Austin: Buying Before Your Current Home Sells
Program and regulatory figures verified September 17, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
Austin's price levels mean the move-up math runs closer to the conforming limit here than anywhere else in Texas, which changes which structures are practical.
What is different about Austin
Price tier. A move-up purchase in Westlake, Tarrytown, Barton Hills or the better parts of Round Rock and Cedar Park lands closer to the $832,750 conforming line than the equivalent move in San Antonio or much of Houston would. Crossing that line changes reserve expectations and documentation depth, and reserves matter more when two properties are involved. The detail is on buying above the Texas loan limit.
Everything else is statewide. The 80 percent homestead ceiling applies in Travis County exactly as it does in Lubbock. Subordinate HELOC financing behind a Section 50(a)(6) loan is prohibited here too.
Travis, Williamson, Hays
The metro crosses three counties and the rate differences are not trivial. Households moving from central Austin out to Leander, Georgetown or Buda to buy more house often find the tax line moves in a direction they did not model. Since property taxes are part of the payment underwriting measures, that can affect the approval and not only the budget.
Which structure Austin owners use
Owners with long tenure and substantial equity but a house at a price point that takes time to move are good candidates for renting the departing home; Austin's rental demand supports it in most submarkets. Households whose income comfortably carries both payments are usually better served buying outright and recasting once the sale closes, which avoids financing the gap at all.
See the three structures or start with the calculator.
Your real estate agent handles the purchase paperwork and the offer itself. We handle the money: what you qualify for, how the equity gets used, and what the payment looks like.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy in Westlake before selling my Austin home?
Yes, through the same three structures available statewide: carrying both payments and recasting later, bridge financing within the Texas 80 percent homestead ceiling, or renting the departing home and qualifying on that income. Austin's higher price tier makes the conforming limit more likely to matter than elsewhere in Texas.
Is Austin a high-cost area for loan limits?
No. No Austin-area county is designated high-cost, so the 2026 baseline conforming limit of $832,750 applies. Austin buyers cross that line more often than buyers in other Texas metros simply because prices sit higher, not because the limit differs.
Do Travis and Williamson county taxes differ enough to matter?
Enough to affect a qualifying calculation, yes. The counties set different rates and the suburban districts add their own. Because property taxes sit inside the payment underwriting looks at, the difference can move a debt ratio on a move-up purchase.
Mike Certo · NMLS #260555 · Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. Educational content about financing, not a loan commitment and not legal, tax, or real estate advice. Texas homestead lending rules, property tax treatment, and loan limits change and depend on your facts; your real estate agent handles the purchase paperwork and your CPA or a Texas attorney handles legal and tax questions. Loans are subject to borrower and property qualification.