Texas Tradition

Historic dance hall near San Antonio hits the market — on eBay

Up for a bidding war? A piece of Texas history could be yours. The iconic Swiss Alp Dance Hall in Schulenburg, Texas, has been listed for sale on eBay.

Swiss Alp Dance Hall sits on two acres of land off U.S. 77, between Schulenburg and La Grange, about 100 miles from San Antonio. The property includes a 7,000-square-foot, rectangular, wood-framed dance hall. There's also a separate cafe — Swiss Alp Grill — that is fully furnished.

Built in 1900, the hall has hosted a wide variety of country artists, from Asleep at the Wheel to Kevin Fowler and the legendary Bob Wills. It's a "classic example of a historic hall that has seen virtually all of the changing trends and styles of Texas popular music over the last century," notes the listing.

According to KVUE news, the current owners, Kevin and Donna Ustynik, are retiring. They purchased the property over a decade ago.

"Owning and operating a real Texas dance hall is all that you can imagine and more," Kevin told KVUE. "If you want to really feel like a Texan, operating a hall will connect your heart to your community like nothing else. The community becomes part of your life and builds memories that will never end."

As of publish time, the highest bid was $99,500, and the reserve price had not been met. Bidding closes July 5. Programming at Swiss Alp Dance Hall will be limited until the sale is complete.

"We are doing our best to find a new owner as quick as possible. It takes special people to facilitate a Texas tradition," the owners said in a statement on the dance hall's website.

Swiss Alp Dance Hall has been listed for sale on eBay.

Photo courtesy of eBay

Swiss Alp Dance Hall has been listed for sale on eBay.

dance music home-for-sale

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