San Antonio is one of the most affordable big metros in Texas to start investing in, with steady rental demand and suburbs that keep growing. The 2026 flip numbers are thin, though, so the deals that work here look different from the ones in the headlines. This page covers what the numbers say, why rentals often make more sense, the local costs to check, and our lending partners' terms.
San Antonio clears every location test our lending partners use. It sits in a metro of well over two million people, and its suburbs, New Braunfels, Schertz, Converse, Boerne, Helotes and Seguin, are all well inside the hour. Entry prices are lower than in Austin or Dallas, which is why many first-time Texas investors start here.
But the flip math is tight. ATTOM's report on the first quarter of 2026 put the typical gross flipping margin in the San Antonio metro at 5.1 percent. That is before renovation, points, interest, insurance, taxes and commissions, which flippers estimate at 20 to 33 percent of the resale price. On a $220,000 purchase, the typical San Antonio flip resold for roughly $231,000. The typical one did not cover its costs.
That points San Antonio investors in two directions. Flips that work are bought well below the typical discount, often houses that need more work than retail buyers will take on. And many investors here make their money on rentals instead.
San Antonio's rental demand is broad: a large and steady workforce, several universities, and military households tied to Joint Base San Antonio, one of the largest military installations in the country. Military renters move on a schedule, so a rental near Lackland, Randolph or Fort Sam Houston can turn over often, but it also tends to re-rent.
A DSCR loan suits this market because it qualifies the property on its rent, not on your tax return. Our lending partners' DSCR program runs from $75,000 to $2 million at up to 80 percent of value, with rates from 5.99 percent on the program page. The lender's appraiser will estimate market rent, and the full payment, including property tax and insurance, has to be covered by that rent.
That is where two San Antonio costs come in. Property tax: Texas limits yearly increases in appraised value on non-homestead property, but only after a full calendar year of ownership, and the limit is removed when the property sells, so a rental the seller has held for years may be taxed well below market until you buy it. And flood insurance: parts of the city sit in mapped flood hazard areas, where the lender will require it. Check both during your option period.
Our lending partners require an after-repair value of at least $100,000. Most of the San Antonio metro clears that, but parts of the South and West Sides have finished values close to it, and the cheapest purchase in a neighborhood is not always a deal if the finished house cannot reach the floor.
Texas is a non-disclosure state, so sale prices are not public. Pull closed sales of renovated homes on the same street from the multiple listing service through a local agent, and build your after-repair value from those, not from a website estimate.
No transfer tax on the sale, and no state income tax on rental profits.
Fast foreclosure. Texas generally forecloses outside court, with sales on the first Tuesday of the month at the county. Foreclosure auctions are a real source of discounted San Antonio deals, but they settle quickly in certified funds, so the financing has to be arranged before the sale, not after.
A protest window. If the Bexar appraisal district values your purchase above what you paid, the usual protest deadline is May 15, or 30 days after your notice is mailed, whichever is later.
No Texas county is on the list where our lending partners cap leverage at 50 percent, so standard terms apply.
Fix and flip and bridge loans: from $50,000, up to 100 percent of cost but no more than 70 percent of after-repair value, with a 600 minimum credit score. Standard pricing under the underwriting guidelines is 12.99 percent and 2.99 points. The 10.99 percent starting rate is available after two loans have been paid off in good standing with our lending partner; a first-time borrower should expect to start above it and earn the way down.
Construction loans: $100,000 to $3 million on non-owner-occupied single-family homes, from 8.5 percent.
Loans close in an entity such as an LLC, and every owner of 30 percent or more personally guarantees the loan. Terms change, so we confirm them for your property before you commit.
Yes. San Antonio and the surrounding Bexar, Comal and Guadalupe county suburbs sit inside a metro of well over two million people, so they meet our lending partners' location guideline. The property must be non-owner-occupied investment property with an after-repair value of at least $100,000.
Thin. ATTOM's report on the first quarter of 2026 put the typical gross flipping margin in the San Antonio metro at 5.1 percent, before renovation, financing and selling costs, which usually run far more than that. San Antonio deals have to be bought at a real discount.
On early 2026 numbers, rentals are often the easier case. Entry prices are lower than in Austin or Dallas and rental demand is broad, including from military households around Joint Base San Antonio. A DSCR loan qualifies a rental on its rent rather than your income.
Often, yes. Texas limits yearly increases in appraised value for non-homestead property, but only after a full calendar year of ownership, and the limit is removed when the property sells. Estimate your taxes on market value, not the seller's bill.
In some neighborhoods it does. Parts of the South and West Sides have finished values near or below $100,000, which our lending partners require at a minimum. Check recent sales of renovated homes on the same street first.
Yes. Parts of San Antonio sit in mapped flood hazard areas, where a lender will require flood insurance. Check the property's flood zone and get an insurance quote during your option period, because it can change a rental's numbers.
Holding a San Antonio rental? Our two free landlord books compare what a rental costs to carry across the states, including Texas.
Answer these and your deal goes to our lending partner's team, who will contact you about whether it is fundable and on what terms. By sending it you agree to your details being shared with them. Investment property only — our lending partners do not finance a home you will live in.
Thank you. Your details are on their way to our lending partner's team, who will contact you shortly.
Dominion Hard Money does not lend its own funds; it arranges financing through third-party lending partners. All financing is arranged for business purposes only and secured by non-owner-occupied investment property. Not a commitment to lend. All loans subject to underwriting, property review, and approval by the lender. Terms vary by property, borrower experience, and exit strategy.
Texas · Dallas · Houston · DSCR rental loans · DSCR requirements