Buying in Houston
Quick answer
If you are exploring down payment assistance in Houston, your first step is to schedule a 30-minute consultation with me, Eddie Weir. We will discuss your housing goals, preferred area and timeline, then I can introduce you to a TSAHC-approved lender. I coordinate the home search; the lender confirms eligibility, payment, cash to close and loan terms. An agent consultation is not a loan approval.
I am Eddie Weir with REMAX Signature. TSAHC stands for the Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation, one provider of down payment assistance for eligible Texas homebuyers. Your first step is a 30-minute consultation with me. Tell me where you hope to live, what you want in a home and when you need to move. I can introduce you to a TSAHC-approved lender for the financing conversation. You do not need to send me financial documents to book our consultation. The lender reviews your file and confirms program eligibility and loan terms; I help plan the home search around those answers.
Video accuracy note: The video says a grant never has to be repaid. TSAHC says repayment may apply if the first mortgage is refinanced or paid off within six months; a three-year forgivable lien can be repayable after an early sale, refinance or transfer. Ask about the current repayment terms and verify the video’s income, credit and tax figures with your lender before relying on them.
Why start with your agent?
Our first conversation connects your housing goals with the steps needed to buy. We can discuss the areas you are considering, the kind of home you want, your move date and the ownership budget you want to understand. I can explain how lender review, tours, an offer, inspections and closing fit together. TSAHC assistance is delivered through an approved lender with the first mortgage. My role is to coordinate the homebuying plan and introduce you to that financing conversation.
This page prepares you for our consultation. The companion TSAHC offer-comparison article helps you evaluate actual quotes after the lender provides them. You can also read my TSAHC consultation page before we meet.
What to bring to our 30-minute consultation
Bring your questions and a short outline of your housing plans: preferred areas or counties, home type, move date and the features that matter to you. Tell me if another person will be part of the purchase so we can plan who needs to join the next conversation. You can describe the monthly ownership budget you want to discuss without sending account balances or sensitive records.
Do not send tax returns, bank statements, identity documents or other financial records through an ordinary website contact form. After the introduction, the lender will provide its document list and secure delivery instructions. A self-employed borrower or another person on the loan may need a different document list.
Questions to ask about down payment assistance before touring
How will we plan my home search? Ask how we will narrow areas, compare homes and decide when to begin tours. A preferred neighborhood and a realistic ownership budget both matter. We should understand the financing questions still open before arranging a tight tour around one house.
How does the lender introduction work? I can introduce you to a TSAHC-approved lender. That lender confirms its current offerings and reviews your file. Ask what happens after the introduction, who will contact you and what information the lender will need. An introduction is not a guarantee of assistance or loan approval.
What should we understand about the budget? We can identify questions about the purchase price, property taxes, insurance, HOA dues and other ownership costs. The lender supplies financing estimates, including principal and interest, mortgage insurance when required, cash to close and any reserve requirements. We use those answers to plan the search rather than treating a video example as your payment.
How do my move date and financing timeline fit together? Ask how tours, an offer, inspections and closing fit your intended move. After the introduction, the lender confirms any education requirements, rate-lock window and financing conditions. We coordinate those dates without promising that a particular home or loan will close on a fixed schedule.
Which assistance questions should the lender answer? Ask me to help organize a written question list. The lender explains the program and assistance structure it offers, current eligibility rules, quoted payment and cash to close, and repayment triggers. Ask what happens to a grant after an early refinance or mortgage payoff, and to a forgivable lien after an early sale, refinance or transfer. I can help keep these questions visible; the lender’s written terms govern the loan.
What happens after the lender introduction?
The lender confirms the applicable program, requests financial documents through its secure process and identifies what remains unverified. Income caps, credit requirements and available assistance can change, so recorded figures need current confirmation. I do not decide whether a job title qualifies for a program or whether your income and credit meet its requirements.
Before we build a tour budget, we want an understandable payment estimate, estimated cash to close for a stated price, repayment conditions and a list of open requirements. An address-specific insurance quote may change the ownership budget; the Houston home insurance comparison guide shows questions to ask using fictional examples.
If a Mortgage Credit Certificate is offered, it is a separate tax item rather than assistance cash or a guaranteed refund. A qualified tax adviser can explain whether IRS Form 8396 applies. The consultation and lender introduction do not replace tax advice.
Agent consultation checklist
| Discuss with Eddie | What we can plan | Next confirmation |
|---|---|---|
| Preferred area and home type | A focused home search and property questions | Lender confirms program occupancy and property rules |
| Move date and purchase timeline | Sequence of introduction, financing review, tours and offer | Lender confirms financing and education deadlines |
| Monthly ownership budget questions | Taxes, insurance, HOA dues and other costs to investigate | Lender provides the actual loan-payment estimate |
| TSAHC lender introduction | Contact path and next conversation | Approved lender confirms current offerings and eligibility |
| Cash-to-close and reserve questions | A clear list of costs and funds to ask about | Lender provides an estimate and any reserve requirements |
| Repayment if plans change | Questions about an early sale, refinance, transfer or payoff | Lender explains written grant or lien terms |
| Financial documents | Who requests them and how to deliver them safely | Lender supplies its document list and secure instructions |
Frequently asked questions
Should my first step be a consultation with Eddie?
Yes. Schedule a 30-minute consultation so we can discuss your housing goals, area and timeline. I can then introduce you to a TSAHC-approved lender for the financing review.
Can my agent tell me whether I qualify for down payment assistance?
I can explain the buying process and help organize your questions, but I do not approve loans or determine program eligibility. The approved lender reviews your file and confirms current terms.
Do I need to send financial documents before our consultation?
No. Bring your housing plans and questions. After the introduction, send lender-requested financial records through the lender’s secure process, not an ordinary website contact form.
When should we begin touring homes?
We will plan that together. Understanding the lender’s payment estimate, cash to close, repayment conditions and open requirements helps us choose a realistic tour budget and offer timeline.
Start with a 30-minute consultation
Schedule a conversation with me, Eddie Weir, about your homebuying goals, preferred area and timeline. I can then introduce you to a TSAHC-approved lender and help plan the home search around the financing answers.
Schedule a 30-minute consultation with EddieSources: TSAHC repayment explanation; CFPB Loan Estimate guide; CFPB comparing Loan Estimates; IRS Form 8396. Reviewed October 12, 2026.
General information, not a loan approval or tax advice. Ask a TSAHC-approved lender for current program terms and a qualified tax adviser about tax benefits. Informational only; no guarantee of outcomes. If your home is currently listed with a REALTOR®, please do not consider this a solicitation of that listing.
