Two homes in Cordillera Ranch can sit on the same street, carry the same square footage, and list within a few dollars of each other per square foot, and still represent two entirely different purchases. The difference has nothing to do with the kitchen or the lot. It comes down to a single line on the membership application that most buyers do not think to ask about until they are already deep into the option period: which classification of golf club membership actually conveys with the house.
That question is worth more attention than it gets, because the dollar amount attached to it can run into six figures.
Master, Conditional, and the Gap Between Them
The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch offer three membership categories: Full Golf, Limited Golf, and Ranch. Each of those categories comes in one of two classifications, Master or Conditional, and the classification is what actually determines what happens when a home changes hands.
A Master Membership transfers to the next owner. The seller has the right to pass it along, and the club cannot recall it. A Conditional Membership works differently. It does not automatically transfer to a subsequent buyer, and the club retains the right to recall it. In practice, that means a buyer who assumes the golf membership comes standard with the house can end up facing a fresh initiation fee, a waitlist, or a membership tier well below what the previous owner enjoyed, simply because the home they bought carried the other classification.
Initiation fees for comparable private clubs in the Boerne area typically fall somewhere between $15,000 and $75,000 or more, on top of annual dues. That is not a rounding error on a purchase decision. It is the kind of number that belongs on a closing disclosure, not a surprise that surfaces after the movers have already left.
What This Actually Costs at the Table
The membership question is the headline, but it is not the only cost that lives outside the sale price. A handful of Cordillera Ranch-specific charges show up at or before closing that buyers coming from other Texas luxury markets do not always anticipate.
| Item | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| POA resale certificate | $300 |
| HOA/ARC transfer fees (build or remodel) | $500 to $2,000 |
| Annual POA dues | $2,400 to $5,000, depending on section |
| Club initiation fee (if membership does not transfer) | $15,000 to $75,000+ |
None of these are hidden in the sense of being undisclosed. They are simply easy to miss if a buyer is focused on the number on the first page of the listing rather than the paragraph further down that describes what does and does not come with it.
Why the Timing Favors the Buyer Who Asks
This is worth raising now specifically because the current market gives a prepared buyer real leverage to ask for it.
As of late spring 2026, Cordillera Ranch had 46 active listings, with homes averaging about 141 days on the market and an average list price near $492 per square foot. Sales were closing roughly 5 percent under list, with a median sale price near $1.6 million. Read together, those numbers describe a market where sellers are not in a position to dictate every term. A seller five months into marketing a home is unlikely to walk away from a deal over a membership transfer clause that costs them nothing to grant, provided the membership is theirs to give.
That makes the membership classification a reasonable, even expected, item to write into the purchase contract, the same way a buyer would write in a survey contingency, a septic inspection, or a well-yield test. The right time to raise it is during the option period, in writing, not at the closing table when there is far less room to renegotiate.
The Second Line You Need to Check: Which Side of the Water You're On
Membership is not the only variable that differs house to house inside the same gates. Water and wastewater infrastructure split along section lines too, and it changes what a home actually costs to own from month to month.
Cordillera Ranch made a deliberate infrastructure decision early in its development. In 2003, the community secured an agreement with the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority as part of the GBRA Western Canyon Pipeline, bringing in treated surface water from Canyon Lake rather than continuing to expand groundwater wells. New lots built after that point in the Clubs Village and Units 104 and beyond are served by that central water system. Units 301 through 302A, known as The Springs, are served by Kendall County MUD 1 and GBRA directly, with permits handled through the Kendall County Development Office.
Everywhere else in the community, the picture is different. Homes in sections like The River Estates, The Bluffs, and The Settlement generally rely on individual wells and private septic systems, which require permits of their own.
That distinction matters because it changes ongoing carrying costs. Kendall County septic permits run around $340, but the karst limestone that defines most of the Hill Country pushes the majority of new installations toward aerobic treatment units rather than simpler conventional systems. An aerobic system installed in this part of Texas typically runs $15,000 to $25,000, plus an annual maintenance contract, since Texas law requires a licensed provider to inspect aerobic systems three times a year. Wells in the area typically cost somewhere between $15,000 and $30,000 depending on depth, and any new well has to respect the standard 100-foot separation from septic components that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality requires statewide.
None of this shows up as a line item on a listing sheet. It shows up on the inspection report, or in the first year of utility bills, or in a call to a well and septic contractor after closing. A buyer comparing two homes at similar prices in different sections of Cordillera Ranch is not just comparing square footage. They are comparing two different utility systems with two different cost structures attached.
What to Confirm Before You Write an Offer
Before submitting an offer on a home in Cordillera Ranch, it is worth getting direct answers, in writing, to a short list of questions:
Which classification of club membership does this specific home carry, Master or Conditional, and does the seller intend to transfer it. Whether the home sits in a section served by GBRA central water or by a private well and septic system, and if the latter, when the septic system was last inspected and whether the maintenance contract is current. What the exact annual POA dues are for that particular unit, since they vary by section. Whether any HOA or architectural review fees apply if remodeling or new construction is part of the plan.
Those four questions cost nothing to ask and can prevent a closing surprise that costs a great deal.
A Few Common Questions
Does the golf membership automatically come with the house? Not necessarily. It depends on whether the seller's membership is classified as Master, which transfers, or Conditional, which does not automatically pass to the next owner and can be recalled by the club. This should be confirmed in writing before the option period ends.
How do I find out if a specific home is on well and septic or central water? The Cordillera Ranch community office can confirm which unit a property falls under and which utility provider serves it. Units 301 through 302A and the Clubs Village generally connect to GBRA and Kendall County MUD 1, while most other sections rely on private wells and septic systems.
Is a septic inspection different from a standard home inspection? Yes. A standard inspection does not typically evaluate a septic system's tank condition, drain field, or maintenance contract status. Given that Texas requires aerobic systems to carry an active maintenance contract with inspections three times a year, confirming that contract is current should be part of any offer on a well-and-septic property.
Buying in a community like Cordillera Ranch means the club, the POA, and the land itself each carry their own set of terms that do not appear in the sale price. Getting clear answers on all three before you sign is the difference between a smooth closing and an expensive one.
If you are evaluating a home in Cordillera Ranch or anywhere else across San Antonio's North Side and Hill Country, Jennifer Santrock can walk through the membership terms, the utility details, and the closing specifics with you before you write an offer. Request your free relocation kit to get started.
