Mortgage Broker in San Marcos, TX
San Marcos, about 31 miles south of Austin, runs on Texas State University and the spring-fed San Marcos River, and that mix creates two very different loan stories.
One is the teacher or public sector household working out what it can actually qualify for. The other is the investor weighing a market with a large, steady rental base. Blanco Vista and La Cima are the two master-planned communities that come up most. Either way, I start with your real numbers, income, credit and the property, and show you which loan and which programs fit.
Combined property tax rate
1.95%
Median price
Median sale price about $300,000 (Redfin, three months to September 2026)
Reviewed by Jennifer Ferrara, NMLS #2781982Last updated
San Marcos, TX
- Combined property tax rate
- 1.95%
- Median price
- Median sale price about $300,000 (Redfin, three months to September 2026)
The short answer
The monthly payment in San Marcos starts with a property tax rate of about 1.95%, 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
San Marcos property taxes, line by line
| Taxing entity | Rate | Monthly on a $400,000 home | Monthly on a $300,000 home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hays County | 0.41% | $137 | $102 |
| City of San Marcos | 0.65% | $217 | $163 |
| San Marcos CISD | 0.89% | $297 | $223 |
| Combined | 1.95% | $650 | $488 |
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 San Marcos
Down payment help
San Marcos actually runs its own program: the city’s CDBG-funded Homebuyer Assistance Program, a forgivable loan toward your down payment and closing costs for households at or below 80% of area median income. Funding amounts move with the city’s annual CDBG allocation, so I confirm the current number with the city’s Community Development office before you count on a figure. TSAHC’s statewide programs and BCL of Texas’s NeighborhoodLIFT apply here too, covered on the full Texas Grants page.
See every Texas grant and down payment program I work withQuestions people ask about buying in San Marcos
San Marcos is a college town first. Texas State enrolled 44,596 students in fall 2025, and only about 31 percent of households own their home (Census ACS, 2020 to 2024). So two kinds of buyers are common here: parents buying near campus for a student, and investors buying small rentals, alongside local buyers using first-time programs.
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.
Can I buy a house in San Marcos, TX for my child who goes to Texas State?
Often, yes. If your student lives in the home, one structure is a non-occupant co-borrower, where your income helps your student qualify. Another is buying it as an investment. The right one depends on who lives there, whose name is on the loan, and your goals, so I walk through both side by side.
FHA loansCan I buy a duplex or fourplex near Texas State and qualify on the rent in San Marcos, TX?
A DSCR loan qualifies the property on the rent it can produce instead of your personal income, which suits investors. Two to four unit buildings can also qualify under conventional rules if you will live in one unit. The two paths have different cash and credit requirements, and I compare them for your property.
DSCR investor loansDoes San Marcos, TX still have a city down payment assistance program?
No. The City of San Marcos ended its homebuyer assistance program in spring 2024, after it helped only two of eight planned families in its last year, and an old brochure is still online. The state programs from TSAHC cover Hays County and are what most buyers here use now.
Down payment help in Hays CountyI teach in San Marcos, TX. Is there a loan program for teachers?
Homes for Texas Heroes from TSAHC covers K-12 teachers, teacher aides, school librarians, counselors, and other eligible professions, as well as veterans, firefighters, EMS and police. You choose a grant or a forgivable second loan, with limits set by county. I originate it through MPA Home Loans and check your exact limits first.
Texas down payment programsShould I use the builder’s lender for a new build in La Cima or Blanco Vista in San Marcos, TX?
It is worth comparing. A builder’s incentive only helps if the loan behind it is competitive, and new communities can add MUD or PID costs the builder’s estimate leaves light. I run the builder’s estimate against my panel of more than 40 lenders and verify the real tax figure before you commit.
New construction in San Marcos
Financing San Marcos, from first homes to rentals near campus
Price points and buyer profiles differ market to market, so the financing conversation does too. These are the ones San Marcos raises most often.
First-Time Homebuyer
San Marcos runs a high volume of sales with a median sale price near $300,000 (Redfin, three months to September 2026), and a lot of the first-time buyers I work with here are teachers and public sector households.
FHA
FHA is also the play for Texas State parents: one unit with the parent as a non-occupant co-borrower can go 3.5 percent down instead of four years of dorm fees.
Conventional
For buyers with solid credit in Blanco Vista or La Cima, conventional usually costs less over time, and I run it against FHA on the same address.
DSCR Investor
A two to four unit building near campus is a DSCR or conventional investment loan, qualified on the rent instead of your personal income.
Guides for San Marcos buyers
Written for this part of Texas, with the numbers and rules that apply here.
- 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.
- FHA or conventional? How to actually tell which one is cheaper for youA plain-language comparison of FHA and conventional loans for Central Texas buyers, including the mortgage insurance difference that catches people late.
- 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 San Marcos’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 San Marcos
What are property taxes like in San Marcos, TX?
Property taxes in San Marcos run about 1.95% combined: Hays County at 0.41%, the City of San Marcos at 0.65%, the highest city rate among the seven cities I work in, and San Marcos CISD at 0.89%, its own school district separate from Kyle and Buda. I run the full combined number against your specific address before you write an offer.
Looking for a mortgage lender in San Marcos, TX?
If you search for a mortgage lender in San Marcos, 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 San Marcos, TX in?
San Marcos CISD, its own district, not Hays CISD like Kyle and Buda. Its 0.89% rate is lower than Hays CISD’s, which is one reason the total tax bill here can land close to Kyle or Buda even with the higher city rate.
Is the San Marcos River actually worth visiting in San Marcos, TX?
Yes, and it is one of my favorite spots in all seven cities I serve. The river is spring-fed and runs clear year round, and floating it right through the middle of downtown, past the historic square, is not something most Texas towns can offer. If you are considering San Marcos, it is worth doing before you decide.
How does Texas State University affect San Marcos, TX as a rental market?
Texas State enrolled 44,596 students in fall 2025, a record and 9.6 percent more than the year before. That gives San Marcos investors two real plays, and they are not the same conversation. If a parent wants to buy a place for their student instead of paying four years of dorm fees, a single unit with the parent as a non-occupant co-borrower can go FHA at 96.5 percent loan to value, 3.5 percent down. Buy a two to four unit building near campus instead, and that shifts to a DSCR or conventional investment loan capped closer to 75 percent loan to value. Two different products, and which one fits depends on what you are actually buying.
What are the newest communities to buy new construction in San Marcos, TX?
Blanco Vista and La Cima are the two I get the most buyers from. Blanco Vista has builders including Buffington Homes, CastleRock Communities, and Pacesetter Homes, while La Cima includes Ashton Woods Homes, David Weekley Homes, and Perry Homes. I run builder financing and any incentives against comparable resale homes so you know which route is actually cheaper before you decide.
What’s the median home price in San Marcos, TX right now?
Redfin puts San Marcos’s median sale price at about $300,000 over the three months to September 2026, down 12.7% year over year, a sharper pullback than Kyle or Buda. That is worth knowing if you are watching the market and deciding when to write an offer.
Sources
- Hays County adopts FY2027 budget and tax rate, $0.41 (My Neighborhood News, citing Hays County)
- City of San Marcos fiscal year 2026 to 2027 budget and tax rate, $0.65 (Community Impact)
- San Marcos CISD tax rates, 2026 to 2027 adopted, $0.89 (San Marcos CISD)
- Redfin, San Marcos housing market (three months to September 2026)
- U.S. Census Bureau, San Marcos, population and 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey
- Texas State University, fall 2025 enrollment
- Hays Central Appraisal District
- FHFA 2026 conforming loan limits
- HUD FHA mortgage limits
- TSAHC homebuyer programs
- BCL of Texas, NeighborhoodLIFT
Looking in San Marcos?
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.