About 30% of mortgage buyers used a gift or loan from family or friends, Zillow reported this week. Here is how FHA gift funds work under HUD rules: who can give, what the gift letter must say, how to document the transfer, what money cannot be a gift and how Texas buyers can keep the gift from delaying closing.
Mortgage rates just hit their highest level in nearly three years, and more Texas buyers are asking whether they can take over a seller’s FHA loan. Here is how an assumable FHA loan works under HUD rules: the credit review, occupancy, fees, the seller’s release, the equity gap and why subject-to deals are risky.
FHA will accept VantageScore 4.0 and FICO 10T for case numbers assigned on or after January 1, 2027, and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac aligned pricing across score models on October 1. Here is what is changing, what is not, and how Texas buyers can get their credit ready.
Texas REALTORS says buyers faced less competition in 2026, and rising borrowing costs make cash to close more important. Here is how seller concessions work, the FHA, VA and conventional limits, and how to ask for one in your offer.