Every year, we take a look back at the top 10 posts for the year here at Kimberly Howell Properties. While we enjoy looking back for the nostalgia, it also gives us a great look at what you have been searching for and what you’ve been reading on our website. This year, since we just went through a relaunch of the site, we thought we’d dig a little deeper into the data and see what posts came out on top since we launched this site back on September 6, 2011. Some of the top 10 posts are about the local San Antonio real estate market, while others focus more on lifestyle and local information. We have big plans for the website heading into 2016 and we hope you’ll come back through the year to learn about real estate, search for homes, and read about some of the things that make living in this part of Texas so great.

#10 – Construction Loans, Lot Loans, and Interim Loans

This post by agent Linda Mosse will help you navigate the world of buying a lot and building a home. The lending process on building a home on your own lot differs from that of buying a house that’s already been built, so this post is a great place to start.

#9 – Don’t Forget Your Homestead Tax Exemption!

This post about the homestead tax exemption (which was raised to $25,000 in November 2015) includes information on the exemption, as well as a downloadable form (currently updated) to apply for your exemption. The homestead tax exemption is always a popular topic at the end of the year as you cannot file for one until the year you have lived in the home on January 1st. So if you bought a house on January 2nd through December 31st of 2015, you will be able to file in January of 2016.

#8 – Buyer Representation Agreement: A Closer Look at Contracts

One of our posts that takes an in depth look at a real estate form that we use here in Texas, this look at the Buyer Representation Agreement breaks down the agreement paragraph by paragraph. This form often seem daunting to buyers when they first see it, but is actually quite straightforward.

#7 – Disclosing Death in Texas

When do you need to disclose a death on a property that you’re selling? This post covers the rules as laid out by the Texas Property Code about such disclosure. It’s a question we hear a lot and definitely a topic that many people want answers to based on the traffic to this post.

#6 – Parade of Homes 2013 at Cibolo Canyons

The Parade of Homes is always a popular topic, but this year (2013) has proven to be extra popular on the website. Held at Cibolo Canyons, the Parade of Homes featured some pretty amazing homes that year (sadly, we aren’t allowed to take photos of them at the Realtor events they hold).

#5 – Who Pays For the Survey?

When buying a home, there may be questions about which party pays for the survey. The seller? The buyer? No one? Ok, we all know it’s not the last answer. This post covers who is required to pay for the survey (the answer is in the contract) and what happens if an existing survey is going to be used (someone may still wind up buying a new one if the contract is not followed).

#4 – Third Party Financing Addendum for Credit Approval – Real Estate Contracts

A look at the Third Party Financing Addendum for Credit Approval used in residential contracts in Texas, this post breaks down the individual sections of the form and outlines what they mean and when they’re used for each type of loan a buyer may be seeking to obtain.

#3 – Flood Zones and FEMA Mapping

You can almost see the weather when looking at a graph of the traffic to this post…when we experience a major rainstorm, the popularity of this post spikes. Written by Linda Mosse, the post covers FEMA flood maps and gives some of the resources to find out whether your home or lot is located in a flood zone.

#2 – Pumpkin Patches and Fall Festivals

While many people wouldn’t associate Texas with typical fall weather and activities, residents of San Antonio can’t get enough of their pumpkin patches. We’ve written several posts about pumpkin patches and fall festivals, but this is the original that started it all.

#1 – San Antonio’s Most Expensive Homes

SA Scene magazine released their list of most expensive homes in San Antonio in 2012 and our visitors loved it. They still flock to this post about some of the places San Antonio’s rich and famous choose to call home. The homes may get more expensive as time passes, but many of the neighborhoods maintain their status on the list.

Since the site was launched back in 2011, we’ve had a lot of people stop by our site and choose us to be their real estate agents. It’s been a great time building this site and watching it grow and we look forward to many more years in the future. Have a post you’d like to see? Contact us and let us know.

post image courtesy of Bert Kaufmann, all others courtesy of their respective owners as noted in the individual post