Mortgage lenders in Houston, TX

Mortgage costs to compare in Houston

Figures come from the official sources listed on this page for the Houston area. Lender fees vary; your Loan Estimate shows your actual costs. Henry is not a lender.

Housing market timing in Houston

Plan around the condition of the property and the actual transaction deadlines, not a claimed best buying month. Check flood and storm preparedness information through the Houston Floodplain Management Office, and ask your lender and closing agent how a weather disruption would affect inspections, insurance binding, document delivery, or signing. No seasonal price trend or lender turnaround promise is assumed here.

Landlord rules and local requirements

For mortgage planning, start with homestead and property-tax due diligence: apply through the appropriate county appraisal district and verify eligibility using the Texas Comptroller exemption guidance. A mortgage is not a renovation permit. For proposed work, contact the Houston Permitting Center and its Floodplain Management Office about applicable construction and floodplain approvals; do not assume closing authorizes alterations.

Mortgage lender licensing in Texas

The Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending regulates mortgage origination licensing within its jurisdiction. Check company and individual records through NMLS Consumer Access; confirm whether the originator is state-licensed or federally registered and whether the record matches the business contacting you. Henry does not issue loans or act as your mortgage broker.

Buying a home in Houston: start with the property, not a headline

Houston, Texas homebuyers need an address-specific plan rather than a metro-wide price assumption. This overview deliberately does not present a median sale price, inventory count, or forecast. Start with homes that fit your location needs and ask a lender to evaluate the actual property, ownership structure, and intended occupancy. The city identifies Greater Heights as a north-central community inside the 610 Loop; that location is useful for orienting a search, not for predicting financing terms. Use the City of Houston Greater Heights profile to understand the area's boundaries without assuming that every home there has the same condition or risk.

Before making an offer, keep three separate files: the property condition record, the financing record, and the ownership-cost record. An inspection belongs in the first, lender disclosures in the second, and insurance and property-tax information in the third. This prevents a favorable impression of a house from replacing due diligence. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau home inspection guidance distinguishes an independent inspection from an appraisal. One evaluates the home's physical condition for your decision; the other generally supports the lender's valuation process. Neither substitutes for the other.

Mortgage broker Houston: broker, lender, bank, and credit union

A mortgage broker helps connect a borrower with lending options, while a lender provides the mortgage financing. Banks and credit unions can also make home loans. Ask the person handling your application who will actually lend, who will collect documents, and who can explain an underwriting request. A broker's available options should not be mistaken for every loan available in the market. The CFPB mortgage shopping guidance encourages contacting banks, credit unions, other lenders, and brokers rather than relying on a single conversation.

Henry is not a lender or mortgage broker and does not make credit decisions. Henry sends your request to up to 3 local lenders; you compare and choose one or nobody. The matching step is not a mortgage application or a commitment to borrow. Use the action labeled “Get matched with 3 lenders” if you want those introductions, then discuss your circumstances directly with the lenders. Keep sensitive financial documents in the lender's secure application channel rather than including them in an initial matching message.

Check both the company and the individual loan originator. The Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending explains the state's mortgage licensing framework and use of NMLS. Search NMLS Consumer Access and compare the legal name, identifier, and authorization shown there with the person contacting you. Bank or credit-union originators may be federally registered rather than state-licensed; ask which status applies. A familiar business name or a polished website does not replace checking the actual record.

Home loans Houston: conventional, FHA, VA, and USDA options

Ask each lender to explain which loan categories fit the same intended home and occupancy. Conventional loans are distinct from government-insured or government-guaranteed programs; do not assume that one category is automatically suitable because you are buying for the first time. Keep the loan amount, term, purpose, and property assumptions consistent when comparing documents. The CFPB Loan Estimate explainer shows where loan type, product, mortgage insurance, and other important terms appear. Ask for an explanation of unfamiliar conditions before selecting a loan.

FHA loans involve federal mortgage insurance, not a direct promise of financing from Henry. HUD FHA Single Family Housing explains that the insurance protects participating mortgage lenders and includes upfront and recurring mortgage insurance premiums. Ask the lender to identify those costs in its disclosures. For eligible service members, veterans, and certain other applicants, VA-backed financing is another path. The Department of Veterans Affairs eligibility guidance explains the Certificate of Eligibility and makes clear that service eligibility does not remove lender credit, income, and occupancy requirements.

USDA's Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program applies to eligible rural properties and eligible households. A home marketed as being in the Houston region is not automatically eligible, and a suburban-sounding address is not proof either. Use the address eligibility tools linked by USDA Rural Development and ask a participating lender to confirm both property and household eligibility. Discuss this option when a search extends into potentially eligible surrounding areas, not as a blanket Houston-city benefit. Keep any program determination attached to the exact property you intend to buy.

First time home buyer Houston: state and city assistance

The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs offers My First Texas Home and My Choice Texas Home. The TDHCA program overview distinguishes the first-time-buyer focus of My First Texas Home, including stated exceptions, from My Choice Texas Home, which does not require first-time status. Approved homebuyer education is part of the program process. Ask a participating loan officer to document current eligibility, assistance structure, and the obligations attached to the specific option offered. Do not assume that a program name means every buyer or every purchase qualifies.

The Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation offers the Home Sweet Texas Home Loan Program and Homes for Texas Heroes Home Loan Program. TSAHC homebuyer program information describes Home Sweet Texas as serving low- and moderate-income buyers and Homes for Texas Heroes as serving specified professions and veterans. Ask about the actual assistance instrument, repayment triggers, and what happens if you sell, refinance, or move out. Assistance should be evaluated alongside the first mortgage and your ownership plans, not treated as cash without conditions.

Local help must be checked separately. The City of Houston Housing and Community Development Homebuyer Hub lists Homebuyer Assistance Program 2.0 and Community Housing Development Organization resources. The separate City Homebuyer Assistance page currently carries an exhausted-funding notice and says it is not accepting or processing additional applications. Those pages should not be read as a promise that assistance is available for your transaction. Confirm the exact program, current intake status, property boundaries, education requirements, environmental review, and funding reservation before putting assistance in your closing budget.

Ask the program administrator and lender whether combining assistance sources is permitted. Obtain an explanation of any subordinate lien and keep copies of its documents with your first mortgage paperwork. A lender's willingness to discuss assistance is not confirmation that the administrator has reserved funds. Build your purchase schedule around written requirements and contract deadlines rather than an anticipated reopening date or an informal statement about future availability.

Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure: compare the same transaction

The CFPB guide to reviewing Loan Estimates says lenders must send a Loan Estimate within three business days after receiving the six key application items. Review each document for the same home, loan amount, term, and loan type. Confirm that the information matches what you requested before comparing individual charges. If one lender used different assumptions, ask for an explanation rather than concluding that the smaller cash-to-close figure represents a better choice.

Use the CFPB Loan Estimate explainer to separate origination charges, services you can shop for, services you cannot shop for, prepaids, and initial escrow deposits. Lender credits and seller credits also need context. Ask whether a credit changes other loan terms and whether it covers the cost you expected. Do not compare only the bottom line: differences in tax estimates, insurance assumptions, or escrow deposits can make two otherwise similar disclosures look unlike one another.

The CFPB closing document guidance says you must receive the Closing Disclosure three business days before closing. Compare it with the latest Loan Estimate and raise unexplained changes promptly. Ask for the promissory note, deed of trust, and deed in advance as well. Check spelling, property details, ownership information, and cash-to-close instructions. A scheduled moving truck is not a reason to sign documents you do not understand or to ignore a discrepancy that needs correction.

Texas closing costs and the Houston closing timeline

Start the schedule with the purchase contract and work backward from its financing and closing deadlines. Arrange the inspection promptly, provide requested lender documents through secure channels, and ask the closing agent about title work and recording. There is no universal closing duration promised here. The CFPB inspection guidance recommends allowing time to resolve problems, and its closing preparation guidance explains advance document review. Ask who owns each unfinished task so an inspection issue is not confused with a title issue or a missing financial document.

For Harris County property, the Harris County Clerk Real Property fee schedule lists $25.00 for the first recording page, $4.00 for each additional page, and $0.25 for each indexed name beyond five. Those are document-recording charges, not a complete buyer closing bill. Ask the closing agent how many instruments and pages are being recorded and which charges your contract assigns to you. Do not apply the Harris County schedule to a property recorded in another county merely because its mailing address says Houston.

Texas title insurance uses promulgated premium rates. The Texas Department of Insurance basic premium chart should be applied for the policy amount and applicable effective date; do not substitute a generic national title percentage. Ask the title company to identify policy premiums, endorsements, any applicable credits, and separate settlement charges. Confirm which party pays each item under your contract. The cost table intentionally omits unsupported appraisal and inspection price ranges: obtain property-specific charges instead of treating an unsourced city average as a reliable allowance.

Homestead, taxes, flood review, and neighborhood due diligence

Texas property tax is locally assessed and administered, not a state property tax. The Texas Comptroller property tax exemption guidance says most exemption applications go to the appraisal district where the property is located and gives a general deadline before May 1. Ask that district about residence homestead eligibility and filing requirements after purchase. Do not carry the seller's exemption assumptions into your own budget without checking. Keep the tax-account information and district correspondence with your closing documents for later review.

Flood review is an address-level task, not a neighborhood reputation contest. The Houston Permitting Center Floodplain Management Office provides floodplain information and administers floodplain development permitting. Ask about the parcel's mapped status, available elevation documentation, and any proposed work before deciding that a renovation can wait until after moving in. Discuss insurance requirements and coverage with the lender and insurance provider early. A loan appraisal does not resolve every flood, repair, or insurance question you may have as the future owner.

Compare homes on a consistent checklist: travel needs, property type, inspection findings, insurance information, tax accounts, and documented repair needs. Do not infer lending eligibility, flood safety, or resale outcomes from a neighborhood label. For a Heights property, for example, use the city's Greater Heights boundaries for orientation, then examine the individual parcel. Keep personal preferences separate from financing conditions so that choosing an area does not mean overlooking title exceptions or unresolved inspection concerns.

Refinancing and planning work after you buy

If you already own a Houston home, describe the purpose of refinancing before requesting lender documents. Ask how the proposed transaction changes the loan term, closing costs, lien structure, and any existing assistance obligations. Compare the new disclosures with your current loan records rather than assuming refinancing is beneficial. The CFPB Loan Estimate explainer identifies loan purpose and estimated closing costs as items to review. This page does not predict whether a refinance will produce savings or whether a particular borrower will qualify.

After purchase, prioritize documented safety and maintenance concerns before optional changes. Keep the independent inspection report available when arranging follow-up evaluations and distinguish urgent defects from cosmetic preferences. Before authorizing construction, verify applicable city requirements, especially for property in a regulated floodplain, with the Houston Floodplain Management Office. The after-you-buy items below are planning prompts, not priced packages or an assurance that every home needs the work. Obtain scope-specific information before allocating the money left after closing.

Areas Henry covers

Greater Heights · Houston Heights

Common questions

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