Ready to Buy a Home in Texas? Start With BOLD100.

There is no single number. Minimum scores are set by the loan program and then layered with each lender's own requirements, and your credit history, collections, recent late payments and debt-to-income ratio all factor in alongside the score.

Some buyers with scores in that range do buy, often through FHA financing, and others need a few focused months of credit work first. The score alone never decides it — the full file does.

No. A 700 score helps with pricing, especially on conventional loans, but several programs are built for buyers below that. Higher scores generally mean lower mortgage insurance and better terms, not permission to buy.

No. Twenty percent avoids mortgage insurance on a conventional loan, but VA and USDA can be structured with no down payment for eligible buyers, FHA is a low-down-payment program, and conventional loans go as low as 3% for qualifying buyers.

Plan for cash to close, which is your down payment plus closing costs plus escrow funding — not the down payment alone. Gift funds, seller credits, lender credits and assistance programs can cover part of it.

Yes. Texas buyers may have access to state, county, city, nonprofit and employer programs, most of which require homebuyer education. Eligibility and availability vary by program and by borrower.

Down payment assistance exists in many forms across Texas — grants, forgivable soft second liens and repayable second mortgages — each with its own income limits, purchase price limits and credit requirements. No one can guarantee assistance in advance.

Sometimes, depending on the program, the purchase price and your eligibility. Many programs cover part of the down payment, part of closing costs, or a fixed amount rather than everything.

Most programs allow gift funds from acceptable donors when documented with a gift letter and a clear paper trail. Cash handed over without documentation generally cannot be used.

Seller-paid closing costs are negotiable in the contract and are capped by the loan program. In a competitive market it is a trade-off against price, and in a slower market it is one of the most useful tools a buyer has.

Yes, many buyers do. Student loans are counted in your debt-to-income ratio, and each program has its own rules for deferred or income-driven payments.

An eviction is not an automatic disqualification. What matters is what appears on your credit and rental history, whether any related collection was resolved, and how much time has passed. It is worth a real conversation rather than an assumption.

Many buyers do after the required waiting period, which depends on the chapter filed and the loan program, and on rebuilt credit since discharge.

A government-insured mortgage with flexible credit guidelines and a low down payment. Mortgage insurance is required regardless of down payment size and generally stays for the life of most current FHA loans.

A 0%-down government-backed mortgage for eligible buyers purchasing in USDA-eligible areas, subject to household income limits. Much of the map surrounding Central Texas cities qualifies.

Eligible veterans, active-duty service members, certain Guard and Reserve members, and some surviving spouses, confirmed by a Certificate of Eligibility. Lenders set their own credit requirements since the VA does not.

A mortgage that is not government-insured, available as low as 3% down for qualifying buyers, with mortgage insurance that can typically be removed once equity requirements are met.

Typically photo ID, recent pay stubs, W-2s or tax returns, two months of bank statements, and documentation for any special situations. BOLD100 includes an interactive checklist so nothing is missing when you apply.

Principal, Interest, Taxes and Insurance — your full monthly housing payment. In Texas, taxes and insurance are a large share of PITI, so a principal-and-interest-only estimate understates the real payment.

Debt-to-income ratio: your monthly debt payments plus the proposed housing payment divided by your gross monthly income. Car notes, student loans and credit card minimums count; groceries and utilities do not.

Your down payment goes toward the price of the home and becomes equity. Closing costs pay third parties — appraisal, title, taxes, prepaid insurance and lender fees — for making the transaction happen.

Often one to three business days once your documents are in. The bottleneck is almost always gathering paperwork, not lender turn time.

Yes. BOLD100 is a free homebuyer readiness workshop presented by HomeDream Mortgage Group. There is no cost and no obligation to apply for a mortgage.

Yes. BOLD100 is on demand — register, start whenever you want, pause anytime, and your progress saves so you can pick up where you left off. Live group workshops are also available for organizations with at least six confirmed guests.

No. Many participants finish BOLD100, work their plan for a few months, and apply later. Others are ready right away. The workshop exists to tell you which one you are.