Real estate
BY THOMAS LEFFLER
Home Edition
2025
Howdy neighbors! In this year’s Home Edition, we’re digging into property taxes—what’s driving them up and how homestead exemptions and new state laws might bring some relief to homeowners. We’re also looking at how xeriscaping is gaining traction in Northeast San Antonio as a water- saving, low-maintenance landscaping trend that supports conservation. A heartfelt thank you to our advertisers and sponsors for making this kind of local coverage possible, and to you for reading and staying connected to what’s happening around town.
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Xeriscaping becoming popular yard conservation practice drainage, as xeriscaping can change the direction of drainage and potentially send water to the house. Mullins said not changing the natural water ow of the home is key, although maintenance is still required. She advised to apply a herbicide such as vinegar or another organic product every six to eight weeks, and pull out weeds as needed. Planting between spring and fall seasons is
Homeowners looking to conserve resources and be creative can do both through the process of xeriscaping—a method of using plants and shrubbery that do not take much, or any, water to maintain. What you need to know Making a front or backyard setup with dry plants is an increasingly common method, both to conserve water and spruce up a home’s look with less required maintenance. Nadia Mullins, owner of DNS Landscaping in San Antonio, does xeriscap- ing work across the state and has seen an upward trend in the method since she started DNS in 2015. “It’s getting more popular than 10 years ago [when] it was more green and more grass. But now with all the water restrictions that we’re getting, [there is a] tendency of going more [to] xeriscaping because of the water savings,” Mullins said. For homeowners looking to start with xeriscap- ing, important things to assess are the home’s
acceptable, though she did not recommend begin- ning in the winter due to the risk of plant death. The upward trend in xeriscaping will continue in the future, with one caveat. She said a struggle can be homeowners associations only allowing for partial xeriscaping in yards. “While the city is restraining the water with water restriction stages, grass is dying or strug- gling over summer, the HOA does not allow that homeowner to do xeriscaping. It’s a struggle for the city of San Antonio to do that full conversion,” Mullins said.
Adding dry plants to a yard through the process of xeriscaping conserves water while adding aesthetic value to the home.
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NORTHEAST SAN ANTONIO METROCOM EDITION
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