---
description: Texas mortgage insights and updates from Kris Syevens at Aravian Financial. First-time buyer tips, loan program guides and market analysis.
title: Aravian Financial Mortgage Blog | Texas Home Buying & Loan Guides
---
- Buy a Home
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- [Calculators](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/calculators)
- [Blog](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog)
- About
- [About Kris](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/about)
- [Meet the Team](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/team)
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Refinance ▾
[Rate & Term Refi](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/refinance) [Cash-Out Refinance](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/cash-out-refinance) [Streamline Refinance](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/streamline-refinance)
Loan Types ▾
[Conventional](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/conventional) [FHA](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/fha) [VA Loans](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/va) [USDA](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/usda) [Jumbo](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/jumbo) [Reverse Mortgage](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/reverse-mortgage) [Specialty Loans](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/specialty-loans)
[Calculators](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/calculators) [Blog](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog)
About ▾
[About Kris](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/about) [Meet the Team](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/team) [Reviews](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/reviews) [Careers](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/careers) [Contact](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/contact)
[Pre-Qualify](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/pre-qualify) [Get a Quote](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/get-a-quote)
# The Aravian Financial Blog.
Straight talk on mortgages, home buying, and the Texas real estate market. Written by Kris Syevens, Houston mortgage broker, NMLS #566937.
First-time buyer guides
Loan program updates
Texas market insights
Investor strategies
Home BuyingTexas MarketVA LoansJun 10, 2026 8:59:22 PM
## [Can You Use a VA Loan Twice in Texas? 2nd Tier Entitlement Explained](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog/can-you-use-a-va-loan-twice-in-texas-2nd-tier-entitlement-explained)
Yes. Veterans in Texas can use the VA loan benefit more than once. If you still have “second-tier” (bonus) entitlement, you can hold two VA loans at the same time. If you’ve sold a prior VA-financed home and paid off that loan, you can apply for a one-time restoration to return to your full benefit. Your exact zero-down buying power depends on how much entitlement you have left and the 2026 conforming reference figure.
[Read Article →](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog/can-you-use-a-va-loan-twice-in-texas-2nd-tier-entitlement-explained)
Home BuyingVA LoansFirst-Time BuyersMay 31, 2026 12:11:51 PM
## [The Texas Veteran Home Buyer Guide: Using Your VA Loan Benefit in 2026](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog/the-texas-veteran-home-buyer-guide-using-your-va-loan-benefit-in-2026)
If you served, you earned one of the most powerful financial benefits available to any American: the VA home loan guarantee. Zero down payment. No private mortgage insurance. No loan limit with full entitlement. Competitive wholesale rates. And you can use it more than once.
[Read Article →](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog/the-texas-veteran-home-buyer-guide-using-your-va-loan-benefit-in-2026)
Home BuyingTexas MarketFirst-Time BuyersMay 31, 2026 12:10:21 PM
## [Texas Property Taxes Are High. Here Is How to Budget Them.](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog/texas-property-taxes-are-high-here-is-how-to-budget-them)
Texas has no state income tax — one of the biggest financial advantages of living here. But there is a trade-off, and it shows up directly in your mortgage payment: property taxes. Texas property tax rates are among the highest in the nation, and failing to account for them correctly is one of the most common budgeting mistakes first-time buyers make.
[Read Article →](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog/texas-property-taxes-are-high-here-is-how-to-budget-them)
Home BuyingCredit ScoreMay 31, 2026 12:05:08 PM
## [Fannie Mae Removed the Credit Score Minimum. What It Means for Texas Buyers.](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog/fannie-mae-removed-the-credit-score-minimum-what-it-means-for-texas-buyers)
For decades, 620 was the magic number. The minimum credit score to qualify for a conventional mortgage. In 2025, Fannie Mae removed that floor entirely — and Freddie Mac had already done the same years earlier. This is a meaningful shift for Texas buyers who have been told they do not qualify.
[Read Article →](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog/fannie-mae-removed-the-credit-score-minimum-what-it-means-for-texas-buyers)
Home BuyingNon-QMITIN LoansMay 31, 2026 11:53:59 AM
## [How to Buy a Home in Texas Without a Social Security Number](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog/how-to-buy-a-home-in-texas-without-a-social-security-number)
If you live in Texas, pay your taxes, and have been building a life here — you deserve the opportunity to own the home you live in. The absence of a Social Security number is not a barrier to homeownership. ITIN mortgage loans exist specifically for this situation, and they are completely legal.
[Read Article →](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog/how-to-buy-a-home-in-texas-without-a-social-security-number)
InvestorsNon-QMDSCRMay 31, 2026 11:43:03 AM
## [DSCR Loans in Texas: The Investor Mortgage That Qualifies on Rent](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog/dscr-loans-in-texas-the-investor-mortgage-that-qualifies-on-rent)
If you are a real estate investor in Texas, you have probably run into this problem: you own properties, you have equity, you have cash flow, but your tax returns show low income because of depreciation and write-offs. You go to a conventional lender and get declined because your personal income does not support another loan.
[Read Article →](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog/dscr-loans-in-texas-the-investor-mortgage-that-qualifies-on-rent)
Home BuyingTSAHCConventionalVA LoansFHA LoansFirst-Time BuyersDown PaymentSpecialty LoansMay 31, 2026 9:11:22 AM
## [TSAHC Down Payment Assistance Houston 2026 | How It Works | Aravian](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog/tsahc-down-payment-assistance-houston-2026-how-it-works-aravian)
If you are buying a home in Houston and worried about the down payment, you may be sitting closer to homeownership than you think. The Texas State Affordable Housing Corporation (TSAHC) offers down payment assistance programs that provide real money, up to 5% of your loan amount, as either a grant you never repay or a forgivable loan that disappears after three years.
[Read Article →](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog/tsahc-down-payment-assistance-houston-2026-how-it-works-aravian)
**Kris Syevens** NMLS #566937 · Houston, TX
Independent mortgage broker serving Texas. Every article is written from real experience helping buyers, investors, and homeowners.
[About Kris](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/about)
### Ready to move forward?
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### Browse by Topic
[Home Buying](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog) [First-Time Buyers](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog) [Down Payment](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog) [TSAHC](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog) [VA Loans](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog) [FHA Loans](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog) [Conventional](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog) [Refinance](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog) [Cash-Out Refi](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog) [DSCR](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog) [Non-QM](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog) [ITIN Loans](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog) [Texas Market](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog) [Investors](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog)
### Recent Articles
[Can You Use a VA Loan Twice in Texas? 2nd Tier Entitlement Explained](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog/can-you-use-a-va-loan-twice-in-texas-2nd-tier-entitlement-explained) Jun 10, 2026 8:59:22 PM
[The Texas Veteran Home Buyer Guide: Using Your VA Loan Benefit in 2026](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog/the-texas-veteran-home-buyer-guide-using-your-va-loan-benefit-in-2026) May 31, 2026 12:11:51 PM
[Texas Property Taxes Are High. Here Is How to Budget Them.](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog/texas-property-taxes-are-high-here-is-how-to-budget-them) May 31, 2026 12:10:21 PM
[Fannie Mae Removed the Credit Score Minimum. What It Means for Texas Buyers.](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog/fannie-mae-removed-the-credit-score-minimum-what-it-means-for-texas-buyers) May 31, 2026 12:05:08 PM
[How to Buy a Home in Texas Without a Social Security Number](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog/how-to-buy-a-home-in-texas-without-a-social-security-number) May 31, 2026 11:53:59 AM
## Questions after reading?
Kris answers directly. No call centers, no hold music.
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Independent mortgage broker serving Houston and all of Texas. NMLS #566937 | Aravian Financial NMLS #2691016.
#### Buy
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- [Get a Quote](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/get-a-quote)
- [First-Time Buyers](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/first-time-buyers)
- [Down Payment Help](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/down-payment-assistance)
- [Calculators](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/calculators)
#### Loan Types
- [Conventional](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/conventional)
- [FHA](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/fha)
- [VA](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/va)
- [USDA](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/usda)
- [Specialty Loans](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/specialty-loans)
#### Company
- [About Kris](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/about)
- [Meet the Team](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/team)
- [Reviews](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/reviews)
- [Careers](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/careers)
- [Blog](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/blog)
- [Contact](https://www.aravianfinancial.com/contact)
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- [NMLS Consumer Access](https://nmlsconsumeraccess.org)
Equal Housing Opportunity
© 2026 Aravian Financial. All rights reserved. Kris Syevens, NMLS #566937
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Aravian Financial, NMLS #2691016 | Kris Syevens, NMLS #566937 | Licensed Mortgage Broker, State of Texas. This is not a commitment to lend. Rates, terms, and programs are subject to change without notice. All loans subject to credit approval. Equal Housing Opportunity.
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