Using a 401(k), Stocks or Crypto for a Down Payment in Texas: What to Know
Thinking about using a 401(k), IRA, stocks or crypto for a down payment in Texas? Here is how plan loans and withdrawals work, what the IRS first-home rule covers, how…
HOA Fees and Resale Certificates in Texas: What Homebuyers Should Check
HOA fees in Texas are only part of the story. Here is what the resale certificate must disclose, how TREC Form 36-11 works, how dues and assessments count in a…
Texas Homestead Exemption for Homebuyers: When and How to Claim It
A homestead exemption in Texas can lower the taxable value of the home you live in as your primary residence. Here is when and how homebuyers should claim it, including…
Water Wells and Water Rights in Texas: What Homebuyers Should Check
TREC Form 61-0, the Seller's Disclosure about Groundwater and Surface Water Rights, is effective July 1, 2026. Here is what Texas homebuyers should check about wells, ponds, groundwater districts, severed…
Mineral Rights and Old Oil Wells: What Texas Homebuyers Should Check
A Texas Tribune report on a leaking plugged well in a San Antonio subdivision is a reminder to look below the surface. Here is how Texas buyers can check mineral…
Title Insurance in Texas: What Homebuyers Should Know Before Closing
Washington is debating title insurance for refinances, but Texas buyers still need the basics. Here is how owner's and loan policies differ, why Texas premiums are the same at every…
Home Inspection and the Option Period in Texas: A Buyer’s Timeline
Buyers have more room to negotiate this fall, and in Texas that leverage gets used during the option period. Here is a day-by-day plan for the fee, the home inspection,…
Wire Fraud When Buying a Home in Texas: How to Protect Your Closing Funds
Scammers are using look-alike emails and cloned voices to steal Texas buyers' earnest money and cash to close. Here is how to verify every wire with your title company, from…
Flood Insurance When Buying a Home in Texas: What to Know Before December 11
FEMA now sells flood insurance online, and the program can write new policies only through December 11 unless Congress acts. Here is when Texas buyers need flood insurance, what the…
How to Remove PMI on a Conventional Loan in Texas
Fannie Mae now lets servicers reach out to homeowners who may be able to drop mortgage insurance, and Texas prices are mixed this fall. Here are the four ways to…