The 2021 freeze is still working through
In February 2021 pipes burst across Texas in houses that had never needed freeze protection, and in many cases nobody was there when it happened. Ceilings came down, walls soaked, and floors buckled. The repair market was overwhelmed for months.
Five years on we still see the consequences: work done fast and without permits, plumbing repaired but drywall and flooring never replaced, insurance money spent on something else, claims denied, and moisture that was closed up behind new drywall and turned into mould. All of it is normal to us, and all of it is disqualifying to a financed buyer.
Slab leaks and cast iron under older houses
Texas foundation movement breaks plumbing. A slab leak under a 1960s house can run for months before anyone notices the water bill, saturating the soil, worsening the movement, and damaging flooring from below. Cast iron sewer lines of that era corrode and collapse, which a camera scope reveals and a buyer's lender then wants fixed.
You do not need a hydrostatic test or a scope to talk to us. If you already have one, send it — documentation makes an offer more reliable.
Flooding, and the rule that turns repairs into rebuilds
Houston and Harris County flood from the bayous, Fort Bend and Montgomery from the Brazos and San Jacinto, Austin from Onion and Williamson creeks, and the Gulf Coast from surge. For a house in a mapped flood zone, substantial-improvement rules generally require the building to be brought up to current floodplain standards once repair costs reach a threshold share of its value — which can mean elevating it.
That single rule explains a great many half-repaired Texas houses. The repair that looked affordable became a rebuild once the threshold was crossed, and the work stopped. We buy at any stage of that, including none.
Claims, servicers, and mould
Where there is a mortgage, the servicer usually controls insurance proceeds and releases them as work is completed and inspected. That leaves owners holding a partial payment and an unfinished house. Who keeps any remaining proceeds is a term of the contract and should be discussed openly rather than assumed.
Mould follows water. Texas licenses mould assessment and remediation, so professional remediation is not a weekend job — which is part of why owners stop. You do not need an assessment or a remediation certificate before selling to us.
Frequently asked questions
Do you buy houses with unfinished repairs from the 2021 freeze?
Yes. Plumbing fixed but drywall never replaced, work done without permits, or nothing started at all — we buy all of it.
Will you buy a house with a slab leak?
Yes. You do not need a hydrostatic test or a scope first, though sharing one helps.
What if my insurance claim is still open?
That is common. Tell us what was claimed and paid and whether the servicer is holding funds. Who keeps remaining proceeds is a contract term.
Do I need to remediate mould before selling?
No. Texas licenses mould assessment and remediation, and none of it has to happen before closing.
Do you buy houses that flooded more than once?
Yes. Repetitive-loss properties are the hardest to insure and finance, which is exactly when a cash sale helps.
This page is general information about selling property in Texas, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Laws change and every situation is different, so talk with a qualified Texas professional about yours.