Free Guide · New Braunfels, TX
New Braunfels Home Seller's Guide
Pricing, prep, marketing, and negotiation for selling a single-family home well in New Braunfels and Comal County.
A practical seller guide for pricing, repairs, showings, disclosure, concessions, closing costs, and how to protect your net in the current New Braunfels market.
Price It Right
How to Price a Home in New Braunfels
Pricing is the single most important decision you will make as a seller. A Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) anchors your list price to recent closed sales of similar homes in your neighborhood, not Zestimates, not what your neighbor says, not what you "need."Peter pulls comps from MLS data, adjusts for upgrades, lot size, and condition, and delivers a realistic price range before you ever go live.
The first two to three weeks on market are critical. That is when buyer interest peaks and showing traffic is highest. A home priced in line with recent comparable sales gets its best shot at serious offers during that window. Price it well above the comps and it tends to sit, collect price cuts, and leave agents and buyers assuming something is wrong with the property.
Days on market moves with inventory, season, price point, and condition. For a citywide reference, Redfin reported a median of about 77 days on market for the three months ending September 2026, but your subdivision and price range can look very different. Peter checks the current days on market for homes like yours before you list, because overpricing is the fastest way to become a stale listing.
Source: Redfin New Braunfels market
Get Ready
How to Prepare a New Braunfels Home for Sale
Not every renovation is worth doing before you list. Focus your budget on the upgrades with the highest return on investment. Fresh interior paint is the single cheapest way to make a home feel new. Worn floors, dated fixtures, and small repairs are worth pricing out before you list, so you can compare the cost against how much they change the first impression. Curb appeal, clean landscaping, a painted front door, fresh mulch, sets the tone before a buyer ever walks inside.
Staging can help buyers picture how a home lives, especially in listing photos. You do not need to stage every room. Focus on the spaces buyers notice first, such as the living room, primary bedroom, and kitchen. Peter can tell you which rooms are worth the effort for your home and price range.
In New Braunfels, you are competing with new construction and newer resale options in communities like Veramendi, Mayfair, Voss Farms, Highland Grove, and Pecan Crossing. Builders deliver move-in-ready product with fresh finishes. Your resale home needs to be easy to understand online and in person. Declutter aggressively, deep clean everything, and fix deferred maintenance before the first showing, not after the inspection report.
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Maximum Exposure
Real Estate Marketing for New Braunfels Sellers
Peter's listing plan starts with clear photography, accurate room and feature descriptions, pricing context, and MLS distribution. For homes with acreage, Hill Country views, unusual layouts, or strong outdoor space, drone photos or 3D tours can help buyers understand the property before they schedule a showing.
The listing should explain what buyers cannot get from photos alone: roof age, mechanical updates, lot usability, neighborhood access, river or Gruene proximity, commute routes, and any repairs or concessions that may come up during inspection.
Pete's goal is to make the home easy to evaluate online, then support the price with comparable sales, condition notes, and a clear negotiation plan.
Disclosures
What Texas requires you to disclose.
Texas Property Code Section 5.008 requires sellers of previously occupied single-family residences to complete a Seller's Disclosure Notice. Sellers must disclose the condition of every major system: roof, foundation, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, appliances, as well as known defects, flooding history, environmental hazards, and HOA obligations.
The disclosure must be delivered to the buyer before a binding contract is executed. If you deliver it late, after the contract is signed, the buyer has the right to terminate within 7 days of receiving it. Honesty here protects you legally. Concealing known defects can result in lawsuits after closing.
Certain sales are exempt from the disclosure requirement: foreclosure sales, transfers by a court-appointed trustee or estate/trust, transfers between co-owners, and new construction that has never been occupied. If none of those apply to you, fill the form out completely and accurately. Peter will walk you through every section.
Offers Come In
Price is not the only number that matters.
When offers arrive, resist the urge to fixate on the top-line price. A strong offer is a combination of terms: earnest money (typically 1-3% of the purchase price, more signals a serious buyer), option period length (shorter is better for you), appraisal gap coverage (the buyer agrees to cover a shortfall between appraised value and contract price), leaseback terms (if you need time after closing), and closing timeline flexibility.
When more than one buyer is interested, clean terms often beat the highest price. An offer at $5K over asking with no appraisal gap coverage, a long option period, and a pile of repair requests may net you less than a slightly lower offer with tight terms and a committed buyer.
Seller concessions, contributions toward the buyer's closing costs, are a common request. Expect buyers to ask. Peter will advise you on which concessions are reasonable and which ones to push back on during negotiation.
Buyer's Option
The option period, explained.
The option period is a Texas-specific contract provision that gives the buyer the unrestricted right to terminate for any reason during a set window, typically 3-10 days, with 5-7 being most common. In exchange, the buyer pays a non-refundable option fee of $100-$350, which goes directly to you, the seller, regardless of whether the deal closes.
From the seller's perspective, a shorter option period means faster certainty. If the buyer is going to walk, you want to know on day 5, not day 10. A higher option fee signals a more committed buyer, a buyer willing to put $350 on the line is less likely to walk than one who offered $100.
Most inspections happen during the option period: general home inspection, termite/WDI, foundation, sewer scope, pool inspection. After the option period expires, the buyer's earnest money becomes at risk. If they terminate after that point without a contractual right (like a financing contingency or appraisal failure), you keep the earnest money.
Your Costs
What sellers actually pay at closing.
Seller closing costs depend on the agent compensation you negotiate, title charges, prorated property taxes, HOA and payoff fees, and any concessions you agree to in the contract. Compensation is negotiable and set in writing in your listing agreement, and the title company can give you a written estimate of the other charges. Here is what to expect:
| Line Item | What to Expect |
|---|---|
| Agent compensation | Negotiated and set in your listing agreement, plus any buyer-side compensation you agree to |
| Owner's title insurance | State-regulated premium; the contract says who pays, and sellers often do. Ask the title company for a quote |
| Prorated property taxes | Varies by close date |
| Escrow / settlement fee | Ask the title company for a written quote (often split with buyer) |
| HOA resale certificate | Ask the HOA or its management company for the current fee |
| Survey (if required) | Ask for a written quote (who pays is negotiable) |
| State transfer tax | $0. Texas has none |
Peter provides a seller net sheet before you list so you know your estimated proceeds before signing a listing agreement, and the title company's written estimate confirms the numbers before closing.
Commission Changes
What the NAR settlement means for sellers.
The 2024 NAR settlement changed how compensation is communicated. Commissions are negotiable and not set by law. What you pay your listing agent is set in writing in your listing agreement, and whether you pay anything toward a buyer's agent is your decision, made in writing.
The key change: MLSs can no longer display offers of buyer-agent compensation in the listing. Before the settlement, a listing would show something like "2.5% to buyer's agent." That field is gone. Sellers can still choose to offer buyer-side compensation or concessions outside the MLS, and buyers can ask for it in their offers. Peter walks you through those choices before you list and again when offers come in.
Another change: buyers must now sign a written buyer representation agreement with their agent before touring homes. This does not change your listing agreement, but it means a buyer working with an agent has already agreed in writing to that agent's terms. For sellers, the practical takeaway is straightforward: compare each offer by its net to you, including any compensation or concessions the buyer requests.
Tax Implications
Capital gains and the Section 121 exclusion.
Under federal rules, you may exclude up to $250,000 in capital gains from the sale of your primary residence if you are single, or $500,000 if married filing jointly. This exclusion comes from Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code and is one of the most generous tax benefits available to homeowners.
To qualify, you must have owned and used the home as your primary residence for at least 2 of the last 5 years before the sale. The two years do not need to be consecutive. If you converted your home to a rental, you can rent it for up to 3 years and still qualify, as long as you lived in it for 2 of the prior 5 years.
Texas has no state capital gains tax. Your only exposure is federal. If your gain exceeds the exclusion, the excess is taxed at the federal long-term capital gains rate: 0%, 15%, or 20% depending on your income bracket. For most homeowners in New Braunfels, the $250K/$500K exclusion covers the full gain. Peter recommends consulting a CPA for situations involving inherited property, partial-year occupancy, or 1031 exchange planning.
The Timeline
From listing to closing, week by week.
The selling timeline has two phases. Listing to contract depends on pricing, condition, and market conditions, so Peter checks current days on market for your price range before setting expectations. Contract to closing typically takes 30-45 days for a financed buyer, or as few as 7-14 days for a cash buyer.
Here is a week-by-week breakdown of the contract-to-close period:
Earnest money deposited. Title company opens the file and orders a title commitment.
Option period. Buyer conducts inspections (general, termite, foundation, etc.). Negotiation of repairs or credits. Option period expires, earnest money goes hard.
Lender orders appraisal. Survey is ordered or existing survey reviewed. Title commitment delivered and reviewed by both parties.
Underwriting review. Lender clears conditions. Buyer secures homeowner's insurance. Any remaining contingencies resolved.
Closing disclosure issued (3-day review required by law). Final walkthrough. Signing at the title company. Funds wire and title records, you are officially closed.
Cash transactions skip the appraisal and underwriting steps, which is why they close so much faster. Peter coordinates with the title company and buyer's agent to keep every deadline on track.
Ready to List?
Talk to Peter.
Peter will walk you through your home's market position and a realistic pricing strategy.