Second Mortgage in Longview

Not when the rental is not your homestead. Article XVI, section 50 of the Texas Constitution limits liens on a homestead to a short list, and a lien outside that list is invalid. That list is where the Texas home equity rules come from: consent of each owner and spouse, an 80% cap on all homestead debt against value, a 2% fee cap with some exclusions, and foreclosure only by court order. They apply to the homestead, not to a rental that is not your homestead. The catch is that homestead status turns on use and intent, and title companies can treat a borrower's only Texas residential property as homestead by default, so expect occupancy to be confirmed, not assumed. This is not legal advice; your attorney or title company has the final say on your property. See the second mortgage program page for terms.

The second can be wiped out, so position matters. Texas courts have held that foreclosure of a senior lien extinguishes junior liens, and Texas liens like this are usually foreclosed outside court, under the deed of trust's power of sale and Property Code section 51.002. Sales run on the first Tuesday of the month, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., after at least 21 days of notice, at the courthouse of the county where the property sits: Gregg or Harrison for a Longview parcel. Harrison lists its 2026 sale dates on the first Tuesdays, including November 3, and its posted notices place sales at the Marshall courthouse or the area the commissioners court designates. Gregg's county site posts a monthly foreclosure list. That is the risk a second lender prices into leverage, and it is why combined loan-to-value counts every lien. For you, a second only works if the first mortgage stays current. If you refinance the first later, the second-lien holder generally has to sign a resubordination agreement so the new first keeps its position. Read lien position explained before you stack debt.

Texas draws the line at purpose. The state's secondary mortgage loan chapter (Finance Code chapter 342) applies to loans extended primarily for personal, family or household use, and the residential mortgage licensing chapters define a covered loan the same way. Whether a loan is business purpose depends on its facts, which is why we ask what the funds are for and whether you occupy the property. No Texas regulator guidance we found speaks to business-purpose seconds directly, so this is not a licensing opinion. Talk to your attorney about your own structure. See Texas investment property second mortgages.

$25 for the first page and $4 for each additional page, in both. A deed of trust that runs 6 pages records for $45 ($25 + 5 x $4), an illustration, not a quote for your documents. Gregg's schedule, effective September 1, 2025, also charges $0.25 for each name beyond five, and Harrison's January 1, 2026 schedule lists the same $25 and $4 lines. The base fee is set under Local Government Code 118.011, which is why Texas schedules look alike. Longview straddles both counties, so the parcel's county decides the clerk. Harrison lists eRecording through CSC, Simplifile, EPN and Indecomm; we did not confirm Gregg's eRecording options, so ask your title company. In Texas a title or escrow company customarily runs the closing. We did not research Rusk or Upshur County fees.

Short-term rentals are eligible with us, subject to underwriting, and Longview registers them. Under Ordinance 4288, a short-term rental rents the whole unit to one renter at a time for one to 30 nights, the city permits it by right in every district it lists, including all six single-family districts, and you apply through Development Services with a Certificate of Occupancy. The permit renews every May with proof that hotel occupancy tax and property tax are current, and three neighbor complaints for noise or traffic in 24 months can get a property removed. The city's page lists no permit fee and we did not find the hotel occupancy tax rate or whether an LLC can hold the permit, so confirm those with the city before you borrow. Rules in nearby cities were not researched.

The full, unabated bill, and the county is reappraising. Texas caps appraisal increases at 10% for homesteads only, so a rental gets no homestead cap or exemption. On 2025 rates, county plus city plus school district is 1.996131 per $100 in Longview ISD, about $4,990 a year on a $250,000 basis (1.996131 x 2,500), and 2.121030 in Spring Hill ISD. Gregg CAD says its residential reappraisal runs from July 2026 to March 2027. A separate 20% circuit breaker for qualifying non-homestead property needs a full calendar year of ownership and is authorized only through December 31, 2026, so do not underwrite a 2027 hold assuming it survives. The protest deadline is May 15 or 30 days after the notice. Talk to your CPA about your own numbers.