Look over the skies of San Antonio. You’ll see distant views of the Texas Hill Country, wafts of smoke from fajitas on the grill and BBQ smoking at the various restaurants around town, but what you will not see is a signal calling on your neighborhood POA attorney to save the day in a community near you. However, San Antonio does have a local POA attorney ready to fight for the needs of the communities he serves, and he does not need an elaborate disguise or alter ego. His name is Paul Gaines.

Paul’s journey to becoming an attorney began with his chosen path in college. Paul majored in philosophy at the University of North Texas. “Unfortunately, there are limited positions out there for a philosophy major. I was studying philosophy in college, and I said, you know what,I think making this into a legal career would not just allow me to continue what I was doing in undergrad but build on top of that and make a profession out of it,” Paul said. If you attend one of Paul’s legal presentations today, you can still find a hint of his studies. Be on the lookout for mentions of Locke and Hobbes (and maybe even a little Gaines).

While the path to becoming an attorney was a natural progression from what Paul chose to do in college, his family was also influential. Paul’s family is heavily involved in the real estate industry throughout the Central Texas area, so once he knew becoming an attorney was what he wanted, Paul quickly decided that working in the real estate industry was for him. “Property law was kind of my forte and I enjoyed that topic the most, so I focused all of my classes in law school on real property, be it Texas land titles, oil and gas, real estate and mortgages, I attended all of the property classes I could,” Paul said. Though coming out of law school, the specific area of real estate law he wanted to practice was uncertain. “My first law clerkship focused on oil and gas law since the industry was doing well when I was in law school, but I quickly decided the boom and bust was not for me. I began searching for other opportunities in real estate and the first attorney position I landed out of law school was in property owners association law, which at the time, I knew little about. Once I got the job and started working, I quickly realized this was a fascinating and growing industry,” Paul said.

Paul’s excitement for the POA industry has only grown during his time in the industry and as he has gotten to know more of the people involved. “From a practice standpoint, it’s so much different than other legal industries because you are dealing with so many different groups of people on a daily basis, along with a wide array of complex and unique legal issues. This truly distinguishes the POA industry from others because it is something new every day. I tell people all of the time if you’re looking for a way to keep someone on their toes, enter the POA industry,” Paul said.

This is especially true in the San Antonio and surrounding Hill Country area. The area maintains a small town feel even when you are in the big city. “It’s such a tight knit community here in San Antonio and I think that’s what really stands out from the other cities and markets in Texas.  Regardless of its size, everyone knows everyone and your interactions and decisions ripple quickly throughout tSan Antonio and surrounding markets,” Paul explained. However, Paul says the small-town feel has presented issues for those around San Antonio and the Hill Country area that are not as prevalent in other markets throughout Texas. The biggest among them has been a rise in short-term rentals. The demand for vacation rentals throughout the San Antonio and Hill Country area has significantly increased and many communities are now at a crossroads on how to best maintain a neighborhood feel with vacationers constantly coming in and out of the neighborhood. “I’ve had so many communities, from inner-city established neighborhoods to acreage lots in Comal and Blanco counties, reach out to me for the sole purpose of discussing options to tackle the issue of short-term rentals. Most communities want to amend their declarations to prohibit short term leasing and the flood of investors that come with it. And what’s surprising is that most of the time, declaration amendments are difficult to pass. Participation from the membership can be difficult to obtain or a proposed amendment simply is not popular. But the short-term rental amendments always pass with flying colors,” Paul said.  Add to this, San Antonio is affectionately known as “Military City USA” because of the many Army and Air Force bases around the city, so Paul is constantly navigating the laws POAs have to observe when interacting with military members. So, for Paul, being a POA attorney in San Antonio never comes with a dull moment, but the area, laws and industry are ever-changing which presents challenges for San Antonio and the Hill Country.

For new board members and managers to succeed in their roles, Paul cautions not to just go through the motions of ‘it’s always been done this way,’ but learn the true reason why it is being done and question if it is the right thing to do. “You’re dealing with a lot of people, and these people are typically your neighbors and part of the community in which you live, so make sure to focus on the legality of an issue, but also consider the equitable side too. Ask yourself, even if I can do this, should I do this? Don’t just focus on the “how,” but make sure to focus on the “why” as well.” Paul advises.

Paul Gaines is no caped crusader. You will not see him step into a phone booth and exit as a man of steel. Paul, the person, cares about San Antonio and the Hill Country community and wants to see it thrive and prosper. While there may be increasing challenges along the way, Paul is ready to provide his clients in the San Antonio area and around the state with the best possible legal representation that keeps their interest at the forefront and be the hero they need.