Driving for Dollars in San Antonio: Best Neighborhoods & Routes

What is Driving for Dollars?

Driving for dollars (D4D) is one of the oldest and most effective ways to find off-market deals. You literally drive through neighborhoods looking for distressed properties—homes that show signs of neglect or vacancy.

The idea is simple: properties that look rough on the outside often have motivated sellers inside. Maybe the owner is elderly and can't maintain the home, behind on payments, or dealing with a life situation that makes selling attractive.

Why It Still Works in 2025

Despite all the tech tools available, driving for dollars remains effective because:

• You see things data can't show — Overgrown yards, boarded windows, accumulated mail
• Less competition — Most wholesalers rely solely on purchased lists
• Local market knowledge — You learn neighborhoods street by street
• Relationship building — Neighbors often share info about absent owners

OpenDockets delivers distressed property leads from court records daily. Start Free Trial →

Best San Antonio Neighborhoods for D4D

Based on our data and local market conditions, these areas have high concentrations of distressed properties:

East Side (78202, 78203, 78210)

The East Side has older housing stock and is seeing rapid gentrification. Many longtime owners are in distress but sitting on significant equity.

West Side (78207, 78237, 78228)

Working-class neighborhoods with affordable homes. Higher rates of code violations and deferred maintenance.

South Side (78211, 78214, 78221)

Established neighborhoods with older homes. Good for finding probate properties and long-term owner situations.

Near North (78201, 78212, 78215)

Historic areas with renovation opportunities. Properties here can have high ARV potential.

What to Look For

Train your eye to spot these distress indicators:

High Priority Signs

• Overgrown yard/landscaping — Owner may be absent or unable to maintain
• Boarded windows — Vacant property
• Accumulated mail/newspapers — No one checking the mailbox
• Code violation notices on door — City is already on them
• Roof damage/tarps — Deferred maintenance
• Multiple vehicles on blocks — Possible hoarding/estate situation

Medium Priority Signs

• Old, peeling paint
• Broken windows (not boarded)
• Trash accumulation
• Outdated exterior (vinyl over original siding, old storm doors)
• Dead lawn in otherwise green neighborhood

Essential Gear for D4D

Set yourself up for efficient drives:

Tracking Apps

Use an app to log properties while driving:

• DealMachine — Most popular D4D app, includes skip tracing
• PropStream Go — Good data integration
• Google Maps — Free option, just drop pins

A dashcam helps you capture properties you might miss while driving. Review footage later to catch details.

How to Work Your List

Finding properties is only step one. Here's how to turn them into deals:

1. Skip Trace the Owner

Get the property owner's contact information. Services like BatchSkipTracing or REISkip can find phone numbers and addresses.

2. Make Contact

Multiple touchpoints work best:

• Direct mail — Yellow letters or postcards
• Cold calling — Direct but requires thick skin
• Door knocking — If the owner still lives there
• Text messaging — Check compliance with TCPA

3. Follow Up Consistently

Most deals come from the 5th-12th contact. Create a follow-up system and stick to it.

Maximizing Your Time

Make every drive productive:

• Plan your route — Use a mapping tool to create efficient loops
• Drive at different times — 6am shows who's heading to work, evenings show who's home
• Talk to neighbors — "Do you know who owns that house?"
• Combine with other tasks — Drive new areas when you have appointments nearby
• Track your numbers — Properties logged, contacts made, deals closed

When D4D Isn't Enough

Driving for dollars is a great supplemental strategy, but it has limitations:

• Time intensive — Hours of driving for a handful of properties
• Weather dependent — San Antonio summers are brutal
• Limited to visible distress — Misses foreclosures and probate before physical neglect shows
• Geographic constraints — Only see what you drive past

That's why most successful wholesalers combine D4D with other lead sources.

Key Takeaways

1. Drive the East, West, and South sides for best results
2. Look for overgrown yards, boarded windows, and accumulated mail
3. Use a D4D app to track properties efficiently
4. Follow up consistently—deals come from multiple contacts
5. Combine D4D with data-driven lead sources for best results

Start driving your first route this weekend. Pick a neighborhood, spend two hours, and see what you find. Then supplement with OpenDockets leads to fill your pipeline.