What You Read Online Was About Mexico or Spain: How a House Actually Sells in Texas

If what you read talks about a notario, deeds signed before a notary, a carta saldo, Infonavit, Hacienda, or plusvalía municipal, that page is describing another country's system. Nothing wrong with it. It just isn't how a house sells in Texas.

The three differences that cause the most confusion:

In Texas, the title company is the hub of the sale. It doesn't work for the buyer or the seller. It's neutral, and it does four things:

• Holds the money. The buyer's earnest money goes straight to the title company, not to me or any agent.
• Makes sure the house is clean. It searches for loans, unpaid bills, liens or any other problem recorded against the property, and clears them before closing.
• Prepares the closing statement. The page that shows, line by line, what comes in and what goes out for you. I go through it with you line by line before you sign.
• Closes the sale. That's where you sign, where your lender gets paid, and where your proceeds come from.

It also issues title insurance, which protects the new owner if a problem with the property turns up later that nobody caught.

A notary public here is something else entirely. In the United States, a notary public is not an attorney. A notary only confirms that the person signing is who they say they are. A notary doesn't draft contracts, doesn't give legal advice, and doesn't decide anything about your sale.

So if someone calling themselves a "notario" offers to handle the paperwork for selling your house, be careful. In Texas, the sale documents are prepared by an attorney, usually the one working with the title company, and they're signed at closing.

The payoff is what your lender charges to close out your loan on an exact date, with interest up to that day.

In Texas, you don't have to pay off the house or get a letter from your lender before you sell. Once there's a contract, the title company requests the payoff. On closing day, it pays your lender out of the sale money. The lender then sends the document that releases the house, and it's recorded with the county. What's left is yours.

Here's how a typical sale goes on the seller's side:

1. Get your number. What the house is worth today, what you owe, and what you'd keep. You can request your value at veronicayeary.com/home-value.
2. Get the house and the paperwork ready. In most Texas home sales, the seller fills out a Seller's Disclosure Notice: what you know about the house, in writing. Some owners also inspect before they list so they only negotiate once.
3. Put the house on the market.
4. Receive offers and negotiate. Texas uses standard contract forms approved by the state, so the ground rules are the same for everyone.
5. Sign the contract. The buyer deposits earnest money with the title company and their option period begins: a few days to inspect the house and ask for repairs.
6. The title company opens the file. It reviews the property and requests your payoff.
7. The buyer finishes their loan. Their lender orders an appraisal and approves the loan.
8. Review the closing statement. A few days before, line by line.
9. Closing. You sign at the title company, the buyer's loan funds, your lender is paid, and your proceeds are sent to you.

If you're also buying your next home, all of this gets lined up with dates in one plan. I explain how in the plan on paper: selling and buying with dates.

Do I have to go to a notary to sell my house?

Not the way you would in other countries. The sale closes at the title company, and signatures are notarized right there as part of closing.

Do I need an attorney to sell my house in Texas?

In a typical sale, the contract is a standard form and the documents are prepared by the attorney who works with the title company. If your situation has something unusual, like an inheritance, a divorce, or a house in several people's names, it's worth having an attorney look at it first.

Will I owe taxes when I sell?

It depends on your situation, and the rule that applies is federal, not another country's. A CPA tells you whether it applies to you. I cover it calmly in another article in this series.

Can I sell if I'm still paying on the house?

Yes. Your lender collects its balance at closing, out of the sale money.

How long does it all take?

From signed contract to closing, usually a few weeks, depending on the buyer's loan. Before that, there's the time to prepare and sell the house.

What you read online wasn't wrong. It was describing somewhere else. In Texas, the sale goes through a title company, your lender is paid at closing, and the steps follow a clear order. Once you know how it works here, selling stops feeling so intimidating.

Want to see what it would look like with your house?

If you'd like to start on your own, download the seller guide. If you'd rather go through it together, call or text me at 469-441-8890, or email veronica@veronicayeary.com. No commitment, nothing to sign.

Veronica Yeary, Realtor®, CRS · ABR · SRS · CIPS, All City Real Estate DFW. I sell your home and find the next one with a single plan, with me from start to finish.

469-441-8890 · Call or text · veronica@veronicayeary.com · Email