, or at night, is recommended.

  • carrie751
    17 years ago

    But it is still my choice of a place to live, Rick!!!!

  • momj47
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Well, they are off to San Antonio today. The moving van is supposed to be at their new house tomorrow. I'm going to miss them so much, but I'll be down next week. I'm going to drive the van with the two cats next weekend (!?!)

    I'm looking forward to getting to know my way around town. Thanks for all the info and support.

    Barb

  • little_dani
    16 years ago

    Well, I was BORN at Fort Sam! LOL

    Welcome to Texas! I have lived everywhere, just about, and this is still the most wonderful place on earth. I will never live any place other than Texas.

    We are glad to have you!

    Rick, where are you from?

    Janie

  • melvalena
    16 years ago

    Have a safe drive down here.

    Check back in and let us know how things are going.

  • honeybunny2 Fox
    16 years ago

    Barbara, don't worry, your kids will love it down here, there is so much to do. We are 150 miles from Corpus Christi, 150 miles from Mexico, and surrounded by at least 4 area lakes, Medina lake, Canyon lake, Calaveras- Brauning lakes. Our hill country is like stepping back in history, the people are warm and friendly. You can come down and enjoy our mild winters, when it is snowing in Baltimore. Barbra,

  • rick_mcdaniel
    16 years ago

    While you are traveling with the cats, take special care, as you will be encountering severe heat, after leaving NC, that continues to get hotter, the farther you go, coming down, (asuming I-85 to I-20 and across.)

    Be sure you don't leave them in the car, in direct sun, without fully open windows (partially open in good shade), and then, for only a few minutes.

    Janie, I am from Turtle Island, but I was born in Indiana, and my true "home" is in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the land of the ancients. I have lived or traveled in most of the US, save the northwestern states, and a few Canadian border states, and lived in Europe for about 3 yrs. There are only a few places hotter than Texas, in the US, and all of them are in the Southwestern deserts. (grin)

    Carrie, we all live where we feel comfortable, and most of the time, that is dictated by origin or occupation. Perfectly ok, for those who find the heat tolerable. (It helps to have some living space, like you do, though, even if it is getting more crowded over there.)

    Barb, you will like San Antonio pretty well, save for the heat. Air conditioning was invented for Texas. (currently in the low 90's, with 70% humidity. Typically hitting 100 degs.+ by July 1.) The worst part is it is still 85 degs. at daybreak, in peak heat.

    Of course, Miami gets pretty bad in the summer also, due to the humidity, although night ocean breezes help a lot, there.

  • vjcamp
    16 years ago

    I think they will be fine> There many "worse" places to be stationed- many in the middle of nowhere. I spent two years at Fort Polk. Other friends have told me about being at Ft Carson and Ft Riley, and one that really sounds like it would be really out there Ft Huachuaca. I spent two weeks at Fort Bliss, that is just west of nowhere. Fort Drum and Fort McCoy aren't quite in nowhere land but close to it nothing very big around it. Been to Fort Hood twice-Hot, Dry- typical Combat Arms ( Infantry, Armor) post.

  • momj47
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Thanks for all the information. They've been there for about a month, now, and I think it has rained every day! I understand this is the dry season. And it does get hot down there.

    I drove down with the cats, and it wasn't too bad. We did some sightseeing around the area after I got there. We visited the zoo, very nice. She found the Tiny Tots area, which is their favorite - Chris loves the little pond and it's AIR CONDITIONED. We went out to the Wild Animal Safari at Natural Bridge - lots of fun. I must say, an ostrich is very scary up close, as is the zebra. Very insistent, too.

    I'll be flying down almost every month, so I guess I'll get to know my way around pretty quickly. I'm looking forward to it.

    Barb

  • pjtexgirl
    16 years ago

    Barb, this is the coolest summer EVER. This rain is really unusual too. I'm just warning you next summer will be HOT,HOT,HOT and more than likely really dry! PJ