Identify which Texas administrator belongs in your purchase plan
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) and Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation (TSAHC) provide separate statewide homebuyer resources. Use the city directories above to research mortgage providers, then ask which administrator and named product a lender proposes. Participation in one program does not establish participation in the other.
Match the TDHCA program to your purchase history
TDHCA's My First Texas Home program has a first-time-homebuyer requirement with specified targeted-area and qualified-veteran exceptions. My Choice Texas Home does not require first-time status. Both descriptions pair mortgage financing with down payment and closing cost assistance. Give the lender your prior ownership history and proposed address so it can review the appropriate program and current requirements.
Use TDHCA's participating-lender page to check the mortgage company handling the application. If the loan officer is unfamiliar with the program, the page provides txhomebuyer@tdhca.texas.gov for assistance. Ask which mortgage and assistance documents you will receive, who handles the reservation and how any city or county assistance would be coordinated. A Mortgage Firm listing does not establish TDHCA participation.
Review TSAHC assistance terms with its participating lender
TSAHC's official FAQs describe Homes for Texas Heroes and Home Sweet Texas as separate program paths. Ask a TSAHC-approved lender to review the current occupational or household requirements rather than assuming either name establishes eligibility. Its application FAQ directs buyers to participating lenders for the application and qualification process; buyers do not submit mortgage applications directly to TSAHC.
The repayment FAQ distinguishes a grant with an early first-mortgage payoff or refinancing restriction from a deferred forgivable second-lien loan with sale, refinancing or transfer repayment conditions. Request the current agreement and ask about each condition, the forgiveness date and any remaining balance. A grant description should not be read as permission to ignore its conditions, and deferred assistance is not automatically forgiven at closing.
Separate program education from individual financial preparation
TDHCA requires approved homebuyer education and identifies Finally Home! as its preferred course, while also listing other accepted providers. Before enrolling, have the lender confirm the course for the named program, required attendees and certificate deadline. If you are considering TSAHC financing instead, ask that lender to confirm its education requirements; an administrator's course list should not be assumed to satisfy every program.
TDHCA's counseling page links HUD housing counselors and other financial-literacy resources. It describes pre-purchase help with credit, the lending process and budgeting for homeownership costs. Ask a counselor about your residence and purchase area, appointment format, language support and fees. Use an individual session for financial preparation, and confirm separately whether a course supplies the certificate required for your mortgage.
Check homeowners, flood and coastal wind coverage separately
The Texas Department of Insurance distinguishes homeowners, flood and wind or hail policies. Its comparison explains that most home policies do not cover floods and that most coastal home policies do not cover wind and hail. Ask an insurance agent what the proposed property's policy includes and whether separate flood or wind coverage is needed; do not use a statewide description as a property-specific coverage determination.
Request quotes for the complete coverage arrangement and coordinate coverage start dates and lender requirements before closing. Ask how premiums enter the monthly housing budget and which deductibles you would need to fund separately after a loss. An assistance estimate does not answer whether the property's insurance is in place or what its ongoing coverage will cost.
Published by Mortgage Firm, an independent directory. Program administrators and lenders determine current availability and eligibility. Our editorial approach