Question 1

Do you lend in the Houston metro?

Accepted Answer

Yes, across greater Houston. We are a Texas-based direct lender headquartered in Bee Cave, and we fund deals in Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, The Woodlands, Pearland, Pasadena, Cypress, and Spring. Every loan is business-purpose only, on investment property, and terms are subject to underwriting. See loan programs or talk to us.

Question 2

How fast can you close on a Houston deal?

Accepted Answer

Same-day term sheet, and funding in as few as 5 to 7 days once title and insurance come together. The Texas calendar is why that matters. Foreclosure here is non-judicial under Property Code section 51.002: notice of sale goes out at least 21 days before the sale, and sales run the first Tuesday of the month at the county courthouse between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., moving to the first Wednesday when the first Tuesday falls on January 1 or July 4. Harris County recycles distressed inventory on that fixed monthly clock, and a bank timeline does not clear it. Texas also closes through title companies rather than closing attorneys, and title premiums are promulgated statewide by the Department of Insurance, so every licensed company charges the same basic premium. Shop your title company on execution, not price. Apply now. Subject to underwriting.

Question 3

Houston has no zoning. What actually controls what I can build?

Accepted Answer

The recorded deed restrictions on that block, plus Chapter 42 of the city code. Houston is the largest U.S. city without conventional zoning, and voters rejected zoning in 1948, 1962, and 1993. In place of a zoning map you get private deed restrictions, which the City will help enforce, and Chapter 42, which sets platting, minimum lot size, building lines, parking, and density. Minimum lot size has been cut to as low as 1,400 square feet for townhouse-style development in the urban core and 3,500 square feet across most of the broader urban area, but neighbors can lock a block down through Special Minimum Lot Size and Special Minimum Building Line designations, and those prevail over the citywide minimums. This is the most common Houston diligence miss we see. Pull the title commitment and the recorded restrictions before you close, and have your attorney read them.

Question 4

How much does flood risk really change a Houston deal?

Accepted Answer

Enough that we ask for the floodplain determination on every file. Two separate things drive it. First, cost of construction: the City's Chapter 19 ordinance, effective September 2018, requires new construction and substantial improvements in the 500-year floodplain to sit 2 feet above the 500-year base flood elevation, with zero net fill, and "substantial improvement" includes expanding an existing footprint by 33% or more. A bump-out can turn a cosmetic scope into an elevation and compensating-storage project. Second, cost of carry: only about 1 in 7 Harris County households carries an NFIP policy, so a seller with no flood insurance is not evidence of no flood risk, and the proposed MAAPnext maps would more than double the county properties in the 100-year floodplain, from about 158,500 to about 330,000, though those maps still face months of review. Under Risk Rating 2.0 the map change drives the mandatory-purchase trigger for federally backed mortgages while the rating engine drives the premium. Carry a flood premium in the expense stack even when the current policy shows none.

Question 5

What should I budget for property taxes and MUD in the Houston suburbs?

Accepted Answer

More than the rate inside the Loop, and the address decides it. Combined property tax inside Houston city limits ran roughly 2.1% of taxable value on 2025 rates, with the school district the largest share. Most newer subdivisions in Katy, Cypress, Fort Bend, and Montgomery County sit inside a Municipal Utility District, a special-purpose taxing district that funds water, sewer, and drainage and levies its own ad valorem tax on top of county, school, and city rates, which can push a total rate toward 3%. MUD rates decline over time as the original bonds amortize, so pull the actual district rate for the specific property rather than using a neighborhood average. One live 2026 item: the Texas 20% circuit-breaker cap on appraised value for non-homestead property, under Tax Code section 23.231, is set to expire December 31, 2026 unless the Legislature extends it, and the homestead cap never applied to investment property. Talk to your CPA about your own position.

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