Texas · The hub
Texas mortgages: what's different
Updated November 2026 · Every dollar figure is an example · Texas rules and limits change, check the current onesMost of a Texas mortgage works like a mortgage anywhere, but a handful of things are set by Texas law and custom rather than by the lender, and knowing which is which tells you where the lenders actually differ. The state constitution writes the rules for cash-out loans and HELOCs. The Department of Insurance sets the title premium. There is no transfer tax. Property taxes are high and ride inside the payment. And the state runs buyer programs with their own rates. Each gets a page below.
Set by Texas, the same at every lender
Texas cash-out refinance rules
Section 50(a)(6) of the constitution: the 80% cap, the 12-day wait, three days to cancel, the 2% fee cap and what it leaves out, one loan a year, and the 50(f)(2) way back to an ordinary loan.
Home-equity loans and HELOCs
The same rules, plus a HELOC's own: a $4,000 minimum draw, no cards, no per-draw fees, the 80% draw line. Which of the three fits.
Title insurance rates
The premium is promulgated by the Texas Department of Insurance, so every title company charges the same. What does vary, the simultaneous-issue rate, and why the Loan Estimate's title lines look odd.
Closing costs in Texas
No transfer tax, no mortgage tax. The survey and the T-47 affidavit, title, escrow, recording, prepaid taxes, and which lines are really the lender's.
Set by the tax office, the same whoever lends
Where the lenders differ
Is my mortgage rate good? The Texas angle
Texas rates track the national market. The Texas-specific adjustments: cash-out pricing, the tax-heavy payment, and program loans. No rate printed; the live one is on Rate Watch.
First-time buyer programs
TDHCA's My First Texas Home, My Choice Texas Home and the MCC; TSAHC's Homes for Texas Heroes and Home Sweet Texas; the VLB. What the help is and how to compare a program loan to a plain one.
The one thing all seven pages say
On a Texas Loan Estimate the title premium, the recording fee, the taxes and the escrow deposit will come out the same whichever lender you pick, because Texas or your county sets them. The part that is the lender's own price is the rate and Section A, "Origination Charges." That is the part worth a second quote. How to compare two Loan Estimates shows how to line two up, and the free Loan Estimate checker reads your Section A against what is typical without anything leaving your browser.
One worked example runs through the site (illustrative): on a $380,000, 30-year fixed loan, a rate of 6.125% instead of 6.625% is about $124 a month, or about $7,440 over five years. Most people only ever get one quote, and the first lender knows it.
Questions people ask
What makes a Texas mortgage different from other states?
Four things set by Texas law or local government, not the lender: the constitution's rules on cash-out loans and HELOCs (an 80% cap on total debt, a 2% cap on lender fees, a 12-day wait, three days to cancel), title insurance premiums set by the Department of Insurance, no transfer or mortgage tax, and high property taxes that ride inside the payment. Rates themselves follow the national market.
Is it harder to do a cash-out refinance in Texas?
Slower and more limited, not harder to qualify for. All your debt on the home together cannot pass 80% of its value, the loan cannot close for 12 days after you apply, you have three days to cancel, and you can only do one every 12 months. Lenders also tend to price the loan a little higher. Details are on the cash-out rules page.
Does comparemyloan work in Texas?
Yes. Tell us the rate and fees you were quoted and we check whether another lender beats them. It is free, there is no credit pull, and nobody calls you. Your details are not passed to any lender unless you choose to take an offer.
Only have one Texas quote?
Tell us the rate and the fees you were quoted. We check whether another lender beats it, fees included. It is free, there is no credit pull, and nobody calls you. The free Loan Estimate checker reads your quote in your browser first; nothing you type leaves it.
Check my quoteTexas rules, rates and limits change; each page says what it is summarizing and as of when. Figures are illustrative and are not a loan offer, approval, commitment to lend, or Loan Estimate. Your actual rates and fees depend on qualification with lenders. comparemyloan does not negotiate with lenders, lock rates, or take loan applications. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice.