Your Expert Guide

The Dominion: Established elegance in a friendly, community setting

Agent Susan McInnis Dikin.

Photo by Onward Group

There are so many great places to live in San Antonio that it helps to have an expert on your side. The Neighborhood Guide presented by Kuper Sotheby's International Realty gives you insider access from the agents who live and work there, providing in-the-know info about your possible new community.

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Born and raised in San Antonio, Susan McInnis Dikin grew up in The Dominion. In fact, her family was among the first to move into this beautiful master-planned community in 1986.

Susan and her husband currently live in The Dominion and are forever fans of its elegant and upscale estates, unparalleled security, and incredible amenities. “I also love the walkability of the neighborhood,” says Susan.

As a wife, mother, Realtor, and volunteer, Susan is deeply rooted in her community. She offered up some of her personal favorites about life in The Dominion.

Here's her guide to the area:

Where to eat & drink
The Dominion Country Club is all you really need for an incredible meal morning, noon, or night. But if you’re craving some authentic Italian flavors, head to nearby Aldo’s Ristorante Italiano. Another nearby favorite is Silo Terrace Oyster Bar.

Where to play
Internationally known for bird-watching, Friedrich Wilderness Park is the perfect place to get out in nature and explore along more than 10 miles of hiking trails.

What to see
At the top of Susan’s list for exploring beyond The Dominion are the San Antonio Missions. The Missions are the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas, and this destination is well worth the 30-minute drive. Swing by the historic Pearl for the weekend market on your way.

In the opposite direction awaits Boerne, where you can find great shopping and restaurants.

Where to live
The Dominion has everything from garden homes on zero-lot lines to expansive estates on large parcels of property, and they range in style from modern to traditional, according to Susan.

She represented the buyer for 7 Carriage Hills, which is a stunning example of a home in the area. With its elevated level of detail, the 4,800-square-foot property is set on over an acre and boasts an incredible pool and rooftop deck with Hill Country views.

Another property, at 9 Mayborough Lane, is equally magnificent yet shows the difference in styles and lots available in The Dominion. The 5,551-square-foot home radiates traditional elegance and has a backyard with a sprawling pool and deck that feels like a vacation any day of the week.

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Susan McInnis Dikin works and plays in The Dominion. For more information on buying and selling a home in the area, click here, email susan.dikin@kupersir.com, or call 210-744-8047.

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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