Hollywood Park Continues to Deal with Deer and Traffic

According to Joni Simon,  contributing writer for the North Central News,  the township of Hollywood Park continues to deal with both deer and traffic.  The deer control expert, Will Mangum, reported to the city council on Mar 16 that the efforts to reduce the deer population has been met with opposition from animal-loving residents and state bureaucrats.  Even though area ranchers had been located who would accept our re-located deer, none received the required permits from the state, and missed the deadlines.  So Hollywood Park was forced to "process" the 35 deer it did capture, and the meat was donated to the San Antonio Food Bank. 

On the issue of traffic, the council is concerned with the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority (ARMA) plans for the interchange at US 281 and Loop 1604.  According to those plans, motorists who exit Hollywood Park or Stone Oak on Voigt / Stone Oak Parkway will not be able to get on the 281 entrance ramps, potentially causing even more cut-through traffic in Hollywood Park.  The interchange project is supposed to take 30 months, with construction to begin this summer.

A third item of note in the Hollywood Park neighborhood... The Bexar Metropolitan Water District, the utility that provides water to the neighborhood, has begun sending letters to HP homeowners who have aerobic septic systems, sprinkler systems or other units that are subject to backflow into the drinking water.  Residents are being asked to have their backflow devices tested by a licensed plumber to ensure the drinking water remains clean.

Improve Your Home's Atmosphere to Improve Your Chances of Selling!

Want to improve your chances of selling your home when there's a slower market?  You need to improve the atmosphere in your Hollywood Park home!  How do you do that?  Here are some helpful hints.

• Make your home smell CLEAN!  Remove any odors from cooking, cigarettes, pets, etc. that buyers may not like.  You may be used to some smells that buyers find offensive!
• Don't try to cover up smells with air fresheners or deoderizers... remove the source of the smells.
• To remove pet urine smells, carpet and pad need to be replaced.
• To remove smoking or cooking odors, besides cleaning carpets, don't forget to clean the drapes.
• Beware of mildew smells... don't let wet items accumulate in the laundry.
• Once you have removed the offensive smells, consider adding pleasant ones, such as cinnamon, fresh flowers, and breads baking in the oven when buyers are coming over!

Thinking of selling your HP home this Spring?  Let us give you a personalized assesment of what your home needs to put it at the top of the buyer's homebuying lists!  Call us to schedule a free appointment.  210-884-2572

There's a New Listing in Hollywood Park: 110 Casa del Vista

There's a new listing in Hollywood Park at 110 Casa Del Vista.  Priced at $399,000, this home is a big 3881 square feet (per owner), and has been updated from head to toe!  There are recent ceramic and wood floors, remodeled bathrooms with vessel sinks and granite countertops, and a deep whirlpool tub in the master bath.

 Additional updates include a new 30 year roof in March, 2010, and recent kitchen appliances including a smooth cooktop, double ovens, dishwasher and refrigerator.  The oversized detached garage will appeal to the handyman in your family.

There are four large bedrooms with the master downstairs and the three secondary bedrooms up.  The master has a huge 12 x 11 walk-in closet.  One of the upstairs bedrooms has its own bath and could be a second master.  All this and a .42 treed acre lot... don't miss this beauty if you're in the market for a new home.

 

What's Happening in the Park... Hollywood Park?

Here's the latest happenings in Hollywood Park in San Antonio, Texas. 

The Enclave of Hollywood Park, one of our newer neighborhoods within the Park, is having their annual garage sale on Saturday, Mar. 13 from 8 am to 4 pm. 

The Hollywood Park HOA is sponsoring it's 3rd annual Fun Run / Walk starting at 9 am on Saturday, Mar. 20th.  Participants will meet at the Mecca Triangle Park / Baseball Field.

The annual Easter Egg Hunt for the kids will be on Saturday, Apr. 3 at the Voigt Center, sponsored by the Hollywood Park HOA and the Woman's Club of Hollywood Park.

The original part of Hollywood Park will hold it's annual garage sale on Apr. 8, 9 and 10 followed by the annual bulky item garbage pickup on Apr. 12 through 16. 


For more information on Hollywood Park real estate, or community activities, give me at call! (210-884-2572)

Putting Your Hollywood Park Home on the Market this Spring? What Can You do NOW to Get it Ready?

Are you thinking of putting your Hollywood Park home on the market this Spring?  If so, what can you be doing NOW to get it ready? 

Our homes, for the most part, are reaching middle age, and many could use a bit of updating to appeal to today's buyers.  On HGTV's website, Frontdoor.com, Dona DeZube lists four updates for home sellers on a budget that are very on target!  They are:

Interior Paint - Paint Your Way to Profits
Painting your home before it goes on the market is one of the cheapest ways to get top dollar when you sell.  Inside the home, use soft muted colors like pale green or beige (no pastels, please!)  Add white baseboards and trim for additional style.

Flooring - Find a Higher Price Underfoot
If you've got hardwood under old carpet, as many of our older Hollywood Park homes do, rip up the carpet and refinish the floors.  Best advice is to hire a pro to sand, and then do your own staining and sealing to save money.  Got no hardwoods?  Buy a good grade pad and a mid-priced carpet.

Front Appearance - Tweak the Front Yard
Buyers form an opinion about the home before they even get inside.  So, trim the shrubs, especially those that have grown too tall and cover windows, cut the grass, paint the front door, and consider installing new door knobs, and house numbers.

Light Fixtures - Follow the Light
Update old fixtures.  Brass fixtures and florescent lights are dated.  Recessed lighting can be added in many of our one story homes to make them lighter and brighter. 

Looking for Something Fun to Do in San Antonio for Valentine's Day?

Are you looking for something fun to do in San Antonio for Valentine's Day?  There's an excellent article on the KSAT website with ideas for "20 Dates For Under $20" for Valentine's Day.  Most are possible in or near Hollywood Park, weather permitting, on Sunday, Feb. 14th.  My favorites from the list include:

1. Visit the Botanical Garden.
2. Spend the day window shopping, and end it with a stop for ice cream. (The Rim?  La Cantera?)
3. Get a map and explore, looking at possible dream homes.  Pack a lunch and stop to eat when you run across a park.
4. Visit San Antonio's historical centers.  You probably haven't seen them all in San Antonio!
5. Visit the San Antonio Zoo, especially if you haven't been there in a while.

Be creative!  A good walk through the Park could be a good alternative on a pretty day!  Happy Valentine's Day.

10 Must -Have Features in New Homes

In the Styled Staged and Sold website, Melissa Dittmann Tracey writes that a survey was done on home buyer preferences and found the following hot home features that reign supreme in today's market:

1. Large kitchens with an island.


2. Energy-efficient appliances and high-efficiency insulation and windows. (These were the most sought-after “green” features from buyers.)

3. Home office or study

4. Main-floor master suite

5. Outdoor living room

6. Ceiling fans

7. Master suite soaker tubs and oversize showers with seating areas

8. Stone and brick exteriors

9. Community landscaping with walking paths and playgrounds.

10. Two-car garages

Now, we in Hollywood Park, for the most part, live in homes that are not new.  So why do we care about what buyers seek in a new home?  Because, someday we are going to want to sell our Hollywood Park homes and those same features will help us compete with the newer homes at that time.  So if you're thinking of spending money to update or remodel, wouldn't it make sense to incorporate some of these desired trends?

We actually compare pretty well with our stone & brick exteriors, our two car garages, and master suites being on the first floor (since the majority of our homes are one story!).  But where we often fall short is not having updated our windows and appliances, nor enlarged our often small kitchens.  Sure, those are the "big-ticket" items, but they are often the difference in a buyer's decision to purchase or not to purchase. 

We don't want to invest the money to enlarge or update, but neither do the buyers, unless they can buy cheap.  The homes that have had the updates sell higher and usually faster than those that have not updated.  And if you don't wait until you're ready to sell to do the work, you will actually enjoy those updates yourselves!