Tab Hunter...I used to drool over his pictures in my high school days...which gives you some idea which age group we're in! He was a handsome devil in those days...but then, that was many years ago! I imagine he was happy to be asked to do the parade now.

Got a giggle out of your use of the term Bowhead, Seamus. I haven't heard that since we lived in Dallas. There was a bowhead zip code there too and I won't say any more on that--except that too was a city within a city! ;)

Count on a get together, definitely--anyone in SA and Statia too, and Scarlett and Patrick, come on over. I really think I'm going to like SA too, Statia. Every Texan would love a place in the Hill Country and I'm tickled that if we have to leave here, that at least we are leaving for a place I've always loved and thought I could enjoy living in! By the way Seamus...I'm afraid that even after nearly two decades in Dallas, I still qualify as one of those Damn Yankees. A New Englander even, the damnedest of the damned. I don't talk funny anymore though...lost that long long ago.

Thanks for the additional zip codes Seamus and for the realtor urls sundowner. I'm glad to have a couple of the big names for listings. Have moved enough to know not to let my fingers do the walking when choosing a realtor, and that one that's good in one part of the city isn't necessarily good in another.

I've already logged many many hours on realtor.com and am finding housing to be very affordable compared to Tampa. To tell on myself, I'd seen a very interesting listing on a street called Far Niente. I could only see the exterior, but it was beautiful and I believe it was one that listed a view as one of the features. Anyway, I was thinking the name of the street rang a bell...did I already know someone living there? When I mentioned it to my DH, he gently reminded me it's the name of a wine we often drink. :) I just drink and enjoy it...he be the picker. LOL I'm going back now to look at the new zip codes and the Elm Creek area too, GT--thanks.

Haven't heard of 24 Hours, but if it's like Ballys or Golds...I'm hoping to find something different. The club I belong to here may be like Concord--it serves primarily a small sort of historic section of Tampa and is not full of gymheads...the gym equivalent of bowheads (and the predominant species found in both Ballys and Golds in the areas we've lived.) :)

As for that penthouse Seamus...maybe we can pool our collective resources and get one together. You get it half the year, we get it the other half. We were actually looking when we were there at Christmas...just at listings in the windows, and just out of curiosity, but it did get me thinking about it. The prices weren't terrible either...were it not for the awful $/euro ratio...and the fact that the mortgage would unfortunately have to be paid in euro. No harm in the dream though. I don't know if I already mentioned this, but I checked 3 airfares from San Antonio within hours of hearing about the move. 1. SA to Dallas 2. SA to Phoenix (daughter) and 3. SA to Paris...and I'm not sure now in which order they were checked. :D

Worse than that, Patrick - he tried to act. Guess it's a draw...

Uh-oh, I think you just won!

DARN. Hit that button too soon. What I meant to say was, "at least Robert Goulet could sing at one time. Tab Hunter never could act."

Patrick...sad but true. In high school though, that didn't make any difference.

I just found an interesting url while looking for Elm Creek's zip code. https://www.melissadata.com/ssl/homesales.asp Plug in any zip code and it will give you the average purchase price of homes, and number of homes sold within the zip code, month by month. What did we do before the internet!!

Hey, Patrick - the reason Robert Goulet couldn't sing the Star Spangled Banner is because he's Canadian. We Canadians find that song very, very complicated. Especially when we are drunk out of our so-called minds. :)

Meeshare, do you think we US citizens find that song uncomplicated? But actually drunk might help. It didn't in his case however.

Amazing ... tampa's loss, sa's gain! When do you depart, and has the Woodys crew planned a going-away popper party for you? The west coast claims some, the Gulf a few more. Our plans change. Safe sailing and may the breezes treat you kindly along life's course.

OO -
We were in Paris in December, too (the week prior to Christmas) and also spent time looking at the postings in the real estate offices! Saw a few things that might have been feasible a year or two ago, but with the exchange rate where it is now...gulp.
BTW Far Niente is in an area outside 1604 (the "outer loop") and I have been out there. It is relatively new development, mostly McMansions but some are pretty nice, though I still cannot fathom why anone would spend that much money and be so close to their neighbor. It is also, I think, in an area with notoriously high school taxes. As you probably know there is no state income tax in Texas, but we have city and county plus school, community college, hospital and utility districts.
The realtors recommended above - Phyllis Browning and Kuper - pretty much handle the "better" properties. You may also want to search at www.sabor.com
Don't worry about being a damn yankee- they've let me stay here these many years, and now there is even a place to get a real cheese steak. And I believe I have an inkling as to the Dallas area Bowhead HQ... :-)

Hi OO,

I am writing to you from Waikiki where it is pouring rain at the moment. We've lived in SA going on 16 years this summer. Looks as though you've already been given enough good info to get you going. You asked about safety--we have friends who have lived in King William and Alamo Heights for years without trouble. Another area close to AH you may want to consider is Monte Vista. A good friend of mine is a realtor with Kuper Realty--definitly one of the best agencies in town. Good luck in your search and best wishes to you in your new venture!
Aloha, AnnMarie :-)

Poor you dcespedes....it's bright and sunny in FL today (but only about 60 degrees so you are in the right place!) Lucky you, even in the rain. There is plenty of agreement here as to neighborhoods to look at and we'll just have to get there and see what it's all about.

Looking on realtor.com, most of the things in our price range that have attracted us are in the 78258 zip code, (Far Niente too Seamus). Of course they can crop those pictures nicely to cut out all the house next door, so I'm not seeing houses on top of each other, either! Several have mountain/hill views listed as features which is really appealing...lol...until a street goes in behind you!

Last night we e'd a realtor about property taxes on one house out there and her reply sat me back a bit. Whoa. Having had a live-in situation for the past 12 years, it came as somewhat of a rude awakening! Pop goes the happy little bubble! That realtor was with Phyllis Browning by the way. I approached the thought of writing her with some trepidation, fearing she'd sense a realtor-less house hunter wandering unprotected and swoop in, talons extended, but her reply was to the point and with no further advances, I'm happy to say. (I hate sales people waiting on me in stores and would go realtor-less if there were any way possible!)

I've been quite surprised by one aspect of homes in that zip...many of them have electric heat...and for someone who has lived in MA, that is a frightening thought! I was surprised by the number--could the gas lines not be out there? Oh...current GM lives out there, Canyon Springs, has a home which backs up to a fairway of a golf club. His commute leaving at 7 AM is 30 min, about the same going home, so the drive times are close to what we've gotten through realtor.com.

Anyway. the search goes on, but looking at those tax numbers, we need to put pencil to paper. It's odd that none of the listings give those figures. I'll have to make inquiries about the 09 zip code for comparison--might make a difference.

To those who have been patient with relocation questions on a travel forum...than you so much..I really appreciate it!

OO, you're finding out one of the reasons people are flocking to Florida. We complain about our real estate taxes until we compare them to almost anywhere else in the country.

By the way, we just made it to 70 today in Naples. But sure chilly this morning!

OO, under Save Our Homes, if you homestead you pay real estate taxes based on the cost when you bought your home, or when Save Our Homes went into effect. Then it is re-assessed every five years or so but is only allowed to rise a small percentage. That's to save us from real estate speculators. It is a great deal.

We have homestead exemptions in SA and here is how it works - you declare a place to be your homestead (usually a form at closing) and you receive a deduction from the appraised value for tax purposes. The exact amount varies with the taxing authority - though you receive only one tax bill, it includes the taxes for all the tax districts. The actual amount you owe is computed by taking the tax value, subtracting any deduction and multiplying by the tax rate. The county recently hired a new assessment honcho and he is making some waves with what is seen as aggressive reassessments. Reassessment is generally done every few years, whenever a home is sold or a major renovation is done (they know from the building permit.) There is a limit as to the annual percentage increase with routine reassessmenet, but these sale or major renovation trump that.
OO, I share your concern about electric heat. You are corrrect that very often it is an issue of no gas service in the area, often because the developer did not want to incur the expense. In addition to the higher cost of electric heat, and the common perception that "somehow electric heat is just not as warm", you also won't be able to have a gas stove (important to the foodie in me.)
The issue of great views until the next developer starts working is quite real, especially with the density that is common these days. Also, the way some of the lots are divided, you wind up with a neighbor looking down into your back yard. There really is no way to reliably tell this from photos, and I'd encourage you to let any realtor you work with about this requirement up front so you don't waste time looking.
And you most certainly can do it without a realtor, but what usually happens is that you wind up doing a lot more work and the listing agent gets the entire comission instead of having to split with a selling agent. Not sure that it changes the sales price very much. You can also hire a buyers' agent, someone who represents your interest in any sale. Most folks don't realize that unless you have a buyers' agent agreement, both agents in a sale are legally obligated to represent the interests of the seller.