Been in San Antonio real estate since 2007 — here's my honest take on where to build right now (and what most people get wrong about land)

I've been in this market a long time. Started in SA in 2007 as VP of Sales and Marketing for Mercedes Homes — a luxury semi-custom builder. Before that I was Regional Sales Manager at KB Home's Tampa division, and before that Sales Manager at Dura Builders in Indianapolis before KB acquired them in 2003. Spent the first decade of my career learning how builders — production, semi-custom, and everything in between — think about land, buyers, and margins.

Left the corporate side in 2009, started my own brokerage, and have been building custom homes in San Antonio since 2011. 200+ custom homes built, 3,000+ transactions across a 26-year career.

I get asked constantly where to build. Here's the honest, no-sales-pitch answer as of right now.

Where I'd look in 2026:

Cantera Hills (78255) — Limited inventory, lots move fast when they surface. HOA restrictions are strict but the neighborhood holds value well. Best if you want established community infrastructure and you're not in a hurry to find land.

The Canyons at Scenic Loop — More flexibility than Cantera Hills, more land per dollar, stronger Hill Country feel. Longer drives to the city, but for the right buyer it's worth it. We're actively building here.

Helotes / Leon Springs — Best value-to-proximity ratio in the market right now. Lot prices have moderated. If I were buying land purely on fundamentals this is where I'd be looking.

Boerne corridor — The Hill Country premium has compressed compared to 2–3 years ago. If your commute allows it, you're getting more for your money than you were in 2022–2023.

The mistake I see constantly:

People fall in love with a floor plan before they have land.

The lot dictates almost everything — orientation, drainage, setbacks, utility access, which floor plans are even physically buildable on that ground. I watched this happen on the corporate side too, just at much higher volume. Semi-custom buyers would spend months designing their home, then discover the lot they wanted couldn't support it.

Find the land. Then design around it. In that order.

Happy to answer questions about specific neighborhoods, what to look for when evaluating a lot, or how the custom process compares to what the semi-custom and production builders offer. That last part I know from 26 years on both sides.