Bexar County
House flipping in San Antonio, TX: transfer taxes, property tax and a flip calculator
Texas has no real estate transfer tax, so a flip in San Antonio saves a cost that eats thousands in other states. The bigger local numbers are property tax and how it resets after you buy. Here is what to budget, with sources, and a calculator to run your deal.
Projected net profit
$47,476
15.8% margin on ARV over 6 months
Cash needed
$42,524
Return on cash
112%
Max offer
$170,500
$30k profit, 12% margin
70% rule
$160,500
70% of ARV minus rehab with 10% contingency
Where every dollar goes
- Purchase
- $160,000
- Rehab with contingency
- $49,500
- Buy closing costs
- $3,501
- Loan points and fees
- $5,880
- Loan interest
- $9,364
- Taxes, insurance, utilities
- $3,280
- Selling costs
- $21,000
- Total cost
- $252,524
- Break-even ARV
- $248,976
Planning defaults: hard money 11%, 2 points, $1,500 fees, 90% of price and 100% of rehab, interest on drawn funds; 5.5% commission and 1% concessions; state closing and transfer taxes. Not a quote.
Comps, rehab, refi and a verdict for a real address. Your numbers come with you.
Transfer and recording taxes in San Antonio
| Level | What it is |
|---|---|
| State | None. Texas Constitution Art. VIII, Sec. 29 bars any law imposing a transfer tax on a conveyance of fee simple title after Jan 1, 2016. (source) |
Who pays: no transfer tax.
What it costs on a typical flip
- Buy at $200,000: deed and transfer taxes
- $0
- Sell at $300,000: deed and transfer taxes
- $0
Recording and title fees still apply. They are flat or small compared with a percentage tax.
Property tax in San Antonio for investors
Texas 'circuit breaker' (Tax Code 23.231) limits taxable value increases to 20% a year on non-homestead property valued at or under about $5.3M (2026), but only after the owner has held it a full calendar year, and it is set to expire after tax year 2026; a flip held under a year gets no cap. (source)
For a flip, property tax is part of carrying cost every month you own the house. For a rental, budget the bill the county will send after you buy, not the seller's bill.
Run the numbers
The calculator above uses general closing cost defaults outside Virginia, North Carolina and West Virginia. For San Antonio, add the taxes above to your numbers: about $0 on the buy side and $0 on the sale in this example.
Questions
Is there a transfer tax in San Antonio?
No. Texas has no real estate transfer tax. Recording and title fees still apply.
Is San Antonio a good place to flip houses?
It depends on the deal, not the city. Buy at a price that leaves room for every cost: closing and transfer taxes on both ends, loan points and interest, carry, commission and concessions. Run the numbers on each house.
Facts checked 2026-10-10 against the linked official sources. Tax rates and fees change; confirm them with your closing attorney, title company or the locality. Not legal, tax or lending advice.
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