The explanations I find myself repeating
Written the way I would explain it sitting across from you, with the terms defined rather than assumed. If something here raises a question, that is what the phone is for.
Reviewed by Jennifer Ferrara, NMLS #2781982Last updated
Market news4 min read
What the October 22 housing order changes for Austin area buyers
A plain look at the October 22, 2026 housing executive order: the mortgage insurance pilot, the title insurance waiver, VA and USDA loans, and what has not changed for a buyer today.
Refinancing
Texas cash-out refinance rules: what Section 50(a)(6) actually means for you
Texas 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.
8 min read
Kyle and Buda
What $400,000 buys in Kyle versus Buda
Kyle 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.
6 min read
First-time buyers
Down payment assistance in Hays County, explained without the jargon
Is 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.
7 min read
First-time buyers
Conventional loan requirements in Texas for 2026, in plain English
What 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.
7 min read
Refinancing
Home improvement loans in Texas: your options and the Texas rules on each
How Texas homeowners pay for renovations: cash out refinance, home equity loans, HELOCs, FHA 203(k), HomeStyle, and the Texas homestead rules on each.
7 min read
Refinancing
When does a refinance actually pencil out?
The real math behind a refinance decision: what the breakeven point is, how to calculate it, and why the reason you refinance matters as much as the rate.
5 min read
Rates and strategy
2026 loan limits for Central Texas: what changed and why it matters
The 2026 conforming loan limit is $832,750. See the FHA and conforming limits for Austin, Kyle, Buda and San Marcos and what changes when you cross them.
5 min read
First-time buyers
First-time home buyers: everything to know before you start
A plain-language guide to buying your first home in Central Texas: budgeting, pre-approval, down payment assistance, and what happens from offer to closing.
8 min read
Rates and strategy
Navigating mortgage rates in Central Texas: what actually moves them
What changes the rate you are quoted, why one lender can quote two numbers on two days, and why shopping your loan beats trying to time the market.
6 min read
Self-employed and 1099
Self-employed income documentation: what actually helps your application
Why a tax return rarely shows what a self-employed borrower earns, what to gather before you apply, and the mistakes that slow an application down.
7 min read
First-time buyers
FHA or conventional? How to actually tell which one is cheaper for you
A plain-language comparison of FHA and conventional loans for Central Texas buyers, including the mortgage insurance difference that catches people late.
6 min read
Guides I am working on
Listed honestly as what they are, rather than posted as empty pages. If one of these is the thing you need right now, ask me and I will just walk you through it.
- How seller concessions actually work in Dripping Springs
- What a 2-1 buydown does to your first two years
Tell me what you are trying to do
Text or call and you reach me directly. I will tell you honestly what it can do and what it cannot, before anybody pulls your credit.