Texas Home Programs

Texas Home Programs provides a summary of housing-related programs for homebuyers in the state of Texas. A number of programs provide home buying assistance to individuals based on income.

The Texas Home Programs Web site and educational programs are made possible by the Texas Association of Real Estate with the assistance of other community-based organizations.

Grapevine Texas Housing Authority

The Grapevine Housing Authority (GHA) plays a crucial role in administering the HUD Public Housing program in Grapevine, Texas. With a total of 98 units,…

San Antonio First Time Home Buyers Program

The City of San Antonio and Neighborhood Housing Services Department manage a program that offers assistance with down payments and closing costs. The program, known…

Austin Home Rehabilitation Loan Program

The Home Rehabilitation Loan Program is a commendable initiative aimed at promoting home ownership among low-income families in Austin, Texas. The program offers interest-free loans…

Austin Home Programs

Looking to buy a duplex in Austin, Texas but struggling to come up with a down payment? If you’re a first-time homebuyer with a low…

Texas Investment Property Program

Looking for affordable rental housing for low-income households? Look no further than the Housing Tax Credit (HTC) program, which directs private capital towards developing and…

Dallas Real Estate Program

Department of Housing Neighborhood Revitalization: Aims to strengthen families and neighborhoods by creating and preserving safe, affordable housing and mitigating community member displacement. Cultivates a…

Plano First-Time Homebuyers Program

The City of Plano’s First Time Homebuyers Assistance and Educational Program (FTHB) is provided with funds from the United States Department of Housing and Urban…

El Paso Mortgage Loans

Buyers GRANTS UP TO 5% OF PRINCIPAL LOAN AMOUNT TO HELP BUY A HOME WITHIN EL PASO CITY LIMITS: Household of 2 or less $71,200…

Dallas Mortgage Assistance Program

The Dallas Homebuyer Assistance Program (DHAP) provides homeownership opportunities to low- and moderate-income homebuyers through the provision of financial assistance when purchasing a home, in accordance with federal,…

City of El Paso Home Repair Loans

The Department of Community and Human Development offers services to assist homeowners with repairs to bring their dwelling unit into compliance with the International Residential…

Plano Housing Rehabilitation Program

Plano Housing Rehabilitation Program is a program that provides financial assistance to rehabilitate single-family homes. Property must be located in the city of Plano. Eligibility…

College Station Downpayment Assistance

The Down Payment Assistance Program provides qualified homebuyers with shared equity, gap financing of up to 30% of the sales price, capped at $50,000. The…

Houston Single Family Home Repair Program

Help is available to repair and rebuild homes of low- and moderate-income homeowners in the City of Houston. The Single-Family Home Repair Program evaluates damaged…

Texas Veterans Housing Assistance

In 1983, the Legislature created the VLB Veterans Housing Assistance Program (VHAP), to aid Texas Veterans in purchasing a home. Eligible Texas Veterans and Military…

Galveston Home Programs

HOME Investment Partnership Program Purpose The primary purpose of the HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) is to expand the supply of decent, safe, sanitary, and…

Consumer Issues

Building a Good Credit Record

The best way to maintain your credit standing is to repay all debts on time. But there may be complications. To protect your credit rating, you should learn how to correct mistakes and resolve misunderstandings.

When there’s a problem, first try to deal directly with the creditor. Credit laws can help you settle your complaints without a hassle.

On your first attempt to get credit, you may face a common frustration: sometimes it seems you have to already have credit to get credit. Some creditors will look only at your salary and job and the other financial information that you put on the application. But most also want to know about your track record in handling credit, namely, how reliably you’ve repaid past debts. They turn to the records kept by credit bureaus or credit-reporting agencies, whose business is to collect, store, and report information about borrowers that is routinely supplied by many lenders. These records include the amount of credit you have received and how faithfully you’ve repaid.

Predatory Lending

If you are considering borrowing for a home you’ll want to make sure you are working with a reputable lender. Or if you are a homeowner who needs money to pay bills or to make some home repairs, you may think a home equity loan is the answer. But not all loans and lenders are the same. You should shop around. The cost of doing business with high-cost lenders can be excessive and, sometimes, downright abusive. For example, certain lenders, often called “predatory lenders”, target homeowners who have low incomes or credit problems or who are elderly by deceiving them about loan terms or giving them loans they cannot afford to repay.

Borrowing from an unscrupulous lender, especially one who offers you a high-cost loan using your home as security, is risky business. You could lose your home and your money. Before you sign on the line, think about your options, do your homework, and think twice before you sign. You have rights under the law.

Lead-based Paint in Texas Homes

Approximately three-quarters of all houses in the U.S. built before 1978 contain some lead-based paint. When properly maintained and managed, this paint poses little risk. However, 1.7 million children have blood-lead levels above safe limits, mostly due to exposure to lead-based paint hazards.

Lead-based paint is a major source of lead poisoning for children and can cause permanent damage to the brain and many other organs and causes reduced intelligence and behavioral problems. Lead can also cause abnormal fetal development in pregnant women.

Texas Home Buyer Resources

Texas Houses For Sale

Texas Home Inspectors

Texas Title Insurance