The Journal
Renovating, designing, buying, selling, written by the people who do it, not by a marketing department. 76 straight answers and counting.
Buying & Selling
Getting a mortgage is intimidating, especially the first time. This updated 2026 Fort Worth buyer’s guide covers the mortgage terms you actually need to know, how to spot an awesome lender vs. an average one, the document checklist for your first meeting, and the 2026 Fort Worth realities (rates hovering near 7%, Texas insurance costs, and property taxes) that will shape your loan.
12 min read
Buying & Selling
Your taxes going up after you buy a house in Texas isn't a reassessment, and it isn't the county finding out what you paid. It's a homestead cap expiring — the seller's — a full year before your own one starts. Here's the calendar it runs on, and what to do before you write the offer.
8 min read
Buying & Selling
Whether you’re actively home hunting or just dreaming on Zillow, the Fort Worth home-buying process can feel intimidating — especially in a 2026 market with 7% rates and a $320K median. Here are the ten moves that consistently put Fort Worth buyers in a better position to get the house they actually want, updated with current numbers, DTI targets, closing costs, and Texas-specific realities.
8 min read
Buying & Selling
We got hired almost two years ago to do a kitchen remodel in Tanglewood. Then a storm came through Fort Worth. A tree fell straight through the middle of the house and cut it, functionally, in two. Insurance called it a total loss. That's how a kitchen remodel became a full ground-up rebuild. Here's the story of the finished home, the design brief, the exterior and interior choices, and the two more Fort Worth infill builds we have in progress right now.
5 min read
Start here
The real estate process is already overwhelming and daunting enough, you don’t need complicated jargon thrown on top of everything else. That’s why the first step in preparing to buy your home is to know and understand industry jargon.
9 min
7 min
3 min
2 min
1 min
2 min
6 min
7 min
6 min
7 min
10 min
10 min
9 min
10 min
Under one roof
6 min
9 min
12 min
8 min
8 min
8 min
9 min
5 min
8 min
6 min
4 min
4 min
5 min
6 min
7 min
7 min
6 min
8 min
7 min
8 min
8 min
6 min
7 min
8 min
8 min
8 min
9 min
9 min
9 min
9 min
10 min
5 min
3 min
6 min
6 min
6 min
9 min
14 min
6 min
7 min
2 min
1 min
1 min
7 min
5 min
7 min
7 min
7 min
6 min
7 min
6 min
9 min
7 min
7 min
8 min
9 min
5 min
When you're ready to actually do it, we'll tell you honestly what it takes.
6th Ave Homes
Ask us anything.
AI assistant. A real person follows up.
