Question 1

Do you lend in Killeen and around Fort Hood?

Accepted Answer

Yes, across the whole Killeen-Temple metro. We are a Texas direct lender headquartered in Bee Cave, and we fund deals in Killeen, Temple, Harker Heights, Belton, Copperas Cove, Nolanville, Salado, and Troy. Most of that footprint is Bell County; Copperas Cove sits in Coryell County, so its tax and permit rules run through a different courthouse. The metro added roughly 24,000 residents between 2021 and 2025, growing about 1.2% a year, every year positive. Every loan is business-purpose only, on investment property, and terms are subject to underwriting. See loan programs or talk to us.

Question 2

Why does Fort Hood matter when you underwrite a Killeen rental?

Accepted Answer

Because a federal housing allowance sets both the rent floor and the rent ceiling. Fort Hood, redesignated back from Fort Cavazos in a ceremony held July 28, 2025, this time honoring WWI Distinguished Service Cross recipient Col. Robert B. Hood, generates $37.9 billion in economic output and supports 159,692 total jobs, with 34,474 active-duty troops and 126,225 military retirees using the installation. The 2026 Basic Allowance for Housing at Fort Hood runs $1,374 to $1,695 a month for junior enlisted with dependents, which brackets actual metro rents almost exactly: $1,254 in Killeen and $1,612 in Harker Heights as of June 2026. Underwrite to the paygrade of the likely tenant, not to a national rent-growth assumption. There is also a structural churn factor: under the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 U.S.C. section 3955), a tenant with PCS or deployment orders can break a lease on 30 days notice with no early-termination charge, so model turnover into the pro forma rather than treating vacancy as a surprise. See the DSCR program. Subject to underwriting.

Question 3

What will property taxes cost me on a Killeen investment property?

Accepted Answer

Budget roughly 2.0% of assessed value, with no homestead relief for an investor. The Tax Appraisal District of Bell County's 2025 rate table puts the Killeen stack at county 0.3128 plus road district 0.0199 plus city of Killeen 0.7014 plus Killeen ISD 0.8778 plus Central Texas College 0.09, which sums to about 2.00 per $100 of value. Killeen ISD's 0.8778 rate is the metro's tax advantage: Temple ISD runs 1.1372 and Belton ISD 1.1494, roughly 26 to 27 cents higher. Both Killeen and Temple raised their city rates for fiscal 2026, Killeen by 8.2% and Temple by 11.72%, so carry costs are rising, not falling. Check the parcel before you underwrite: Bell County MUD overlays run 0.783 to 1.000 per $100 on top of everything else, which can push a new-build lot near or above a 3% total stack. Talk to your CPA or tax advisor about your own position.

Question 4

Can I run a short-term rental in Killeen?

Accepted Answer

Yes, with an annual permit and no density cap. Killeen legalized and permits short-term rentals under Code of Ordinances section 31-953, effective October 1, 2023, with registration through the city's vendor portal opening May 1, 2024. The current fee schedule prices it at $200 for the initial permit and inspection, $100 for annual renewal, and $75 for a re-inspection. A proposed 200-foot spacing rule between STRs was dropped before the ordinance passed, so there is no density limit. Temple's short-term rental posture has not been confirmed, so do not assume Killeen's rules apply there; check with the city directly before you buy for that use. See the fix and flip program. Subject to underwriting.

Question 5

How does a flat Killeen market change how a deal should be underwritten?

Accepted Answer

The spread gets made at purchase, not at exit. Median list price in the Killeen-Temple MSA was $289,000 in July 2026, down 3.4% from a year earlier and 11.2% off the July 2023 peak, with homes taking a median of 72 days to sell and roughly a third of the 2,401 active listings carrying a price cut that month. That is a slow bleed, not a crash, but it means a flip has to be bought right rather than banking on appreciation to bail out the exit. On the sourcing side, Texas foreclosure sales are non-judicial and run on the first Tuesday of the month at the county courthouse under Property Code section 51.002, and PCS-driven moves around Fort Hood add a steady stream of motivated sellers outside that calendar. Entry basis is also the lowest on the I-35 corridor: Killeen's mid-tier home value was $220,742 in June 2026 against $249,750 in Temple, so the same rehab budget goes further here than in Waco or San Antonio. See the fix and flip program. Subject to underwriting.

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