Downsizing or Selling After 65 in San Antonio (2026): Taxes, Timing and Your Next Home

Q: How much is the over-65 homestead exemption in Texas in 2026?

School districts must give a 140,000 dollar residence homestead exemption plus an additional 60,000 dollars for homeowners 65 or older, per the Texas Comptroller.

By Chris Dudley, San Antonio REALTOR® | Founder, Legacy Realty Group, brokered by Real Broker, LLC | TREC #731381. Updated October 29, 2026.

If you have owned your San Antonio home for years and are thinking about something smaller, closer to family, or easier to keep up, the biggest questions are usually about property taxes and timing, not the house itself. This guide covers the Texas over-65 exemption, how your school tax ceiling can move with you, and how to plan a sale and a purchase so you only move once.

The over-65 exemption in Texas (2026)

According to the Texas Comptroller, school districts must give every residence homestead a $140,000 exemption, and homeowners age 65 or older get an additional $60,000 school exemption. To qualify you must be 65 or older, have an ownership interest in the home, and live there as your principal residence. The application is Comptroller Form 50-114, and the general filing deadline is before May 1.

In Bexar County, the Bexar Appraisal District says you can apply any time in the year you turn 65, with a Texas driver's license or ID showing the property address. BCAD notes the exemption also sets a tax ceiling on school taxes and on other taxing units that offer one, such as the City of San Antonio and the Alamo College District, as long as you keep the home without significant improvements.

A surviving spouse age 55 or older may keep a deceased spouse's age-65 exemption if they continue to live in the home (Texas Comptroller).

Can my tax ceiling move to my new home?

Yes, within Texas. The Bexar Appraisal District explains that you transfer the percentage of savings your ceiling gave you, not a dollar amount. If your ceiling cut your old school taxes by half, the same percentage applies to the new home's school taxes. School district ceilings transfer; city, county or college ceilings can transfer only if that taxing unit offers a ceiling and the new home is in the same unit (for example, City of San Antonio to City of San Antonio). A ceiling does not transfer from another state.

The BCAD steps: remove the exemption from your old home, then file Form 50-114 for the new home, list your previous address, check the box for transferring a tax limitation, give your move-in date, and attach your updated Texas ID. If you are coming from another Texas county, ask that county's appraisal district for a Tax Ceiling Certificate.

Before you choose a new home, compare the taxing units on each address. Moving from inside San Antonio city limits to a suburb such as Schertz, Cibolo or Boerne can change which ceilings carry over. Confirm the details for any address with the appraisal district.

What the San Antonio market looks like for sellers right now

Texas Public Radio, reporting San Antonio Board of REALTORS® figures for September 2026, put the median price just under $302,000, about 2% lower than a year earlier, with roughly six months of inventory and homes taking close to three months to sell on average. That is a market where buyers have choices, so pricing, condition and presentation decide how fast a long-owned home sells. See the buyer and seller FAQ for more.

Sell first, buy first, or both at once?

Sell first if your new purchase depends on the sale proceeds. You know your budget exactly, but you may need a short-term rental or a lease-back from the buyer.
Buy first if you can pay cash or qualify for both payments. You move once, then sell the empty home, which often shows better.
Coordinate both with a sale-contingent offer or matched closing dates. With about six months of supply, sellers are more open to contingent offers than they were a few years ago.

Choosing the next home

Downsizers often ask about single-story floor plans, smaller yards, HOA-maintained exteriors, and distance to doctors, family and the airport. Every San Antonio area has a different mix of older single-story homes and newer construction. Chris can search by floor plan and lot size across Stone Oak, Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills, Live Oak, Windcrest and Universal City, New Braunfels and Canyon Lake. If you are considering new construction, read the HOA and MUD/PID details before you sign.

How Chris Dudley helps

Chris Dudley is a San Antonio REALTOR® and founder of Legacy Realty Group, brokered by Real Broker, LLC (TREC #731381), licensed since 2019 and a SABOR and NAR member. He works with clients directly as an individual agent. His closed sales: 76 in 2024 ($25.1M), 39 in 2025 ($12.2M) and 26 in 2026 through August 28 ($9.0M), for 141 closed sales and $46.3M since January 2024 (Real Broker transaction records). He is RealTrends Verified and holds 5.0 stars from 480+ Google reviews. More about Chris.

For a long-owned home, Chris prepares a pricing analysis from current SABOR data, a short list of repairs worth doing before listing, and a timeline that lines up your sale with your next purchase.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the over-65 homestead exemption in Texas in 2026?

School districts must give a $140,000 residence homestead exemption plus an additional $60,000 for homeowners 65 or older, per the Texas Comptroller.

Does my school tax ceiling transfer if I buy another home in Texas?

Yes. The percentage of savings from your school tax ceiling transfers to a new Texas homestead. City, county or college ceilings transfer only within the same taxing unit that offers one (Bexar Appraisal District).

When can I apply for the over-65 exemption in Bexar County?

Any time in the year you turn 65, using Form 50-114 with a Texas driver's license or ID showing the property address (Bexar Appraisal District).

Should I sell my San Antonio home before buying a smaller one?

It depends on whether you need the sale proceeds for the purchase. Selling first fixes your budget; buying first lets you move once. Chris can map out both options for your situation.

Talk with Chris

Thinking about downsizing or selling a long-owned home in San Antonio? Call Chris Dudley, San Antonio REALTOR®, brokered by Real Broker, LLC, at (210) 838-6099 or email chrisdudleyrealty@gmail.com.

This page is general information, not tax or legal advice. Confirm exemptions and ceilings for your property with the Bexar Appraisal District or your county appraisal district.