The agents and staff of Kimberly Howell Properties wishes you and your families a happy Thanksgiving! We always have so much to be thankful for and you are a big part of that. We hope no matter what your plans are, you have a fantastic day full of moments to be thankful and get to spend time with family, friends, and loved ones. Please note, our offices will be closed today as well as Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday. If you need anything, call your agent and they will be able to help you. If you don’t have an agent yet, take a look through our agent page and you’ll be able to find someone that you connect with and can start building a relationship with today.
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Canyons at Scenic Loop and McNair Custom Homes
John McNair with McNair Custom Homes takes a few moments to talk about the Canyons at Scenic Loop and what makes it such a highly desirable neighborhood in San Antonio in this this video. You can see 10211 Nina Ridge, McNair Custom Homes latest build in Canyons at Scenic Loop, coming along nicely in the video and as always, John does an excellent job summing up the neighborhood. We’re excited to be a part of this home and the Canyons at Scenic Loop community. If you’d like to learn more about this incredible home or any of the homes built by McNair Custom Homes, contact us and we’ll get you set up to tour some of their inventory and sit down with them if you’re ready to build your dream home.
You can also learn more about the Canyons at Scenic Loop by visiting the developers site at www.thecanyonstx.com.
A Little Celebration and a Lot of Thanks
Today, our office will slow down for a few moments and celebrate our Annual Office Thanksgiving Potluck. While Thanksgiving is still a week away (almost time to start thawing the turkey!) we thought we’d take a minute to give a bit of thanks as a company. Individually, we each have many things to be thankful for and we hope each of you will take some time to reflect over the coming days on some of the things that you have in your life to be thankful for.
First and foremost, we’d like to thank all of our clients, because without them, we’d be out of work. But it’s much more than just the money that keeps our doors open. It’s the friendships we’ve created, the laughs (and sometimes tears) we’ve shared, and the years of memories we’ve created together. Some of you have been with us since the doors opened (some of you even longer) and some of you are brand new to the Kimberly Howell Properties family, but we are truly lucky to have crossed paths and been able to work with you. Buying and selling your home is a big deal and we are privileged to be a part of a slice of your life that contains a lot of emotion and often many memories. We appreciate that you let us in to your world and allow us to be a part of it. It is a special thing to be allowed the opportunity and we vow to never take that for granted.
And of course, not all of you are immediate clients. Some of you might just be avid readers and visitors to our site. We built this site nearly 8 years ago and it has been a smashing success since day one. We had other websites before that sputtered along and never stuck. You responded to this one and it has grown every year since. We are proud of this site and thankful that you choose us when there are so many websites out there to choose from. We look forward to the day you jump from site visitor to client and we promise to give you an amazing experience.
To our agents, we owe an enormous debt of gratitude. Without you, we wouldn’t do the business we do. We’ve watched many of you grow from brand new licensees to powerhouses in the industry. The past few years has seen incredible growth amongst our agents and we couldn’t be more proud (or thankful) for it. You work hard and play hard too. We hear the stories you bring to the office and they are full of such care and compassion for your clients that those clients become part of the larger picture for all of us. We worry about your clients, not just you. They become part of our family. Thank you agents, for all you do.
In an industry like ours there are many moving parts – the inspectors, the lenders, the relocation companies, the title companies (and their reps, who are unsung heroes in our industry), photographers, the IT people working behind the scenes, and all of the vendors who help us and our clients keep the homes looking great. We couldn’t do it without you. Thank you for always having our backs, going the extra mile for our clients, doing us favors, saving us at the last minute, and always giving us the best quality work at fair and honest prices. We appreciate all you do and it doesn’t go unnoticed.
To our small, but mighty staff, we send some gratitude your way as well. It’s not easy keeping a real estate office running and you do it day in and day out. You lean on each other and find ways of making the impossible happen. Need something that normally takes a few days done yesterday? You seem to pull it off every time. You make magic happen and keep things running smoothly in an industry known for its fast pace and penchant for needing everything “now.” Keep it up, you’re awesome.
Lastly, and I know I speak for everyone in our office when I say this, I’d like to take a moment to thank Kim Howell, the owner of the company. Kim is an incredible agent who gives so much of herself to us as an office, her clients, and everyone she meets. There are few people on earth like her. Truly a giving spirit with a huge heart, Kim embodies the company spirit and inspires us to do more every day. She is tireless and still makes it all seem effortless. Kim has taught us all so many things about this industry and the business, all while teaching us about ourselves and how to live a good life too.
She has given us the tools and knowledge to learn and always backed it with practical reality based help to show us how she grew her business. Our success is her success too and you can see it in the time she spends helping and mentoring agents. And her graciousness extends well past office hours and even office subjects. She has been a friend, a mother, a sounding board, a trusted advisor, and so much more to each and every one of us in this office. She hates when we draw attention to her like this, but she truly deserves more than just a simple thanks. So although it may never be enough, from the bottom of our hearts Kim, thank you for all you do.
Next week, as you sit around the table with friends and family, we hope you find much in your life to be thankful for. We certainly feel lucky to be a part of it and look forward to many more years.
As a reminder, our offices will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, November 22, and the following Friday, November 23. If you need your agent they will probably still be available by phone and email as usual, but do try and give them a bit of time on Thursday to relax and be with their families…I see how hard they work and they deserve it.
Happy (early) Thanksgiving everyone!
image courtesy of marcoverch
What Makes A Neighborhood Great?
We all want to live in a great neighborhood, but what exactly makes a neighborhood great? Like many things in real estate, it’s subjective and you can ask ten people and get ten different answers. “Great” can be defined in so many different ways that it’s next to impossible to provide any one definitive list, but we thought we’d take a moment and compile a list of some of the most common elements we hear about from the buyers we work with.
Criteria for Great Neighborhoods
Location will always make the top of just about every list in real estate. The old phrase “location, location, location” exists for a reason. People want to live in a location that works for them. For many, location is a combination of distances from work, school, shops and restaurants, and other people such as friends and family. For some people any one of these can outweigh the others – we know plenty of people that will live anywhere to make their commute time shorter and others who can’t move far enough away from their family. Like everything, it’s all about personal choices.
Price plays a huge role in decision making too. As you’ll see, there’s a theme building here. Price too is subjective. There are some who feel the price of homes in The Dominion make it a great neighborhood, while we know there are some of you sitting there right now shaking your heads at that thought. What is affordable to you is typically the basis of this point although plenty of people tie the personal value of a neighborhood to the dollar value of the neighborhood.
If you have school age children, the area schools are more than likely going to play a huge role in your thoughts about any neighborhood. (Who says, “boy, I sure do hope the schools here are terrible,” while looking at a house?) “Are the schools good?,” is a question we hear often.
Amenities factor in to decision making too. With the summer heat, access to a pool can be important, but of course some people would prefer the privacy of a pool or swim spa in their own backyard over a community pool.
The homes themselves can also factor into the “great” status of a neighborhood. Quality of construction, willingness of the builder to back their homes through warranties and future service, stability of the builder (we saw several builders leave our market after the housing crisis in 2008-2009), actual design and development of the land while building out the neighborhood, and both the use/functionality and aesthetics of the homes being built can affect the general public’s view of whether or not a neighborhood is great. We’ve even seen cases where the neighborhood started out looking like it would be easily be classified as a great neighborhood, only to have opinions change as the build-out of the neighborhood changed.
In the end, what makes a neighborhood great is the people. Neighborhoods are a mix of different people with different ideas, beliefs, dreams, passions, and needs, but when they all come together to create something more than just a handful of streets sprinkled with physical houses, but instead create a community…that makes all the difference in the world. A great neighborhood is a great community, where the people are just important as the factors listed above. We can all be great neighbors and be a part of being a great neighborhood, all we have to do is participate.
image courtesy of Life Lenses
The Dominion Luxury Home Tour Fall 2018
Once again, we’ll be participating in The Dominion Luxury Home Tour this season (Fall 2018) with two homes from McNair Custom Homes (we’ll also have additional homes available in both The Bluffs and Andalucia in The Dominion in case you want to see a bit more). This tour is always an incredible look at some of the finest homes in San Antonio and is open to the public. This year’s tour will be held Sunday, November 11 from 2-5pm. There will be escorts at the gates to assist with entry and hand out information and we’re excited to show you what McNair Custom Homes has been doing in The Dominion.
There are 35 homes on this year’s tour, ranging from $499,000 all the way up to $4,500,000. Several of the homes are non-MLS listings, so there are a few that you’ll have to see in person.
You can download a PDF with info on all of the homes, Realtors, and a map to help you locate the homes the day of the tour.
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Get Out and Vote Today!
If you haven’t already voted in early voting, today is the day – Election Day. We at Kimberly Howell Properties encourage you to get out there today and vote. Regardless of your personal politics or beliefs, it is important to vote and have your voice heard. Our system isn’t always perfect and our politics can be divided, but voting is a right that we all can and should exercise. If you don’t know where to vote, you can check with your county for the local polling location (Bexar County has a handy lookup feature) or vote.org has a national look up feature. Take a few minutes of your day and head to the polls and be a part of the process. Thanks for voting!
image courtesy of ©HTO3
Congratulations to Our Platinum Top 50 Semi-Finalists
It’s no secret that we are proud of our agents and all they accomplish, so this year we’re excited to announce these three ladies as Platinum Top 50 San Antonio Semi-Finalists: Tatiana Delaserna, Vickie Earle, and Kimberly Howell. We can’t say enough about these three and all the hard work they put in through the past year. Platinum Top 50 isn’t just about sales either – it also awards agents who contribute to the industry, further their education, and give their time and money to local charities and organizations. Many of you know Kim from her years in real estate and if you don’t know Tatiana and Vickie, you should get to know them as you’ll be seeing their faces for many years to come. Both have proven to be not only excellent agents, but amazing additions to our office on a personal level as well. We are truly lucky that these two ladies chose to bring their energy and skills to our brokerage. The winners of the 2019 Platinum Top 50 Awards will be announced on December 7th and we hope all three ladies make the cut this year – best of luck to each of them and we will let you know what happens in December!
Military Warriors Support Foundation Home In Hidden Canyon
The Military Warriors Support Foundation in conjunction with the San Antonio Food Bank is building an incredible custom home in Hidden Canyon for charity. The home, built by Stadler Custom Homes, is starting to really take shape and as it does, we wanted to tell you a bit about the home and the people behind it. The concept is to build a luxury home that will be sold with the profits going back to benefit the Military Warriors Support Foundation and the San Antonio Food Bank. Various vendors have donated their time or money to the project and will continue to do so through the build and finish out process. Our office is donating the commission for listing the home once the sale of the home is finalized.
The home will be a four bedroom, three and a half bath home with 4,814 square feet located in Hidden Canyon, Stone Oak’s latest gated neighborhood featuring high end homes in a beautiful, natural setting.
Stadler Custom Homes has been posting videos of the progress and we will continue to bring you more as this home moves closer to completion.
Want to help? Have some services or materials that you’d like to donate to the home? From tile work to light fixtures to decorators to finishing touches like artwork, the home couldn’t happen without your help. You can also donate directly to both through their websites: Military Warriors Support Foundation and San Antonio Food Bank.
You can also check out Ray Stadler’s personal video walk-through video on our Facebook page.
Kimberly Howell Properties Training and Mentoring Our Agents
As a brokerage, we at Kimberly Howell Properties are tasked with training and mentoring our agents to teach them the skills and share with them the experiences that will help guide them throughout their career. With real estate changing constantly, this requires us to keep learning and growing ourselves. We’re quite proud of the work our agents put into learning and staying up to date and our training and mentoring program is something we’re very proud of. One of the pillars of our training program is Dave Taylor. Dave is a licensed agent and serves as our trainer and mentor to all of the agents. Awarded Trainer of the Year by Platinum Top 50 San Antonio, Dave also conducted training in the military, so he’s a natural at it. Dave’s focus is teaching agents the “why” of real estate, not just the “how” of fill in the blank contract forms. Our agents learn the theoretics of real estate and are constantly challenged by Dave to learn more.
In addition to our regularly scheduled training classes each week, agents have access to members of staff that are also licensed. With phone, email, and text, staff are available to agents throughout the day and night.
Training is conducted weekly and offers a mix of classes built on real life cases and experiences of our agents to bringing in experts in related fields like title insurance, lending, builders, foundation experts, etc. This allows us not only to train and mentor based on our own real life experiences, but also use the experiences of the experts in other fields.
How does our training and mentoring benefit you?
If you’re an agent looking for a new brokerage, the answer is pretty obvious. We provide you with the skills to grow your business and build the confidence that is one of the most important tools in your real estate tool belt. Want to come see how we do things? Schedule a meeting with us and join one of our weekly meeting or training sessions to see how we do things. We’re proud of our program and our agents love it – it’s not easy and you will be challenging, but you will know more and be prepared for more situations than a lot of other agents out there.
As a homebuyer or seller, the training benefits you clearly too. Better agents means better experiences for you. Real estate is constantly evolving and just when you think you know it all, things change. Our agents also have access to a network of staff and experienced agents who are always there to help, even well after normal office hours (when so much of real estate happens). You’ll find that our agents are eager and willing to learn and have benefited from the focus on hands on training and mentoring that we provide.
image courtesy of sandpickle
Aguie Medrano Design Elements – Incredible Style And Design For A Cause
If you live in the Stone Oak area, you may have noticed the new signs going up at the corner of 1604 and Blanco. Aguie Medrano Design Elements is the new re-branding of The Home Accessory Company. Aguie, a long time friend and client of ours, has always offered incredible style and design through his showroom and beyond, but now, he is taking his company to new heights by re-launching and putting his name and reputation behind everything he does and as part of this, he has created the Aguie Medrano Foundation to give back to the community and those in need. Throughout his career, Aguie has donated furniture and services to Medina’s Children’s Home, The Arc of San Antonio, Goodwill, San Antonio Food Bank, and others and with the Aguie Medrano Foundation, he is able to ramp up those efforts and make a bigger impact in our community.
Silent Auction for Aguie Medrano Foundation
Currently, the Aguie Medrano Foundation is running a silent auction online. You can bid on items ranging from furniture to decorative items to paintings. he auction started with the kick-off of the new store on October 13 and runs until 4pm on October 27. You can view the items on their website and place your bids from there.
Check out the auction and stop by the store. Tell them we sent you, they always treat our clients and friends like royalty and we love the work they do.