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Vacant house · Texas

We buy vacant houses in Texas

Updated October 20, 2026

Provenial buys vacant Texas houses for cash as they stand, including houses left empty after a move, a death in the family or a tenant leaving.

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Direct acquisition

What happens when you submit

  1. 01

    Provenial buys vacant houses across Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio.

  2. 02

    Provenial buys with private capital.

  3. 03

    You will hear from someone within 24 hours.

  4. 04

    Sellers pay Provenial no fees or commissions.

City rules

City rules for vacant houses

Dallas

Dallas City Code Chapter 27, Section 27-11(a)(6), requires the doors and windows of a vacant structure to be secured against entry, and grass or weeds over 12 inches high violate the city code, which can bring a citation or a bill for city mowing.

Fort Worth

Fort Worth treats a vacant structure that is not secured against entry as unsafe, with fines up to $2,000 per violation. Grass must stay at 12 inches or less on developed and vacant lots, and after one certified notice a year and ten days to mow, the city mows at the owner's expense, and unpaid charges can become a lien.

San Antonio

San Antonio requires vacant building registration within 90 days of a city notice, at $400 for a single-family building and $900 for others, plus a $50 inspection fee and a $150 late fee, renewed each Jan. 31. Single-family buildings that meet the standard of care are exempt, and owners outside Bexar County must name a local property manager.

City charges

How unpaid city charges follow the house

Dallas files liens for vegetation removal, litter cleanup, heavy cleanup and securing open structures, among others. Recorded city liens show up in the title search, and the title company pays them from the sale at closing. See selling a house with code violations.

Taxes

The homestead exemption on a house nobody lives in

A homestead exemption stays in place until the house changes ownership or the owner stops qualifying, and the owner has to tell the appraisal office in writing before May 1 after the entitlement ends (Tax Code 11.43).

A house keeps its homestead status during a temporary absence of less than two years if the owner intends to return and sets up no other principal residence, or while the owner is in military service or a care facility (Tax Code 11.13). The Dallas Central Appraisal District covers the same rule and how heirs claim the exemption on inherited property.

Inherited

Vacant after a death in the family

If the house sits empty because the owner passed away, see our inherited house pages for Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio.

How it works

How selling a vacant house works

Send the address

Send the address, how long the house has been empty and any city notices you have received.

We look at the house and the street

We review the house, the recent sales near it and the work it needs, and someone from Provenial gets back to you within 24 hours.

You get a written cash offer

Provenial is the buyer. The offer comes in writing on a Texas purchase contract, usually the Texas Real Estate Commission's One to Four Family Residential Contract, and you decide whether to sign it.

A title company handles the closing

A Texas title company holds the earnest money, runs the title search, pays off any loan or lien from the sale and records the deed with the county clerk.

What to send

What to send

  • 01

    Address and owner

    Send the address and tell us who owns the house and who signs for the sale.

  • 02

    Condition

    Tell us the year built, square footage and the repairs you know about. Photos of the house and the street help.

  • 03

    Occupancy

    Say whether the house is vacant, owner-occupied or rented, and send the lease if a tenant lives there.

  • 04

    Loans, liens and notices

    Tell us about any loan payoff, city lien, code notice or notice of sale you have received.

  • 05

    Price and timing

    Share your asking price, any offers you already have and when you want to sell.

Frequently asked questions
Can I sell a vacant house for cash in Texas?

Provenial buys vacant Texas houses for cash as they stand, including houses empty after a move, a death or a tenant leaving.

Do I lose my homestead exemption if I move out?

A house keeps homestead status during a temporary absence of less than two years if you intend to return and set up no other principal residence. Otherwise you must tell the appraisal office in writing before May 1 after the entitlement ends.

Does San Antonio make owners register vacant houses?

San Antonio requires registration within 90 days of a city notice, at $400 for a single-family building, and single-family buildings that meet the standard of care are exempt.

What happens if the city mows my vacant property?

In Fort Worth, a city contractor mows at the owner's expense after notice, and unpaid charges can become a lien on the property.

Do you buy vacant houses that need work?

Provenial buys vacant houses as they stand, so repairs, cleanup and staging stay off your list.

Compare the paths

Hold the vacant house or sell it as it stands?

Hold the vacant house or sell it as it stands?
FactorSell to Provenial as it standsHold it or list it vacant
securing and mowingProvenial takes it over at closingYou keep it secured and mowed to city code
city chargesRecorded liens paid from the saleMowing bills, fines and liens keep adding up
taxes and insuranceStop for you at closingYou keep paying them
showingsA walkthrough with ProvenialShowings on an empty house
feesSellers pay Provenial no fees or commissionsCommission set in the listing agreement
Texas market facts

Texas market data from primary sources

Property submission

Get a cash offer on a vacant house

Send the address, the condition of the house, who lives there and who signs for the sale.

Submit a property