How we report
Where our Texas program facts come from
We don't copy other directories. Here's how each fact on this site gets checked, and what our labels mean.
Primary sources only
Right now we follow 33 Texas programs through 58 official documents. That means the state housing agencies' own program pages, term sheets and income charts, plus the pages that cities, counties and nonprofits post for their local programs. Dollar amounts, income caps, price caps and rules come straight from those documents. News stories and third-party lists don't count as a source. When two official documents disagree, we tell you on that program's page rather than quietly picking one.
How fresh it is
Every program card shows the month we last checked it. We go back to the official pages on a regular schedule and change a program's status when its money runs out, a new round opens or its terms change. A program that has shut down for good comes off the site. One that is only closed for now stays listed, marked closed, so you know to come back.
Our labels, decoded
| Label | What it means |
|---|---|
| Taking applications | Lenders or the program office are accepting new buyers. |
| Money can run out | Paid from a yearly or limited pot. Check that funds remain before you apply. |
| Waitlist | Current money is spoken for; new buyers join a waitlist. |
| Not taking applications | Closed today. Many reopen when the next round of money arrives. |
| Grant, nothing to repay | Free money. You never pay it back. |
| Loan that is forgiven over time | Wiped out if you live in the home long enough. Sell or refinance early and you owe some or all of it. |
| Loan due when you sell or refinance | No monthly bill, but the full amount comes due when you sell, refinance or move out. |
| Loan with a monthly payment | Repaid month by month like any other loan. |
Lines we won't cross
We won't call something a grant unless the official terms say it never gets repaid. If we can't confirm a program's amount or terms, it gets a short listing and no full write-up until the program publishes them. Nobody pays to be listed. We are not a lender and not a government office.
See something stale?
Rules shift. If a program's status or terms have changed, write to leads@txdownpmtassistance.com and we'll go back to the source.
