Old housing, and what comes with it

Unlike most Texas metros, a large share of San Antonio's housing predates 1950. Pier-and-beam bungalows near downtown, shotgun and craftsman houses on the near east and west sides, and post-war tract homes further out. Those houses bring knob-and-tube remnants, cloth-insulated wiring, galvanized supply lines, cast iron drains, foundations on shifting clay, and roofs that have been patched more than replaced.

There is also a preservation layer: San Antonio has a number of local historic districts where exterior work requires review. That is worth knowing before anyone plans a renovation, and it is part of why some of these houses trade as-is.

Hail, flooding, and the aquifer

The April 2016 hailstorm across north San Antonio was one of the costliest in Texas history, and hail remains a routine risk. Insurers have responded with higher deductibles and depreciated roof settlements, and an uninsurable roof still blocks a mortgage.

Flooding here is flash flooding: Salado Creek, Leon Creek, and the San Antonio River can rise very fast, and the county has a long history of damaging floods. Much of northern Bexar County also lies over the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone, where development and impervious cover rules are stricter, which matters more for land than for an existing house.

Military moves and absentee ownership

Joint Base San Antonio — Lackland, Randolph, and Fort Sam Houston — moves a great many households in and out of Bexar County every year. A common result is a house bought during one assignment, kept as a rental after the next set of orders, and managed from another state or another country for years.

Those properties are frequently in worse shape than the last management report suggested, and the owner has no practical way to oversee a renovation. We buy them occupied or vacant, and the whole sale can be handled remotely.

Bexar County property we buy

  • Pre-1950 bungalows on pier-and-beam near downtown and on the east and west sides
  • Post-war and 1970s houses inside Loop 410 with original systems
  • Houses with hail damage or an uninsurable roof
  • Homes that flooded along Salado or Leon Creek
  • Military rentals owned from out of state or overseas
  • Rental houses with tenants in place, paying or in arrears
  • Houses with open City of San Antonio code cases or vacant-building registrations
  • Inherited homes where the estate was never opened

Records and closing in Bexar County

San Antonio is the county seat. The Bexar Appraisal District sets appraised values, the county tax assessor-collector bills them, and deeds, liens, and heirship affidavits are recorded with the Bexar County Clerk. Bexar has statutory probate courts, and an open cause number is useful information for us.

Title companies close here. If the property is in a historic district or has an open code case, tell us up front — both are workable and neither needs resolving before we make an offer.

Frequently asked questions

Do you buy old pier-and-beam houses in San Antonio?

Yes. Pre-1950 housing with original wiring, plumbing, and foundation issues is a large part of what we buy in Bexar County.

Will you buy a house in a San Antonio historic district?

Yes. Exterior review requirements are part of our assessment, not an obstacle.

Do you buy houses with hail-damaged roofs?

Yes, including ones with denied claims or partial repairs.

I am stationed elsewhere and own a rental in San Antonio. Can I sell remotely?

Yes. The title company arranges signing before a notary where you are, or a remote online notarization, and wires your proceeds.

Can you buy a house with an open code case or vacant building registration?

Yes. Send the case number so any recorded lien is handled at closing.

Bexar County property and court resources