Buying a Home Before Your New Job Starts in Houston

Can you buy a house before your new job starts? Often, yes. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac both let lenders qualify you on a signed offer letter for a salaried job, as long as you'll start within 90 days after closing and any conditions in the offer, such as a background check or license, are cleared first. You'll usually need extra cash reserves, too.

That's useful if you've accepted a position in Houston and would rather move once, into a house, instead of signing a lease and moving twice. It's also easy to get wrong, because the rules are narrower than "a lender will take your offer letter," and a slipped start date can undo the whole plan.

What does a lender need from your offer letter?

A signed, final offer, not a recruiter's email. Both agencies want the new employer's name, your name, the start date and the pay, and they want it signed by you and by the employer. The employer can't be a relative or anyone with a stake in the sale. Most important, the income has to be fixed. A base salary or a set hourly rate for guaranteed hours works; overtime, bonuses, commissions and shift differentials generally won't count on an offer alone, because there's no history to average. If those pieces of your pay are what make the numbers work, read how lenders count overtime and differentials after a job change before you go further.

How soon before your start date can you close?

Under Fannie Mae's guidelines for employment offers and contracts, the start date can be no more than 90 days after the note date, which is your closing date, when a paystub won't be in hand before the loan is sold. Freddie Mac's Section 5303.2 has a similar 90-day option and requires the lender to reconfirm the offer within 10 days before closing. Count backward from your first day:

Your lender's own rules can be tighter than the agencies', and FHA, VA and portfolio loans each have their own. Physician loan programs at some banks, for example, set their own windows; if you're starting residency or fellowship, see buying in Houston during residency. Ask early.

What contingencies have to be cleared before closing?

Every one of them. If your offer depends on a drug screen, a background check, a Texas license, board certification or hospital credentialing, the lender needs proof those conditions are met before you sign. For medical hires, that's where timelines slip. Anyone who's worked in a hospital knows credentialing can take longer than the recruiter promised, and a Texas license by endorsement from the Board of Nursing or the Medical Board has its own processing time. Get a clear "all contingencies satisfied" letter from HR or the medical staff office as soon as you can, and don't schedule a closing that depends on paperwork you don't have yet.

A start date that moves can also be a problem. Tell your lender right away if it does.

How much in reserves will you need?

More than a typical buyer. You'll be making a mortgage payment for weeks or months before your first paycheck, and both agencies require the lender to see that you can carry it. Expect a lender to ask for enough savings to cover your full house payment and your other monthly debts until you're paid, plus a cushion. The exact amount depends on the program, how far out your start date is, and the lender's own overlays. Ask for the number in writing at preapproval, before you write an offer, so it doesn't eat into the down payment you planned.

Which homes and loans qualify?

Offer-letter income is meant for buying the home you'll live in. Fannie Mae's no-paystub option is limited to a one-unit principal residence purchase, so a duplex, a second home or a rental won't qualify that way. Refinances are out under that option, too.

The order to do things in

1. Sign the final offer and get the start date and salary in writing.
2. Talk to a lender who's closed offer-letter loans before, and get preapproved on that basis.
3. Work out your earliest possible closing date from the start date.
4. Clear every contingency in the offer.
5. Shop for homes, and set closing inside the window with a little room to spare.
6. Keep your lender posted on any change to the job, the start date or the pay.

If you're relocating from out of state, the timing works best when the house search starts before you arrive. My relocation guide covers how to shop from a distance, and the medical relocation page and Texas Medical Center housing guide cover commutes for hospital staff. Run payment scenarios on the mortgage calculator before you talk to a lender.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a mortgage with just an offer letter? Often, yes, if the job is salaried or has fixed hourly pay, the offer is signed by you and the employer, any contingencies are cleared before closing, and you start within the window your loan program allows, commonly 90 days after closing for conventional loans.

How many days before starting a job can I close on a house? For conventional loans under Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac offer-letter options, your start date generally has to be within 90 days after the closing date. Some lenders and loan programs set shorter or longer windows.

Does a sign-on bonus count as income for a mortgage? Usually not as qualifying income, because it isn't recurring. Lenders count fixed base pay from an offer letter. Overtime, bonuses and differentials typically need a history before they count.

Do I need extra savings to buy a home before my job starts? Yes. Lenders generally require reserves to cover your house payment and other monthly debts until your first paycheck, plus a cushion. Ask for the exact amount at preapproval.

What happens if my start date changes after I'm preapproved? Tell your lender right away. A later start date can push you outside the allowed window, and the lender may need an updated offer or a new closing date.

Loan guidelines change and lenders add their own rules. This article is general information, not a loan approval or legal advice. Confirm the details with your lender.

Last updated November 2026