7 Difference Making Luxury Home Features

There are several features that can make a San Antonio luxury home standout. If your home has these features it can be a huge difference maker when you decide to sell.

Every week I read articles that tout the latest home design trends or offer hot takes on what buyers want today. Usually these range from the surprisingly banal to the hilariously niche.

For example in the past month I've read that some buyers enjoy a kitchen that opens to a living area. Question: Did this writer travel through time back to 1994?

Also, I wasn't aware that installing backyard bocce ball courts is a thing. Maybe it's that I specialize in selling luxury homes in San Antonio and the surrounding areas but I haven't seen the bocce love yet. 

Bocce ball court. Installed to distract from that hideous ocean view?

However, in my 13 years of selling San Antonio luxury homes, I have noticed features that inspire buyers. These aren't necessarily "must haves" but fall into the category of wants.

Detached Casita/Guest House: This should perform double duty as a party house and guest quarters. Everyone loves visitors right? Well, they are loved (and invited) even more when they have a private space to stay with a separate entrance. When this space includes one bedroom, one bath and a kitchen it's a huge selling point.

Casita at 11015ReyesCanyons.com in Los Reyes Canyons

4 or more car garage: Suppose a buyer is looking for at least 5,500 sq ft and five or more bedrooms. A 3-car garage is usually as large as it gets. But, this is like buying a 3-BR home for a family of 5. Typically in this market segment, husband and wife each have a daily driver plus one or more "weekend" fun cars. If they have three kids and one or more are of driving age, you're quickly beyond garage capacity. If a friend or Grandma drives in for an evening, you're going to need a lot of street parking. Many San Antonio Luxury neighborhoods prohibit overnight street parking. For the San Antonio million dollar plus home it's still rare to find more than a 3-car garage. So, to find four or more is a functional luxury.

Pet area: Pets are truly part of the family. People are devoted to their fur babies so areas dedicated to pet care such as dog runs and bathing areas draw praise

All ensuite baths: Many luxury home buyers today do not want their kids or guests to share a bathroom. I've heard many a buyer disparage poor "Jack & Jill." And, they were so popular once! But, especially if you have a mix of girls and boys, this luxury might become a necessity.

All bedrooms have ensuite baths at 22314Viajes.com in Las Campanas

Sport Court: This can be the hub - even more than a pool - for outdoor fun for most of the year. I've noticed that buyers aren't as excited if these spaces are too much about tennis. But, if the space is multi-purpose for basketball, soccer, and net sports like volleyball plus has lighting, it will be well-used and coveted.

Lighted Sport Court at 11010AnaquaSprings.com in Boerne

No carpet: Luxury buyers will accept clean, neutral carpet in some rooms such as secondary bedrooms, media rooms and game rooms but if your home has none the buyer will like it even more. In most luxury homes, wood or tile is the preference. Some of that is the trend line and some of it springs from avoiding allergies, pet smells and other irritants.

18114LiscumHill.com has no carpet

Caterer's Kitchen: Owners of large luxury homes often enjoy entertaining. But, when they host a party they don't always want their guests to experience the heat, noise, and smells that come with cooking for a large group. The caterer's kitchen is an excellent solution. I've known some owners who use this second kitchen exclusively. Plus, for those who love to really cook it adds extra ovens, dishwashers and more.

Jason Glast, Realtor Attorney, has been one of the top selling luxury real estate specialists in the San Antonio, Tx area since 2003. His team - Jason Glast Luxury is ranked #1 in the region for luxury home sales

For more information, contact Jason at (210) 386-1833, email me at jason@jasonglast.com, see my website at JasonGlast.com and like the Jason Glast Luxury Facebook Page

Interesting Trends - San Antonio Area Million Dollar & Up Market

San Antonio luxury home sales have been on a yearly upward trend for at least the last 10 years. This is true again so far in 2016 but only in number of sales. The average San Antonio area million dollar homes sale price has declined slightly for the first time in many years. As we head toward the presidential election, it will be interesting to track these numbers.

Year over year, the number of San Antonio area home sales at or above $1 million has increased 10.5%.

The average San Antonio high end home sale over one million dollars this year was $1,425,402. That average home sale price is down 2% from 2015.

Interestingly, though there have been more million dollar and higher homes selling so far this year, a lower percentage of them have sold at or above $2 million than in 2015.

11010 Anaqua Springs in Boerne, Tx, Offered at $1,699,000

These statistics come directly from the San Antonio Board of Realtors Multiple Listing Service (MLS) numbers. It includes sales from January 1 - September 20, 2015 and January 1, 2016-September 20, 2016.

These include sales in Bexar, Kendall and Comal counties including Boerne, Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills, Olmos Park, Hill Country Village, New Braunsfels, Shavano Park and San Antonio.

For each year, I excluded properties that were clearly land sales, farm & ranch, lakefront or coastal properties. For the purpose of analyzing high end San Antonio area homes, I don't want luxury home sales in Port Aransas, Applehead Island, Horseshoe Bay, Lake Travis and more confusing the numbers.

Each year there are a few San Antonio million dollar homes that sell privately. They don't go through MLS. As Texas is the rare state that doesn't require home sales price disclosure, that information remains confidential. My experience is that the number of luxury homes that sell privately is not large. It's not an insignificant amount but it might be 5% of the upscale homes. Usually, the number each year remains consistent with the MLS market.

Here are the numbers:

Number of Sales at or Above $1 million:
Jan. 1, 2015 - Sept. 20, 2015: 76
Jan. 1, 2016 - Sept. 20, 2016: 84

Average Sale Price at or Above $1 million:
Jan. 1, 2015 - Sept. 20, 2015: $1,456,019
Jan. 1, 2016 - Sept. 20, 2016: $1,425,402

Cumulative Days on Market:
Jan. 1, 2015 - Sept. 20, 2015: 297
Jan. 1, 2016 - Sept. 20, 2016: 295

Sales at or above $2 million:
Jan. 1, 2015 - Sept. 20, 2015: 9 (11.8% of the market)
Jan. 1, 2016 - Sept. 20, 2016: 8 (9.5% of the market)

I'll update this at the start of 2017 to see if the 4th quarter numbers made any difference.

Questions? Contact me at (210) 386-1833, Jason@JasonGlast.com or go to my website at www.JasonGlast.com

Interesting Trends - San Antonio Area Million Dollar & Up Market

San Antonio luxury home sales have been on a yearly upward trend for at least the last 10 years. This is true again so far in 2016 but only in number of sales. The average San Antonio area million dollar homes sale price has declined slightly for the first time in many years. As we head toward the presidential election, it will be interesting to track these numbers.

Year over year, the number of San Antonio area home sales at or above $1 million has increased 10.5%.

The average San Antonio high end home sale over one million dollars this year was $1,425,402. That average home sale price is down 2% from 2015.

Interestingly, though there have been more million dollar and higher homes selling so far this year, a lower percentage of them have sold at or above $2 million than in 2015.

11010 Anaqua Springs in Boerne, Tx, Offered at $1,699,000

These statistics come directly from the San Antonio Board of Realtors Multiple Listing Service (MLS) numbers. It includes sales from January 1 - September 20, 2015 and January 1, 2016-September 20, 2016.

These include sales in Bexar, Kendall and Comal counties including Boerne, Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills, Olmos Park, Hill Country Village, New Braunsfels, Shavano Park and San Antonio.

For each year, I excluded properties that were clearly land sales, farm & ranch, lakefront or coastal properties. For the purpose of analyzing high end San Antonio area homes, I don't want luxury home sales in Port Aransas, Applehead Island, Horseshoe Bay, Lake Travis and more confusing the numbers.

Each year there are a few San Antonio million dollar homes that sell privately. They don't go through MLS. As Texas is the rare state that doesn't require home sales price disclosure, that information remains confidential. My experience is that the number of luxury homes that sell privately is not large. It's not an insignificant amount but it might be 5% of the upscale homes. Usually, the number each year remains consistent with the MLS market.

Here are the numbers:

Number of Sales at or Above $1 million:
Jan. 1, 2015 - Sept. 20, 2015: 76
Jan. 1, 2016 - Sept. 20, 2016: 84

Average Sale Price at or Above $1 million:
Jan. 1, 2015 - Sept. 20, 2015: $1,456,019
Jan. 1, 2016 - Sept. 20, 2016: $1,425,402

Cumulative Days on Market:
Jan. 1, 2015 - Sept. 20, 2015: 297
Jan. 1, 2016 - Sept. 20, 2016: 295

Sales at or above $2 million:
Jan. 1, 2015 - Sept. 20, 2015: 9 (11.8% of the market)
Jan. 1, 2016 - Sept. 20, 2016: 8 (9.5% of the market)

I'll update this at the start of 2017 to see if the 4th quarter numbers made any difference.

Questions? Contact me at (210) 386-1833, Jason@JasonGlast.com or go to my website at www.JasonGlast.com