Come Home to the Hill Country!

Speechless Sunday...Florals

Photography by:  Jeani Thomas Richie

Copyright 2009

San Antonio Botanical Gardens and Center

Gorgeous florals in bloom on a Sunday afternoon!

Natural Beauty!

A rose is a rose...

Speechless Sunday...Florals

Speechless Sunday...Butterfly Moment

One of the treasures of San Antonio, Texas is the Botanical Gardens.  I caught this little guy at the entrance as we walked in and decided to get my macro lens out and take the shot.  Nothing better than capturing the splendor of nature through the camera lens on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon with the family.  Enjoy the little things!

Photography by:  Jeani Thomas Richie, Copyright 2009

www.JeaniRichie.com

I did it...I held a snake!!!

Last Sunday my son and his NaNa visited the San Antonio Botanical Gardens.  They had a snake exhibit and we were allowed to take turns holding a python!  Here is the little fella!  He was actually quite gorgeous and very sweet...I know, I know...a snake, sweet???  Seriously... it was!  I didn't realize til I processed the pics that I looked kind of concerned in the photos!  LOL!  Below is my son Jordan.

Photos By:  Jeani Thomas Richie, Copyright 2009

http:www.JeaniRichie.com

BRAC BRINGS BILLIONS

One of the mainstays of the Central Texas economy and real estate market is the military population of San Antonio, Texas.  Everything from US Air Force basic training to the world renowned BAMC to flight training are big draws for population changes in the Alamo City and surrounding areas.  While word of BRAC (Base Closure and Realignment Commission) sometimes brings thoughts of loss to some communities, BRAC is bringing growth to the San Antonio area this time around.  This article recently ran in the RECON e-newsletter.

SAN ANTONIO (San Antonio Express-News) - With a first wave of 12,500 military personnel expected to flood Alamo City next year, preparatory construction projects are reaching a peak to accommodate the influx.

The Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC) and related military ventures have spurred over $2 billion in awarded construction projects so far, with at least an additional $300 million in awarded contracts expected before the project's 2011 completion.

The work on 78 facilities includes construction of an aircraft taxiway at Randolph AFB, an urban assault course at Camp Bullis, a bridge at Fort Sam Houston and building renovations at Lackland AFB.

The Military Transformation Task Force estimates that Fort Sam Houston - home to most of the projects - will have accounted for $6.7 billion in economic impact on the San Antonio area and over $10 million in sales tax revenues.

BRAC is part of a larger military construction program that will bring ten million square feet of space and over $3 billion in contracts to San Antonio.

This should be a great shot in the arm that is the Central Texas economy and help continue the stablization of the local housing market.  For more information on relocation to the San Antonio and surrounding area, contact EXIT Hill Country Realty.

TOYOTA BRINGING JOBS TO CENTRAL TEXAS!

TOYOTA HAULING IN HUNDREDS OF JOBS SAN ANTONIO (San Antonio Express-News) – Toyota Motor Corp. has confirmed plans to move Tacoma pickup production from a plant in Northern California to its San Antonio manufacturing facility by next summer.

The move is expected to add as many as 1,100 new jobs to the facility over time. Toyota will stop making vehicles at the California plant in March. San Antonio and Bexar County officials estimate the local Toyota plant — which currently builds only Tundras — will crank out 100,000 Tacomas annually following a $100 million retooling of the facility.

The great thing about the San Antonio move is a boost in jobs for the area and of course the employees will need housing!  Incoming Toyota employees will have options regarding housing that include not only the San Antonio metro area, but surrounding rural areas as well. 

This is good news for the economic outlook of Central Texas from an employment, manufacturing and housing perspective.  Stay tuned for news of the Toyota manufacturing influx that appears to be in the future for the Alamo City and surrounding area!

For more information about relocating to Central Texas and the San Antonio area, contact Jeani Thomas Richie, Broker - EXIT Hill Country Realty today!  830-708-2528