Verified resources · Texas & Harris County
Official places to get facts and free help.
Every link goes to the government agency or non-profit itself — no directories, no lead forms. If you're deciding whether to sell, these are the sources we'd check first, and the free help we'd point family to.
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Property taxes and appraisal
Where Harris County property values, exemptions, protests, and tax bills actually live.
Harris Central Appraisal District (HCAD) (opens in a new tab)
Sets appraised values, processes homestead / over-65 / disability exemptions, and hears value protests.
Use it when: To check your appraised value, file or confirm an exemption, or protest a value. Property search shows ownership and exemption status.
Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector (opens in a new tab)
Collects property taxes for the county, city, school district, and other units; shows current balances, delinquency, and payment plans.
Use it when: To see exactly what's owed (including penalties and collection fees), set up an installment agreement, or get a tax certificate before a sale.
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Deeds, liens, and probate
Public records that a title company will pull — you can look first.
Harris County Clerk — Real Property Records (opens in a new tab)
Recorded deeds, deeds of trust (mortgages), liens, releases, affidavits of heirship, and foreclosure notices.
Use it when: To confirm who is on title, whether a lien was released, or whether a notice of sale has been posted against a property.
Harris County Probate Courts (opens in a new tab)
The four statutory probate courts that handle wills, administrations, heirship determinations, and guardianships.
Use it when: When an owner has died and the estate needs authority to sell. The site has general information, forms, and legal-resource lists.
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Foreclosure and mortgage help (free)
Talk to a free, HUD-approved counselor before signing anything with anyone — including us.
HUD — Talk to a housing counselor (opens in a new tab)
Directory of HUD-approved housing counseling agencies. Counseling is free; agencies can negotiate with your servicer and explain loss-mitigation options.
Use it when: As soon as you miss a payment or receive a notice. Earlier is better; counselors can pause some timelines by helping you apply for loss mitigation.
CFPB — Find a housing counselor (opens in a new tab)
Same HUD-approved network, searchable by ZIP code, plus plain-language guides on mortgage servicing rights.
Use it when: To find the closest agency to you and to understand the federal 120-day and loss-mitigation rules.
Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) (opens in a new tab)
State housing agency; lists assistance programs and fair-housing complaint procedures.
Use it when: To check for current state homeowner-assistance programs and to file a fair-housing complaint.
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Legal help
For probate, title, estate, or contract questions we can't (and shouldn't) answer.
Lone Star Legal Aid (opens in a new tab)
Free civil legal aid for eligible low-income residents of Harris County and East Texas, including housing and probate matters.
Use it when: If you can't afford an attorney and need help with a title problem, heirship, foreclosure defense, or a contract you don't understand.
TexasLawHelp (opens in a new tab)
Plain-language legal guides and forms for Texas, including probate, heirship, transfer-on-death deeds, and landlord–tenant law.
Use it when: To understand a process before talking to a lawyer, or to find a legal-aid office near you.
Texas Attorney General — Consumer Protection (opens in a new tab)
Consumer complaint intake and guidance on scams, including foreclosure-rescue and deed-theft schemes.
Use it when: If someone pressured you to sign a deed, charged up-front fees to "save" your house, or misrepresented a sale.
Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) (opens in a new tab)
Licenses and regulates Texas real estate agents and brokers; publishes the Seller's Disclosure Notice and consumer notices.
Use it when: To verify an agent's license, download the disclosure form, or file a complaint about a licensed agent.
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Flooding, code, and city services
Houston-specific facts that affect value and disclosure.
FEMA Flood Map Service Center (opens in a new tab)
Official flood-zone maps by address.
Use it when: To see whether a property is in a designated floodplain — which affects insurance, buyers' lenders, and what you must disclose.
Harris County Flood Control District (opens in a new tab)
Local flood-risk information, bayou projects, and mapping tools for Harris County.
Use it when: To understand local flood history and current projects near a property.
City of Houston 311 (opens in a new tab)
Code-enforcement, neighborhood-protection, and city-service requests and status.
Use it when: To check or resolve a code violation, dangerous-building notice, or abatement lien on a Houston property.
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Your rights when buyers contact you
You control who can call or text you — including us.
National Do Not Call Registry (opens in a new tab)
Federal registry; telemarketers must honor it, with limited exceptions such as responding to your own inquiry.
Use it when: To register your number or report unwanted sales calls.
Texas No Call List (opens in a new tab)
The state list administered under the Texas Public Utility Commission.
Use it when: To add your Texas number; state rules apply on top of the federal registry.
2-1-1 Texas (opens in a new tab)
Statewide referral line for social services, including housing, utilities, and disaster assistance.
Use it when: If the reason you're selling is a broader financial or family crisis and you need help beyond the house.
A note
Why we publish this
Most homeowners who contact us are dealing with something larger than a house — an estate, a tax problem, a foreclosure notice, a move. The right answer is sometimes not to sell, or not to sell to us. Free counselors, legal aid, and the agencies above exist for exactly those moments, and we'd rather you use them than feel rushed.
We check these links periodically. If one is broken or a better official source exists, tell us at bradley@blueprintforfuture.com. For the how-to side, see our seller guides.