Texas Flood Zones: How to Check Before You Make an Offer
Flood zone designation in Texas can affect your mortgage payment, insurance requirements, and negotiating position. Here is how to check any property before making an offer.
-
-
DSCR Loans in Texas: How Real Estate Investors Qualify
DSCR loans let Texas real estate investors qualify based on a property’s rental income, not personal tax returns. Here is how the program works and who it fits.
-
Jumbo Loans in Texas: When You Cross the Conforming Limit
Once your loan exceeds $806,500, you are in jumbo territory. Here is what that means for Texas buyers: different credit standards, larger reserves, and slightly different rate dynamics.
-
FHA Loans in Texas: A Complete Buyer’s Guide for 2026
FHA loans help Texas buyers qualify with lower down payments and flexible credit standards. Here is a complete look at limits, costs, and qualification rules for 2026.
-
Texas Property Taxes by County: What Buyers Actually Pay
I am Anthony Ferrando, a mortgage loan originator based in Austin, and one of the questions I hear most often from buyers relocating to Texas from other states is some version of: “I heard Texas has high property taxes. How high are we talking?” The answer depends entirely on which county you are buying in,…
-
Closing Day in Texas: What to Bring, What Gets Signed, and How Funds Move
The average Texas home purchase generates 100 to 150 pages of documents at the closing table. Here’s what to bring, what you’ll sign, exactly how money moves, and when you walk out with keys.
-
Title Insurance in Texas: Who Pays, What It Covers, and Why Both Policies Matter
Texas handles title insurance differently than most states, with the seller typically paying the owner’s policy. Here’s who pays what, what each policy covers, and why skipping the owner’s policy is a risk most Texas buyers shouldn’t take.
-
Earnest Money in Texas: Amounts, Escrow Rules, and Getting It Back
Key Takeaways Earnest money in Texas is typically 1 percent of the purchase price, deposited with the title company within 3 business days of contract execution. The option fee and earnest money are two separate deposits with different rules; the option fee is non-refundable, earnest money is protected by contract contingencies. The Texas option period…
-
Self-Employed in Texas: How Lenders Calculate Your Qualifying Income in 2026
Key Takeaways Lenders qualify self-employed borrowers on net income from federal tax returns, not gross revenue or bank deposits. Sole proprietors: net profit from Schedule C averaged over 24 months, plus allowable addbacks. S-corp and partnership owners: W-2 income plus K-1 share of business income, plus depreciation addbacks. Declining year-over-year income triggers additional scrutiny and…
-
The Loan Estimate Explained: A Line-by-Line Guide for Texas Buyers
The Loan Estimate is one of the most important mortgage documents you will receive. Here is what every line means for Texas buyers in plain language.
