The price gap is the headline California’s median home price is forecast to reach $905,000 in 2026, up 3.6% from $873,900 in 2025 (source: California Association of Realtors, 2026 housing forecast). Texas markets vary widely by metro, but typical values in growth areas like Katy, outside Houston, run closer to $337,000 — meaning the same…
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Where prices actually stand The typical home value in Katy, Texas currently sits at $337,000, down 3.4% over the past year, with homes going to pending in around 33 days on average (source: Zillow, data through July 2026). That combination — a modest price pullback alongside a still-brisk pending timeline — points to a market…
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The old “1% rule” isn’t reliable anymore For years, conventional wisdom said refinance when rates drop a full percentage point below your current rate. That’s a rough shortcut at best — the real answer depends on your loan balance, your closing costs, and how long you plan to stay in the home, not a fixed…
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Step 1: Get pre-approved before you shop (1–3 days) Pre-approval is a lender’s conditional commitment based on a review of your income, assets, credit, and debt — not just a quick credit-score guess. A real pre-approval, done before you start touring homes, tells you an accurate price range and makes your offer credible to a…
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Forget the “3x your salary” rule The old rule of thumb — buy a house worth roughly three times your annual income — ignores debt, interest rates, taxes, and insurance, all of which move the real number substantially. Lenders don’t use that math, and neither should you. The ratio that actually decides it: DTI Debt-to-income…
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The number that draws the line Every year, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) sets the conforming loan limit — the largest loan Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will buy. For 2026, that baseline limit is $832,750 for a one-unit home in most U.S. counties, up $26,250 from 2025. Anything borrowed above that county’s limit…
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What “Non-QM” actually means Non-QM stands for “non-qualified mortgage” — a loan that doesn’t meet the specific underwriting box the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau defines for a standard Qualified Mortgage. That doesn’t mean it’s risky or unregulated; it means the lender is documenting your ability to repay a different way, which matters most for borrowers…
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Federal law requires your Closing Disclosure (CD) in your hands at least three business days before closing, and it’s worth reading closely rather than skimming to the signature line. Page one covers the loan terms — amount, rate, monthly payment, and whether any of those can change, plus a projected-payments table showing how taxes and…
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Buying U.S. real estate without a U.S. credit history, Social Security number, or domestic income doesn’t rule you out — it just changes which programs apply. Foreign National loans are built specifically for this: underwriting leans on verified assets, international credit or bank references, and a larger equity cushion in place of a FICO score…
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A rate lock freezes your interest rate for a set window — typically 15, 30, 45, or 60 days — while your loan moves through underwriting and to the closing table. Without a lock, your rate floats with the market until you close, for better or worse. Locks aren’t free in the sense that pricing…
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