Licensed & lending in TEXAS
For the first time since before the pandemic, inventory, days on market, and seller concessions all favor Texas buyers. But it comes with a tax-and-insurance math problem — no income tax, high property tax, homestead-exemption timing, and the priciest homeowners insurance in the country — that most buyers don't see coming. We win by running your REAL all-in monthly payment up front, per metro, not a generic pre-approval number that blows up at closing.
The market, honestly
Texas is in a real buyer's market for the first time in years. The statewide median is about $342,000, down slightly year over year, with 5–10 months of supply — roughly double the tight 2021–22 levels — and a median 82 days on market. Sellers are cutting around $12,500 on average. Houston is the only major metro with positive year-over-year price growth; Austin has the steepest correction; San Antonio shows the strongest sales momentum. Rates aren't falling fast, but the deal leverage is here now.
Where we spend the most time
Texas is really four big, distinct markets. Here's where we focus, and the local detail we make sure every buyer hears.
The highest closed-sales volume of any Texas metro per recent Texas REALTORS data, and #1 nationally for corporate HQ relocations — a steady pipeline of both relo and organic move-up buyers across a sprawling, multi-county metroplex.
The second-highest volume statewide per recent Texas REALTORS data, the most affordable of the big four, and the only major metro posting positive year-over-year price growth — a genuine stability story, anchored by energy and the world's largest medical complex.
Smaller in raw volume than DFW or Houston, but the strongest tech-driven demand and highest price point in Texas — the RSU, equity-comp, and self-employed-founder deal flow that fits our complex-income specialty. It also has the steepest 2026 correction, meaning real negotiating room after the frenzy.
Fourth by volume but with the strongest year-over-year sales momentum of the four metros per recent Texas REALTORS data, the most affordable major market, and a uniquely dense military/VA base at Joint Base San Antonio — a strong fit for our education-first work with first-time and VA buyers.
Down-payment & assistance
Texas has strong stackable assistance through TDHCA and TSAHC — and several programs don't require first-time-buyer status. We confirm your fit against current county limits and availability, never promise eligibility.
A 30-year fixed mortgage with 3–5% down-payment assistance as a grant or a forgivable second — Home Sweet Texas is open to any qualifying Texan (income-based), while Homes for Texas Heroes targets teachers, first responders, healthcare workers, and veterans. Neither requires first-time-buyer status.
A 30-year fixed first mortgage bundled with up to 5% down-payment assistance (My First is first-time; My Choice is open to repeat buyers), and it stacks with the Texas Mortgage Credit Certificate — a federal tax credit on a share of your annual mortgage interest.
Every program above is subject to qualification and current availability — limits, funding, and windows change constantly. We never promise eligibility; we check your fit against what's actually open the week you apply.
True-payment math
Texas's no-income-tax headline hides two things that quietly reshape your real payment — and we'd rather show you now than let closing do it.
Property tax: the revenue gap is filled by property tax, and Texas ranks 7th-highest in the nation. The 2026 school-district homestead exemption rose to $140,000 (with an extra $60,000 for 65+ or disabled) — but it is NOT automatic and does NOT lower your purchase-time escrow estimate. You file a free application with your county after closing, and your early payments are escrowed against the higher pre-exemption amount until it catches up. It's a recurring buyer-shock we address in pre-approval.
Insurance: Texas homeowners insurance averages ~$3,900/yr — the highest in the country, nearly double the national average. Hail and wind dominate claims, and a 2% wind/hail deductible is standard in North Texas. Gulf-Coast-adjacent buyers increasingly rely on TWIA for wind coverage, and Houston-area buyers should budget flood insurance separately. We quote wind/hail-appropriate insurance up front so your all-in number is real.
Straight answers
Because the money comes back as property tax (7th-highest in the U.S.) and the country's priciest homeowners insurance. The all-in monthly payment is the number that matters, and we build it — post-homestead-exemption timing and wind/hail insurance included — before you write an offer.
The 2026 school-district exemption is $140,000, but it isn't automatic — you file a free application with your county appraisal district after closing, and until it posts, your escrow is calculated on the higher pre-exemption tax bill. We tell you this on day one so it's planned for, not a surprise.
In 2026, JBSA BAH plus VA financing comfortably supports homes in the roughly $280K–$550K range, and San Antonio has shifted to a balanced market where you can negotiate concessions. We run your specific BAH-to-purchasing-power math and time the close to your orders.
For a buyer, this is the most leverage since before the pandemic — more inventory, longer days on market, and real seller price cuts. Rates aren't dropping fast, but the negotiating room is here now. We'll tell you honestly how each metro is behaving.
Three doors, pick any
Two minutes of questions, zero commitment, no credit pull — or skip straight to the application, or just text us like a person. Tell us the metro, and we'll run your real Texas payment with the tax and insurance fine print built in.
Licensed in Texas under C2 Financial Corp NMLS 135622.