Bexar County

San Antonio Mortgage Broker: VA Loans and Home Financing

San Antonio is called Military City USA, and it earns the name. Joint Base San Antonio combines Fort Sam Houston, Lackland Air Force Base and Randolph Air Force Base into one of the largest military installations in the Department of Defense.

The practical consequence for housing: San Antonio has one of the largest concentrations of VA-eligible buyers in the country, and VA is the loan most people here should be asking about first.

Combined with some of the more accessible prices among major Texas metros, that makes this a market where buying with nothing down is genuinely routine.

VA financing, and what San Antonio adds

Zero down. No monthly mortgage insurance. The fundamentals are the same everywhere, but a few things matter more here.

The funding fee is waived for veterans receiving VA disability compensation. In a city with this many retired military, that waiver applies more often than in most markets — and it is missed regularly. Confirm your status before closing.

Entitlement across duty stations. JBSA sees constant rotation. If you buy here and receive orders, you may have remaining entitlement to purchase at your next station while keeping this property as a rental. Run the calculation before you decide what to do with the house.

BAH counts and can be grossed up. Because it is non-taxable, lenders can typically treat BAH as worth more than face value for qualifying. Bring your LES.

Retired and medically separated veterans frequently combine VA financing with the Texas disabled veteran property tax exemption, which scales to a full exemption at a 100% rating. Against Bexar County's combined rates — commonly 2.1% to 2.8% depending on the parcel — a full exemption on a $300,000 home removes roughly $525 to $700 a month.

There is also the Texas Veterans Land Board, a state program offering land, home and home improvement loans separate from federal VA benefits. Veterans frequently do not know it exists.

VA IRRRL for anyone already holding a VA loan who bought at a higher rate — typically no appraisal, no income documentation, often no out-of-pocket cost.

The Edwards Aquifer, and why it affects construction

San Antonio's water comes largely from the Edwards Aquifer, and a defined recharge zone crosses the northern part of the county where surface water enters the aquifer system.

Development in the recharge zone is regulated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, with requirements around impervious cover, stormwater management and water quality protection.

For a buyer, this matters in two ways:

New construction in the recharge zone carries additional requirements, which affects what a builder can do on a given lot and sometimes the cost.

Some properties have restrictions on future improvements — pools, additions, paving — that a buyer would not expect. If you plan to build or expand, verify what the site allows before you close.

This does not affect your loan directly. It affects what the property is worth to you.

PIDs, MUDs and the tax picture

Bexar County combined rates commonly run 2.1% to 2.8%, and the spread is mostly about special districts.

Many newer master-planned communities on the north and far west sides carry PID or MUD assessments funding neighborhood infrastructure. These sit on the tax bill and count in your qualifying payment.

Some of the larger developments in and around Bexar, Comal and Guadalupe counties carry meaningful assessments. Because San Antonio's growth crosses county lines, verify which county the parcel is in as well as which districts apply — the northern suburbs toward New Braunfels straddle boundaries.

Verify with the Bexar Appraisal District, or the relevant county's district for outlying property.

Where the market divides

Inside Loop 410 — the older core, including King William, Monte Vista, Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills. Alamo Heights, Olmos Park and Terrell Hills are separate incorporated cities with their own tax rates and, in Alamo Heights' case, its own school district. Prices here are well above the metro median and frequently reach jumbo territory above the 2026 conforming limit of $832,750.

The north and northwest — Stone Oak, the 1604 corridor, Helotes. Newer construction, PID and MUD assessments common, and the recharge zone consideration.

The far west and southwest — closer to Lackland, with substantial newer affordable construction and heavy VA volume.

The east and southeast — the most accessible pricing in the city, older stock, and where renovation loans frequently make sense.

Comal and Guadalupe counties to the northeast toward New Braunfels and Schertz, with their own rates and districts.

Programs

VA first, as above.

FHA at 3.5% down with flexible credit standards — widely used across San Antonio's mid and entry market.

Conventional at 3-5% down.

Jumbo above $832,750 for Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills and the higher-end north side, with six to twelve months of reserves and credit generally 700-plus.

USDA on eligible properties in the outer counties at zero down — verify by address.

Renovation loans for the older housing stock on the east and south sides.

Down payment assistance through TSAHC, TDHCA and city programs. More on assistance.

The city

San Antonio is the second most populous city in Texas and among the oldest European settlements in the state, founded as a Spanish mission and presidio in 1718.

The San Antonio Missions — Concepción, San José, San Juan, Espada and the Alamo — form a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the only one in Texas. The Mission Reach of the River Walk extends the downtown waterway south along the river to connect them, with trails following the whole length.

The River Walk itself needs no introduction. The Pearl, a redeveloped nineteenth-century brewery north of downtown, has become the city's best food district and hosts a serious weekend farmers market.

Hill Country begins immediately north and west, and Natural Bridge Caverns and Government Canyon State Natural Area are both inside the county.

Austin is roughly 80 miles north on I-35 — about 90 minutes without traffic, which is an increasingly theoretical condition on that stretch of road.

Not sure which fits? Compare every loan program we place.

Frequently asked questions

Is San Antonio a good market for VA loans? It has one of the largest concentrations of VA-eligible buyers in the country because of Joint Base San Antonio. VA offers zero down with no monthly mortgage insurance.

Is the VA funding fee waived for disabled veterans? Yes, entirely, for veterans receiving VA disability compensation. Confirm your status before closing.

What are property taxes in San Antonio? Combined rates commonly run 2.1% to 2.8% depending on the parcel and any PID or MUD. Verify with the Bexar Appraisal District.

What is the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone? An area across northern Bexar County where surface water enters the aquifer, subject to development regulation covering impervious cover and stormwater. It can restrict future improvements on a property.

Is Alamo Heights part of San Antonio? No — Alamo Heights, Olmos Park and Terrell Hills are separate incorporated cities with their own tax rates, and Alamo Heights has its own school district.

What is the conforming loan limit in Bexar County? $832,750 in 2026. Higher-end purchases in Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills and the north side frequently exceed it.

Can I keep my San Antonio home when I PCS? Often yes, using remaining VA entitlement for the next purchase. Run the calculation before deciding.

Bring your LES and your rating letter

If you are VA-eligible, the funding fee waiver and the Texas property tax exemption are worth more than any rate you could shop for — and both get overlooked. Start there.

Start your application · VA loan details · Call 737-347-1314

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