Austin buyer resources
Field kit · 06-2026The working toolkit — assistance programs, the people who help you close, and the calculators that keep you honest about cost. For the raw data behind the market, see the sources file.
SEC. 1 First-Time & Assistance Programs
Down-payment help and below-market rates exist if you qualify. Check the income and price caps before you assume you don't.
TDHCA — My First Texas Home
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs runs statewide first-time-buyer programs offering below-market rates and down-payment and closing-cost assistance, subject to income and purchase-price limits.
City of Austin Housing
The city's housing department lists local down-payment assistance and homebuyer programs, plus the Austin Housing Finance Corporation's offerings for eligible buyers within the city.
Texas State Affordable Housing Corp
TSAHC offers Home Sweet Texas and Homes for Texas Heroes loans, with down-payment grants for teachers, first responders, veterans, and moderate-income buyers.
HUD Texas Homeownership
HUD's Texas page links FHA loan basics, HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (free or low-cost), and foreclosure-avoidance help.
SEC. 2 Local Lenders & Credit Unions
Local institutions often beat national banks on rate and close faster. Get pre-approved before you shop — it is your negotiating power.
University Federal Credit Union
UFCU is one of Austin's largest member-owned lenders, with local mortgage underwriting and a long track record in the Central Texas market.
Amplify Credit Union
An Austin-based credit union known for low- and no-fee mortgage products and local servicing.
CFPB Rate Explorer
A neutral, government-run tool to see the range of rates lenders are actually offering for your credit profile — so you can sanity-check any quote.
CFPB Loan-Options Guide
Plain-language explainers on fixed vs. adjustable, conventional vs. FHA/VA, and how rate buydowns work — with no sales agenda.
SEC. 3 Calculators & Cost Tools
Run the numbers before you fall in love with a listing. Property tax and insurance are the line items newcomers underestimate.
CFPB Buying-a-House Guide
A step-by-step walkthrough from budgeting to closing, including loan-estimate and closing-disclosure checklists to compare offers apples-to-apples.
TCAD Property Lookup
Look up the actual tax history and assessed value of any Travis County property so your monthly estimate includes the real holding cost, not a guess.
Homestead Exemption
The Texas Comptroller's exemption page: how to file for the homestead exemption and the over-65 freeze that lowers your school-tax bill.
FEMA Flood Lookup
Enter an address to check flood-zone status before you make an offer — it drives insurance cost and resale risk in flood-prone Central Texas.
SEC. 4 Across the WholeTech Network
Sister sites that cover the rest of the Austin housing picture.
Austin Pads
Renting instead, or weighing rent vs. buy? Austin Pads covers the local rental market and neighborhood apartment guides.
Austin Retire
Retiring to Austin — 55+ communities, downsizing, and the over-65 tax considerations that change the math.
Austin Cribs
A look at notable Austin homes and architecture across the metro — for ideas and neighborhood feel.
WholeTech Network
The full network of independent Texas and technology reference sites this file belongs to.
Want the Data, Not the Tools?
The annotated sources file lists the listing portals, the MLS, the county appraisal districts, and the market reports every figure on this site comes from.