I'm from Houston, lived in San Antonio for couple of years while in the military, and have lived in Washington DC area for past 5 years. I finally got the offer I was looking for and the wife and I are moving back to SA area in the next couple of months.

We're planning on eventually buying a house in Boerne (this is based of my two weeks of looking around). I will be working on west side of 410, my hours are extremely flexible so I'm not worried about the commute.

We have no kids but plan on starting a family within the next year. I really like the small town look/feel of Boerne and we've been looking at new homes in one of the new subdivisions popping up off of 46 just east of downtown.

We've budgeted a maximum of 400K for a home. We're not looking for a lot of land or even a huge yard, so that's not a factor. For the most part, we're open to any part of town. I like the lower property taxes outside of Bexar county, but that's not a limiting factor either.

I'd love to hear people's suggestions on Boerne or other places we should check out. TIA

I don't think many people will comment negatively about living in Boerne.

I think you'll hear a few gasps at the thought of driving from Boerne to "west 410", which sounds like a nightmare to me, personally.

Will you be working in SA? If so, the commute on I-10 in the morning and afternoon will be a factor.

I'll be working off of 410 and 151. Looking ar Google Maps, it's 30-40 minutes without traffic. Like I said, my hours are flexible so I'd be in by 630 and out by 230 and hopefully miss the worst of the traffic.

San Antonio is annexing some of the area outside of 1604 that is in Boerne ISD, so be aware of that if you choose to look in between 1604 and Boerne (an area that has a lot of benefits).

Does Boerne have any really good restaurants? The ones I've tried are okay but not exceptional. The new BBQ place had tender brisket, but there was absolutely no smoke ring on the portion they served me.

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Boerne?

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Do it.

TX AG 88 said:

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would not talk you out of Boerne, but might suggest you consider Helotes, as well.

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I agree.

My advice to anyone is to come here on a week day and make the drive in and the drive out during rush hour. Then decide. After DC, you might not find it too bad. I find the stretch from 1604 & 10 all the way to Boerne to be a bit long, even in easy traffic.

Let me know if you need a real estate agent. My wife can help you get the deal done right!

Boerne is booming! Excellent schools and plenty of neighborhoods to suit your needs. Yes! You will not regret it especially when you are able to come home to the peace and quiet of the hill country after being in the hustle and bustle traffic!! Lots of Houstonians here!

My husband commutes to SWRI from Fair Oaks Ranch and it is doable. Not pleasant - especially with all the construction, but doable. There seems to be a wreck every other day on either westbound or eastbound I-10 through the construction zones, which will make the commute an hour longer if it happens.

The traffic around town is pretty bad around Champion HS during pick up and drop off. If you are looking at the neighborhoods directly around there, go between 7:30 and 9am and then again at 3:30. Drive back and forth on 46 and observe.

The schools are becoming more crowded but BISD is still excellent. Hopefully by the time you have kids in the mix the new schools will be open and growth might have leveled off or schools will have caught up.

I'm more curious about the job you are about to begin, I wouldn't mind those hours!

FWIW, Boerne isn't too bad and neither is Helotes. To each his own.

I appreciate all the advice. We're going to get an apartment somewhere centrally located in SA for the first 6 months and take some time to visit a bunch of different areas, test out the drive times, etc before deciding on a location. I'm very much looking forward to being back in TX. Thanks again!

Lots of development and industry going in and around seguin. That'd be my guess if the schools get better.

How's the commute from Fair Oaks Ranch area to 1604/281 on Northeast side?

Also looking near La Cantera, Dominion, and some on the Northeast side.

Wife's criteria is a nice view.

ktownag08 said:

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How's the commute from Fair Oaks Ranch area to 1604/281 on Northeast side?

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I wouldn't do that. The whole Camp Bullis area is between Fair Oaks and 1604/281. Because of that, you get to chose between 35-45 minutes of back roads or the 1604 parking lot that is between I10 and 281.

Whitetail said:

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ktownag08 said:

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How's the commute from Fair Oaks Ranch area to 1604/281 on Northeast side?

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I wouldn't do that. The whole Camp Bullis area is between Fair Oaks and 1604/281. Because of that, you get to chose between 35-45 minutes of back roads or the 1604 parking lot that is between I10 and 281.

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I agree. I never go to that area during commuting times, and only rarely at other times will I venture onto 1604. Terrible traffic.

Thanks for the responses. We'll still check it out, but that will factor in although 35-45 min is a pretty normal commute coming from Houston.

How about driving down 281 towards 1604? Kinder Ranch looks interesting.

We're also looking closer in at Stone Oak area, but many in that area need updates badly even ones over 500k.

Txdot will begin converting 281 into a freeway north of 1604 to Stone Oak. The project is letting (taking bids) this month which means construction will begin in 2-3 months. 281 sucks now, and it is going a lot worse for the next few years with the construction.

This is about $186 MM worth of work courtesy of Texas taxpayers.

1604 headed east to 281 is not that bad in the mornings. There seems to be more people headed towards 10 from 281 at that time.

Why are you not considering anything inside 1604? Assuming you are looking only outside the loop. There are some good schools and neighborhoods inside the loop.

We are here to help. Finding the short term apartment and helping decide which area is best for you. Give me a call at your convenience, an we can provide you with any information you need.

Sincerely,

Bill Barkley

If you're going to be near 151 and 410, Castroville/Hondo would be an easy drive, prices out there are much lower and they are still small towns.

We visited over the weekend and went all over the north side.

Still on the list:

- Shavano / Hollywood Park was nice inside of 1604. Would probably take some effort/money to update a home though.
- We liked the views of hill country or city from Northwest neighborhoods off of Kyle Seale.
- Vintage Oaks up off 46 was beautiful. Very favorable tax rate and can get a lot for your money. Good neighborhood feel and great amenities. Longer drive, but might be worth it. Only 25 miles.
- Stone Oak area was nice, but I can see how traffic would be bad with all of the stop lights.

Off the list:

- Boerne/Fair Oaks Ranch.
- Johnson Ranch / Kinder Ranch
- Rogers Ranch
- Terra Bella
- Indian Springs

We were most impressed with Monticello, Whitestone, Casa Domaine, and Sitterle homes.

Any opinions of those builders is appreciated.

I will be facing a similar issue to yours in a couple months. Why did you end up taking Boerne off the list?

To clarify, we only made it up to Fair Oaks ranch area and just weren't impressed. At that point, my wife didn't want to head further up I-10 so that was that.

If you run across any listings along the western side of Canada Verde / El Portal / Meadowbrook Dr in Hollywood Park and it's within budget jump on it. There are some pretty cool views from up there.

...And if you want something a little different take a drive out to Grey Forest. It's one of the most unique neighborhoods in the outer parts of town. Just watch your speed, the cops are bored and like to enforce it.

Thoughts on Rogers Ranch?

My family's been in and around Boerne, Sisterdale and Kendalia since before Kendall County was formed, and it does sadden me that the "town" ship of Boerne is lost. I understand...progress.

I might encourage you to look up Highway 16, in Bandera County, and in Bandera ISD. Not as highly-acclaimed as Boerne ISD, but fantastic, and much like Boerne was when I was growing up. That's changing, too, but well-behind the rate of 78006. There's lots of land, and decent housing in your range.