San Antonio, Texas – August 10, 2009

Dancing Bear Ranch, a private gated community featuring Hill Country estates with private access to Medina Lake, has announced a new Discovery Visits program for prospective buyers to explore the lakeside community and the vibrant city of San Antonio. Visitors will enjoy an exclusive tour of the community, special rates at 3 of the area’s top hotels, arrangements for a boat ride, and the opportunity to experience San Antonio’s famous attractions.

Dancing Bear Ranch is a private gated community with over 2,500 acres of Medina Lake real estate in Mico, Texas, just 20 minutes Northwest of San Antonio. Dancing Bear Ranch offers 2-6 acre estate homesites carefully planned and scaled for custom homes with incredible views. The community has an infrastructure already in place including paved roads, a private water system and underground utilities. Properties start at $59,900, offering panoramic views of Lake Medina and the Texas Hill Country. To date, over 200 estates have been sold and more than 50 homes built.

The Discovery Visit package includes private tours of the community, clubhouse and amenities, as well as the surrounding Texas Hill Country. Boat tours of Medina Lake can also be arranged. The package also includes preferred rates at 3 of San Antonio’s top hotels including:

• The Westin at La Cantera Resort: San Antonio’s luxury resort, featuring high-end shopping and dining, world-class golf and spa services. Save over $100 a night with a special promotional code. Nightly rate of $170.
• The Courtyard Marriott: Perfect for family fun and entertainment, with close proximity to SeaWorld and Six Flags Fiesta Texas. Nightly rates from $114.
• Ye Kendall Inn: Wonderful Hill Country getaway in Boerne, with award-winning restaurant and spa and special pricing for visitors. Nightly rates from $89.

Visitors will also receive a complimentary cooler, Dancing Bear Ranch koozie and a boat keychain.

Out-of-town buyers and those looking to relocate to San Antonio will be able to experience the city’s famous restaurants and attractions. San Antonio is home to Six Flags Fiesta Texas, SeaWorld, the San Antonio River Walk and the historic Alamo. San Antonio was named the “#1 City for Affordability” by Travel + Leisure Magazine in 2008, ranked #8 of the “Top 10 Southern Cities” by Southern Living Magazine in 2009, and #2 “Most Recession-Proof City in America” by Forbes Magazine in 2008.

“We are very excited about the new Discovery Visits program,” said Blake Jarrett, Director of Sales at Dancing Bear Ranch. “With this program, prospective buyers will not only see Dancing Bear Ranch firsthand, but they can spend time truly experiencing the community, the lake and the city. It’s a great way to enjoy everything that San Antonio has to offer, while experiencing the life in a private lakeside community in the heart of the Texas Hill County.”

Learn more about Texas Hill Country properties at Dancing Bear Ranch and reserve your Discovery Visit today:

www.dancingbearranch.com/dv

According to Forbes.com, San Antonio has a rapidly growing health care and education industry that have kept unemployment low. Thanks to a steady economy and housing market, Moody’s projects that the GDP of San Antonio will barely dip before returning to growth in the third quarter of this year.

Current GDP: $66.3 billion
End of 2010: $68.4 billion (projected)
Unemployment: 5.4% 

In addition to being a top city for recession recovery, San Antonio has also been awarded the following accolades: 

Forbes magazine named San Antonio as the No. 2 most recession-proof city in America. 2008 

ForbesTraveler.com names San Antonio one of nation’s top 10 golf cities. March, 2009 

Southern Living Readers’ Choice Award, San Antonio among top ten southern cities. January, 2009 

Expedia: named San Antonio as the nation’s third fastest-growing leisure destination according to a new report released by Expedia Travel Trendwatch. 2008 

Travel + Leisure magazine has named San Antonio as one of America’s favorite cities for the second year in a row. San Antonio maintained its ranking as the most affordable of America’s cities and was also noted as the number two city for ethnic food and cheap eats and as the number five for family vacations. September, 2008 

Golf Magazine ranked San Antonio as the 13th best golf destination in the U.S. February, 2008 

USA Today named San Antonio as one of five top destinations for off-peak travel. 2008

Northwest San Antonio is just a short 20-minute drive from the beautiful Medina Lake real estate of Dancing Bear Ranch and offers some of the city’s best shopping opportunities.

San Antonio Shopping

Ingram Park Mall contains over 150 businesses and services. Anchored by outstanding department stores such as Macys, Dillard’s, Sears, and Bealls, the mall is also home to Victoria’s Secret, The Gap, Bath & Body Works, The Disney Store and much more.

The Shops at La Cantera provide some of the most up-scale and finest shopping in San Antonio. The open-air shopping center with tranquil surroundings and lush vegetation has over 160 specialty stores and major retailers such as Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Macy’s and Dillard’s. 300,000 sq. ft. of upscale shopping, restaurants and high-end office space is home to retailers such as aerie, Free People, Gilly Hicks, Metropark, Ruehl, United Colors of Benetton, Urban Outfitters, Vans and Zara.

The Rim, a 3 million sq. ft. retail center, is located on the leading edge of San Antonio’s northwest growth sector. The Rim is anchored by Bass Pro Shops’ Outdoor World and a 19-screen movie theater with an IMAX screen. Other stores include Target, Best Buy, and JC Penney. The Rim also offers fine dining and the luxurious Hotel Talavera and Spa.

The Apple Store allows you to browse the latest high-tech products and electronics from Apple and a variety of other vendors.

Bike World is an incredible experience for cyclists of all levels. The store features the most extensive collection of bikes, clothing and accessories in the Southwest. The Bike World experts can help you get the right gear to conquer the off-road foothills of the Medina Lake Texas Hill Country.

Alamo Ranch Shopping Center is a recent addition to the west side of San Antonio, attracting retailers such as Super Target, JC Penney, Lowe’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Ulta and Books-A-Million.

Other major retailers in the area include Wal-Mart, H-E-B, Kohl’s, Academy, Sheplers and Men’s Warehouse.  Northwest San Antonio is also home to Furniture Row, Sterling Oaks, Culebra Crossing and Bandera Pointe Shopping Centers.

If you’re in the mood for family fun, northwest San Antonio also features Six Flags Fiesta Texas and SeaWorld within 20-minutes of the various shopping centers, malls and retail outlets. Northwest San Antonio is also just a 30-minute drive from a night out on the town or exploring the boutiques and specialty shops of downtown and the River Walk.