A prior foundation or under-slab plumbing repair on an older Houston house is only as good as its paperwork and the crew that did it. What a bad repair looks like, what the engineer’s file, permit and warranty must show, how to read a camera run on someone else’s work, and how it plays in the Texas contract.
Texas Real Estate Contracts, Offers & Closing
The contract is where a Houston home sale is really won or lost. These articles break down the parts that trip people up — the option period, earnest money, financing contingencies, multiple-offer situations, and what to expect at closing — in plain English. Texas rewrote its promulgated contracts and disclosure forms in 2026, so several of these cover exactly what changed on the paperwork you’ll be asked to sign. I’m Kevan Pewitt, REALTOR® and broker-owner of Houston Prime Realty, translating the Texas forms so you can sign knowing what you agreed to.
Selling a House With Foundation Problems in Houston: Why So Many Sales Fall Through, and How to Keep Yours Together — A Real Estate Broker’s Guide for Sellers and Buyers
Why foundation findings derail Houston home sales mid-option-period, and the fix on each side: the seller gets the structural engineer’s report and the bids before listing; the buyer books the engineer on day one. Forms quoted, costs dated.
Cast Iron Pipes Under the Slab: The Hidden Problem in Many Older Houston Homes — A Real Estate Broker’s Guide for Buyers and Sellers
Why cast iron drain lines under 1950s–70s Houston slabs fail, what a sewer scope and a hydrostatic test each prove, dated repair cost bands, and how the finding plays in the Texas contract for buyers and sellers.
Buying an Older Home in Houston: What to Look For in the Inspection Report — A Real Estate Broker’s Option-Period Game Plan
Which inspection findings are normal for a 1950s–1980s Houston house, which ones to negotiate, which ones to walk from, and how a real estate broker works the option period with buyers.
Does the Fridge Stay? What Conveys With a Texas Home — and When You Need the Non-Realty Items Addendum
In Texas, the washer, dryer and refrigerator do not come with the house unless the contract says so. Here is what Paragraph 2 of the TREC contract says stays, and how the Non-Realty Items Addendum writes the rest in.
Release of Earnest Money in Texas: What Happens to Your Deposit When a Deal Falls Apart
Who gets the deposit when a Texas contract ends, how the title company releases it, the written-demand route with its 15-day window, and what the Release of Earnest Money form does.