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Can I Own a Home?

Houston home affordability check

Your rent might already cover a mortgage.

I earn $ a year, pay $ a month in rent, and have $ saved.

  1. 01

    Tell us three numbers

    Your yearly income, your rent, and your savings. Add a zip code, or leave it blank to search all of Houston.

  2. 02

    We work out what you can afford

    A simple formula turns your income, debts and savings into a monthly budget and a top price, using rates you can check.

  3. 03

    Our models pick and judge the homes

    A trained price model finds homes in your budget, says if each price is fair, and warns you if a cheap home sits in a flood-prone area.

View the rates we use(and where to check them)

These are our starting assumptions, not a loan offer. You can change the interest rate and loan term in the controls on the results page. Use the numbers from your lender when you have them.

Mortgage interest rate7.32%
Average 30-year fixed rate from Freddie Mac's weekly survey, released 22 October 2026. It changes every week, and your own rate depends on your credit.Freddie Mac weekly rates
Property tax1.8% of the price, per year
Harris County estimates range from about 1.5% (based on Census data) to 2% or more (lender estimates). Your real bill depends on the home and its taxing districts.Harris County property tax guide Texas tax rates by county
Home insurance1.5% of the price, per year
A rough middle. Houston quotes cluster around $5,400 to $6,400 a year for a $300,000 home, but sources range from about $1,800 to $9,000. Flood insurance is extra.Houston home insurance costs Another estimate
Mortgage insurance (PMI)0.6% of the loan, per year
Added when your down payment is under 20% of the price. Typical lender rule of thumb.
Housing budget rule28% of income, or 36% with debts
Lenders often limit housing to 28% of gross monthly income, and housing plus other debts to 36%. We use whichever gives the lower number.

Or describe it

Tell us who's moving in

Household size, a yard, an extra bedroom for an office. Describe it in your own words and the search will narrow to homes that fit.

Assistant

Tell me who's moving in, your yearly income, what you pay in rent, and how much you have saved. A zip code is optional: skip it and I'll search all of Houston. Add anything the home needs, like a yard or an extra bedroom. I'm an automated assistant running on Google Gemini, so check anything important.