SimplySanAntonio HOMEOWNERS IN FOCUS
America’s Fastest Growing Cities for 2015 Forbes magazine recently published its 36th annual list of America’s Fastest Growing Cities, 2015. The article begins with a paragraph or two about an Indian gentleman who wants to open a U.S. branch of his brand communication firm. He first looks at Boston, but after doing some number crunching, decides there’s “more room to roam in Texas.” Looking for a city that would give him “better odds” of success, he decides that place would be Houston. “There was so much more room to grow,” he says. Forbes explanation of its Behind the Numbers list: “We started with America’s 100 most populous Metropolitan Statistical Areas (cities and their surrounding suburbs), as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, ranking these places on six metric scales. Using data from Moody’s Analytics, we considered estimated population growth for 2014 and 2015, year-over-year job growth for 2014, and 2014 gross metro product growth (a metro area’s economic growth rate.) We also considered federal unemployment data. Finally, we factored in median annual pay for college-educated workers in each area, using data from Payscale.com. The result was a list of the 20 fastest-growing metro areas in terms of local population and economy,10 of which are shown here.” Texas placed five cities on the list, the most of any state, propelled by strong population growth, in many cases attributable to the new horizontal drilling (fracking) finds, and unemployment levels under 5%.
Fastest growing U.S. cities in 2015 1. Houston 2. Austin 3. Dallas 4. Raleigh, NC 5. Seattle 6. Denver 7. San Francisco 8. Ft. Worth 9. Charlotte, NC 10. San Antonio -New Braunfels MSA
a. 2014 population growth rate: 1.89% b. 2015 (projected) population growth rate: 1.93% c. Job growth rate: 3.06% d. Unemployment: 4.56% e. 2014 Gross Metro Product Growth: 1.74% f. Median Pay: $58,000
In this issue of
SimplySanAntonio • HOME OWNERSHIP AND PREPARING FOR TAX SEASON • 7 AGING-IN-PLACE ESSENTIALS • DISCOVERING WHAT’S RIGHT FOR A SITE • RECOMMENDED VEGETABLE VARIETIES FOR SPRING PLANTING • TIME TO CLEAN THE GUTTERS
Home Ownership and Preparing for Tax Season It’s that time of year again, yes, tax filing time. If you own a home, make sure you take the time to proactively organize your documents to maximize your tax deductions. Proper planning and organization will help minimize your taxable income. There are many tax benefits to home ownership. The three main deductible items are:
• Mortgage interest • Property taxes • Mortgage insurance
Here are some important documents that you’ll need handy for preparing your tax returns. And maximizing those deductions. First, make sure to have the Form 1098 that was sent to you by your mortgage company. This will list the mortgage interest and mortgage insurance you paid during the past year. Remember, if you refinanced during the past year you
will then see multiple Form 1098s, one for each loan. If you bought or refinanced your home in the past year, you’ll also need your Settlement Statement (HUD-1), issued by the Title Company at your closing. This is important because IRS rules only make a mortgage company send a 1098 for $600 or greater. So, if you have interest or deductible fees on your HUD-1 totaling less than $600 you will not be sent a 1098 and will need your HUD-1 as your proof. Finally, don’t forget to reference your property tax bills from the past year so you can include the correct amount on your tax returns. It is estimated that the IRS tax code is currently over 67,000 pages long and if you’re worried about making a mistake, you’re not alone. In fact, in a recent interview on C-SPAN the IRS commissioner Douglas Shulman himself admitted he uses a professional tax preparer. If preparing your return by yourself feels daunting, be sure to contact a professional preparer for any help you need.
Seven Aging-in-Place Essentials According to U.S. Census data, the number of Americans 65 and older is expected to rise 35% from 2010 – 2020. This plays a big part in the upswing of universal design and aging-in-place home features the past few years, accompanying the increase of multi generational homes. A recent article in the Washington Post cites AARP findings on the subject. According to AARP, the majority of older Americans want to stay in their homes permanently and live independently. This demographic change translates into demand for residential designs that anticipate changes in health, vision or mobility, and ensures that homes stay safe, comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. The National Association of Home Builders’ What Home Buyers Really Want report released in 2013 surveyed new and prospective home buyers nationwide to identify which features they want (and don’t want) when looking to purchase a home, and the following accessible features are in high demand by consumers: Buyers want accessible features they can age with. Six of seven features were rated more “desirable” than “essential,” suggesting that home buyers are purchasing with aging in mind.
Essential Desirable Total Full bathroom on main level
45%
Doorways at least 3 ft. wide
26%
53% 79%
Hallways at least 4 ft. wide
23%
55%
Non-slip floors
16%
47% 63%
Main entrance without steps
14%
36% 50%
Low kitchen cabinets
15%
33% 48%
Bathroom aide grab bars / seat
15%
31% 48%
Source: NAHB, What Home Buyers Really Want
36% 81% 78%
Recommended Vegetable Varieties for Spring Planting Bexar County suggests how, what and when to plant here in San Antonio. According to David Rodriquez, the Bexar County Extension Agent—Horticulturist and Jerry Parsons, Ph.D., Retired Horticulturist, the following schedule for planting is best. For more information, contact the Bexar County Master Gardener Hotline, (210) 467-6575 or email info@bexarcountymastergardeners.org. Vegetable
Planting Dates
Varieties
Beans, Bush Mar 5 – May 5 Contender, Topcrop, Greencrop, Blue Lake 274, Tendercrop Beans, Pole Mar 5 – May 5 Stringless, Blue Lake, Kentucky Wonder, Dade Beans, Pinto Mar 15 – May 1 Pinto, Improved Pinto Beans, Lima Mar 5 – Apr 25 Jackson Wonder, Henderson Bush, Thorogreen Beets Feb 1 – Apr 20 Pacemaker, Early Wonder, Ruby Queen Cantaloupe Mar 15 – May 1 Perlita, Caravelle, Ambrosia, Magnum 45, Golden, Perfection, Mission Chard, Swiss Feb 1 – Apr 15 Lucullus, Ruby Chard Corn, Sweet Feb 25 – Apr 15 Guadalupe Gold, Calumet, Capitan, Merit, Honeycomb, Sweet G-90; White: Silver Queen, Country Gentleman Cucumbers Mar 5 – Apr 15 Pickling: Calypso, Carolina, SMR-58, Liberty; Slicers: Dasher II, Gemini 7, Poinsett, Straight 8, Burpless, Victory Hybrid, Sweet Success, Sweet Slice Eggplant Mar 15 – May 10 Florida Market, Black Beauty, Classic, Black Magic, Ichiban Kohlrabi Feb 1 – Apr 1 Early White Vienna, Early Purple Vienna, Grand Duke Leek Feb 1 – May 1 American Flag, Electra, Titan, Lancelot Lettuce Feb 1 – May 1 Leaf: Black Seeded Simpson, Crawford Re-Seeding, Salad Bowl, Ruby, Oakleaf, Red Salad Bowl, Butterhead, Summer Bibb, Buttercrunch; Romaine: Valmaine, Paris White Mustard Feb 1 – May 1 Tendergreen, Florida Broadleaf, Green Wave, Large Smooth Leaf Peas, Southern Mar 20 – May 1 California Blackeye No. 5, Pink Eye Purple Hull, Cream 40, Mississippi Silver, Champion Cream, Crowder Radish Mar 15 – May 20 Champion, Cherry Belle, Early Scarlet Globe; Winter: Black Spanish, White Chinese Squash Mar 10 – May 10 Summer types: Multipik, Dixie Hybrid Crookneck, Early Summer Crookneck, Early Prolific Straightneck, Gold Rush, Hybrid Zucchini Turnip Mar 10 – May 20 Purple Top White Globe, Just Right, Royal Globe, Tokyo Cross Watermelon Mar 1 – May 1 Charleston Gray, Crimson Sweet, Jubilee, Dixielee, Tendersweet (orange flesh), Tendersweet (yellow flesh)
Time to Clean the Gutters Nobody likes cleaning gutters, however the best time of year to do a gutter clean is upon us. Spring, and Fall, are the two times you need to check out your gutters and get them back to fully operational. Now, some people may like the look of a planter box in their gutter, but as attractive as it is, it does little to help the gutter function as intended. Gutters are installed to direct the flow of water shedding off of the roof in a direction away from the foundation. In our area, there is a lot of clay in the soil. This is the direct result of once having been the bottom of a sea several hundred thousand years ago. Consequently, the clay has a mineral which expands up to 40 percent when wet. This 40% expansion of the soil (when wet) and then 40% contraction (when dry) can create problems in your foundation. When it rains, the ground around the foundation becomes evenly wet. However, as it dries, low areas catching and holding water create areas of “uneven expansion,” expansion of the soil that occurs when some sections are wet while others are dry. Your foundation becomes like a bent wire; that is, bending back and forth until eventually a crack occurs. By sloping the soil around your foundation away from your house, you can redirect the water shedding off your roof and 3 feet away from your house. Homeowners also install gutters for the same purpose, to divert the water away from the foundation through spouts and splash blocks. However, if the gutter is filled with debris, the water running off the roof will be spilling over the gutters. Rain catchment experts tell us that a 1” rain on a 1000 square foot roof will result in a water run-off of 600 gallons of water. If your gutters are clean and operating as designed, that 600 gallons of water is being diverted away from your foundation. And caution: when cleaning gutters, always work while standing firmly on a ladder, with the ladder firmly on the ground. Be sure to wear gloves while cleaning and always make visual inspections as you clean. Then, after all is said and done, be sure to run water through your clean gutters to inspect for leaks and any other problems that may exist.
Discovering What’s Right for a Site Myriad decisions and a clear mission defines the creative process
By Elizabeth Chu Richter, FAIA 2015 President. Photo by David R. Richter
A few years ago, our firm was offered a commission to design a conference facility for a religious retreat. What could be better? A great client, a great site and God’s work! But with its beauty and potential, the site also posed ethical as well as moral questions. The project was along the Texas coast on a barrier island. Should anything at all be built on these fragile, shifting sands? Our clients shared the same concern, yet they had the gift of the land and a mission. Could these be reconciled? Making the right decision called for research and long hours spent analyzing and discussing our findings. We studied precedents, of course, but no source was more important than the site itself. We walked the island, often stopping to sit and hear what the dunes, the vegetation and even the light and wind were telling us about what makes this place special. As we looked and listened, the dialogue among firm members, the client and the site became increasingly rich through a process of discovery. Yes. Mustang Island could embrace the client’s mission. More than that, this beautiful place could be a teaching resource. The conference center would introduce and educate visitors to the extraordinary variety of life supported by the rich ecologies that ribbon through the island. In our eyes, the project was also an opportunity to share with our profession a new precedent for barrier island development. The facility that today welcomes those who seek a peaceful space touches the ground lightly and quietly far behind the beach and the critical dune lines. Visitors tell us they have indeed come away with a greater appreciation for the ecology of the island, from the vines running through the sand to the natural grasses, wetlands, sand dunes, and ultimately the beach itself. Client constituents most concerned with the ethics of barrier island development became ardent advocates.
Grappling with questions of right and wrong is an integral part of what it means to be a professional. This essential element of how an architect works is a part that the public too seldom sees. This is unfortunate. Our commitment to ethical and moral behavior is as much a part of our profession’s reputation as our skill in the making of solid forms out of ideas.
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The ever-growing list of new technologies provides wonderful tools to enhance the flesh and bone of our work. The soul of this process, however, is the values—both ethically and morally—that we bring when we use these technologies. Chief among these is a sense of responsibility in how we use the resources of this planet. It’s a responsibility for the legacy we will leave to future generations, who will use our buildings and, if need be, determine new uses for the buildings we leave behind. The best architecture, whether humble or spectacular, does more than accommodate the needs of people and the planet. It nourishes them by probing questions of right and wrong, of what we owe our clients, and what, by our actions, we owe ourselves. Whether or not this responds to a higher authority, it is our work and the bedrock of our reputation.
Call me with your real estate related questions.
In this fast-changing city and metro area in which we live,
Whether it’s your first time, or you’re moving up or downsizing, I represent sellers and buyers of fine homes, as well as investment and commercial properties.
it behooves us to stay in touch with the old as well as the new. Change touches all of us. Thus the mission of Simply San Antonio is to highlight change and how it affects us, as homeowners, so that we can
David Simon
make the most of the present and keep a watchful
(210) 573-0643
eye on the future.
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Realtor®, SRES
dsimon@phyllisbrowning.com 14855 Blanco Rd, Suite 403, San Antonio, Texas 78216 Your referrals are always welcome.