Listing Language

These amenities can help your San Antonio home sell for 25 percent more than expected

Buyers want to cook under the big Texas sky.

Photo courtesy of HGTV Smart Home

Knowing when to list your home is only half the battle — the way you describe it also has a huge impact on the final sale price. Zillow analyzed listing descriptions from nearly 4 million homes nationwide that sold between January 2016 and December 2017, and boiled down which keywords for home features, amenities, and design styles had the greatest effect with buyers.

Dallas, for example, really values an outdoor kitchen. It was the most common metro to include that specific term in our listings, and overall a dedicated place to cook al fresco brings in 25 percent more than expected.

Steam showers and professional appliances top the list with a 29 percent premium each, while pizza ovens and their 26 percent take the third spot. Other "chef's kitchen" (yes, that's one of the terms) must-haves include prep and farmhouse sinks, wine fridges, and Carrarra marble (but no mention if that's on the counters or as the backsplash).

In addition to steam showers, bathroom-centric buyers love to hear when a home has heated floors or radiant heat and a freestanding tub. Other indoor perks include coffered ceilings and a home theater.

Outdoors, it's not just kitchens that rake in the dough. Shed or garage studios, solar panels, and outdoor fireplaces all bring in at least 20 percent more.

Some terms suggest regionally specific preferences, such as Los Angeles' love for meditation rooms, Seattle's penchant for Craftsman styles, and New York's appreciation of herringbone or parquet floors. Outdoorsy Coloradans find a dedicated pet shower to be an extra plus.

If owners are more interested in a quick sale than top dollar, there are a few other terms that Zillow says decreased time spent on the market. Touting a home's "exposed brick" helped it sell a full two weeks faster in 2016-17, while "open shelving," "dual flush," "subway tile," and "midcentury" all shortened sale time by more than 10 days.

reports zillow

bang for your buck

San Antonio ZIP code is 4th most affordable place for renters in U.S.

Photo by Florian Schmid on Unsplash

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Trying to afford buying a home in San Antonio is difficult enough with current mortgage rates, and doubly so if you're already paying high rent on an apartment or a house. But there are six San Antonio ZIP codes where renters can get the most bang for their buck, according to a new study by financial services company CashNetUSA.

To find the most affordable ZIP codes for renters in the U.S., analysts compared median household incomes by ZIP code to the average annual rent costs in those areas using the Zillow Observed Rent Index. ZIP codes where the average annual rental constituted the lowest percentage of median household income were considered the "most affordable."

San Antonio's 78248 ZIP code specifically stood out as the No. 4 most affordable in the country, and the No. 1 most affordable in Texas. This area encompasses the north San Antonio neighborhoods of Inwood, Forests at Inwood, Oakwood, The Park at Deerfield, Canyon Creek Bluffs, Canyon Creek Village, Blanco Village, Deerfield, Cadillac Drive, and Churchill Estates.

According to the study's findings, the average monthly cost of a rental in 78248 comes out to $1,259.17, and the median annual income of a household in the area is $122,986. Analysts then calculated that the annual rent of a home in this ZIP code only takes up 12.29 percent of a household's median income, which is the fourth-lowest in the nation.

CashNetUSA found the No. 1 most affordable ZIP code for renters nationwide is 66224 in Leawood, Kansas, where annual rent only takes a 10.57 percent cut out of a household's median annual income.

Elsewhere in Texas, two Houston-area ZIP codes – 77401 and 77094 – ranked No. 9 and No. 12 nationally, while Allen's 75013 ZIP code fell two spots behind to claim the No. 14 spot.

The most affordable San Antonio-area ZIP codes for renters
CashNetUSA further unveiled the five most affordable ZIP codes across major U.S. cities, including in San Antonio, Austin, and Houston.

Following 78248 (which took the No. 1 spot citywide) is 78261 (No. 2), which spans east of Highway 281, across Smithson Valley Road. Rent costs in this ZIP code averaged out to $1,698 per month, the report found.

Landing in the No. 3 spot is 78258, which includes Rogers Ranch, The Vineyard, Stone Oak, Summit, Hidden Canyon, and Big Springs neighborhoods. The report said average rent in the area comes out to $1,507 per month, which takes up 17.54 percent of a household's median annual income.

The remaining top two most affordable ZIP codes for San Antonio renters are located in 78259 (Encino Park, Encino Ranch, Cavalo Creek Estates, Northwood Hills, Summit at Bulverde Creek, Roseheart, Redland Woods) and 78260 in Timberwood Park, which is about 25 miles north of downtown San Antonio.

rent rent prices affordable housing