Can you buy a home in an Austin floodplain, and what does it change? Last updated November 2026 Yes, you can buy a home in an Austin floodplain, but it changes your insurance, your loan, and what you can build later. If the home sits in a FEMA high-risk zone and you use a federally […]

Updated October 2026 Yes, if the seller has a VA, FHA, or USDA loan, you can apply to take over that loan at the seller’s original interest rate instead of today’s rate. It’s called a mortgage assumption, and in 2026 it’s one of the only ways an Austin buyer can lock in a rate that’s […]

Living in University Hills, Austin, TX: A Neighborhood Guide University Hills is a 1960s and 1970s subdivision in northeast Austin where every street is named for a college, the lots are large, the terrain actually has hills, and the houses were built before anyone thought to make them look alike. It sits about seven miles […]

  Low Appraisal in Austin, TX: What Buyers and Sellers Must Do When the House Doesn’t Appraise (2026) What happens when a home doesn’t appraise in Austin, TX? When a home in Austin appraises below the contract price, the buyer’s lender will only finance up to the appraised value, leaving a gap the buyer and […]

Austin Foundation Issues and Clay Soil: What Every Buyer Must Know Before Making an Offer Do Austin homes have foundation problems because of clay soil? Yes, and the risk is higher than most buyers realize. Austin’s eastern half sits on Blackland Prairie clay, a high-plasticity soil that expands when wet and shrinks dramatically during Austin’s […]

By Muñoz Group at Compass | May 26, 2026 What happens when a home appraisal comes in low in Austin, Texas? When an appraisal comes in below the purchase price in Austin, the buyer has five options: pay the difference in cash, negotiate with the seller to reduce the price or split the gap, request […]