Sharon Powell, Realtor, Option One Real Estate

09/22/2026

Realtor.com just sent me a market update naming La Vernia, TX 78121 a seller’s market, but I don’t think most people in La Vernia feel that way.

The numbers:
Median list price: $580,500, up 3.4% from last year.
Median sold price: $478,945, down 15.3% from last year.

That $100K gap sounds insane. But these aren’t all the same group of houses, so it’s not the seller haircut it looks like.

But it does show that sellers are asking more than they were a year ago. And it also says the homes actually closing are selling at a lower median price.

Add in that La Vernia homes are selling faster.
Median Days on Market: 51 days, down almost 33% from last year.

So could this technically be a seller’s market? Yes, because a seller’s market is basically a measure of supply and demand. I’m still seeing buyers buy. And also, nearly every day I’m seeing sellers reduce price when they aren’t getting the response to their asking price that they hoped for.

The take away? “Seller’s market” doesn’t mean you can name your price, or not put in the work when you go on market.

I follow market updates like this every day. This one is just another reminder that headlines are only one snippet pulled from the full picture.

Curious what the numbers look like in your neighborhood or zip code? I’m happy to pull them for you.

Sharon Powell
Option One Real Estate
830-581-0814

09/18/2026

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐀 𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰.

This owner used their VA benefit to purchase a cool duplex right here in San Antonio. Lived in one side, rented the other. The income helped offset ownership costs while building equity. The goal: buy/rent/repeat.

So this is photo day…. if you know someone who’d like to rent a super cool duplex a few minutes from down and Ft Sam, this one is ready.

And if reading this just made you think, “Wait. I could buy a duplex with my VA loan?” …yess. Yes, you sure can.🙌🏻

Sharon Powell
Option One Real Estate
830-581-0814

09/10/2026

“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝟐.𝟕𝟓% 𝐕𝐀 𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐧? 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞!”

Maybe. It can absolutely give you leverage over competition- even builders if you’re in a new construction community.

But…
𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭:
Your amazing interest rate can make your home much more attractive to a buyer. They don’t have to get a new loan at today’s rate.. they’re taking over the remaining balance and terms of yours.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 (𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬):
The buyer doesn’t have to be a veteran, any qualified buyer can potentially assume a VA loan. The loan has to be current, and the buyer has to meet VA credit and income underwriting requirements.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐠𝐥𝐲:

Release of liability and restoration of VA entitlement are NOT the same thing. With an approved assumption, you can be released from responsibility for the mortgage. But your VA entitlement can still remain tied to that loan.

🚩If there is no substitution of entitlement, the entitlement you used stays tied to that loan until it’s paid off. You might still have enough remaining entitlement to use another VA loan, but it’s not a given.

🚩If that future buyer defaults and VA ultimately suffers a loss, the VA says that loss may have to be repaid before the affected entitlement can be restored.

So yes, there’s a lot of value in marketing your low rate as assumable. I just want veterans who earned this benefit to understand exactly what’s involved.
And thank you for your service. 🇺🇸

Sharon Powell
Option One Real Estate
830-581-0814

09/04/2026

The more you know. When you want to buy a house but you have a house to sell too, how does that work?

There are 3 basic ways:

•𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭.
This is the safest financial choice, because you’d know exactly how much money you’d be bringing to the next house. The downside is that you’d need somewhere to live between the two sales, unless you negotiate to stay in your house after closing until you buy the next one.

•𝐁𝐮𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞.
You can make an offer on the next house, contingent on selling yours. Then we coordinate the two transactions so the sale of your current home funds your purchase. With careful planning, this option can work really well in the current market.

•𝐁𝐮𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭.
If you qualify to own both homes temporarily or plan to purchase with cash, you can buy the new one, move in, and sell yours afterward. There are also financing options that can sometimes help you do this without having all of your current equity available yet.

Each option has pros and cons, and deciding which one makes sense for you depends on your finances AND how quickly we expect your current house to sell.

And the best news? When it’s done right, you’ll only move once!

08/31/2026

“I’m thinking about selling my home- how is Opendoor different from hiring an agent?”

With Opendoor, they’re the buyer and you’re selling by owner. One and done. This can be a good option if your biggest priorities are convenience and concern about showings. They’ll make you an offer, you review their fees and any condition adjustments, and then you decide whether to sell to them.

When you hire an agent, your home is exposed to the open market. Their job is to help you prepare the house, price it strategically, market it, negotiate for you, and protect you all the way through closing.

Interestingly, I sometimes get asked to work on the other side of this too- to gather property information prior to the offer and to provide professional opinions when they’re considering a price adjustment.

There’s nothing wrong with choosing convenience. For some homeowners, that may be the best option.

And really, the choice isn’t Opendoor vs a Realtor. It’s selling directly to one buyer vs exposing your house to the whole market.

If you have- or want help getting- an Opendoor offer, I’m happy to put it side by side with what you could expect to sell for on the open market, and estimate your net both ways.
Then you can decide what the convenience is worth to you.

Sharon
830-581-0814

08/30/2026

Their new spot for sunsets, air shows, fireworks, picnics and swim days.
I think they’re going to like it here. ❤️

Welcome home.

08/27/2026

The more you know. Nearly 1 in 5 home contracts were canceled in July in San Antonio.

That’s a LOT of contracts getting signed, but not making it to the closing table. What is happening???

There are more houses to choose from. Buyers are being more particular. More cautious. An inspection comes back with more than they bargained for. Insurance is higher than expected. The payment numbers aren’t what they expected. Or they just decided this isn’t the house after all.

If you’re selling, this is another reason to focus on preparation before you go on market. Repair the obvious. Be realistic about condition. And don’t automatically assume the highest offer is the best offer.

And if you’re buying, you really do have more room right now to ask questions, do your due diligence and negotiate when something comes up.

Getting a house under contract is one thing.
Getting everybody to closing is a whole ‘nother.

08/27/2026

Do you recognize it??🤩🦇

Wayne Manor is for sale!!

What the listing talks about:
Unrivaled architecture.
The 7 bedrooms.
Nearly 5 acres.
18,655 SF.
Pool, pickleball court, theater.
A $32M list price (holy property taxes, Batman!)

What it’s oddly quiet about: 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝘽𝘼𝙏𝘾𝘼𝙑𝙀!
Obviously we need to go see it… call me.☎️

For Sale: View 28 photos for 380 S San Rafael Ave, this 7 bed, 7.5 bath, 18655 sqft. single family home in Pasadena, CA listed at $32,000,000. MLS #26848149

08/23/2026

Three more front doors getting ready for new tenants!

I don’t talk about this side of my business nearly enough, but yes- I do tenant placement and manage long-term rental properties too.

For me, great property management looks a lot like helping someone buy or sell a home: communicate well, document everything, protect their interests, and never forget there are actual humans on both sides of the lease.

My owners stay involved in the decisions that matter. They approve tenants, choose how much or little money I spend on their behalf, and are welcome to use their own trusted repair people or mine- I don’t mark up maintenance. And when a home is vacant, I don’t just put a lockbox on it and forget about it.. it’s getting regular spruce-ups until it’s rented.

The wreaths and fresh doormats? That’s just me wanting my client’s investment to feel like home when the next potential tenant walks up. 😊

If you have a rental- or a home you’re considering keeping instead of selling- I’m happy to talk through what management could look like.

Sharon
830-581-0814