What makes a construction loan different from a standard mortgage?

A standard mortgage finances a completed home. Construction financing also has to evaluate the plans, budget, builder, site, timeline, projected value, and a draw process that releases funds as work progresses.

Can owned land help with the financing structure?

It may. The land value, any existing liens, acquisition history, appraisal, and specific loan program all affect how the lot is treated. A project review is the right first step.

Do I need a builder before I start the conversation?

Not necessarily. Starting earlier can help you set a realistic budget and understand likely documentation. A qualified builder and complete contract are typically needed before final approval and closing.

Are barndominiums and rural acreage eligible?

They can require a more specific review of construction type, comparable properties, utilities, access, acreage, intended use, and builder qualifications. Eligibility should be checked before you commit to a design or contract.

Does this website guarantee a particular loan program or rate?

No. The site is an educational and project-intake resource. Programs, terms, pricing, and property-location availability are subject to lender requirements, credit review, appraisal, and approval.

Texas Hill Country custom home under construction at golden hour

Texas residential construction lending

Build Texas.Finance itwith a plan.

Construction financing has more moving parts than a standard mortgage. Put the land, plans, builder, budget, and timeline on one clear path.

Map my project See the build process

Start with a 15-minute project review—land, builder, budget, and timeline.

Project file / TX-001

01Start with where you stand

Every build starts on different ground.

The useful first question is not “What is today’s rate?” It is “What do you own, what are you building, and what has to happen next?”

Stage 01

Planning to buy land

Start with the lot, timeline, and likely path from dirt to permanent financing.

Stage 02

Already own the lot

Understand how the land, existing debt, and available equity may shape the structure.

Stage 03

Ready to build

Bring the plans, budget, builder, and schedule together for a financeable project review.

Construction plans being reviewed on a job-site table

Plans + budget + builder

02Buildable financing

Don’t let financing become the first change order.

A strong construction file connects the story the plans tell with the numbers the budget proves. The earlier those pieces align, the fewer surprises have room to grow.

Plans & specifications

Builder & contract

Land & title position

Budget & appraisal

Explore loan paths

03Potential loan paths

Match the structure to the project—not the other way around.

Compare paths

CTP

Construction-to-permanent

A potential single-close path that can combine construction funding and the permanent mortgage, subject to program and property eligibility.

Best-fit discussion: Custom and semi-custom primary homes

LOT

Lot purchase

Financing designed around acquiring a buildable homesite now, with the future construction plan considered from the beginning.

Best-fit discussion: Borrowers still securing their site

MED

Physician construction

A specialized construction pathway that may recognize eligible medical credentials and career-stage considerations.

Best-fit discussion: Eligible physicians and medical professionals

REN

Major renovation

A structure for qualifying improvements where the project scope, as-completed value, contractor, and draw plan matter.

Best-fit discussion: Transformative additions and renovations

RUR

Rural & specialty builds

A project-first review for acreage, barndominium, modular, or other nonstandard scenarios where property eligibility must be confirmed early.

Best-fit discussion: Texas land and specialty-home projects

Owner-builder review

An early feasibility conversation for experienced borrowers considering a more hands-on build structure. Requirements can be materially different.

Best-fit discussion: Qualified, experienced project owners

Program descriptions are general planning concepts, not offers or approvals. Texas property eligibility and lender-specific terms must be confirmed.

04From lot to keys

A visible path through the build.

Construction lending gets easier to understand when the process is treated as a sequence of decisions—not one giant closing-day task.

Map the project

Define the land position, home type, target budget, location, timeline, and the people who will deliver the build.

Frame the financing

Review borrower qualifications and project assumptions to identify the most realistic loan structure and cash plan.

Assemble the set

Bring plans, specifications, builder contract, cost breakdown, permits, land documents, and insurance details into one file.

Appraise the vision

The appraisal considers the site and the proposed improvements to estimate the completed property value.

Close & build

After approval and closing, construction funds are typically released in stages as work is completed and verified.

Finish permanent

At completion, final inspections and documentation clear the way for the permanent phase under the approved loan structure.

Read the full process

05Texas market map

One state. Very different build conditions.

Market knowledge starts with the site: land value, terrain, utilities, insurance, access, local trades, and the kind of home that will support the completed appraisal.

Explore every region

DFW + North Texas

Dallas · Fort Worth · Frisco · Prosper · Argyle

Fast-moving lot markets, master-planned communities, infill opportunities, and builder-driven growth corridors.

Austin + Hill Country

Austin · Dripping Springs · Bee Cave · Georgetown · Fredericksburg

Sloped sites, limestone terrain, water and utility planning, architectural controls, and high land-value decisions.

Greater Houston

Houston · The Woodlands · Katy · Cypress · Galveston County

Drainage, flood-zone review, wind considerations, developing suburbs, and custom projects on larger sites.

San Antonio + I-35

San Antonio · Boerne · New Braunfels · Seguin · Bulverde

Hill Country transition markets, acreage, established neighborhoods, and strong custom-home demand.

Matthew Siket, Mortgage Loan Originator, in downtown Austin

NMLS 442558Matthew SiketMortgage Loan Originator

06Your Texas project desk

Put a real person behind the project plan.

Matthew Siket helps Texas borrowers organize the land, builder, budget, and timeline for a clearer construction-financing conversation. Loan opportunities are sourced through Liberty Federal Credit Union.

Start with a 15-minute project review—land, builder, budget, and timeline.

Map my project Review loan paths

Matthew Siket · Mortgage Loan Originator · NMLS 442558. Program terms and availability remain subject to Liberty Federal Credit Union guidelines, credit review, appraisal, and approval. Texas coverage and Equal Housing Opportunity details will be added after verification.

06AProject desk

Read the issue. Run the numbers.

The Texas Field Library explains the decisions. The sources-and-uses calculator puts your land, budget, loan request, and cash requirement on one working page.

LIB / 14 RELEASES

Texas Field Library

Original guides on land, draws, contracts, appraisal, rural systems, barndominiums, professional programs, and project controls.

Open the library CALC / SOURCES + USES

Build the project budget

Organize land, soft costs, hard costs, closing estimates, proposed loan proceeds, other sources, and the remaining cash requirement.

Open the calculator

Building in another state?

Explore Arizona and Idaho construction-loan resources. Program details do not carry over between states.

Arizona Idaho

07Field questions

The questions to ask before the concrete arrives.

Ready when the project is

Bring the dirt. Bring the plans. Let’s map the rest.

Map my project