Mortgage broker in Austin, TX
Austin is many markets in one, and the south side shows it.
The citywide median sale price is about $537,000 (Redfin, three months to September 2026), but 78745 sits closer to $431,000, 78748 near $423,000, 78749 near $580,000, and 78704, which covers Zilker, Travis Heights, and Bouldin Creek, near $788,000. A heavy share of buyers are self-employed or on 1099 income and need a lender who can actually read that income instead of declining it on sight. The tax bill stacks five ways too, Travis County, the City of Austin, Austin ISD, Central Health, and Austin Community College, so I show you what it adds to the monthly payment before you write an offer.
Combined property tax rate
2.12%
Median price
Median sale price about $537,000 (Redfin, three months to September 2026)
Reviewed by Jennifer Ferrara, NMLS #2781982Last updated
Austin, TX
- Combined property tax rate
- 2.12%
- Median price
- Median sale price about $537,000 (Redfin, three months to September 2026)
The short answer
The monthly payment in Austin starts with a property tax rate of about 2.12%, 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: Travis Central Appraisal District · FHFA 2026 conforming loan limits · HUD FHA mortgage limits
Austin property taxes, line by line
| Taxing entity | Rate | Monthly on a $400,000 home | Monthly on a $537,000 home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travis County | 0.39% | $129 | $173 |
| City of Austin | 0.58% | $193 | $260 |
| Austin ISD | 0.92% | $306 | $411 |
| Central Health | 0.13% | $44 | $59 |
| Austin Community College | 0.10% | $35 | $46 |
| Combined | 2.12% | $707 | $949 |
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 Austin
Down payment help
The City of Austin runs its own down payment assistance program: up to $40,000 as a 0% deferred loan, forgiven after 10 years in the home, for households at or below 80% of area median income. One real gap to know about: SETH’s 5 Star program excludes Travis County entirely, so it is not an option here. TSAHC’s programs and BCL of Texas’s NeighborhoodLIFT (funded in rounds, so availability changes) both still apply, covered on the full Texas Grants page.
See every Texas grant and down payment program I work withQuestions people ask about buying in Austin
In Austin the median sale price is about $537,000, and in the 78745 ZIP code it is closer to $431,000 (Redfin, three months to September 2026), which makes it the most expensive of the seven markets. A real share of buyers here are small business owners and 1099 earners whose tax returns understate what they earn, so the questions below lean toward self-employed income and down payment help.
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.
I’m self-employed in Austin, TX and write off a lot. Can I still qualify?
Yes, often. A bank statement loan reads your deposits instead of your tax returns, so write offs stop working against you. These programs have their own credit and cash requirements, and lenders differ a lot on how they count deposits. Shopping across my panel of more than 40 lenders is how I find the one that reads your income the best.
Self-employed loansIs there down payment help for a first-time buyer in Austin, TX?
Yes, and the options differ from the rest of Hays County. The City of Austin offers a deferred loan of up to $40,000 for buyers at or below 80 percent of area median income, forgiven after 10 years in the home. TSAHC programs apply here too. SETH’s 5 Star program does not cover Travis County. I compare what you qualify for side by side.
Texas down payment programsShould I use a mortgage broker or my bank to buy in Austin, TX?
A bank can only offer you its own loans. As a broker I shop your loan across more than 40 wholesale lenders and show you the options side by side, and the decision stays yours. A broker is not always cheaper on every file, which is why I compare your bank’s estimate to what the panel offers.
Get a second opinion on an estimateI’m moving up within Austin, TX. Can I buy before I sell?
Often, yes. A bridge loan uses the equity in your current home to fund the next purchase, so your offer does not depend on your sale. It costs more than a standard loan, so I show it next to the alternative of selling first and renting, and you decide.
Bridge loansCan I get a loan for a condo or townhome in Austin, TX?
Yes, but the building matters as much as you do. FHA and conventional lenders each review the condo project itself, including how it is run and its finances, so some buildings are easier to finance than others. Send me the address and I check whether the building works before you write an offer.
Conventional loans
Loan options across Austin’s price range
Price points and buyer profiles differ market to market, so the financing conversation does too. These are the ones Austin raises most often.
First-Time Homebuyer
78745 sits closer to $431,000 and is where a lot of first-time and move-up buyers land in Austin.
Conventional
With the city median around $537,000, conventional with solid credit is the usual route, and the right structure changes as you move toward 78704.
Self-Employed / Bank Statement
Austin has a real concentration of small business owners and 1099 earners, and a bank statement loan reads your deposits instead of your write offs.
Bridge
Trading up within Austin? Your current equity can cover the next down payment, so the offer does not hinge on selling first.
Guides for Austin buyers
Written for this part of Texas, with the numbers and rules that apply here.
- 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.
- Home improvement loans in Texas: your options and the Texas rules on eachHow Texas homeowners pay for renovations: cash out refinance, home equity loans, HELOCs, FHA 203(k), HomeStyle, and the Texas homestead rules on each.
- Texas cash-out refinance rules: what Section 50(a)(6) actually means for youTexas cash out refinance rules and requirements: the 80 percent cap, the 12 day letter, once a year, rental properties, and refinancing out of it later.
Calculators with Austin’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 Austin
Do you serve all of Austin, TX, or just part of it?
Nook Lending is a mortgage broker serving all of Austin, TX. Austin is one of the seven Central Texas markets Jennifer Ferrara works in most, alongside Kyle, Buda, San Marcos, Driftwood, Dripping Springs, and Wimberley. She is licensed throughout Texas and can write a loan anywhere in the state.
Looking for a mortgage lender in Austin, TX?
If you search for a mortgage lender in Austin, 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 is a typical home price in Austin, TX right now?
It depends heavily on the pocket. Austin overall has a median sale price near $537,000 over the three months to September 2026, per Redfin, down 0.5% year over year. 78745 sits closer to $431,000, 78748 near $423,000, 78749 near $580,000, and 78704, which covers Zilker, Travis Heights, and Bouldin Creek, near $788,000, per the same source. I can tell you what that means for your actual payment once I know which part of Austin you are looking at.
Why do so many Austin, TX buyers need a self-employed or 1099 mortgage option?
Austin has a real concentration of small business owners, creative freelancers, and contract workers, and a standard W2 underwriting box was never built for that income. Bank statement and asset-based programs qualify you on what actually lands in your accounts instead of the net number your tax return shows after write offs, which is usually the difference between a decline and an approval for this exact buyer profile.
What are property taxes like in Austin, TX?
Property taxes in Austin run about 2.12% combined, stacked across five separate rates: Travis County (0.39%, FY2027), the City of Austin (0.58%, adopted for FY2026-27), Austin ISD (0.92%, adopted for 2026-27), Central Health (0.13%, FY2027), and Austin Community College (0.10%, FY2026-27). That is real money on top of principal and interest, and I run the actual number for you before you write an offer, not after.
Sources
- Travis County planning and budget, 2026 tax rate, $0.39 (Travis County)
- City of Austin approves fiscal year 2026 to 2027 budget and tax rate, $0.58 (City of Austin)
- Austin ISD 2026 tax rate, $0.92 (Community Impact)
- Central Health fiscal year 2027 budget and tax rate, $0.13 (Central Health)
- Austin Community College property taxes, 2026 rate $0.10 (Austin Community College)
- Redfin, Austin housing market (three months to September 2026)
- Redfin, ZIP 78745 housing market (three months to September 2026)
- Redfin, ZIP 78748 housing market (three months to September 2026)
- Redfin, ZIP 78749 housing market (three months to September 2026)
- Redfin, ZIP 78704 housing market (three months to September 2026)
- U.S. Census Bureau, Austin, population and 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey
- City of Austin, homebuyer education and assistance
- Travis Central Appraisal District
- FHFA 2026 conforming loan limits
- HUD FHA mortgage limits
- TSAHC homebuyer programs
- BCL of Texas, NeighborhoodLIFT
Looking in Austin?
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.