Travis County

Del Valle Mortgage Broker: Home Loans Near the Airport

Del Valle has some of the highest combined property tax rates in the Austin metro — up to about 2.85% — and almost all of that is one thing: MUD debt on brand-new construction.

Ignore it and your payment estimate will be wrong by several hundred dollars a month. It is the defining financial fact of buying here, and it deserves the top of the page rather than a footnote.

Median prices run $320,000 to $340,000, which is genuinely accessible for Travis County. The tax rate is why.

The MUD, explained properly

A Municipal Utility District is a taxing entity created to finance the water, wastewater and drainage infrastructure for a new development. The developer builds it, the MUD issues bonds, and homeowners repay those bonds through a tax levied on top of county, school and city rates.

Del Valle's growth has been almost entirely new master-planned construction, so almost all of it sits inside a MUD.

What that looks like in practice:

That is a $193 monthly difference on the same house at the same price. Over a 30-year hold it is roughly $70,000.

Three things worth understanding:

MUD rates decline over time. As bonds are repaid, the rate typically falls. A development in its first years carries the heaviest levy; a mature MUD can be modest. Ask which stage the specific district is in.

It varies by section. Two phases of the same community can sit in different districts with different rates. Verify the parcel, not the neighborhood.

It is fully deductible as property tax the same as any other ad valorem levy — though the SALT cap may limit the benefit. Talk to your CPA.

Pull the property from the Travis Central Appraisal District and read every line. This is the most common reason a Del Valle payment estimate comes in wrong.

Where people buy

Easton Park is the largest — a several-thousand-home master-planned community off Pearce Lane with an amenity center, trail system and multiple builders. Construction spans roughly 2016 to present. Financing is straightforward on the loan side: conforming price points, abundant recent comps. The tax line is the variable.

Sun Chase, Stoney Ridge and Pilot Knob follow the same pattern — newer production construction, HOA, MUD.

Older Del Valle along FM 973 and the original community is a different market: smaller homes, some acreage, occasionally manufactured housing, and often no HOA or MUD. Tax rates here can be meaningfully lower. Financing gets more involved — thinner comps, older systems, and manufactured homes have their own program rules (permanently affixed, HUD tags intact, and not every lender participates).

What changed this market

Two things, within a few years of each other.

The Tesla Gigafactory opened on the Colorado River just north of Del Valle, bringing thousands of jobs within a few minutes' drive. That single development shifted Del Valle from a rural fringe community to a place where people work nearby rather than commuting into Austin.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has expanded substantially. It is roughly 10 minutes away, which is genuinely useful for frequent travelers — and worth being honest about the flip side: some Del Valle addresses sit under approach and departure paths, and aircraft noise is real. It varies enormously by location. If noise matters to you, visit the specific property at different times of day before you commit. It does not affect financing, but it affects whether you will be happy.

Circuit of the Americas hosts Formula 1 and major concerts, which brings substantial traffic on event weekends. Check the calendar before you schedule a closing walkthrough.

Programs that work here

Conventional loans at 3-5% down covers most purchases, comfortably conforming at these prices.

FHA loans at 3.5% down, common on entry-level inventory.

VA loans for eligible veterans — zero down, no monthly mortgage insurance, and the Texas disabled veteran exemption which is worth a great deal against a 2.85% rate. At a 100% rating the property tax line disappears entirely, and in Del Valle that is the largest single saving available to any buyer.

USDA loans on eligible properties in the more rural parts of the area — verify by address, since Del Valle's rapid development has pulled much of it out of eligibility.

New construction considerations. Builder contracts here commonly run six to nine months. A standard rate lock will not cover that; extended lock options exist and should be discussed at contract signing, not at month five. Builder-affiliated lenders will offer incentives — compare a Loan Estimate from them against an outside quote, looking at APR and lender credits rather than rate alone.

Down payment assistance through TSAHC and TDHCA applies at these price points. More on assistance.

The area

Del Valle means "of the valley," and the community predates almost everything around it — the Del Valle Independent School District has served this area since the early twentieth century.

McKinney Falls State Park sits just northwest, where Onion Creek drops over limestone ledges into swimming holes. It is one of the few state parks inside a major metro area, with trails, camping and the ruins of Thomas F. McKinney's 1850s homestead.

Circuit of the Americas is the only purpose-built Formula 1 facility in the United States, and its 133-foot observation tower is visible from much of the area.

The Colorado River forms the northern edge, and the Roy G. Guerrero Colorado River Metro Park offers riverside trails within a short drive toward Austin.

Downtown Austin is roughly 20 to 25 minutes via SH 71 or Riverside, and SH 130 gives access north without touching I-35.

Not sure which fits? Compare every loan program we place.

Frequently asked questions

Why are Del Valle property taxes so high? MUD debt. Most Del Valle housing is new master-planned construction financed through Municipal Utility Districts, and the MUD levy sits on top of county, school and other rates — pushing combined rates toward 2.85%.

Do MUD taxes go away? They decline as the bonds are repaid, and a mature district can be modest. Ask which stage the specific MUD is in; a first-phase district carries the heaviest rate.

What is the median home price in Del Valle? Roughly $320,000 to $340,000, which is accessible for Travis County — the tax rate is a large part of why.

Is aircraft noise an issue? It depends heavily on the specific address relative to flight paths. It has no effect on financing, but visit the property at different times of day before deciding.

Can I get USDA financing in Del Valle? On some outlying properties, though rapid development has removed much of the area from eligibility. Verify the specific address.

Should I use the builder's lender in Easton Park? Compare rather than assume. Get a Loan Estimate from the builder's lender and from an outside broker, and compare APR and lender credits — not the rate alone.

What is a rate lock extension and why does it matter here? Builder timelines often run longer than a standard lock. An extended lock covers the gap; without one, a delayed build can force you to re-lock at whatever the market is then.

Model the tax line before you offer

In Del Valle, more than anywhere else in the metro, the tax rate decides whether a house is affordable. Send us the address and we will pull the actual jurisdiction stack and build the real payment.

Start your application · Run the numbers · Call 737-347-1314

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