The things people actually ask.

Two agreements at once. A lease, which lets you move in and live there like any tenant. And an option, which gives you the exclusive right to buy that home at a price you both agree now, any time before the option expires. You are not obligated to buy — the option is yours to use or not. What you are doing is taking the house off the market while you get into position to buy it.

No. If your credit were already good enough for a mortgage, you would not need us — you would go to a bank and get a better deal. What we do need is to see where your credit actually stands, because the whole arrangement only works if there is a realistic route from where you are now to a mortgage approval before the option runs out. We will tell you honestly what we think that route looks like.

An option fee, which is what secures your right to buy the home and is credited toward the purchase price when you do. The amount depends on the property. It is more than a rental deposit and considerably less than a down payment. You will know the exact figure in writing before you commit to anything.

A portion of each monthly payment is credited toward the purchase, yes, and it is set out in the agreement in plain figures before you sign. Two things to understand: the credit is normally conditional on paying on time, and it applies only if you go on to buy the home. Anyone who describes rent credit without mentioning those conditions is not being straight with you.

Then the option expires, and the option fee and accrued credit go with it. That is the honest answer and it is the single most important thing to understand before signing. It is also why we look at your credit at the start rather than the end — if we cannot see a realistic path to you qualifying in time, we will tell you, and you should walk away from anyone who will not have that conversation.

Ours. We own the homes we offer, which is what lets us agree a price and hold it for you. We buy houses every month across the Houston area and remodel them, so the list changes constantly — that is what the alerts are for.

It depends on the agreement for that property, and it will be written into it. In many lease-option arrangements the tenant-buyer handles ordinary maintenance the way an owner would, because you are buying the house rather than renting it indefinitely. Ask this question early and get the answer in writing — from us or from anyone else.

A lot of it has been, and the complaints are well documented — contracts written so the tenant loses the option on a technicality, prices set far above what the house is worth, sellers who did not own the property. Those operators are the reason you are asking. The protection is not our reassurance, it is your checking: confirm who owns the house at the county appraisal district, get every number in writing, and have the contract reviewed before you sign. We would rather you did all three.

None. Joining the list tells us what you are looking for and lets us send you homes that match. It commits you to nothing, costs nothing, and you can ask us to remove you at any time.