My inner city neighborhood getting a little love...
(the photo from the story is of a house that a friend of ours just bought...)
http://www.mysanantonio.com/business...ace_quiet.html
Monticello Park offers location, peace, quiet
By Creighton A. Welch - Express-News
Monticello Park is a cozy enclave of art moderne, Spanish eclectic and Gothic revival homes built mostly in the 1920s and 1930s.
The neighborhood, now a designated historic district, has been “up and coming” for years, and there are plenty of reasons why it's a popular place to be.
“Overall, the streets seem to have a stately countenance,” said Joe Barfield, a real estate agent with Keller Williams. “It's a classy 'hood.”
In fact, one of San Antonio's most notable architects, N. Strauss Nayfach, designed a number of the Spanish eclectic homes, and Barfield has organized tours of those.
“The Monticello Park neighborhood has a wide variety of architectural styles typical of an historic area, from the quaint bungalow to the larger estate-style home,” said Ann FitzGibbons, a real estate agent with the Phyllis Browning Co.
Monticello Park, west of Interstate 10 and off Fredericksburg Road, has about 700 homes in the neighborhood at this point. But it's likely to grow in the next few months.
About eight blocks between Lake Boulevard and San Antonio Avenue are scheduled to be annexed into Monticello Park once enough signatures are gathered and the plan passes the Historic Design and Review Commission.
The newest phase, currently known as Woodlawn Terrace, would run all the way to the north side of Woodlawn Avenue.
Most of the houses there are of a similar style and era as the current Monticello Park.
Many of the homes in Monticello Park are smaller than some of the mansions of Monte Vista, but they're “neat old homes with some fascinating architectural features that you would find in mansions,” Barfield said.
And though it might not have the renown of Monte Vista, Monticello Park is on the same page.
“The housing stock is diverse, and the main part of Monticello Park is just as beautiful as Monte Vista,” said Michael Daniels, a real estate agent with King Realtors. “The more exclusive neighborhoods are catalysts for the other neighborhoods improving.”
There are a wide variety of housing options, so there is something for everyone, FitzGibbons said.
The prices range from around $90,000 upwards of $300,000 with a few homes priced above and below, largely depending on the amount of work required.
“The price is dictated by the condition and the amount of updating the home has had,” FitzGibbons said. “It is a great neighborhood if you want an older home to renovate or if you want to move into a home that is already updated.”
Through July of this year, the median sale price has been $207,500, according to the San Antonio Board of Realtors.
“The sales in Monticello have always been stable because the buyers know the neighborhood and want to live in the area, or they are from the area and want to stay,” FitzGibbons said.
Currently, 28 homes are for sale, Barfield said. In the past six months, there have been seven closings, and four sales are pending.
The neighborhood for years has been a place to go for bargains and for finding homes that might require some remodeling.
“There still are some bargains out there,” Daniels said. “There are some good properties, and you just have to keep your eyes open.”
The intriguing homes alone are a draw, but so are the nearby amenities.
“The neighborhood is attractive for a number of reasons,” FitzGibbons said. “It is very convenient to downtown, major highways, the Medical Center and shopping. The neighborhood itself, with Woodlawn Lake, is a great place for walking, picnics and of course the fireworks.”
She said there's no typical homeowner, but that there is a wide range of people living in the area.
“You have the older folks who have lived there for decades who are amazed at how expensive their taxes have become. Then you have their kids, the young professionals and the blue collar workers,” Daniels said. “And there's a lot of new blood and a lot of people looking for the quality construction of older houses.”
It's also seen as a destination for those who want a place that's almost like a retreat.
“Strangely, the folks that buy in Monticello are somewhat conservative, not necessarily politically,” Barfield said. “As I think of the families we moved into Monticello Park, the list is populated with many who like their privacy and peace.”
But it's an easy neighborhood to get around, with an H-E-B and a variety of restaurants and shops nearby and Interstate 10 just a skip away.
“One of the biggest secrets to me about living in inner city is that basically there's no traffic,” Daniels said. “For the most part, it's so peaceful.”
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