Touring a Two-Story Home in San Antonio: A Floor-by-Floor Checklist for JBSA and VA Buyers (2026)

Illustration, not a photo of a specific home or listing.

By Christopher Beal | U.S. Army Veteran, REALTOR, TREC License #723559, MRP | Owner of Veteran Real Estate San Antonio, brokered by eXp Realty | Published: October 26, 2026 | LAST UPDATED: OCTOBER 26, 2026

When you tour a two-story home in San Antonio, check five things a listing photo will not show you: whether the stairs, handrails and loft railings are solid; whether the upstairs actually stays cool (one HVAC system or two, where the thermostats are, and how the upstairs feels late in the day); where the bedrooms and laundry sit for how you live and for resale or renting after a PCS; signs of past leaks under upstairs bathrooms and laundry; and what equipment is in the attic. Use the tour to decide whether the home is worth an offer, then let a TREC-licensed inspector and, on a VA loan, the VA appraisal do their separate jobs. In Texas, an agent must have a written buyer agreement with you before showing you a home, and the agent's compensation in it is not set by law and is fully negotiable.

I am Christopher Beal, a U.S. Army veteran, REALTOR (TREC License #723559) and Owner of Veteran Real Estate San Antonio, brokered by eXp Realty. More about me.

How Common Are Two-Story Homes Near JBSA?

Common enough that you should expect to tour both. In my pull of every closed residential sale from July 1 to September 30, 2026 in three ZIP codes near JBSA-Lackland and JBSA-Randolph, two-story homes were about 55 percent of sales in 78245 and 78253 and about 46 percent in 78109:

Source: SABOR MLS (LERA), residential sales (property type RE) with a close date from 2026-07-01 to 2026-09-30, by postal code; every record counted (complete pagination, pulled 2026-10-26). Stories come from the listing's Levels field as entered by the listing agent. Covers these three ZIPs only, not all of San Antonio.

So whether you are shopping near Lackland or Randolph, a good share of the homes you see will have stairs, and the checks below are worth doing on every one.

Before the Tour: The Written Buyer Agreement

Since January 1, 2026, Texas law requires a license holder to have a written agreement with a residential buyer before showing any property (or, if nothing is shown, before presenting an offer). The agreement must state, in conspicuous language, that broker compensation is not set by law and is fully negotiable (TREC). An open house hosted by the listing broker's office is the main exception. Read the agreement's term, scope and compensation before your first tour, especially if you are touring remotely before a PCS.

Floor One: Entry, Stairs and the First Look

• Walk the stairs, both directions. Grip the handrail the whole way; it should not flex or pull from the wall. Look for loose treads, uneven step heights, worn carpet edges and squeaks that point to loose fastening.
• Check loft and landing railings. Push on them. Note gaps that matter for how you use the space, and whether there is a place for a gate if you need one.
• Look up at the ceiling under upstairs bathrooms and the laundry. Stains, fresh paint patches or textured repairs in just one spot are worth a question to the seller and a note for your inspector.
• Find every thermostat. One thermostat for two floors usually means one system serving both; two thermostats may mean two systems or a zoned system. Ask which, and how old each unit is.
• Picture moving day. Measure the stair width and any turn at the landing if you own a large sectional, king box spring or gun safe.

Texas inspectors use TREC's standards of practice, which require them to report deficient steps, stairways, landings, guardrails and handrails (TREC). Your tour notes tell the inspector where to look harder.

Floor Two: Bedrooms, Cooling and Noise

Primary bedroom up or down

Where the primary bedroom sits is a housing attribute, not a statement about who should live there. Think about it three ways: your own daily routine and any mobility needs now or later; resale, because a downstairs primary is a feature some buyers filter for; and renting after a PCS, because it affects which tenants the layout appeals to. None of those has a single right answer, so decide what matters for your plan before you fall for a kitchen.

Upstairs cooling in Texas heat

• Tour in the afternoon if you can, when the upstairs is at its warmest, and compare how the rooms feel to the downstairs.
• Hold your hand at the supply vents in the farthest bedroom. Weak airflow there is a question for the inspector and an HVAC technician.
• Look at the outdoor units: count them, and note the manufacture dates on the data plates if you can read them.
• Ask the seller for recent utility bills. Bills reflect the seller's habits, not yours, but a big summer spike is a reason to ask about insulation, duct condition and equipment age.

Noise and footfall

Have someone walk upstairs while you stand below. Rooms directly under a loft, laundry or a primary bathroom will hear it. If you work nights, have a home office or plan to rent rooms, that layout detail matters more than the square footage.

Upstairs Laundry and Plumbing

• Laundry: look for a drain pan under the washer and ask whether it drains anywhere. Check the floor and baseboards around it, and the ceiling below, for past water.
• Bathrooms: run the upstairs tub or shower for a minute, then check the ceiling below and around the downstairs light fixtures.
• Water pressure: run an upstairs sink and shower at the same time and watch for a big drop.

Your inspector's report, not the tour, is where these get confirmed. The tour is for spotting what to ask about.

The Attic: Water Heaters and Air Handlers

Some two-story homes put HVAC equipment, and sometimes a water heater, in the attic. You usually will not climb into the attic on a tour, but you can ask:

• What equipment is in the attic, and how old is it?
• Is there a safe walkway and a light from the access hatch to the equipment, for service and for your inspector?
• Does attic equipment sit in a drain pan, and where does that pan drain?
• Has there ever been a leak from attic equipment into the ceiling below?

Attic equipment that leaks can damage the ceilings and rooms below before anyone notices, which is why your inspector should look at the pans, drain lines and access, and report what is deficient under TREC's standards.

What the VA Appraisal and Your Inspection Each Do

On a VA loan, a VA-approved appraiser gives an opinion of value and checks that the home meets VA's basic property condition requirements, called minimum property requirements. VA is explicit that an appraisal is not the same as an inspection, and it strongly recommends a home inspection before you buy (VA home buying process, updated January 7, 2026). In practice:

• The appraisal protects the loan: value plus basic condition. It may call out a visible hazard, but it is not a room-by-room or system-by-system review.
• The inspection protects you: a TREC-licensed inspector reports on the structure, stairs and railings, HVAC, plumbing, water heater and attic equipment on TREC's required report form. Schedule it inside your option period if your contract has one.

More detail: VA home inspection vs. appraisal and VA appraisal requirements and repairs in San Antonio.

Touring a Two-Story Remotely Before You PCS

If you are buying before you arrive, a live video tour can cover most of this checklist. Ask the person holding the phone to:

1. Walk the stairs slowly with the camera on the treads and the handrail, then shake the handrail and loft railing on camera.
2. Show every thermostat, the outdoor units with their data plates, and each upstairs supply vent with a tissue held to it.
3. Show the ceilings under upstairs bathrooms and laundry, then run the upstairs shower and come back to them.
4. Show the attic hatch, and, if safe and permitted, the view from the hatch to the equipment.
5. Stand in each upstairs bedroom and turn slowly so you see the windows, closet and what is directly below or above.
6. Record the call so you and your spouse or co-buyer can rewatch it.

For the rest of a remote purchase, see my guide to buying a home near JBSA from overseas or out of state. If you are still deciding between living on base, renting or buying, start with on-base vs. off-base housing at JBSA.

Printable Tour Checklist

Checklist for your own tour notes. Rules referenced: TREC buyer-agreement rule (2026) and inspector standards of practice; VA home buying process page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Next Step

Send me the addresses you are considering and your report date, and I will set up in-person or live video tours that follow this checklist, then help you decide which home is worth an offer. Call or text (210) 882-8583, or see my VA home loans page.