Located in Comal County
Home to a state-designated scenic city, Far North San Antonio offers small-town living with the convenience of big-city amenities. North of downtown, this neighborhood is a mix of rural natural beauty and urban commercial settings. With proximity to major highways, residents have an easy commute to San Antonio or New Braunfels.
Far North San Antonio encompasses the cities of Bulverde and Spring Branch, as well as the surrounding areas in the Hill Country. Homebuyers can settle down in a 21st century subdivision with stone and brick houses built side-by-side or opt for a large-acreage estate in the country while still being able to know their neighbors. These rural areas feature Spanish and farmhouse-style homes with long driveways leading away from the road for added privacy. While these homes have plenty of room around them, neighboring homes aren’t too far away, so you don’t lose the community feel of living in a small town.
Students in Far North San Antonio are part of the Comal Independent School District and will attend either Spring Branch or Smithson Valley Middle School. Smithson Valley is named after Benjamin Smithson, one of the first Texas Rangers.
The Hill Country setting of the neighborhood brings exciting opportunities to residents. Head to Guadalupe River State Park for miles of riverfront recreation, including swimming, fishing and tubing. Or take a guided tour of Honey Creek State Natural Area, home to a spring-fed creek. Bulverde Community Park is a small city park along the southern edge of the neighborhood. Residents can get some exercise in on the walking trail, play a game of pick-up basketball or enjoy time outdoors as the children play on the playground.
If you’d rather spend your time in town, you can grab a sandwich and a cold beer at The Branch Neighborhood Grill before shopping handmade goods at The Shops at Faithville Park. This shopping center features local stores selling home décor, gifts and apparel. For more shopping, Texas Carpet Baggers offers handmade leather totes. Or check out The Makery for sculptures, woodcrafts and other artwork. Richter’s Antler Café is known for its comfort food classics like chicken fried steak and frog legs. You can find several Mexican options in the neighborhood as well, including Ay Chiwawa! Mexican Café and Sanra’s Cantina. When you need to stock up on groceries at home, Far North San Antonio has several options for all your grocery and errand needs. Residents can shop at an H-E-B plus! on Highway 46 or a Walmart Supercenter just north of there.
Interested in learning more about homes in this area? Reach out to , an experienced agent in this area.
NORMA LIRA
Keller Williams Heritage
(210) 972-7046
166 Total Sales
10 in Spring Branch
$280K - $625K Price Range
Mark Clausen
Compass RE Texas, LLC
(855) 679-9841
114 Total Sales
1 in Spring Branch
$1,750,000 Price
Ross Speed
Compass RE Texas, LLC
(888) 619-5653
471 Total Sales
1 in Spring Branch
$739,000 Price
Beatriz Saldivar
MY HOME AT AUSTIN
(817) 969-3038
64 Total Sales
3 in Spring Branch
$100K - $225K Price Range
Dayna Zolninger
LPT Realty, LLC
(210) 871-9206
56 Total Sales
2 in Spring Branch
$265K - $1M Price Range
Robert Martinez
MHOMENT Realty LLC
(210) 905-9740
55 Total Sales
1 in Spring Branch
$315,000 Price
On average, homes in Spring Branch, TX sell after 108 days on the market compared to the national average of 55 days. The median sale price for homes in Spring Branch, TX over the last 12 months is $579,000, up 10% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
$1,074 - $1,894 per month
Just north of San Antonio, homebuyers can find a slice of Hill Country living in Smithson Valley while still being within driving distance of city amenities. “It’s a highly sought-after area because it has a good mix of suburban and being away from it all,” says Danny Charbel, a Realtor with Keller Williams City View who works in the area. “It’s very accessible to Canyon Lake. It’s easy to get out to different parts of the Guadalupe River if you want to float the river. You’re also not far from 281, which takes you into the heart of San Antonio.” Hilly, winding streets are lined with oaks and Texas Mountain Laurel, while expansive ranch properties add an Old West feel to the area. However, driving just a few miles to the east reveals Highway 281, the main route into San Antonio, lined with shopping and dining options. Homebuyers have a range of options in Smithson Valley. “There’s a good mix. What you don’t see is a lot of older homes,” says Charbel. “The majority of the homes are about 25 years old or younger. But they’re also more traditional builds, so you don’t see a lot of contemporary homes. You see a lot of traditional brick or rock facades.” Trinity Oaks is a gated subdivision right off Highway 281, but the rest of the area is primarily rural. There are several custom homes on large lots with plenty of room between neighbors. The hilly, rural landscape is covered in live oak trees. Homebuyers can expect to pay around $450,000 for a four or five-bedroom house in the subdivision. A four-bedroom home in the rural part of the neighborhood can cost around $950,000. Five-bedroom homes on spacious lots frequently cost over $1 million. Students in the area will likely attend Indian Springs Elementary School, which gets an A-minus from Niche; Peiper Ranch Middle School, rated an A; and Smithson Valley High School, rated an A-minus overall. Indian Springs and Pieper Ranch are each within 5 miles of the neighborhood, while Smithson Valley High School is about 10 miles north. Smithson Valley serves approximately 2,500 students with a student-teacher ratio of 16-to-1. The school offers University of Texas OnRamp courses in computer science, geoscience, precalculus and statistics. Students taking these courses can earn college credit. The school is also known for its softball team, which won three state championships. Because of the rural nature of the neighborhood, having a car is a must in Smithson Valley. Highway 281 gives residents a straight shot for the 23-mile drive into downtown San Antonio, whether commuting for work or play. San Antonio International Airport is about 15 miles from the neighborhood. Highway 281 also connects to the significant loops surrounding the city, including 1604 and 410, giving residents access to every part of the city. Several popular shopping options exist close to the neighborhood along Highway 281. Mariscos El Paisa is a popular Mexican restaurant about 5 miles north of Smithson Valley that Charbel enjoys. “That place is pretty dang good for Mexican and seafood. It’s a good little mom-and-pop spot,” he says. Locals enjoy the fish tacos at this restaurant with a rustic Western-themed interior. Several fast-food restaurants are nearby, including Bill Miller Bar-B-Q, Whataburger and McDonald’s. Residents can shop for groceries at several stores in the area, including an H-E-B plus! 7 miles south on 281, or one 10 miles north. Other nearby stores include a Walmart to the north in Bulverde and a Sprouts Farmers Market south of the neighborhood. Smithson Valley residents are surrounded by recreational opportunities. Canyon Lake is about 20 miles north of the neighborhood, but residents don’t mind making the drive for the chance to spend a day by the water. Comal Park is a 116-acre park on the lake’s southern shore. Visitors can put in a boat for a day of fishing or rowing out on the water. The swimming beach provides locals an ideal spot for relaxing by the water or cooling off on hot summer days. The Bracken Cave Preserve is a nature preserve about a 15-mile drive southeast of the neighborhood. The cave is home to more than 15 million Mexican free-tailed bats. The preserve’s main attraction is the nightly insect hunt when the bats fly out of their cave each summer night to hunt for food. Golf lovers will enjoy the proximity to TPC San Antonio, a private club with two 18-hole courses. The par-72 Canyons course and the par-72 Oaks course are each rated in the top 100 golf courses in the state, according to the Dallas Morning News.
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