Texas
The Texas residential market reflects an orderly transition toward balanced supply conditions, characterized by median prices holding near $348,000 and months of supply resting at approximately 5.2 months. Active inventory remains comfortably elevated compared to pandemic troughs, giving buyers improved negotiation room through modest price concessions even as mortgage rate friction persists.
Median prices moved up 0.2% year over year.
Homes spend a median of 57 days on market with 3.5 months of supply — a fast-moving market.
26% of listings have cut prices · homes sell at 74.82% of asking — demand is cooling.
424 foreclosure-ledger notices — 0.1 per 10,000 residents · unemployment 3.9% · poverty 13.7% — a stable, low-distress profile.
ACS 2024 5-year estimates. Aggregate published statistics for this state — never individual records, and never an attribute of any individual property or resident. Federal enforcement activity is presented only at the state tier as regional context — never imputed onto any county, city, ZIP, neighborhood or parcel beneath it.
Deterministic aggregate of 8 researched counties of 254 — sales_count-weighted (population fallback); per point, children lacking the value or its weight are excluded. Tax rates, sentiment and context notes are tier-native and never roll.
Texas — researched statewide history with a deterministic 1 / 3 / 5-year projection
Solid: researched ten-year history · dotted: 1 / 3 / 5-year projection extended from the historical 7.0%/yr trend — a deterministic estimate, not a published forecast or guarantee.
The amenity base that shapes daily life and property demand in this state — what residents actually live with, and what the pipeline is adding.
Preserves more than 800,000 acres of Chisos Mountains and Chihuahuan Desert terrain along the Rio Grande, offering premier backcountry hiking, river rafting, and certified dark-sky stargazing that anchors West Texas eco-tourism.
A world-renowned urban waterway and UNESCO World Heritage historical site complex lined with dining, cultural venues, and colonial architecture that draws tens of millions of visitors and relocators annually.
The longest undeveloped barrier island in the world, preserving 66 miles of pristine Gulf Coast shoreline, critical Kemp's ridley sea turtle nesting grounds, and extensive coastal recreation.
World-class multi-venue sports district in Arlington hosting the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers, drawing international sporting events, stadium tours, and major concert tours.
A dense pedestrian-oriented arts campus encompassing 19 cultural institutions, world-class art collections, and science museums situated near the Texas Medical Center.
Texas maintains an overall violent crime rate moderately above national averages, though property crime trends have trended downward statewide in recent reporting cycles. Safety metrics diverge significantly between sprawling dense urban cores and master-planned suburban or rural jurisdictions.
Public education is administered across more than 1,000 independent school districts evaluated by the Texas Education Agency's A-F accountability system. High-performing suburban districts in major metropolitan fringes consistently outscore larger urban municipal districts.
Texas faces severe, heterogeneous natural hazards, including tropical storm surges and flooding along the Gulf Coast, intense convective hail and tornado storms across North and Central Texas, and winter freeze and grid strain risks statewide. Property insurance premiums have climbed rapidly, driven by reinsurance tightening and escalating convective storm losses.
The state remains an economic expansion powerhouse anchored by the Texas Triangle, attracting ongoing mega-site manufacturing investments, corporate headquarters relocations, and tech sector expansions. Extensive state highway widening and renewable energy infrastructure projects continue across high-growth corridors.
Composed from the ARED governance burden registry — tier-native tax structure (state + county + city + special districts), never averaged. Federal (United States (federal)) — Federal General Tax Lien Encumbrance: Under IRC § 6321, a statutory lien arises automatically as of the date of assessment and attaches to all real property owned or acquired by the taxpayer. Upon the IRS filing a Notice of Federal Tax Lien (NFTL) in local county land records under IRC § 6323, it perfects priority against subsequent pur Federal (United States (federal)) — Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA) Tax Withholding: Imposes an absolute statutory obligation on the transferee/buyer to withhold gross tax from the total amount realized (purchase price) upon disposition and remit it to the IRS within 20 days using Forms 8288 and 8288-A.
Texas produces the second-largest state gross domestic product in the nation, driven by global leadership in energy and petrochemicals alongside rapid expansions in enterprise software, aerospace, life sciences, and industrial manufacturing. Pro-business regulatory standards and the absence of a personal state income tax continue to fuel corporate relocations and robust capital investment across its urban employment hubs.
Parcels across Texas frequently belong to overlapping special assessment entities including Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs), Public Improvement Districts (PIDs), and emergency services or flood control districts that levy distinct ad valorem taxes on top of standard county, city, and ISD rates.
The Texas residential property insurance market is navigating substantial cost pressures, with statewide premiums climbing due to frequent severe convective storms, coastal hurricane exposures, and tight global reinsurance markets. The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) serves as the insurer of last resort for designated coastal tier counties.
Texas continues to lead the United States in net domestic migration and overall population gains according to IRS and Census population estimates, drawing substantial annual relocations primarily from California, Illinois, and New York attracted by job opportunities, lower cost of living, and favorable tax policies.
Texas operates primarily under a streamlined non-judicial foreclosure doctrine pursuant to powers of sale granted in deeds of trust. Lenders must issue a 21-day public notice of sale following acceleration and default notice, with auctions held on the first Tuesday of the month; statutory post-sale rights of redemption generally do not exist for standard mortgage foreclosures.
Sellers of single-family residential properties in Texas are mandated under Texas Property Code Section 5.008 to execute a comprehensive Seller's Disclosure Notice detailing all known structural, mechanical, environmental, and flood condition defects prior to contract execution, failing which buyers possess statutory contract termination rights.
Data retrieved from data.census.gov statewide tables (B01003, DP02, DP03, DP04, DP05, B19013, B25077).
The Texas residential market reflects an orderly transition toward balanced supply conditions, characterized by median prices holding near $348,000 and months of supply resting at approximately 5.2 months. Active inventory remains comfortably elevated compared to pandemic troughs, giving buyers improved negotiation room through modest price concessions even as mortgage rate friction persists.
applies when — Parcel is encumbered by a Texas constitutional home equity loan (HELOC or lump-sum equity loan).
Bars private power-of-sale foreclosure. Constitutional protections strictly require lenders to obtain a formal judicial or expedited quasi-judicial court order under Texas Rules of Civil Procedure 735 and 736 before initiating foreclosure proceedings against homestead residential property.
Tex. Const. art. XVI, Sec. 50(a)(6)(D); Tex. R. Civ. P. 735, 736.
applies when — Parcel is situated within a Municipal Utility District (MUD), Water Control and Improvement District (WCID), or other special taxing district created under Article XVI, Section 59 of the Texas Constitution.
Subject to supplemental ad valorem debt-service and maintenance tax levies imposed by the MUD board. Sellers are statutorily required to furnish an executed statutory district disclosure notice stating the district's authority to levy taxes, current tax rates, and total authorized bond indebtedness prior to contract execution. If notice is omitted, the buyer maintains statutory rights to terminate the transaction or sue for damages up to $5,000 plus costs.
Tex. Water Code Ann. Sec. 49.452.
applies when — Parcel is located within the unincorporated extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) adjacent to an incorporated municipality (ranging from 0.5 to 5 miles depending on municipal population).
Subjects parcel subdivision and development to municipal platting authority, roadway access rules, and utility easements under Local Government Code Chapter 212, even though municipal zoning does not apply. In 2023, the state enacted a petition/referendum mechanism permitting landowners in an ETJ to unilaterally opt out and release their parcel from municipal ETJ regulation.
Tex. Loc. Gov't Code Ann. Chapters 42, 212, and Chapter 247 (enacted by Texas Senate Bill 2038, effective September 1, 2023).
applies when — Parcel is subject to mandatory membership in a property owners' association under recorded restrictive covenants.
Obligates the seller to provide a formal statutory disclosure notice to the prospective purchaser before contract execution detailing mandatory HOA membership, obligations to pay regular assessments, association restrictive covenants, and the prospect of lien foreclosure for delinquency. Failure to deliver the notice enables the purchaser to terminate the contract prior to closing.
Tex. Prop. Code Ann. Sec. 5.012 and Sec. 207.003.
applies when — Parcel is subject to recorded dedicatory instruments, restrictive covenants, and mandatory membership in a property owners' association (POA/HOA).
Imposes statutory covenants and restrictions on parcel encumbrance and enforcement: association must file management certificates with county clerk and TREC; requires an expedited judicial court order under Tex. R. Civ. P. 736 to foreclose an assessment lien; bars non-judicial foreclosure for purely fine-based or attorney fee liens; guarantees the property owner a 180-day statutory post-foreclosure right of redemption; establishes statutory owner protections preventing POAs from banning solar panels, religious displays, security measures, or rain-harvesting barrels.
Tex. Prop. Code Ann. Chapter 209 (amended extensively under SB 1588 effective September 1, 2021).
applies when — Ad valorem real property taxes assessed by local taxing entities become delinquent under Chapter 33.
Authorizes local taxing entities to seize and judicially foreclose on the parcel to satisfy accrued tax debt, interest, and administrative penalties. Grants former owners an absolute post-sale statutory right of redemption: (1) 2-year redemption window for residence homesteads and ag-exempt land with redemption costs equal to purchase price plus a 25% premium in year 1 or a 50% premium in year 2; (2) 180-day redemption window for non-homestead residential parcels with a 25% premium.
Tex. Tax Code Ann. Chapters 33 and 34 (specifically Sec. 34.21).
applies when — Real property parcel secured by a deed of trust or contract lien containing an express power-of-sale clause upon borrower default (conventional mortgages).
Permits private non-judicial foreclosure without court intervention. Imposes strict statutory procedural timeline: minimum 20-day written notice of default and intent to accelerate with right to cure, followed by minimum 21-day public notice of sale (recorded with county clerk, posted at courthouse, and served on debtor via certified mail). Foreclosure sales must occur on the first Tuesday of the month between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. at the designated county venue. Under Texas law, conventional mortgage non-judicial foreclosure conveys permanent title without any post-sale statutory right of redemption for the mortgagor.
Tex. Prop. Code Ann. Sec. 51.002.
Statutorily compels sellers to affirmatively disclose whether the property is located wholly or partly in a 100-year floodplain, 500-year floodplain, floodway, flood pool, or reservoir; whether the parcel has ever experienced flooding or water penetration into structures during a natural event; and whether the seller currently maintains flood insurance coverage.
Tex. Prop. Code Ann. Sec. 5.008(b), amended by Texas Senate Bill 339 following Hurricane Harvey (effective September 1, 2019).
Obligates the seller to deliver an executed comprehensive written disclosure notice to the purchaser before entering into an executory contract. Failure to deliver the disclosure gives the buyer a statutory, unconditional right to terminate the purchase contract for any reason within seven days after receiving the notice or before closing, whichever occurs first.
Tex. Prop. Code Ann. Sec. 5.008.
applies when — Homestead parcel is owned and occupied by an individual aged 65 or older or an individual who qualifies as disabled under federal guidelines.
Grants an additional mandatory $10,000 exemption from ISD appraised value (Taxable Value_ISD = Appraised Value - $100,000 - $10,000) and establishes an absolute statutory tax freeze (school tax ceiling): total ISD property taxes cannot exceed the dollar ceiling established in the first qualifying year, unless new improvements or additions are made to the parcel.
Tex. Tax Code Ann. Sec. 11.13(c) and Sec. 11.26.
applies when — The residential structure and land (up to 20 acres) are owned and occupied as the owner's principal residence as of the qualification date.
Imposes mandatory state-level valuation deductions and growth limitations on the qualifying homestead: (1) Mandates a $100,000 deduction from appraised value for independent school district (ISD) maintenance and operations/debt taxation: Taxable Value_ISD = Appraised Value - $100,000; (2) Grants optional local-option percentage deductions (up to 20% of appraised value, minimum $5,000) for cities and counties: Taxable Value_Local = Appraised Value - Max(0.20 * Appraised Value, $5,000); (3) Caps annual homestead appraised value increases at 10% plus the value of new improvements: Appraised Value_t <= (1.10 * Appraised Value_{t-1}) + Value_NewImprovements.
Tex. Tax Code Ann. Sec. 11.13 and Sec. 23.23. The ISD exemption was expanded to $100,000 via constitutional amendment (Proposition 4) effective for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2023.
Mandates ad valorem appraisal of all real property at 100% of fair market value as of January 1 each tax year (Assessment Ratio = 1.00). Tax liability formula: Total Tax = SUM[(Appraised Value - Applicable Exemptions) * (Local Taxing Unit Adopted Rate / 100)] across all overlapping taxing units (independent school district, county, municipality, special districts). Establishes a statutory administrative protest and appeal process before the County Appraisal Review Board (ARB).
Tex. Tax Code Ann. Title 1, Subtitles A-D (specifically Sec. 23.01 and Sec. 26.01 et seq.). Annual appraisal cycle effective January 1.
applies when — The parcel contains covered multifamily residential dwellings designed and constructed for first occupancy after March 13, 1991 (defined as all dwelling units in buildings with 4 or more units with an elevator, or ground floor dwelling units in buildings with 4 or more units without an elevator).
Imposes mandatory physical structural criteria on the parcel improvements: (1) accessible building entrance on an accessible route, (2) accessible public and common use areas, (3) usable doors for wheelchairs, (4) accessible routes into and through each dwelling unit, (5) light switches, electrical outlets, and environmental controls in accessible locations, (6) reinforced bathroom walls for grab bar installation, and (7) usable kitchens and bathrooms permitting wheelchair maneuvering. Non-conforming improvements require mandatory structural retrofits and subject developers/owners to federal civil actions.
Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 (42 U.S.C. 3604(f)(3)(C)); HUD regulations at 24 CFR 100.205.
applies when — The parcel secures a residential mortgage originated before the property owner entered active military service, where the debt is enforced during or within one year after active military service.
Restricts lender foreclosure rights by nullifying any non-judicial foreclosure, sale, or seizure of the residential parcel without a court order or valid written waiver executed by the servicemember during or after active duty. Courts are empowered to stay foreclosure proceedings or adjust loan payments. Foreclosing without a court order constitutes a federal criminal misdemeanor and exposes the lender to civil damages.
50 U.S.C. 3953; codified originally as the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940, modernized under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act of 2003 (Pub. L. 108-189).
applies when — The residential parcel is owned by a person or entity that has neglected or refused to pay any assessed federal tax liability (income, gift, estate, or payroll tax) after formal demand.
Under IRC § 6321, a statutory lien arises automatically as of the date of assessment and attaches to all real property owned or acquired by the taxpayer. Upon the IRS filing a Notice of Federal Tax Lien (NFTL) in local county land records under IRC § 6323, it perfects priority against subsequent purchasers, mortgagees, and judgment lien creditors. Rate and computation: The lien secures 100% of the underlying unpaid tax assessment, plus compounding interest under IRC § 6621 (the federal short-term rate plus 3 percentage points) and statutory late-payment penalties under IRC § 6651 (0.5% per month, up to a maximum cap of 25%). No parcel-level homestead exemption exists under federal law against an IRC § 7403 judicial foreclosure or tax collection lien.
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) §§ 6321, 6322, 6323.
applies when — The parcel is improved with target residential housing built before 1978 undergoing renovation, repair, or painting activities for compensation that disturb more than 6 sq. ft. of interior painted surface or 20 sq. ft. of exterior painted surface.
Legally prohibits uncertified contractors from performing qualifying physical alterations on the home. Contractors must be EPA-certified and adhere to specific lead-safe containment, containment plastic barriers, HEPA vacuuming, and cleaning verification protocols. Imposes strict recordkeeping burdens and exposes property alterations to federal administrative stop-work orders and civil fines for uncontained lead dust contamination.
Promulgated under TSCA § 402(c)(3) (15 U.S.C. 2682); codified at 40 CFR Part 745, Subpart E; fully effective April 22, 2010.
applies when — The parcel contains wetlands, streams, or waterways that meet the definition of 'Waters of the United States' (WOTUS) as delineated under the Clean Water Act.
Prohibits the discharge of dredged or fill material into jurisdictional wetlands or waters without a permit issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Restricts residential site grading, driveway installation, structural foundation expansion, or shoreline bulkheading; unauthorized fill mandates compulsory site restoration and subjects parcel owners to civil penalties exceeding $50,000 per day under 33 U.S.C. 1319.
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (Clean Water Act), 33 U.S.C. 1344; current delineation criteria governed in accordance with Sackett v. EPA (2023) and conforming federal rulemaking (40 CFR Part 120 / 33 CFR Part 328).
applies when — The residential parcel is listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, or lies within an eligible historic district, and involves an action subject to federal agency funding, permitting, licensing, or mortgage assistance (e.g., HUD/FHA, VA, USDA, or USACE permits).
Federal agencies must assess adverse effects on historic resources prior to approving loans, grants, or permits. Parcel alterations, demolitions, or rehabilitation programs that receive federal assistance are subjected to binding Section 106 consultation with the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) and must adhere to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, restricting unapproved structural modifications or exterior elevation changes.
National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (54 U.S.C. 306108, formerly 16 U.S.C. 470f); regulations codified at 36 CFR Part 800.
applies when — The parcel is being purchased or refinanced using FHA-insured Title II financing under the National Housing Act.
Restricts financing eligibility based on parcel and structural criteria: (1) County Loan Limits cap the maximum insurable mortgage balance per parcel based on local median housing costs (ranging from a federal statutory floor of 65% of the national conforming limit up to a statutory ceiling of 150%). (2) Imposes mandatory HUD Minimum Property Standards (MPS; HUD Handbook 4000.1 / 24 CFR Part 200) requiring mandatory appraisal repair escrows or seller cures for deficiencies regarding structural soundness, safety, soil stability, drainage, well/septic separation buffers, and lead paint encapsulation before loan endorsement.
National Housing Act of 1934, as amended (12 U.S.C. 1709); annual loan limit updates promulgated under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA).
applies when — The parcel constitutes a U.S. Real Property Interest (USRPI) transferred or disposed of by a 'foreign person' (non-resident alien individual, foreign corporation, foreign partnership, or foreign trust/estate).
Imposes an absolute statutory obligation on the transferee/buyer to withhold gross tax from the total amount realized (purchase price) upon disposition and remit it to the IRS within 20 days using Forms 8288 and 8288-A. Rate structure and formula: Base statutory withholding rate is 15% of the gross sales price. Residential personal residence exemption computation: (1) If the gross sales price does not exceed $300,000 AND the buyer (or family member) intends to use the parcel as a personal residence for at least 50% of days used during each of the first two 12-month periods, the withholding rate is 0%. (2) If the gross sales price exceeds $300,000 but does not exceed $1,000,000 and meets the same personal residence test, the withholding rate is reduced to 10% of the gross sales price. (3) For all sales exceeding $1,000,000, or where the buyer does not satisfy the personal residence requir
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) § 1445; enacted via the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980, with standard rate increased from 10% to 15% pursuant to the PATH Act of 2015.
applies when — The parcel is improved with 'target housing,' defined as any residential dwelling constructed prior to 1978, except housing for the elderly or persons with disabilities (unless a child under age 6 resides or is expected to reside there) or 0-bedroom dwellings.
Before a purchaser or lessee becomes obligated under any contract to buy or lease, the seller or landlord must: (1) provide an EPA-approved lead hazard information pamphlet ('Protect Your Family From Lead In Your Home'), (2) disclose any known lead-based paint or hazards and provide all available records/evaluations, (3) attach a federal Lead Warning Statement and disclosure certification to the contract, and (4) afford buyers a mandatory 10-day mutual inspection period (waivable in writing) to conduct a risk assessment. Failure to comply exposes violators to civil liability, statutory treble damages, and administrative penalties up to statutory maximums per violation.
Enacted under Title X of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 4852d), implemented jointly by EPA and HUD at 40 CFR Part 745 / 24 CFR Part 35.
applies when — The parcel contains an insurable improved structure or manufactured home located within a FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA; 100-year floodplain / 1% annual chance of flood, Zones A or V) in a participating NFIP community, securing a loan made, increased, extended, or renewed by a federally regulated lender or federal agency lender.
Mandates the continuous purchase and maintenance of flood insurance coverage for the term of the mortgage in an amount at least equal to the lesser of: (1) the outstanding principal balance of the loan, (2) the maximum insurable value under the NFIP ($250,000 for residential 1–4 family structures), or (3) the maximum insurable replacement cost value of the structure. If the borrower fails to maintain coverage, the lender must force-place flood insurance at the borrower's expense.
Enacted under the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 4012a), significantly strengthened by the National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994 and the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012.
Governance registry — every jurisdiction re-researches on a rolling 90-day cycle. Property reports compose these inherited burdens into a per-parcel ledger with conditional determinations. Informational only — not legal advice.