Georgetown Mortgage Broker: Home Loans in Williamson County
Georgetown will tax you about 2.0% to 2.4% of your purchase price every year, and that single number decides more Georgetown mortgage approvals than your credit score does.
It is the first thing we model, because it is the line most buyers get wrong — and in a city where the median sits in the mid-$400,000s, being wrong by half a percent is roughly $200 a month.
This is a working guide to buying and refinancing here: what the tax stack actually looks like, how the big master-planned communities differ from a lending standpoint, and where Georgetown deals tend to fall apart.
Why the tax line matters more here than almost anywhere
The City of Georgetown levies roughly $0.374 per $100 of assessed value. That is the small part. Stacked on top of it you have Williamson County, a school district — usually Georgetown ISD, but Jarrell ISD and Round Rock ISD both reach into the city's edges — plus a county road district and, depending on the address, an emergency services district or a MUD.
Combined, most Georgetown addresses land between 1.95% and 2.45%, and newer developments carrying MUD debt can push past 2.6%.
On a $450,000 home that spread is the difference between about $731 and $919 a month in taxes alone. Same house. Same loan. Different side of a boundary line.
Two things buyers here consistently get wrong:
The seller's tax bill is not your tax bill. Williamson County's appraisal district resets assessed value when a property changes hands. A homeowner who bought in Sun City in 2014 and has been protected by the 10% homestead cap may be paying on an assessed value far below what you are about to pay. Their bill tells you nothing useful.
Your exemptions start over. Homestead, over-65, disability — none of them transfer. If you are buying from an over-65 owner with a frozen tax ceiling, your first bill can be dramatically higher than theirs. File your own homestead exemption the January after you close; in Texas you can now file the year you purchase.
Pull the actual parcel from WCAD before you write an offer, and model your payment on your purchase price at the full combined rate.
The three Georgetowns, from a lending perspective
People talk about Georgetown as one market. For a mortgage file it behaves like three.
Sun City Texas
Del Webb's Texas flagship and one of the largest active-adult communities in the state, north of the river off Williams Drive. It is deed-restricted 55-plus, which is a lawful age restriction under the Housing for Older Persons Act, and it changes the financing in concrete ways.
Expect an HOA that covers a great deal — golf, fitness, amenity centers — and remember that every dollar of HOA dues counts in your qualifying payment. A $200 monthly assessment reduces your borrowing power the same way $200 of tax does.
Many Sun City buyers arrive with substantial equity from a prior home and limited W-2 income. That combination is awkward for conventional underwriting and straightforward for an asset-depletion program, which converts liquid assets into qualifying income. Worth raising early if your tax return no longer reflects your actual means.
Wolf Ranch and the newer west-side developments
Wolf Ranch, Rancho Sienna, Parkside on the River — master-planned, mostly 2015-and-later construction, and the part of Georgetown growing fastest.
Two lending notes. First, most of these carry MUD or PID assessments that fund the infrastructure, and those sit on your tax bill. Verify the parcel's full jurisdiction stack; two streets in the same development can differ.
Second, if you are buying new construction from the builder, you will be offered builder-affiliated financing, often with an incentive attached. Sometimes it is genuinely the best deal. Sometimes the incentive is priced into the house. You are allowed to shop it, and comparing the builder's offer against an outside quote costs you nothing — get a Loan Estimate from both and compare the APR and the lender credits, not the rate alone.
The historic core
The square and the surrounding streets — Victorian and early-1900s homes, some on the National Register, many beautifully restored and some not.
Financing an older Georgetown home introduces appraisal and condition questions that do not exist in Wolf Ranch. Knob-and-tube wiring, an original foundation, a roof past its life — any of these can trigger lender-required repairs before closing. If the home needs real work, a renovation loan that finances the purchase and the repairs together is usually a cleaner path than a conventional loan plus a scramble for cash.
Homes inside the Old Town Overlay District also carry design review requirements. That does not affect your loan, but it affects what you can do afterward, and it is better to know before you close.
What the market looks like right now
Median sale prices in Georgetown have been running in the $440,000 to $475,000 range, with listings averaging closer to $495,000. Entry-level suburban product starts in the mid-$300,000s. Acreage and custom homes near Lake Georgetown routinely clear $900,000.
The number that matters more for negotiation: homes have been averaging roughly 70 to 110 days on market. That is a long time by Central Texas standards, and it means sellers are frequently agreeing to concessions.
Where that shows up practically is in seller-paid closing costs and rate buydowns. A temporary 2-1 buydown funded by the seller lowers your payment for the first two years while you keep the underlying loan. On a market where a house has sat for ninety days, asking is reasonable. We structure these regularly and can tell you before you write the offer whether the numbers support it.
Market figures reflect recent local reporting and move with conditions. Ask us for current data on a specific neighborhood.
Georgetown loan programs, and who they actually fit
Conventional financing — the default for most buyers here, down to 3% down for qualifying first-time buyers and 5% otherwise. On a $450,000 Georgetown home, conventional avoids FHA's permanent mortgage insurance, which matters over a long hold.
FHA financing — more forgiving on credit, 3.5% down. Worth knowing the 2026 FHA limit for Williamson County, since Georgetown prices sit close to it on larger homes. If you are above the limit, conventional or jumbo is the path.
VA financing — Georgetown has a substantial veteran population, and VA remains the strongest program available to those eligible: no down payment, no monthly mortgage insurance. Texas also offers a property tax exemption for disabled veterans, up to a full exemption at a 100% rating. On a Georgetown tax bill, that exemption is worth more than most rate improvements you could shop for.
Jumbo — above the 2026 conforming limit of $832,750, which Lake Georgetown waterfront and larger acreage properties regularly exceed.
USDA financing — parts of Williamson County outside the city limits remain USDA-eligible, which means zero down payment. Eligibility is drawn by map and it changes. If you are looking at the rural edge toward Jarrell or Walburg, it is worth checking the specific address.
Renovation — for the older housing stock near the square.
Refinance options — rate-and-term, cash-out, VA IRRRL and FHA Streamline. If you bought in 2023 or 2024 at a higher rate, a review is worth the phone call.
Where Georgetown deals go wrong
From files we have actually worked:
- Taxes modeled from the seller's bill. The single most common failure, and entirely avoidable.
- A MUD nobody mentioned. It is on the tax bill, it is in the denominator of your ratio, and it can move a payment by a few hundred dollars.
- Insurance quoted too late. Central Texas hail has pushed premiums up sharply, and percentage-based wind-hail deductibles are common. Get a real quote during the option period, not at underwriting.
- HOA dues left out. Sun City and the master-planned communities all carry them, and they count in your payment.
- Builder financing accepted without comparison. Sometimes right, but it should be a decision rather than a default.
Living here, briefly
Georgetown's courthouse square is genuinely one of the best-preserved in Texas — the 1911 Williamson County Courthouse anchors a ring of restored Victorian storefronts, and the city has leaned into it rather than paving it over. The Red Poppy Festival every April draws serious crowds; Georgetown is the state-designated Red Poppy Capital of Texas.
Blue Hole on the South San Gabriel is a limestone swimming hole within walking distance of downtown. Inner Space Cavern sits under I-35 — discovered in 1963 when the highway department drilled core samples. Southwestern University, founded in 1840, is the oldest university in Texas and shapes the town's south side.
The San Gabriel River's two forks meet here, and the trail system that follows them is one of the better greenbelt networks in the region. Getting to downtown Austin is roughly 30 minutes on I-35 without traffic, and SH 130 is the toll bypass most commuters use when I-35 is what I-35 usually is.
Not sure which fits? Compare every loan program we place.
Frequently asked questions
What are property taxes in Georgetown, TX? Combined rates typically run 1.95% to 2.45% depending on the address, including city, Williamson County, school district and any MUD or ESD. Newer developments with MUD debt can exceed 2.6%. Verify the specific parcel with WCAD.
What credit score do I need to buy a home in Georgetown? FHA generally starts around 580 with 3.5% down. Conventional typically wants 620 or higher, with better pricing above 740. VA has no set minimum, though most lenders look for 580-620.
Can I get a zero-down loan in Georgetown? Two ways. VA if you are an eligible veteran or service member. USDA on eligible properties outside the city limits — the eligibility map changes, so check the address.
Do I need 20% down to buy in Georgetown? No. Conventional goes to 3% down for qualifying first-time buyers and 5% otherwise; FHA is 3.5%. Under 20% you will carry mortgage insurance, which is removable on conventional once you reach 20% equity but permanent on most FHA loans.
Is Sun City financing different? The loan programs are the same, but the HOA dues count in your qualifying payment, and many Sun City buyers benefit from asset-depletion underwriting rather than conventional income documentation.
How long does it take to close in Georgetown? Typically 21 to 30 days on a purchase with complete documentation. New construction runs on the builder's schedule.
Should I use the builder's lender in Wolf Ranch? Compare rather than assume. Builder incentives are real, and so is the possibility that the incentive is priced into the home. Get a Loan Estimate from both and compare APR and lender credits.
Talk to someone local
We are an independent broker, which means we shop your file across lender programs rather than selling you the one product we have. If you want a straight answer about whether a Georgetown property works — including the tax line, which is where these deals usually turn — send us the address.
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