If you’re moving your family to San Antonio, TX and have no idea where to start, this post is just for you. Whether you’re relocating to San Antonio for a PCS or other work related transfer, to be closer to family, or just because you are looking for a change in lifestyle, there are a ton of moving parts and scenarios to consider when moving to a whole new city or state. It can seem super stressful, and overwhelming. 

You need a clear plan and detailed strategy to help make your move smoother & less stressful.

And you’ve landed in the right spot. I’m going to walk you through the entire process of moving to San Antonio that I use for my clients as a relocation specialist in San Antonio. (And, I’ve been told that it really  has helped take some of the guesswork and a lot of stress out of their moves.)

This is where the magic really happens!

The first step that most people take when contacting me about their move to San Antonio is of course the initial contact. Email, text, DM on IG (any of these will work!) This is how we will set up our San Antonio Relocation consultation. It sounds super official, but it’s really just a conversation to get to know each other! We’ll chat about your goals for moving to San Antonio, timeline, needs & wants, etc.

All of these things are super helpful in helping to give me your motivation for moving and especially provide expectations for how quickly the rest of the process moves. Even if you’re still a year or even 2 years away from your target move date, it will be so helpful for you to already know that you have someone capable & competent on your side who is going to be helping you through this process. It also gives us the time to get to know each other even better and communicate about specifics in neighborhoods & homes that will be the best fit for you.

Plus, if anything changes and your timeline unexpectedly moves up, you will already be prepared in a lot of ways. Now of course it has happened where someone reaches out to me and they need to find a home and move in within a month or less. And of course, I can accommodate that quick of a timeline also, but it just changes the way that I need to prepare and plan for you.

Some of the questions that you typically want to be prepared for in our initial consult are:

• Do you currently own the home that you’re in?
• If so, are you planning on selling it before you move to San Antonio?
• Do you have a plan on what your selling process will look like, or are you already working with a listing agent for that?

• If you are going to use a mortgage for your home here in San Antonio, we will talk about the qualifying process through a local lender. Knowing what your employment situation will be when you get here will help me to get you to the best lender for your home purchase.

  Many people that are moving to San Antonio don’t realize how important this aspect is, whether you are transferring in your current profession & have a W-2 or even if you own your business and have a 1099 if that business will need to be re-established when you get here. All of these things will need to be figured out, as there are different types of loan products available for different situations.

  So, someone may not qualify for the traditional type of mortgage and you may need a portfolio or non-conforming loan product. But either way, I have the best lender contacts to refer you to that will better advise you of options here.

  Do you currently own the home that you’re in?

• If so, are you planning on selling it before you move to San Antonio?

• Do you have a plan on what your selling process will look like, or are you already working with a listing agent for that?

The next thing that we will discuss is what specifics are you looking for in a community and in a home? Do you have a preference for new construction homes or resale homes? Have you ever visited San Antonio or have you researched areas that you are interested in?

The next step in the process of moving to San Antonio is the most important. Choosing Where to live in San Antonio. We will spend a lot of time talking about the topic of where you want to live in San Antonio, both in this initial conversation and throughout the upcoming months while we are narrowing down options.

One of the most frequently asked questions that I get is, “Where are the best places to live in San Antonio?” This answer is going to vary with every family and their wants & needs. I can definitely help you to narrow it down to the areas that best fit what you’re looking for and avoid those areas that do not match what you’re looking for.

Here are the questions that we will discuss to help me get know your expectations and help you find where the best options are for you:

1. Location – San Antonio is a huge area, especially when you consider the outlying suburbs of San Antonio too. Is there anywhere specific that you need to be close to? (Military base, medical center, airport, etc.) How long of a commute are you ok with? Are you looking for more rural or suburban surroundings? How important are distances to things like Costco, Trader Joe’s, HEB, etc?
2. Price range – This is always a huge determining factor, mostly because much of the areas are grouped by price ranges. We will need to determine what your budget is to be able to narrow down your neighborhood options. 
3. Schools – There are 15 school districts in the San Antonio metro area alone, and that doesn’t even include the districts in the outlying suburbs like Boerne, New Braunfels, & Castroville. Is there a certain school district or specific school that you would prefer to be zoned for? Sometimes people have already done research in this area and have decided that they only want a home that is zoned for a particular high school here in San Antonio, for example. Even if you don’t have school-aged children, it is important to consider how a school district zoning can help or hurt the resale value of your home in the future. I can’t advise you specifically on what good or bad school districts are, but there are many resources available to help you research San Antonio school districts that I can help you find.
4. Safety & Crime – of course what everyone wants is an area that they feel safe in. This is another topic where I can’t provide specific advice to you, but I can help you find online resources to research this on your own so you can rule out those areas that wouldn’t work for you.
5. Lifestyle – Not equally important to all families that are moving to San Antonio, but I always like to find out if this is a determining factor to you. Are you seeking to be involved in social activities in your community? Looking for a golf course community in San Antonio? Are you looking for a neighborhood that has tons of amenities and community events? Or maybe you are only looking for a non-HOA community? Either way, it’s important to know which, if any of these things are going to be a factor in deciding where to live in San Antonio.

There are thousands of incredible videos on YouTube & Instagram that show & review different suburbs and neighborhoods in San Antonio. So, I encourage you to check those out. (Here is my Living in San Antonio, Texas YouTube channel – check it out and subscribe)!

Those videos do give you ideas and insight into different areas of the city, but you should not rely on them to make the decision for you! What may look like an amazing neighborhood from the video may not be a good fit for what you are actually looking for.

So, feel free to explore those videos before & after our consultation to educate yourself on the areas. But, our meeting is what will help really personalize your search and help us to figure out what the best options are for you, since what appeals to you in the videos isn’t always going to be the best match for where you want to buy your home.

Most of the time, our talk has provided me with all of the information that I need to set up a personalized home search for you, so that you can begin to see options of the types of homes that are available in your price range in certain areas and what the San Antonio housing market is like at that moment in time.

Even if you’re a year away from your move, this step just really helps you to gain knowledge about home inventory, market conditions, seeing where the homes are on a map and much more, even if these aren’t the same homes that will be on the market when you actually are ready to move.

At this point in our conversation, we will create a plan on how we will move forward with your moving to San Antonio master plan.

You can also set up your own customized San Antonio Home Search HERE! You can mark homes as favorites, save them for later, and even share the listings with family and friends.

The next step in the process looks different for everyone, but I really narrow it down to three different options on how we proceed to the next steps.

• A Guided Relocation Visit – If you’re in what I call the “gathering information process” and you’re still deciding if you want to move to San Antonio, and not really sure when, I will provide you with a guide on spots that you should check out while you are here on your visit. From restaurants, to entertainment, to suburbs or communities that may be of interest to you, I will give you plenty of ideas to check off your list while you are here.
• Customized Relocation Visit & Property Tours – If you’re able to visit San Antonio and have definite plans & a timeline to move, and are ready to start viewing neighborhoods and specific home options, we will plan a meeting and I will schedule showings, property previews, meetings with builders, school tours or whatever else is needed to help you know where to focus your time while you’re here!
• Virtual Property & Neighborhood Tours – And the next option is for those that are not able to visit the area at all before they move. This has been the situation for many of the people that I have helped with their relocation to San Antonio & we have done every step of the process remotely. From taking video or FaceTiming different areas & neighborhoods, to showings, to builder meetings, to final walkthroughs, all the way up to closing – I can help coordinate as much or as little of this process as necessary, through virtual communication. (Yes, even if there is a 14 hour time difference, which has happened before too, we can make it work, no matter what your situation is.) 

If you're moving to San Antonio this year, I understand the overwhelm and stress that you must be feeling! It's not easy relocating to another city, another state...another life. But, now that you've found my page, I can help you plan & organize your move to San Antonio. Whether your PCSing to San Antonio, moving to be closer to family, or just looking for a change in your lifestyle, I'm here as a resource for you. Here are some options for the next steps for you:

• Schedule a call with me HERE
• Text me: 210.236.2393
• Email me: [email protected]
• Search San Antonio homes HERE
• Get your San Antonio Relocation Guide HERE
• Get your Home Buyer's Guide HERE
• Check out my Living in San Antonio Texas YouTube channel HERE

There is tons of information, and hundreds of pages and posts for you on livinginsatx.com!

• If you are looking for even more resources on buying a home, selling a home, or relocating to San Antonio, Texas, make sure to start with the home page of livinginSATX.com HERE.
• San Antonio homeowners, for all the best tips and resources to sell your home in San Antonio, check out the seller's page HERE. 
• First time home buyer in San Antonio? Check out all the tips and resources for buying a home in San Antonio HERE.
• Planning out your San Antonio relocation? The San Antonio Community Guide will give you tons of options on where to live when moving to San Antonio, Texas!