local news and happenings

 Q2 2025 Fort Worth Statistics at a Glance  

• 2,883 - Homes sold in Q2 2025, 8.9% less than Q2 2024  

• $338,000 – Median price in Q2 2025, 0.9% more than Q2 2024  

• 4.2 – Monthly housing inventory in Q2 2025, compared to 3.4 months in Q2 2024  

• 51 – Average number of days homes spent on the market in Q2 2025, 7 days more than Q2  2024  

• 31 – Average number of days to close in Q2 2025

Q2 2025 Tarrant Co. Statistics at a Glance 

• 6,170 - Homes sold in Q2 2025, 5.7% less than Q2 2024  

• $354,990 – Median price in Q2 2025, 0.9% more than Q2 2024  

• 4.0 – Monthly housing inventory in Q2 2025, compared to 3.2 months in Q2 2024  

• 48 – Average number of days homes spent on the market in Q2 2025, 6 days more than Q2  2024  

• 31 – Average number of days to close in Q2 2025

Q2 2025 Median Home Prices at a Glance

• Fort Worth: $338,000 

• Johnson County: $352,790  

• Parker County: $472,000  

• Tarrant County: $354,990 

**Source: Greater Fort Worth Association of Realtors

 Credit: City of Fort Worth

For many, the dream of owning a home can seem out of reach, but in Fort Worth, a vital program is turning that dream into a tangible reality. The city's Homebuyer Assistance Program (HAP) is empowering current and future residents by providing crucial down payment assistance, a cornerstone for stability, generational wealth, and community development. 

"The Fort Worth Homebuyer Assistance Program, or HAP, offers up to $25,000 in down payment and closing cost assistance to eligible first-time buyers purchasing a home within the Fort Worth city limits," Escobedo explained. She further detailed the unique structure of the assistance: "These funds are provided as a forgivable loan, meaning that if you remain in the home for 10 years, the loan is fully forgiven. (That’s always our goal, to help people get into a home they love and want to stay in for a long time!) If you do sell the home before the loan is completely forgiven, you can repay the remaining balance from the proceeds of your sale. The payback amount is amortized (reduced) as you progress toward that 10-year mark."

Who Qualifies for Assistance?

The program is specifically designed to aid moderate-income buyers. "To qualify for HAP, the buyer’s household income must not exceed 80% of the median income for our area, as determined by HUD and adjusted for household size," Escobedo stated. She provided an example for clarity: "For 2024-2025, HUD income limits for households of 4 are at $81,500, just to give you an idea. These limits are updated by HUD in June or July of each year." Additionally, buyers must qualify for a first-tier mortgage and meet other eligibility criteria detailed on the city's website.

Escobedo acknowledged that the requirements might seem extensive at first, but urged persistence. "At first glance, it may seem like there are a lot of requirements, but remember—completing paperwork and meeting eligibility criteria are part of any homebuying process. Don’t get discouraged. Take it one step at a time and keep your eye on the ultimate goal: making your dream of homeownership a reality. The Neighborhood Services team and our community partners are here to provide support and guidance to help make the process easier.”  

To learn more about the Fort Worth Homebuyer Assistance Program, visit Fort Worth Neighborhood Services at http://FortWorthTexas.gov/neighborhoods  or call 817-392-7395. To learn more about the Housing Channel and services and homeownership resources, visit https://www.housingchannel.org or call 817-924-5091.  

Credit: New American Funding

 By Ben Lane

July 10, 2025

If you currently own a home or are looking to buy one, your financial landscape could soon look much different thanks to a host of new tax measures passed into law earlier this month.

On July 4, President Donald Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” into law. The massive tax and spending bill will bring significant change to the U.S. housing market, particularly around the tax benefits of homeownership.

Let’s break down the expected impact of the “Big Beautiful Bill” on the housing market, homebuyers, and homeowners.

Perhaps the biggest change for homeowners is the significant increase to the deduction a homeowner can take for paying their state and local property taxes (known as SALT taxes).

Under the previous tax laws, the SALT deduction cap was $10,000. That meant a homeowner could only deduct up to $10,000 in state and local property taxes.

Under the new law, the SALT deduction cap is quadrupled to $40,000, with a phase-out for individuals earning more than $500,000 a year.

The change is expected to especially benefit homeowners in higher property tax states like New Jersey, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, and California. They could potentially save thousands of dollars in annual taxes due to the increased SALT deduction cap.

It could also make homeownership more appealing in markets where costs may prohibit some from buying.

However, the change is not permanent. Under the new law, the change takes effect for tax year 2025 and remains in place for five years.

One of the largest tax benefits of owning a home is being able to deduct the interest you pay on your mortgage. The bill makes the mortgage interest deduction permanent.

Mortgage payments are divided into two main parts, the principal (or amount borrowed from the lender) and the interest (the fee charged by the lender for borrowing the money).

The interest portion of these payments is tax deductible in many cases.

If your mortgage interest payments exceed $600, your mortgage company will provide a Form 1098 detailing the amount paid.

For mortgages originated after December 15, 2017, the interest deduction is applicable on loans up to $750,000, according to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations. For mortgages that began on or before December 15, 2017, the deduction limit is $1 million.

Under the new bill, mortgage insurance premiums will now be deductible.

Previously, homeowners were allowed to deduct the premiums paid for mortgage insurance from 2007 through 2021, but that deduction ended. The new bill reinstates this deduction.

Most lenders require a homebuyer to purchase a private mortgage insurance (PMI) policy if they put down less than 20% on a Conventional loan.

Additionally, if you take out a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan, you typically pay the mortgage insurance premium (MIP). Both PMI and MIP are paid as part of the monthly mortgage payment, and now, those payments are going to be tax deductible.

On average, qualified homeowners received a deduction of $2,364 for their mortgage insurance in tax year 2021, according to data from U.S. Mortgage Insurers, the association representing the nation’s leading private mortgage insurance companies.

In a statement, USMI claims that approximately 4 million homeowners claimed this deduction yearly when it was previously in place.

It should be noted that homeowners can only take advantage of the SALT deduction, mortgage interest deduction, and the mortgage insurance deduction if they itemize their tax return.

If they take the standard deduction, they will not be directly eligible for these deductions.

The bill includes provisions aimed at making housing more affordable. Key among these is the expansion of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. Analysts estimate that these changes could finance an additional 527,000 affordable rental homes across the U.S. over the next decade.

However, experts predict that the bill's overall impact on the housing market will vary significantly across regions and income groups. While higher-income buyers and real estate investors are likely to benefit from the changes, lower-income renters and potential first-time buyers may not see immediate relief.

 10 Food Tricks & Tips | Jamie Oliver | Kitchen Hacks 

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Charleston's Restaurant | Ft. Worth

WHERE

 3020 S Hulen St., Fort Worth, TX 76109 ​​

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Hours:
11am-9pm Sunday - Wednesday

11 am-10 pm - Thursday-Saturday