Austin Home Loans

Austin went from a college town with good BBQ to one of the most in-demand housing markets in the country — and the price tags followed. Tesla’s Gigafactory, Samsung’s chip fab, Apple’s campus, Oracle’s headquarters relocation, and Meta’s data center buildout have turned the Austin metro into a tech corridor that rivals parts of the Bay Area. The difference is you can still buy a house here for under $500K — you just can’t be picky about where.

The median home price in Austin hovers around $500K, making it the most expensive major metro in Texas. But the surrounding suburbs — Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Pflugerville, Leander, and Dripping Springs — offer real options for buyers who don’t need to live inside city limits.

If you’re moving to Austin for work, the key question is which side of town your office is on — that determines which suburbs actually make sense for you.

Loan Programs Available in Austin

We finance homes across the Austin metro, from downtown condos to Hill Country acreage.

Programs available:

• FHA Home Loans — 3.5% down with flexible credit. A good fit for first-time buyers getting priced out of central Austin and looking at Pflugerville, Hutto, or Manor.
• VA Home Loans — Zero down for veterans and active military. Fort Cavazos (formerly Fort Hood) is about an hour north, and many military families settle in the Austin suburbs.
• Conventional Loans — 15- and 30-year fixed rates. The most common product for Austin’s tech-employed buyers with strong income and credit.
• Jumbo Loans — Required in Westlake Hills, Tarrytown, Barton Creek, and large parts of central Austin where homes clear the conforming limit.
• USDA Loans — Zero down in eligible areas outside the metro core. Parts of Georgetown, Liberty Hill, and Bastrop may qualify.
• Bank Statement Loans — Austin’s startup scene and freelance economy mean plenty of buyers with non-traditional income. Qualify with 12 or 24 months of deposits instead of tax returns.
• DSCR Loans — Investment property loans qualified on rental income. Austin’s rental demand stays strong thanks to UT, tech hiring, and ongoing population growth.

Austin Housing Market

Austin’s price correction from the 2021–2022 peak brought the median back to roughly $500K — still the priciest in Texas, but more realistic than the $550K+ it hit during the frenzy. Inventory has loosened, buyers have more room to negotiate, and the days of waiving inspections to win a bid are mostly behind us.

Here’s the lay of the land:

• Central Austin (78704, 78731, 78703): $600K–$1.2M+. Older homes in Travis Heights, Zilker, and Bouldin Creek hold value. Teardown lots in Tarrytown sell for land value alone. South Congress and East Austin have gentrified significantly — prices reflect it.
• Round Rock / Cedar Park: $350K–$550K. Strong schools in Round Rock ISD, short commute to tech employers on the north side. Apple, Dell, and Samsung campuses are all accessible. Lots of new construction competing for buyers.
• Georgetown: $300K–$500K. One of the fastest-growing cities in the country. Retirees and young families both flock here. Sun City is a major 55+ community. Downtown Georgetown’s historic square has driven up prices in the surrounding blocks.
• Pflugerville / Hutto / Manor: $280K–$400K. The affordability play for Austin buyers. New master-planned communities going up constantly. Pflugerville has better highway access; Hutto and Manor offer the lowest entry prices.
• Leander / Liberty Hill: $300K–$450K. North of Cedar Park, connected by 183A toll road. Leander has grown from a small town to a real suburb in under a decade. Crystal Falls and Travisso are popular communities.
• Dripping Springs / Bee Cave / Lakeway: $500K–$900K+. Hill Country living with Austin access. Larger lots, higher price per square foot. Lake Travis waterfront properties can push well past $1M.
• Bastrop / Elgin: $250K–$380K. East of Austin. More rural feel, longer commute, but some of the best value in the metro. Tesla Gigafactory has made the Bastrop corridor more interesting for buyers who work on that side of town.

Things to Know Before Buying in Austin

• STR regulations are tightening. Austin has been cracking down on short-term rentals. If your investment strategy depends on Airbnb income, check current city rules before buying. Type 2 STR licenses (non-owner-occupied) in residential zones have been phased out in many areas. Surrounding cities like Round Rock and Georgetown have their own rules — check locally.
• Property taxes are steep. Travis County rates run around 1.8–2.2%, and with Austin’s higher home values, the dollar amount adds up fast. A $500K home can carry $10K+ per year in property tax. Williamson County (Round Rock, Georgetown, Cedar Park) rates are comparable.
• The commute matters. Austin’s infrastructure hasn’t kept pace with its growth. I-35 through central Austin is under a massive reconstruction project. Where you buy relative to where you work makes a real difference in quality of life. Toll roads (183A, 45, 130) help if you’re willing to pay.
• New construction incentives are common. Builders in the outer suburbs are offering rate buydowns, closing cost credits, and upgrades to move inventory. Worth asking about — especially in Pflugerville, Hutto, and Leander.

Why Buyers in Austin Choose 1st Nationwide

Austin’s market moves differently than the rest of Texas. Higher prices, tech-heavy income profiles, and a competitive seller environment mean you need a lender who gets it.

• We know Austin’s price tiers. From a $320K starter in Pflugerville to a $900K home in Westlake Hills, we match the right loan program to your price point and financial picture. Austin’s market has more price variation than any other Texas metro — cookie-cutter advice doesn’t cut it here.
• Tech-worker friendly. RSU income, startup equity, contract-to-hire arrangements, and large signing bonuses are common in Austin. We know how to document and qualify these income types when other lenders get confused by anything that isn’t a simple base salary.
• Self-employed and investor programs. Austin’s freelance, consulting, and startup culture means a lot of buyers who don’t have W-2s. Our bank statement and DSCR programs fill that gap without requiring tax returns.
• We work fast. Austin’s competitive inventory means you need a lender who can issue a pre-approval quickly and close on time. We don’t sit on files.
• Licensed in Texas, NMLS #1437886. Direct lender — you work with us from application through closing. No brokers in the middle.

Get Started

Whether you’re a tech worker buying in Round Rock, a freelancer looking at Cedar Park, or an investor eyeing a rental in East Austin — let’s talk numbers.

Call (833) 350-9185 to talk to a loan specialist, or apply online to get your pre-approval started.

We’ll help you figure out what you can afford, which program makes sense, and how to move quickly when you find the right place.