North Texas Land Loans

The honest guide to
financing land
in Texas.

Land loans work differently than home loans. Down payments are larger. Lenders are fewer. The rules depend on what the land looks like. We break it all down and connect you with lenders who actually do this work.

Learn How Land Loans Work Talk to a Lender Find Land in Your Budget
6
Counties Covered
4
Loan Types Explained
2
Vetted Lender Partners
Est. 1946
VLB Program History
Who This Is For

Three types of buyers.
One resource.

Land buyers in North Texas don't all have the same situation. Here's how this site helps each of them.

01

First-Time Land Buyers

You've bought a house before. Land is different. Higher down payments, fewer lenders, and loan terms that depend on what the land looks like. We walk you through the whole picture before you make an offer.

Land Loan Basics →
02

Texas Veterans

The Texas Veterans Land Board has offered land loans since 1949. Rates are competitive. Terms are long. But the program has rules that trip buyers up every year. We explain exactly how it works.

VLB Loan Guide →
03

Investors & Ag Buyers

Agricultural land, recreational tracts, and investment acreage each have different financing profiles. Farm credit, USDA, and portfolio lenders are often the right tool. We help you find the match.

Lender Partners →
Loan Types

Four land types.
Four different loan pictures.

What a lender sees when they look at your land purchase depends on what the land is. Here's how the four main categories break down.

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Raw Land

No utilities. No road access. No improvements of any kind. This is the highest-risk category for lenders. Fewer lenders will touch it, down payments run 25-35%, and rates are at the top of the land loan range. Farm credit systems and specialty lenders are your best options.

25-35% down Higher rates Fewer lenders
□
Improved Land

Road access, electricity, and water at or near the property. Lenders treat this as lower risk because the land has measurable value drivers. Down payments can come down to 20-25% and more lenders will compete for the loan.

20-25% down More options Better rates
△
Agricultural / Farm Land

Working farms, ranches, hay operations, and timber. Farm credit systems are built for this. USDA farm loans can apply in qualifying rural areas. Lenders will look at the agricultural income potential alongside the borrower's profile.

Farm Credit USDA eligible Income analysis
○
Recreational Land

Hunting tracts, weekend retreats, and timber-recreational land. Terms vary significantly based on improvements and location. Some lenders treat recreational land like raw land. Others, particularly in rural markets, are more comfortable with it.

Varies by lender Location matters Portfolio lenders
Read the Full Land Loan Guide
Texas Veterans

The VLB land loan is one of the best tools in Texas. Most veterans don't know what it covers.

Up to $150,000 for qualifying Texas land: minimum one acre, outside city limits, no existing structures.
Fixed rates that typically run below the open-market rate for land loans. Set at origination for the life of the loan.
30-year terms available, longer than most conventional land loan products.
Separate from the federal VA loan. The VLB is a Texas state program. You can use both programs, on different properties, if you qualify.

Common Questions

What land qualifies? Can I combine VLB with seller financing? What if the property costs more than $150,000? What are the eligibility requirements?

We answer all of it on the VLB page: eligibility, loan limits, the step-by-step process, and the mistakes that trip buyers up every year.

Full VLB Loan Guide
Lender Partners

Lenders who know
Texas land.

These aren't referrals from a directory. They're lenders we've worked with directly on North Texas land transactions. Two partners. Both vetted.

Get Matched with a Lender
Common Questions

Land loan questions.
Straight answers.

A land loan is a type of financing specifically for purchasing vacant land. Unlike a home mortgage, there is no structure serving as collateral, just the land itself. Because of that, lenders consider land loans higher-risk and apply stricter terms: larger down payments, higher interest rates, and shorter loan terms than a typical home loan.
Yes, in most cases. Land has fewer buyers than a finished home, which means lenders have a harder time recovering their money if a borrower defaults. That risk shows up in credit requirements (usually 680 or above), higher down payments (typically 20-35%), and fewer lenders willing to do them. Working with a lender who specializes in Texas land makes the process significantly smoother.
Down payment requirements depend on the land type. Raw land (acreage with no utilities or road access) typically requires 25-35% down. Improved land with road access, electricity, and water access may qualify for 20-25% down. Some USDA and farm credit programs have different thresholds. The VLB program for Texas veterans has its own requirements separate from conventional lenders.
The federal VA home loan program does not finance vacant land on its own. However, Texas veterans have a separate option through the Texas Veterans Land Board (VLB), which has operated a land loan program since 1949. The VLB land loan offers competitive rates and long terms specifically for eligible Texas veterans purchasing qualifying land. See our VLB Loans page for full details.
The VLB is a Texas state agency that offers land loans, home loans, and home improvement loans to eligible Texas veterans, active duty service members, and surviving spouses. The land loan program finances vacant land in Texas: at least one acre, outside city limits, and without existing structures. The current loan limit is $150,000. Rates are typically below the open market for land loans.
Raw land has no utilities, no formal road access, and no development infrastructure. Improved land has some combination of road frontage, electricity, water, and septic access. The distinction matters because lenders treat them differently: raw land gets higher down payment requirements and rates. Most land falls somewhere between the two extremes, and different lenders draw the line differently.
Expect 30-45 days from application to close for most land loans, roughly the same as a home purchase. The appraisal and title search are usually the critical-path items. Raw land appraisals can take longer if comparable sales are thin in the area. If the title history is clean and the property appraised quickly, some closings move faster.
Most lenders will require a current survey as a condition of the loan, or at least a title policy that covers the boundaries. If an existing survey is on file with the county, some lenders will accept it with a date-down endorsement. For larger rural tracts or properties that haven't been surveyed in many years, a new survey is almost always required. Budget $800-$2,500+ depending on acreage and terrain.

Ready to find land that fits your financing?

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