Bexar County is the southern anchor of the Central Texas probate market. When a parent or relative dies and leaves a house in San Antonio, Alamo Heights, Stone Oak, Castle Hills, or anywhere else inside the Bexar County line, the executor or administrator is the one who has to sell it. This guide walks through the actual probate process in Bexar County, what selling an inherited home in San Antonio looks like, and the specific things SA executors should know that ordinary home sellers do not.
I am Jeremy Kritt, a Texas Real Estate Broker (TREC license number 692961) and the owner of Kritt Real Estate LLC (firm license number 9011672). Texas Probate Real Estate is the probate-specialty brand of that brokerage. San Antonio is one of two anchor markets the firm serves, alongside Austin. I work probate sales in Bexar County every week and across the surrounding counties on a continuing basis. None of what follows is legal advice. It is the practical reality of what these transactions look like on the ground.
Bexar County Probate Court, the basics
Bexar County has two statutory probate courts. Both sit in the Bexar County Courthouse complex in downtown San Antonio. The probate clerk handles filings and is the place where the probate process actually starts for any estate filed in Bexar County.
The two courts share jurisdiction and split caseload. Cases are assigned between them at filing. You do not pick which probate court your case lands in.
Standard probate filing fees in Bexar County typically run in the same range as other large Texas counties, between approximately three hundred and five hundred dollars depending on the specific filing (will admission, application for administration, or other instruments). The Probate Clerk publishes a current fee schedule and accepts filings during normal business hours Monday through Friday.
Two paths through Bexar County probate
Texas uses two main administration structures, and Bexar County is no exception. Which structure your case falls into is the single biggest factor in how long the probate will take and how much court involvement you will have along the way.
Independent administration
This is the typical Texas path and the structure most well-drafted wills request. Under an independent administration, the personal representative (the executor named in the will, or the administrator appointed by the court if there is no will) can handle most estate matters without going back to the court for approval at each step. That includes listing and selling the real estate. After Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration are issued in Bexar County, the executor can sign listing agreements, accept offers, negotiate counter-offers, and close on a sale without separate court approval. Independent administrations in Bexar County typically resolve in approximately six months, depending on the estate’s complexity.
Dependent administration
This is the court-supervised version. The probate court has to approve significant decisions including the sale of real estate. This path is required in some cases: contested estates, estates where the will did not authorize independent administration and the heirs do not all consent, or estates with minor heirs whose interests need court protection. Dependent administrations in Bexar County typically take nine to twelve months. A real estate sale under dependent administration in San Antonio requires an application to sell filed with the court, court approval at a hearing, and an order approving the sale before closing.
Most Bexar County probate property sales proceed under independent administration. If your San Antonio probate attorney is recommending dependent administration, it usually means there is a specific reason: a will contest, a minor or incapacitated heir, a particular will provision, or heirs who cannot agree on next steps. None of those are reasons to panic. They just mean the process has more guardrails.
Letters Testamentary and the 90-day clock
Letters Testamentary (or Letters of Administration when there is no will) are the document that gives the executor or administrator legal authority to act on behalf of the estate. Nothing about the real estate can move until Letters are issued. Banks, title companies, and buyers all require them.
In Bexar County, Letters are typically issued within two to four weeks of the initial probate filing, assuming there are no contests and the will is admitted to probate without issue. Once Letters are in hand, the personal representative can sign the listing agreement on behalf of the estate, the brokerage can begin marketing the San Antonio property, offers can be accepted and counter-offered, and title companies will treat the Letters as proof of authority during the closing process.
After Letters are issued, the statutory clock starts on a separate deadline: the 90-day inventory. The personal representative has 90 days to file an inventory, appraisement, and list of claims with the court. The inventory must list everything the estate owns and its fair market value as of the date of death. This is one of the most-missed deadlines in Texas probate. If you are selling the house and the inventory has not been filed, your attorney needs to move on it.
Selling a probate house in Bexar County, step by step
The selling process for a probate property in Bexar County looks similar to a regular San Antonio home sale on the surface, but there are practical differences at each stage.
Listing
The personal representative signs the listing agreement on behalf of the estate, not personally. Under Texas Property Code §5.008(e), a fiduciary administering a decedent’s estate is exempt from furnishing the standard Seller’s Disclosure Notice. The estate sells without that form. The buyer is informed via the contract that the sale is by a fiduciary, and the property is typically sold as-is. San Antonio buyers and their agents are used to seeing this. Federal lead-based paint disclosure still applies for homes built before 1978, and HOA disclosures still apply where the property is in an HOA. The listing should be priced based on the property’s actual condition, which often includes deferred maintenance, vacant-home issues, and personal property that needs to be cleared before showings.
Marketing
Probate properties in San Antonio attract a specific kind of buyer interest the moment the case is filed. Cash investors, wholesalers, and we-buy-houses operators monitor Bexar County probate filings and start reaching out to the executor within days. They send letters, postcards, text messages, and door knockers. Their offers are routinely twenty to forty percent below open-market value. The right move is almost always to ignore them and put the property on the open market through a broker. A broker-marketed San Antonio probate property in reasonable condition will sell well above what the wholesalers offer, and the difference goes to the heirs.
Offers and negotiation
The personal representative reviews and accepts offers. In a Bexar County independent administration, the personal representative makes the decision directly. In a dependent administration, the accepted offer has to be presented to the probate court for approval before closing, and a hearing is held to confirm the sale terms before an order is issued.
Inspections
Buyers usually want an inspection, and inspections on probate properties frequently turn up deferred maintenance items. The personal representative is not personally on the hook for repairs (the estate is), but the negotiation around what gets fixed versus what gets credited has to factor in what the estate can actually afford. Many out-of-area executors prefer credits over coordinating repairs from a distance.
Title
The title company will need copies of the will, the order admitting the will to probate, the Letters Testamentary, and any necessary tax certificates. San Antonio has several title companies that handle probate transactions routinely. A title officer who has handled probate before knows what they need without prompting. One who has not will ask for things they do not need and miss things they actually do. Title selection matters more on a probate sale than on an ordinary sale.
Closing
The personal representative signs all closing documents on behalf of the estate. The proceeds go to the estate’s account, not to the personal representative personally, and from there they are distributed to the heirs according to the will (or according to Texas intestacy rules when there is no will). Most Bexar County probate property sales, once the property is listed and there are no major complications, close in 30 to 60 days. The court timeline (getting Letters issued) is usually the longer constraint, not the sale itself.
San Antonio neighborhoods and Bexar County suburbs I work probate sales in
Bexar County covers the City of San Antonio plus a number of surrounding incorporated municipalities and unincorporated areas. Common areas where I handle probate transactions include:
Central San Antonio neighborhoods: King William, Lavaca, Southtown, Tobin Hill, Monte Vista, Beacon Hill, Mahncke Park, Government Hill, Lincoln Heights, Alta Vista, Olmos Park Terrace, Dignowity Hill, Denver Heights, and Downtown.
Northside San Antonio neighborhoods and master-planned communities: Stone Oak, The Dominion, Sonterra, Encino Park, Inwood, and the Hill Country edge of the metro.
Incorporated municipalities inside Bexar County (separate cities, surrounded by or adjacent to San Antonio): Alamo Heights, Olmos Park, Terrell Hills, Castle Hills, Leon Valley, Helotes, Windcrest, Live Oak, Universal City, Kirby, Hollywood Park, Shavano Park, Hill Country Village, China Grove, Selma, and Converse.
Bexar County borders Comal County to the north (New Braunfels, Canyon Lake), where I also work probate sales regularly. I work the full corridor from San Antonio up through New Braunfels, San Marcos, Buda, Kyle, and into the Austin metro.
The neighborhood matters because the buyer pool varies. A King William probate sale has a different audience than a Stone Oak probate sale or an Alamo Heights probate sale, and the marketing approach reflects that. Historic Southtown buyers care about completely different things than Stone Oak luxury buyers, and pricing should respect that.
Common Bexar County probate scenarios I see
The executor lives in another state or another Texas city
This is one of the most common scenarios I see in Bexar County. The decedent lived in San Antonio for decades. The adult child who is named executor lives in Dallas, or Houston, or Phoenix, or somewhere else not driving distance, and the property is sitting empty needing decisions. The whole transaction can be handled remotely. The executor flies in once for closing or signs via mobile notary in their home state, and the broker manages everything on the ground in San Antonio. Remote-executor work is a specialty of the firm. I run this workflow on a regular basis.
Multi-generational property with disagreement among heirs
San Antonio has a strong multi-generational household tradition. The family home has often been the center of the family for decades, and adult siblings may have strong and conflicting feelings about what to do with it. One wants to sell to settle the estate. Another wants to keep it as a family asset. Another wants to live in it. In Texas, under independent administration, the personal representative has authority to make the call. When the heirs cannot agree and they end up as co-owners after the estate closes, the situation can move into a partition action. This is one of the most emotionally loaded scenarios in probate, and it benefits enormously from working with a broker who has navigated it before.
The property has significant deferred maintenance
Common in San Antonio, where many neighborhoods have houses that have been lived in by the same owner for thirty, forty, or fifty years without major updates. The decision is whether to invest in pre-listing improvements, sell as-is to a retail buyer who will discount for condition, or sell to an investor at a deeper discount. The right answer depends on the estate’s cash position, the heirs’ goals, and the specific market segment of the property. We walk through the math on the first call.
The property has tenants
Texas has specific rules about tenant rights during a sale. The lease survives the death of the landlord, so the heirs (and ultimately the buyer) inherit the existing lease. A tenant-occupied probate property in Bexar County is sellable, but it requires coordination on showings, lease assignment, and sometimes lease termination at the end of the term.
The property has liens or back property taxes
Common when the decedent was managing finances poorly in the last years of life. Bexar County is aggressive about property tax collection, and back taxes accumulate quickly. These get resolved through the sale, out of the proceeds, but they have to be flagged early so the title company is prepared and the heirs understand how the math will work at closing.
Ancillary probate for an out-of-state decedent
This one is specific to San Antonio in a way that pure-Austin work is not. Bexar County has a long history of out-of-state owners with vacation homes, military retirees who held property here, and families with Texas roots. When a person who died in another state owned real property in Bexar County, the estate has to open an ancillary probate proceeding in Texas to convey the property. The primary probate happens in the decedent’s home state; the ancillary probate happens in Bexar County. The real estate sale follows the ancillary proceeding. This is one of the firm’s specialty areas.
Why work with a probate-focused broker in San Antonio
Most San Antonio real estate agents have done one or two probate sales in their career. They are competent at general real estate but they treat probate as another kind of transaction. The reality is that probate has its own pace, its own paperwork, its own emotional dynamics, and its own buyer pool. A broker who handles these weekly knows the local title officers who handle probate, knows the SA probate attorneys, and knows the difference between an investor lowball and a real offer.
I run an owner-operator brokerage. I am the owner of Kritt Real Estate LLC, the broker of record, and the broker who is on every probate transaction personally. There is no team agent. The person who picks up the phone on your first call is the person who lists the property, negotiates the offers, coordinates with the title company, and signs at closing.
I am a Texas Real Estate Broker (license number 692961), which puts me in the top approximately ten percent of Texas real estate license holders. The broker license requires four or more years of experience, hundreds of additional education hours beyond the agent license, and a separate, tougher examination. For an executor or attorney looking at who to trust with the largest single asset in an estate, the broker credential matters.
I work alongside the probate attorney managing the case, not in place of one. The attorney handles the legal proceeding. I handle the real estate. The coordination is what matters because court timelines and sale timelines have to stay in sync.
Frequently asked questions about Bexar County probate real estate
How long does probate take in Bexar County?
Independent administration in Bexar County typically wraps up in about six months. Dependent administration takes nine to twelve months. The longest pole is usually the time it takes to get Letters Testamentary issued, which is typically two to four weeks after the initial filing. Once Letters are in hand, the sale itself typically closes in 30 to 60 days.
Can I sell a probate house in San Antonio before probate is finished?
Yes, in independent administration. Once Letters Testamentary are issued, the personal representative has authority to list and sell. The estate does not have to be fully closed for the sale to happen. In dependent administration, the court has to approve the sale before closing.
Who signs the listing agreement and the closing documents on a San Antonio probate sale?
The personal representative (executor or administrator), in their capacity as representative of the estate, signs everything. Not personally. The title company will need Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration to confirm the personal representative’s authority.
I live out of state and the inherited property is in San Antonio. Can I sell it without coming to Texas?
Yes. The transaction can be managed remotely. I work remote-executor cases regularly in Bexar County. You will need to either fly in once for closing or sign via mobile notary in your home state. Texas title companies are accustomed to this and the workflow is well-understood.
What is ancillary probate, and do I need it for a San Antonio property?
Ancillary probate is a separate Texas probate proceeding required when a person who died in another state owned real property in Texas. The primary probate happens in the decedent’s home state; the ancillary proceeding happens here in Bexar County to convey the Texas property. The real estate sale follows the ancillary proceeding. I work ancillary probate cases regularly.
Should I take a cash offer from an investor who reached out after the probate was filed in Bexar County?
Almost never, without checking the open market first. Cash offers on probate properties typically come in twenty to forty percent below open-market value. Investors monitor Bexar County probate filings and bet that the executor is overwhelmed and wants a fast resolution. A broker-marketed San Antonio probate property in reasonable condition will sell well above the wholesale offer in most cases. The difference goes to the heirs.
What if the property is in bad condition?
It is still sellable. The decision is whether to invest in pre-listing repairs, sell as-is to a retail buyer (who will discount for condition), or sell to an investor at a deeper discount. Each path has different math. We work through it on the first call based on the estate’s situation and the heirs’ goals.
What does the probate attorney do versus what does the real estate broker do?
The probate attorney handles the court proceeding: filing the will, getting Letters Testamentary issued, the inventory, dealing with creditors, and the final estate accounting. The broker handles the real estate sale: listing, marketing, offers, inspections, title, closing. The two roles coordinate but they do not overlap.
Does Texas Probate Real Estate serve the Bexar County suburbs as well as the City of San Antonio?
Yes. The firm handles probate property sales across the full Bexar County footprint, including Alamo Heights, Olmos Park, Terrell Hills, Castle Hills, Leon Valley, Helotes, Hollywood Park, Shavano Park, Hill Country Village, Windcrest, Live Oak, Universal City, Kirby, Selma, and Converse, in addition to all San Antonio neighborhoods.
Do I have to use a probate attorney to sell the house?
You do not have to, but in practice you do. The personal representative needs Letters Testamentary to sell, and getting Letters issued requires a probate filing, which functionally requires an attorney. The broker handles the real estate side; the attorney handles the probate side. They are separate roles.
Schedule a consultation
If you are working through a Bexar County probate sale and want to talk through your specific situation, schedule a free consultation. We can cover where the case is, what timeline you are looking at, the property’s condition, and what makes sense for the heirs. Phone: (512) 686-3076. Or book online: texasprobaterealestate.com/consultation/.