If you are buying in the Austin metro, the county you land in shapes your annual property tax bill by thousands of dollars. Here is how Travis, Williamson, and Hays County compare in 2026.
Travis County mailed 2026 appraisal notices to more than 427,000 owners. Single-family values fell an average 1.8%. Here’s what changed, how the protest deadline works, and what to do next.
PMI protects the lender when you put down less than 20 percent. Here is what it actually costs on a typical Austin home, and three ways to get rid of it sooner.
The data keeps showing it: people are still moving to Texas, and Austin remains one of the top destinations. A study published by SmartAsset in late April 2026 ranked Austin among the metros that have seen the fourth-largest home price decline in the country since 2025, with first-quarter 2026 metro median prices at approximately $415,300,…
When you are buying a home in Texas, you will see a line item on your Closing Disclosure called title insurance. For most buyers, it is one of those costs that gets accepted without much thought. You pay it, you move on. But understanding what title insurance actually does, and what happens if you do…
If you have been watching the Austin market and trying to figure out whether this spring is a good time to buy, the data released this week gives you a clearer picture than the headlines often provide. Prices are not crashing. But the market has shifted, and buyers who understand what that shift means are…
When buyers start calculating what they can afford, most think about the down payment, the loan amount, and the monthly mortgage payment. What often gets overlooked until it shows up in underwriting is the homeowners association fee. If you are buying in a planned community, a condo building, or a master-planned neighborhood in Texas, HOA…
If you have been told in the past that your credit score was not quite there for a mortgage, this week’s news is worth paying attention to. The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) jointly announced that Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Housing Administration are…
You found the home, made the offer, and the seller said yes. Congratulations. Now comes the part that trips up a lot of first-time buyers: the stretch between signing the contract and sitting at the closing table. For most Texas buyers, that window runs 30 to 45 days, and a lot happens inside it. Knowing…
If you have been watching the new construction market and wondering whether builders are feeling more or less confident heading into summer, the latest national data gives a clear answer: less. The National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo Housing Market Index for April 2026, released this week, showed builder confidence falling to its…