Bongiorno Real Estate Group · San Antonio & the Hill Country
Thinking about your next move? Let’s talk.
Whether you’re six weeks or two years out, the best first step is a conversation, not a commitment. Take a look around, find out where you stand, and when you’re ready, I’ll reach out.
Find your starting point Skip ahead and reach outA real conversation, not a sales pitch
Twenty minutes, no paperwork, no pressure. We’ll talk about what’s actually happening in the San Antonio market, what you’re hoping to do, and anything on your mind - bring your questions. You’ll walk away knowing your options, whether or not we ever work together.
Step one
Where are you right now?
Pick the one that sounds most like you. I’ll show you what the next few steps actually look like.
I want to buy
First home, next home, or new construction.
I need to sell
Moving up, downsizing, relocating, or settling an estate.
Sell and buy
The juggling act. There’s a way to do it without two moves.
If you’re buying in San Antonio right now
This is the most selection the area has had in years, and sellers are negotiating. Here’s the order that saves people money and stress:
- Talk to a lender before you tour. Fifteen minutes tells you your real number and whether rate buydowns or builder incentives change it.
- Decide what you’d trade. Commute, yard, school zone, age of the home. You get two of three in most budgets.
- Tour with a short list, not a long one. Four homes in an afternoon is plenty to calibrate.
- When you find the one, make the offer. Don’t wait, and don’t worry about offending the seller by coming in below asking.
If you’re selling in this market
Homes that are priced right on day one are still selling near asking. Homes that chase the market sit. The work happens before the sign goes up:
- Get a real number. Not a website estimate. The last 90 days of closings on comparable homes, walked through with you.
- Decide the short list of fixes worth doing. I’ll walk your home and tell you which ones buyers will actually notice - and which ones you can skip.
- Photos and launch on a Thursday. The first weekend sets the tone for the whole listing.
- Negotiate the whole offer. Price is one lever. Closing date, repairs, and leaseback are the others.
If you need to sell one home and buy another
This is where a plan matters most. A few ways people do it without living out of boxes:
- Sell first with a leaseback. You close, then often rent your own home back for a short, agreed period - commonly up to 60 days, depending on the buyer and their loan terms - while you buy with a clean offer.
- Buy with a contingency. Less common in a hot market, very workable in a balanced one like today’s.
- Bridge or buy-before-you-sell programs. Worth a look if you have equity and want to move once.
- Line up both timelines on paper first. Thirty minutes with a calendar prevents most of the panic.
A quick tool
Working backward from your move date
Tell me when you’d like to be in your next home, and we’ll work backward from that date: when to talk to a lender, when to start prepping, when to list, when to expect offers. You’ll see the whole path before you take the first step. A typical San Antonio sell-and-buy looks like this:
- 4 months before: plan both timelines - one calendar, both sides. This is where the stress goes away.
- 3 months before: lender pre-approval for the purchase while you prep the home for sale.
- 6 weeks before: list, and start touring seriously, with a leaseback or contingency strategy ready.
- 3 weeks before: offers on both sides - accept on yours, write on the next, line up closings.
- Move day: close, lease back if needed, and move once.
These are typical San Antonio timelines. Yours may move faster or slower, which is exactly what we’d talk through.
Right now in San Antonio
What the market is doing this fall
Buyers have more choice and more time than they’ve had in years, and homes are still closing at about 92% of their original asking price. It’s a balanced market that rewards patience and planning.
Source: San Antonio Board of REALTORS® MLS report, September 2026. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
What it means for you depends on your situation and your goals - that’s exactly the conversation.
The questions I hear most
Fair questions, honest answers
These come up in real conversations with buyers and sellers all the time - nothing is too early or too small to ask.
Is it a bad time to buy with rates where they are?
Today’s rates are real, but so is a six-month supply of homes and sellers who negotiate. And if rates fall later, many buyers refinance - never guaranteed, but common enough that today’s rate doesn’t have to be forever. The right home at the right price is the part you can’t redo. Many buyers today are getting price reductions, closing-cost credits, or builder rate buydowns that weren’t on the table two years ago.
Will I offend the seller with a lower offer?
No. A written offer is a starting point, and most sellers would rather have a conversation than silence. If you’ve found the home you love, make the offer.
Who pays your fee when I buy?
My fee is negotiable, and in many cases I can structure your offer to ask the seller to cover it. Every deal is different, and I’ll walk you through exactly how it would work for yours before you commit to anything.
What is my home actually worth?
Not what the website says. The real number comes from what comparable homes closed for in the last 90 days, adjusted for condition and location. I’ll walk you through it in about 20 minutes, no obligation.
How much do I need to fix before listing?
Usually less than you think, and never everything. The goal is to fix what costs you money in buyers’ minds and skip what doesn’t return it.
I’m not ready yet. Should I still reach out?
Yes. The best outcomes come from people who started talking a year early. You’ll get a plan, a few things to do now, and no pressure to move faster than you want.
More of these are answered on the blog, starting with Make the Offer.
Prefer to reach me directly? 210-414-7833 · christynebongiorno@kw.com
Christyne Bongiorno, REALTOR® · KW City View · San Antonio, New Braunfels & the Texas Hill Country
