Mortgage broker in Buda, TX
Buda sits about 15 miles south of Austin, and two things the listing never shows shape your payment here: the property tax rate and whether the home sits inside a MUD.
Most of the new construction is in Sunfield and Persimmon, where a MUD adds to the tax bill. Because I am a broker rather than a bank, your loan goes out to a panel of more than 40 wholesale lenders, and the spread between the best and worst quote is real money over the life of the loan. I also work with buyers in nearby Kyle and Uhland, and I set every builder’s lender offer beside that panel so you see what it means for your payment.
Combined property tax rate
1.94%
Median price
Median sale price about $390,000 (Redfin, three months to September 2026)
Reviewed by Jennifer Ferrara, NMLS #2781982Last updated
Buda, TX
- Combined property tax rate
- 1.94%
- Median price
- Median sale price about $390,000 (Redfin, three months to September 2026)
The short answer
The monthly payment in Buda starts with a property tax rate of about 1.94%, set by the county, your school district and, inside city limits, the city, so two homes at the same price can cost different amounts each month. The 2026 loan limits are $832,750 for conventional and $571,550 for FHA. I check the real rate for your address before you make an offer.
Sources: Hays Central Appraisal District · FHFA 2026 conforming loan limits · HUD FHA mortgage limits
Buda property taxes, line by line
| Taxing entity | Rate | Monthly on a $400,000 home | Monthly on a $390,000 home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hays County | 0.41% | $137 | $133 |
| City of Buda | 0.39% | $130 | $127 |
| Hays CISD | 1.14% | $380 | $370 |
| Combined | 1.94% | $646 | $630 |
Before homestead exemptions and any MUD or PID on the property. The second column uses the median sale price cited above. I pull the exact number for a specific address before you write an offer.
Down payment assistance in Buda
Down payment help
Buda does not currently run its own city-funded down payment assistance program. Real options still apply here: TSAHC’s statewide programs, and BCL of Texas’s NeighborhoodLIFT, a down payment assistance program funded in rounds that can be fully reserved, so I check current availability. I check what you qualify for on the full Texas Grants page.
See every Texas grant and down payment program I work withSunfield and MUDs: the tax line the listing never shows
Much of Buda’s new construction in Sunfield sits inside municipal utility districts, called MUDs. A MUD levies its own tax on top of the county, city and school district, and the amount depends on which MUD the address is in.
For 2026, Sunfield MUD No. 3 and No. 4 are $0.90 per $100 of value, and Sunfield MUD No. 1 was $0.87 in 2025, the latest rate I could confirm. That is roughly another 0.87% to 0.90% on top of Buda’s combined 1.94%. On a $400,000 home it adds about $3,480 to $3,600 a year before any exemption. Sunfield has several districts, so ask which one a home is in, and I will add the MUD line to your payment before you write an offer.
Kyle versus Buda at $400,000Questions people ask about buying in Buda
Buda is smaller and more settled than Kyle: about 16,000 people in 2025, up about 7 percent since the 2020 Census (Census estimate, July 2025), with about three in four households owning their home. Half of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher, and the median owner occupied home is worth about $447,000 (Census ACS, 2020 to 2024). That price range puts conventional financing in play for most buyers.
These are the loan situations people describe when they ask a search engine or an AI assistant about buying here. Each answer is short on purpose. Your own numbers decide the rest.
What do I need to qualify for a conventional loan to buy in Buda, TX?
Conventional looks at your credit, your monthly debts compared to your income, and the cash you bring, and Texas property taxes count in that math. Mortgage insurance on a conventional loan can come off once you reach 80 percent of the home’s original value. The 2026 conforming limit is $832,750 in Hays County, which covers most of Buda. My conventional requirements guide walks through every piece.
Conventional loan requirementsHow does a MUD or PID in a new Buda, TX neighborhood change my loan?
The assessment is added to your annual tax bill and the lender counts it in your debt to income, so it changes what you qualify for. It is also a separate figure for each lot, which is why I pull the exact number before you write an offer instead of relying on the builder’s estimate.
Conventional loansKyle or Buda, TX: which is cheaper for the same budget?
It depends on the address more than the town. Redfin put Buda’s median sale price near $390,000 and Kyle’s near $292,000 over the three months to September 2026, and Buda’s tax rate is a bit lower at 1.94 percent versus Kyle’s 2.10. At $400,000 you are shopping the middle of the market in Buda and the higher end in Kyle. I compare real addresses in my Kyle versus Buda guide.
What $400,000 buys in Kyle vs BudaI’m self-employed. Can I buy in Buda, TX without two years of tax returns?
Sometimes. A bank statement loan qualifies you on your deposits instead of your tax returns, which helps when write offs lower your taxable income. These programs have their own credit and cash requirements, so I match your file to the lenders that fit rather than guess.
Self-employed loansThe seller offered a rate buydown in Buda, TX. Is it worth taking?
A buydown lowers your payment for a set period using money from the seller or builder, and it can be worth taking when the concession is real. It is only worth it compared to other uses of that money, like closing costs or a permanent buydown. I show the options side by side with your numbers and never push one.
2-1 buydowns
How Buda buyers usually finance
Price points and buyer profiles differ market to market, so the financing conversation does too. These are the ones Buda raises most often.
First-Time Homebuyer
Buda draws first-time buyers who want a smaller-town Main Street close to Austin, at prices that track close to Kyle.
Conventional
Buda’s median sale price sat around $390,000 over the three months to September 2026 (Redfin), a price where solid credit and conventional financing usually cost less over the life of the loan.
FHA
FHA keeps Buda within reach at 3.5 percent down when credit or debt load is tight, and the 2026 FHA limit for Hays County is $571,550.
Bridge
Moving up out of a Buda starter home? Your equity can fund the next down payment, so an offer in Sunfield or Persimmon does not have to wait on a sale.
Guides for Buda buyers
Written for this part of Texas, with the numbers and rules that apply here.
- What $400,000 buys in Kyle versus BudaKyle and Buda at $400,000, side by side: how much house each buys, what property taxes add, and where Sunfield MUD and 6 Creeks PID change the math.
- Down payment assistance in Hays County, explained without the jargonIs there a Hays County down payment assistance program? What buyers in Kyle, Buda, and San Marcos actually use, how it works with FHA, and the real tradeoffs.
- Conventional loan requirements in Texas for 2026, in plain EnglishWhat it takes to qualify for a conventional loan in Texas in 2026: credit, down payment, debt to income, PMI, the $832,750 limit, and the Texas parts.
Calculators with Buda’s tax rate built in
This is not a commitment to lend. All loans are subject to credit approval, income and property verification. Rates, terms, and programs are subject to change without notice. Nook Lending is powered by MPA Home Loans. Jennifer Ferrara, Loan Officer, NMLS #2781982. MPA Home Loans NMLS #2778343. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Buying in Buda
What are property taxes like in Buda, TX?
Property taxes in Buda run about 1.94% combined: Hays County at 0.41%, the City of Buda at 0.39%, one of the lower city rates among the seven cities I work in, and Hays CISD at 1.14%, the same school district that covers Kyle. The ISD rate still drives most of the bill, and I run your specific number before you write an offer.
Looking for a mortgage lender in Buda, TX?
If you search for a mortgage lender in Buda, you are really looking for someone to get your loan approved at a fair price. I work as a licensed mortgage broker (Jennifer Ferrara, NMLS #2781982, with MPA Home Loans), which means I compare more than 40 wholesale lenders on your exact numbers instead of showing you one bank's menu. You still get one point of contact from first call to closing.
What school district is Buda, TX in?
Hays CISD, the same district as Kyle. It is the largest single piece of the property tax bill here, so it is worth understanding before you compare Buda to a city in a different district.
What are the newest communities to buy new construction in Buda, TX?
Sunfield and Persimmon are where most of the new-build activity is right now. Sunfield has multiple builders going, including Taylor Morrison, Pulte Homes, and David Weekley Homes, while Persimmon is built exclusively by MileStone Community Builders. Garlic Creek in west Buda and Ruby Ranch, known for custom homes on larger lots, are older neighborhoods where most purchases are resales, which changes the financing conversation. I run builder financing and any incentives against comparable resale homes so you can see the real cost difference before deciding.
What’s the median home price in Buda, TX right now?
Redfin puts Buda’s median sale price at about $390,000 over the three months to September 2026, down 6.6% year over year. Buda tracks close to Kyle on price, where Redfin has the median near $292,000 over the same period.
What is there to do in downtown Buda, TX?
Main Street is a genuine afternoon out, not just a drive-through. Buda Mill & Grain Co. turned a 1914 grain mill into a walkable marketplace of shops, restaurants, and cafes, and it is a good gauge of what living in Buda actually feels like day to day.
Sources
- Hays County adopts FY2027 budget and tax rate, $0.41 (My Neighborhood News, citing Hays County)
- City of Buda budget and tax rate, $0.39 (City of Buda)
- Hays CISD 2026 tax rate resolution, $1.14, adopted September 28, 2026
- Redfin, Buda housing market (three months to September 2026)
- U.S. Census Bureau, Buda, population and 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey
- District Directory, Sunfield MUD No. 3 and No. 4 (2026 rates, $0.90)
- District Directory, Sunfield MUD No. 1 (2025 rate, $0.87)
- Hays Central Appraisal District
- FHFA 2026 conforming loan limits
- HUD FHA mortgage limits
- TSAHC homebuyer programs
- BCL of Texas, NeighborhoodLIFT
Looking in Buda?
Tell me the price range and what you are working with. I will show you the real monthly number and the cash you would need, before you fill out anything.