What the September numbers say
According to SABOR's September 2026 report, as covered by My Neighborhood News, 2,793 homes sold in the San Antonio area in September, compared with 2,823 a year earlier. The median price was $302,999, down about 2 percent from September 2025. Homes spent an average of 88 days on the market, an 11 percent increase, and sold for an average of 92.4 percent of their original list price. Active listings rose 4 percent to 17,155, and inventory stood at 5.95 months. Pending sales fell 16 percent to 2,091, which is a signal worth watching because pending contracts are where future closings come from. In Bexar County, single-family homes had a median price of $282,680, down 4.8 percent. SABOR's 2026 board chair, Ed Zapata, summed it up plainly: September's market offers buyers a broader selection and more time to evaluate their options.
Read the listing before you write the offer
Metro averages describe the whole market. Your offer is about one house. Before you decide on a number, look at that home's own history: how many days it has been listed, whether the price has been reduced and by how much, whether it went under contract and came back, and how it compares with the homes that actually closed nearby in the last few months. A home that has been listed for two weeks in a popular school zone is a different negotiation from one that has been reduced twice and is approaching its fourth month. Comparable closed sales matter more than comparable listings, because a listing price is only an ask. The gap between what similar homes were listed for and what they sold for tells you how much room sellers in that neighborhood have been giving.
Price, concessions, or both
Many buyers focus only on price, but a seller contribution toward your closing costs or a mortgage rate buydown can sometimes do more for your monthly payment and your cash at closing than a lower purchase price. Which one helps more depends on your loan, your down payment, and how long you plan to own the home, so run both versions with your lender before you write the offer. Lenders also limit how much a seller can contribute, and those limits vary by loan type, so confirm the ceiling first. Sellers sometimes prefer concessions because their listing still shows a stronger sale price, which can make it easier to say yes. Final loan terms and what a seller can contribute are set by your lender, not estimated in advance.
Terms that matter to a seller
A seller with a home that has been sitting is usually tired of uncertainty. Terms that reduce that uncertainty can be worth as much to them as a few thousand dollars. A clean pre-approval from a lender who has reviewed your file, a closing date that fits their move, a reasonable option fee and earnest money amount, and fewer contingencies that do not protect you in a meaningful way all make an offer easier to accept. The goal is not to give up protection. You should still have a proper option period for inspections. The goal is to make every term you ask for clearly worth asking for.
When not to push too hard
Not every home in San Antonio is a buyer's market. Well-priced, move-in-ready homes in high-demand areas still draw quick offers, and an aggressive low offer on one of those can simply lose the house. A long days-on-market count can also mean something is wrong with the property, the price, or the presentation, so treat it as a question to answer during the option period, not just as an opening. If an offer is rejected, ask what the seller would need to hear rather than walking away on the first counter.
Putting it together
A strong offer in this market starts with the home's own history, uses closed comparable sales to set the price, compares a price reduction against seller concessions using your lender's actual numbers, and asks for terms that make the deal easier for the seller to accept. That is a different approach from 2021 and 2022, and buyers who adjust to it are in a better position this fall. If you are starting a search, get fully pre-approved before you tour, ask your lender to price a rate buydown alongside a straight price reduction, and keep a short list of the closed sales that define value in the neighborhoods you like. When the right home comes up, you will be able to write a confident offer the same day instead of guessing at a number.