Out-of-state buyers should know that buying a home in Texas runs on a standard state-promulgated contract, a short negotiated option period, and a title company that handles escrow and closing. Texas has no state income tax, but property taxes are higher than in many states. Plan for a homestead filing, an HOA or MUD review, and a closing that can happen by mail or remotely.
The Agency Dallas works with a steady flow of buyers relocating from California, New York, Illinois and elsewhere. What out-of-state buyers should know before buying a home in Texas is less about the market and more about the mechanics. The process here is standardized, fast once it starts, and different enough from most other states that a few details catch people off guard.
How common is it to buy a Texas home from out of state?
It is common. In the Texas Realtors 2025 Texas Home Buyers and Sellers Report, 24% of buyers moved 300 miles or more for their purchase, covering transactions from July 2023 through June 2024 (Texas Realtors, 2025). In the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro, the median sale price was $380,000 in the first quarter of 2026, with 4.0 months of inventory and a median of 75 days on market before going under contract, plus about 32 more days to close (Texas Realtors, Q1 2026). That pace gives relocating buyers more room to compare homes than they had a few years ago.
What is different about the Texas home buying process?
Most Texas resale transactions use contract forms promulgated by the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC), so the structure is the same from deal to deal. The parts that matter most to a buyer coming from another state are below.
- The option period. Buyers typically pay the seller a negotiated option fee for an unrestricted right to terminate during a set number of days. Inspections and repair negotiations happen in that window. Under the standard contract, the option fee must be delivered within three days after the effective date or the termination right does not apply.
- Earnest money goes to the title company. Escrow is held by the title company named in the contract, not by an attorney or the listing brokerage, and it is also due within three days of the effective date.
- The title company runs the closing. Texas is a title-company state. The escrow officer issues the title commitment, collects documents, and coordinates signatures and funding.
- Surveys can be reused. Since TREC's January 2025 form changes, a seller may provide an existing survey with a T-47.1 declaration that does not need to be notarized, and the buyer may order a new survey instead (TREC).
- Brokerage compensation is negotiated in writing. Each party pays the fees it agreed to, and any seller contribution toward a buyer's brokerage fee is spelled out in the contract. Our post on how commissions work in Texas after the NAR settlement walks through it.
What disclosures will I receive as a buyer?
Sellers of most resale homes owe buyers a seller's disclosure notice, and TREC's current contract adds a line for mold remediation certificates issued in the prior five years and warns that a seller's failure to give required notices can give the buyer remedies. Homes inside a municipal utility district (MUD) or public improvement district (PID) come with additional statutory notices about those assessments. Our guides to Texas seller disclosures and MUD and PID disclosures cover both.
How do Texas property taxes work for a new resident?
This is the line item that surprises relocating buyers most. Texas has no state income tax, and local governments fund themselves largely through property taxes, so combined rates are higher than many buyers expect. A tax bill stacks several entities: the county, the city, the school district, and often a community college, hospital district, MUD or PID.
- File your homestead exemption. Once the home is your principal residence, file with the county appraisal district. Voters approved Proposition 13 on November 4, 2025, raising the school district homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000 of value (Ballotpedia).
- Budget from the current rate, not the seller's bill. The seller's last bill may reflect exemptions or a capped value that ends when the home sells. We estimate taxes from the purchase price and the current combined rate for that address.
- Know that values are reassessed. Appraisal districts mail notices each spring, and owners can protest. A homestead also limits how fast taxable value can rise year to year.
Can I buy a Texas home without being there in person?
Yes, and many of our relocating clients do. A typical remote purchase runs on live video tours, a local inspector, and a mail-away or remote online notarization closing arranged through the title company, subject to the lender's requirements. The steps we follow for clients buying from another state are:
- Get fully pre-approved with a lender licensed in Texas before touring, so offers are credible.
- Narrow the search by commute and school attendance zone, then tour on video or in a single concentrated trip.
- Write the offer with an option period long enough to schedule inspections without being on site.
- Review the title commitment, survey, HOA documents and any MUD or PID notices during the option period.
- Confirm with the title company whether your lender allows remote online notarization or requires a mail-away package.
- Set up utilities and file the homestead application once the home becomes your residence.
Our post on your first 90 days after moving to Texas covers driver's licenses, vehicle registration and voter registration after closing.
What else trips up buyers moving from another state?
Several Texas specifics come up often enough that we raise them early with every relocating client of The Agency Dallas. Knowing what out-of-state buyers should know before buying a home in Texas is mostly about knowing these in advance.
- HOAs are everywhere in newer suburbs. Mandatory associations, transfer fees and resale certificates are standard. See what to know about HOA communities before buying in DFW.
- City names do not equal school districts. Attendance zones cross city lines. Our guide to which Dallas suburbs have the best schools for homebuyers explains how to verify them.
- Foundations and drainage matter. North Texas clay soils expand and contract, so foundation and grading observations deserve close attention in the inspection report.
- List price is the start of the analysis. Ask for a full comparative market analysis before you offer. Our post on what data a good comparative market analysis should include shows what that looks like.
Relocation is easier when one team keeps the timeline, the contract dates and the local checks in one place. That is the role The Agency Dallas plays for buyers coming from out of state, and it is the same whether the move is across the country or across the Red River. Buyers can find more on our approach on our buying page.
If you are planning a purchase in this area, The Agency Dallas can walk you through what is on the market now; you can reach our team through our contact page.
Frequently asked questions
What is an option period in Texas?
The option period is a negotiated number of days during which the buyer can terminate the contract for any reason. The buyer pays the seller an option fee for that right, and under the standard TREC contract the fee must be delivered within three days after the effective date. Inspections and repair requests normally happen inside this window.
Who handles closing on a Texas home purchase?
A title company. The title company named in the contract holds the earnest money, issues the title commitment and title policy, prepares the settlement statement, coordinates signatures and records the deed. Many Texas closings can be completed by mail or through remote online notarization, depending on what the buyer's lender allows.
Are property taxes high in Texas compared to other states?
Combined rates are higher than in many states because Texas has no state income tax and local entities rely on property taxes. A bill can include the county, city, school district and special districts. Filing a homestead exemption helps; the school district exemption rose to $140,000 after voters approved Proposition 13 in November 2025.
Can I buy a house in Dallas without seeing it in person?
Yes. Buyers commonly tour by live video, rely on a licensed local inspector during the option period, and close by mail or remote notarization arranged through the title company. We recommend one in-person visit when practical, but a well-structured remote purchase is routine for relocating buyers in Dallas-Fort Worth.
How long does it take to buy a home in Dallas-Fort Worth?
Once under contract, closing commonly takes about 30 days with financing. Texas Realtors reported a median of 32 days from contract to close in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro in the first quarter of 2026. Search time varies; homes spent a median of 75 days on market before going under contract that quarter.
Sources: Texas Realtors 2025 Texas Home Buyers and Sellers Report; Texas Realtors Q1 2026 Texas Quarterly Housing Report; Texas Real Estate Commission, form changes effective January 3, 2025; Ballotpedia, Texas Proposition 13 (2025).
