Closing before the first paycheque in Texas
Program and regulatory figures verified October 5, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
The rule is the same everywhere. What it buys you in Texas is different from what it buys you on a coast.
The two numbers
| Route | How far before income starts | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Physician programme | 150 days | Sequoia guide v1.1 |
| Conventional | 90 days | Fannie Mae B3-3.3-03 |
Both require a signed employment contract evidencing the future income.
★ What sixty extra days buys in Texas
Not speed. Texas markets are already unhurried — Austin and San Antonio at 82 mean days to pending, Houston 74, Dallas 61, against a national 53. Nobody here is losing houses to a same-day bidding war.
What the window buys is sequencing. With it, a physician relocating to Texas can close before they arrive and move once. Without it, the common pattern is renting for a year, moving twice, and paying for storage in between.
That is a quieter benefit than outbidding somebody, and over a relocation it is worth more. A realistic Texas timeline.
Using it
- Get the contract signed. Everything runs from it.
- Start the financing before the search. Even in a slow market, the window only helps if the file is ready.
- Have the student loan documentation ready. In Texas that is what sets the price you can reach, not the loan limit. Detail.
- Visit. At 82 days you have time to, and Texas metros are large and very different internally.
What it does not do
It does not remove the underwriting. Credit, assets, the property and the contract all still have to stand up, and physician programmes are written with lender overlays. Nothing here is a guarantee of approval.
It also does not change your debt position. Until a balance is actually paid down it underwrites as it stands — and a Texas loan-repayment award you have not been granted is not income a lender can use. On those awards.
Frequently asked questions
How early can a physician close before starting in Texas?
A physician programme can allow closing up to 150 days before the attending start date on a signed employment contract. Fannie Mae's B3-3.3-03 allows 90 days for income that has not yet begun.Why does the 150-day window matter in a slow market?
Because it is about relocation sequencing rather than competitive speed. Texas metros run 61 to 82 mean days to pending, so the window lets a relocating physician close before arriving and move once rather than renting for a year and moving twice.Does the 150-day rule guarantee approval?
No. Credit, assets, the property and the employment contract all still have to satisfy underwriting, and physician programmes are written with lender overlays. The window governs timing, not approval.Mike Certo · NMLS #260555 · Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. Educational content, not a loan commitment and not legal, tax, or licensure advice. Physician-loan program terms, eligible degrees, and overlays are set by the lender and change; Texas loan-repayment program terms and award cycles change too. Confirm your scenario with us and your program administrator. All loans are subject to borrower and property qualification, including credit and income review.