rental

New Apartments on Blanco Road and Wilderness Oak

October 11, 2018 by khproperties Leave a Comment

It wasn’t that long ago that driving by the corner of Blanco Road and Wilderness Oak, we began to notice crews marking trees and flagging utilities. Soon construction began on a set of new apartments taking up the entire block. As the apartments come together, we thought we’d share what we’ve learned so far about the new Los Robles Apartments since it’s just down the road from our offices (at 21232 Gathering Oak, #107 – stop by when you’re ready to lease and we’ll gladly help you what you’re looking for).

Los Robles Apartments will offer a variety of one and two bedroom units in several three story configurations at their site on the corner on Blanco Road and Wilderness Oak. A planned 312 apartments on 13 acres, they are self-described as luxury apartments with square footages ranging from 668 to 1,195. Looks like all of the apartments will have balconies, with second and third floor units having optional secondary balconies off of bedrooms. Initial pricing for one bedrooms starts at $1,080 and $1,505 for two bedroom units.

Amenities are said to include a resort style pool and fitness center, both typical in apartments these days, but there is also mention of a natural preserve Biergarten. This of course intrigues us and we look forward to seeing how this part of the amenities comes together.

Interior spaces look to focus on modern design elements – granite counters, wood-look flooring, stainless steel appliances, under mount sinks, tile backsplashes, and under cabinet lighting. Los Robles is still under construction, so for now, there are only renderings and design mockups to view on their website, but we are eager to see the finished product.

The apartments don’t come without some controversy of course. Built on a large wooded area, the space was stripped clean of most of the trees before construction began and local residents have voiced concerns over traffic in the area. As anyone coming down Wilderness Oak to Blanco Road (or southbound on Blanco Road from neighborhoods like Timberwood Park) can tell you, it can be quite congested in the morning and there have been way too many accidents on Blanco Road as people try to turn on to it from auxiliary roads like Gathering Oak (which has no traffic lights). A new traffic light is set to go in to help alleviate some of the concerns, but many residents don’t feel it’s enough.

If you’d like to learn more or need assistance finding an apartment, contact one of our agents and they can help you find the apartment that meets your needs and fits your budget.

Los Robles Apartments

20838 Blanco Road
San Antonio TX 78258
www.losroblesliving.com

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Haunted Houses: Can a tenant break the lease?

October 31, 2013 by khproperties 4 Comments

Haunted House Causes Tenants Fright

It’s Halloween and what better topic for today than haunted houses? This question was recently asked at the Texas Association of REALTORS®: “A tenant recently moved into a property I manage and says that the house is haunted. She wants to vacate. What is the best way to address the issue?” While the situation may be frightening to the tenant and one could argue over whether it is indeed a haunted house or not, here in Texas a haunting is not a legal reason to break the lease. While the tenant may break the lease, they may also be responsible for terms set forth under the lease agreement regarding early termination. The best solution would be for the landlord to try and determine what is causing the tenant to think they are living in a haunted house and from there try and remedy the problem. Sometimes what may seem like a haunting has a logical and reasonable explanation. So next time you hear those floorboards creaking late at night, don’t pack your bags to leave just yet…call your landlord first and see if you can find a resolution.

Happy Halloween everyone!

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5 Things Every Renter Should Know Before They Look at Houses

October 23, 2013 by khproperties Leave a Comment

Before You Rent, Be Prepared

If you’re a renter here in San Antonio, you know that the rental market can be brutal. Agents will drive a renter to several homes, let them take a look, and by the time they’ve picked one, the home has already been rented! It can cause a lot of headaches and frustration for the renter, but there are a few things that you can do to be better prepared and get the home you set your sights on. These five things are easy to prepare and will make renting a much smoother process for you.

Know your move-in date. With rentals moving fast, it pays to know what date you want to move-in and plan accordingly. While apartments often can take months of pre-planning, rental houses move much faster. You should start looking no more than one month before your move-in date and in most cases, even less. Most landlords and property managers won’t hold a property more than two or three weeks. In order to secure the property you will need to be prepared to pay a security deposit – typically within 72 hours of acceptance of your application. In case you have a history of DUI cases you can read on Leppard Law about violation of probation and more.

Have your security deposit money set aside. As mentioned above, in order to hold and secure your rental, you will need to have a security deposit ready to go. Most landlords and property managers want a security deposit equal to one month’s rent and will only hold a property once you pay this money (and sign a lease). Keep this money set aside so you don’t have to scramble to get it and wind up losing the house to another renter.

Be prepared for credit history and criminal background checks. If you have bad marks on either of these reports, it’s not going to be easy to find a place to live. Be up front with your agent so they know what they can do to help you. Read the rental criteria for each home, so that you understand what the property manager will be looking for and what they can deny your application for. While violent crimes or sexual assaults aren’t going to be accepted anywhere, that one night twenty years ago where you had a few too many and wound up running naked through the Alamo can probably be looked past. The key, like so many things in real estate, is disclosure. If your agent knows your credit history and any possible criminal record, they might be able to work around them. We know several property managers that are a bit more flexible with credit scores and can look for properties with them that might suit your needs. In Texas, all persons over the age of eighteen than intend to occupy the property must submit an application and undergo credit and criminal background checks. The Medlin Law Firm – Dallas is what you need to check out to get the right kind of legal expert to help with any sort of case.

Tell your agent about your pets up front. Everyone loves their pets and no one thinks of them as a nuisance or a problem, but renting with pets can be difficult at times. Some pet breeds are not allowed in almost any apartment rental or rental home. Trying to skirt around this issue can result in eviction, fines, or even legal action. Once again, there are some places that are more strict than others, so letting your agent know up front will help them decide the best course of action to find you a No Restriction Dog Breed Apartment.

Be prepared for action. While it can be a lot of fun to see lots of different properties that are out there, rental homes go fast, so be prepared to take action and make a decision. “Sleeping on it” for one night can cost you the home you wanted. When you’re a renter in San Antonio, you need to move quickly or risk spending a lot of time chasing your tail. If you like it, apply for it!

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Do I Have to Rekey a Rental Property Every Time?

June 12, 2013 by khproperties 2 Comments

Re-keying Your Rental Property

Some of our landlords have recently asked about the rules on rekeying their property, so we thought we’d take a moment to clarify the rules. You can also check over here and get advice from property valuation experts. The Texas Property Code, Section 92.151(15) requires that landlords must rekey the locks of their rental property no later than the seventh day after each tenant turnover date. When a rental property is occupied by a new tenant after the previous occupants have moved out, this move-in date is considered the tenant turnover date. One of the questions that comes up regarding this is whether or not a landlord has to rekey the locks if they were the previous occupant. The thinking is often that the landlord only had one key and since they are able to maintain a key to the rental property, they can save a few dollars by not changing the locks. This however, is a false assumption. Regardless of who occupied the property and how much a landlord insists there is only one key, the Property Code requires that the rental property be rekeyed. Think about it this way… how does the new tenant know that someone (a spouse, maid, handyman, etc.) didn’t retain a copy of the key at some point. Imagine the liability if one of those people were to use that key for nefarious purposes after a new tenant moved into the rental property. We don’t know about you, but we certainly wouldn’t want that kind of liability. So remember, hire a locksmith to change those locks on your rental properties every time. There are commercial locksmith services that may help make your rental units more secure.

If you need assistance in understanding the Texas Property Code or managing your rental properties, call us at Kimberly Howell Properties. We have several property managers available to assist you in managing your rentals and helping you stay within the law.

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Can’t sell your home? Try renting it out.

December 13, 2012 by khproperties Leave a Comment

If you’ve had your home listed for sale and it just doesn’t seem to be selling, there’s typically a few reasons. Price is always a major factor and even though we’ve seen an uptick in sales and prices, not every neighborhood is performing as well as we’d like to see. When you can’t get the price you want or need for your home and you’re thinking about throwing in the towel, perhaps it’s time to consider leasing your home instead of selling. Renting your home can be a profitable experience and help you hang onto your home until the timing is better so that you can reach your goals.

Becoming a landlord isn’t for everyone. You’ll need to look at your financial goals and the local rental market. Although rents have been running high for quite some time now, you’ll want to figure out how much your home costs you to keep each month – mortgage payment (interest and principal), taxes, insurance (you’ll pay a higher rate than you do as an owner-occupant, if you don’t hire experts from millerhanover.com/auto-home-and-personal-insurance/renters-insurance site to settle this down), HOA fees, and repairs and maintenance. Unless you’re really bold, you’ll also want to hire a property manager. We recommend hiring one for the simple fact that the Texas Property Code can be a complicated pile of requirements if you don’t stay on top of it and learn all the new rules and regulations as they come along – and not following the letter of the law can land you in serious legal hot water.

We have several property managers here at Kimberly Howell Properties and an office staff that assists with their needs throughout the day as well. We also maintain a core of professional service companies to handle those late night emergencies in addition to regular everyday maintenance.

So is renting right for me?

As mentioned previously, it’s all about the numbers. Take a look at your home’s true cost each month. Sit down with a qualified property manager and go over those numbers. They’ll help you understand the local market and what your home will be worth on the rental market. They’ll discuss the fees of property management (or the cost associated with doing it on your own if you’re experienced and ready to take on that challenge). They’ll talk to you about the estimated money you should be prepared to have on hand for repairs and upkeep. The goal is to make more in rent than you will spend on the home’s true cost, but don’t be discouraged if it’s a wash or even a small negative, because if you don’t rent it out, you’ll still be paying most of those costs on your own anyway. Sometimes it’s better to take a small loss while renting your home and waiting for a better time to put your home on the market for sale.

Have questions about property management and renting your home? Fill out the form below and one of our agents will contact you.

How’s the Rental Market in San Antonio?

September 18, 2012 by khproperties Leave a Comment

“How’s the rental market in San Antonio?” I’ve been asked this question numerous times in the past few weeks, and the answer is simple: the rental market in San Antonio is booming.

Homes for rent are being snapped up off the proverbial shelves, and owners of rental properties are often in a newfound position of strength, with higher rental prices and multiple tenants to choose from. By the time you view the home, there might already be multiple applications on it.

Why the rental market boom?

There are several factors:

It’s harder to qualify for a mortgage. Tightened lending regulations over the past few years have made it more and more challenging for homebuyers to qualify for a home loan. And even if they qualified in the past, the added scrutiny in the process can easily push a buyer into the “denied” pile. Even government backed mortgages, specifically FHA loans, have had an increase in costs (minimum downpayment remained steady at 3.5%, but MIP, or Mortgage Insurance Premium nearly doubled this year).
Foreclosures. While San Antonio wasn’t nearly as hard hit as other areas in the country, let’s face it, we still have had an abundance of homes going back to the bank. With foreclosures or short sales on their credit, many more families cannot qualify for a loan. And many sellers (especially those who bought in 2006-2007) who want to sell have seen their home values impacted enough by these foreclosures that they can’t sell without losing money. So, their option is to rent those homes out, or to rent themselves until they can find the right buyer.
Military. San Antonio is a huge military city with bases like Randolph AFB, Ft. Sam Houston, and Lackland AFB. Many military families are stationed in a location for just a few years, so it doesn’t make sense for them to buy (their home won’t have had enough time to build equity and overcome costs of selling).
Relocations are up. With the recession, there was a sharp drop in the number of large corporations paying out relocation fees to bring on new employees or relocate existing ones to other cities. However, as the markets start to come out of this slump, we’re seeing more and more companies jump back in. Many individuals relocating to a new city for work want to take some time to get the lay of the land and become more familiar with the city they’re moving to before investing a ton of money in a house. So they rent for a year, or even two, and then decide where to go from there.
Elections. Election season is always a funny time in real estate. The purchase of a home is often the largest financial investment most people will make. Elections bring out a sense of uncertainty: Who will be in power next? And what does that mean for me? For my job? For my tax status? All questions that leave potential home buyers stationed firmly on the fence. But they still have a place to live, and paying $1,500/month is far better in many people’s eyes than losing thousands on a bad investment or foreclosure down the road.

What does this mean for renters?

In a nutshell – higher prices and more competition. If you’re looking for a property to rent, make sure you are prepared to act quickly, and that you have all of your documents – application, proof of income, etc. – in a row early. If your credit is shaky, be prepared to put up an extra deposit. The more flexible and reasonable you can be, the better your odds of finding the right place for you and your family.

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