the program
A free, structured program that walks homebuyers from credit readiness through closing on a new-construction home in Greater Houston, with full bilingual representation at no cost to the buyer.
Most first-time buyers don't get stuck because they can't afford a home. They get stuck because nobody sat down and showed them a path.
Maybe you checked your credit score once and assumed the number meant no. Maybe someone told you that you need 20% down, and that ended the conversation. Maybe you walked into a builder's sales office and felt rushed into decisions you didn't fully understand, in a language that wasn't yours.
The VIP Homebuyer Readiness Program exists because those experiences are fixable.
This is a structured, step-by-step program for buyers in the Katy, Cypress, Fulshear, Richmond and Hockley areas of Greater Houston. It starts with a free consultation where I look at your real situation: your credit, your savings, your timeline, and the communities that make sense for your family. No assumptions, no judgment, and no pressure to move faster than you're ready.
From there, I connect you with a credit specialist who works with our buyers at no cost to you. This is not a class you sit through or a pamphlet someone hands you, but a real person who sits down with your credit report and builds a plan around your specific situation. Many buyers are mortgage-ready within 90 to 120 days, though results vary by situation.
I match you with the Texas down payment assistance programs you're most likely to qualify for. There are more of these than most people realize, and recent changes mean far more families are eligible than in past years. Some offer outright grants. Some are forgivable loans. Some come with a slightly higher interest rate as a trade-off. I explain each one plainly so you can make the decision that fits your budget.
When you're ready, I introduce you to a loan officer who specializes in these programs and will work your file personally. And I schedule your HUD-approved homebuyer education early in the process, so it's a learning tool rather than a last-minute requirement.
Then I do what I do best: represent you in a new-construction purchase.
My commission is paid by the builder. Full representation, from contract to keys, at no cost to you.
If there's no realistic path to a mortgage today, you'll leave our first conversation knowing exactly what to work on, how long it's likely to take, and that you have someone in your corner for when you're ready.
Every conversation is free. Every conversation is available in English or Spanish. And there is never an obligation to move forward.
what you get
The program starts with a real conversation, not a sales pitch. I review your credit snapshot, your savings and budget, your timeline, and the communities that interest you. If you're ready now, we move. If you need time, we build a plan. Either way, you leave knowing exactly where you stand.
What this removes: The fear of not knowing whether you qualify, and the experience of being judged for asking.
If your credit needs work before you can qualify for a mortgage, I introduce you to a credit specialist who works with our buyers at no cost to you. This person reviews your individual credit report, identifies the specific items that are holding your score back, and builds a plan to address them.
What this removes: The assumption that a low credit score is a permanent barrier.
I build a personalized shortlist of the Texas and county-level down payment assistance programs you're most likely to qualify for, based on your income, the county where you're buying, and the price of the home. It's a side-by-side comparison of what each program offers and what it costs in exchange.
What this removes: The overwhelm of researching programs alone and the belief that you probably don't qualify for anything.
When you're mortgage-ready, I introduce you to a loan officer who specializes in these assistance programs and will work your file personally. This is someone who processes these loans routinely, knows the documentation requirements, and can walk you through every step.
What this removes: The confusion of working with a lender who doesn't know how assistance programs work.
Most Texas down payment assistance programs require a HUD-approved homebuyer education course before closing. Many buyers don't learn this until weeks before their close date. I schedule it early, so it's a genuine learning tool rather than a last-minute hurdle.
What this removes: The risk of a delayed closing because of a requirement nobody mentioned.
I represent you from contract to keys on your new-construction purchase, at no cost to you. My commission is paid by the builder. That includes reviewing your contract, attending builder meetings, and negotiating for closing cost contributions, rate buydowns and upgrades.
What this removes: The disadvantage of walking into a builder's sales office alone, where the only agent in the room works for the builder.
why this works
Before I became a buyer's agent, I spent eight years working in new-home sales on the builder's side. I sat in the sales office. I learned how builders price base homes and upgrades. I watched how incentive periods were structured, when they were real, and when they were designed to create urgency. I saw what happened when a buyer had representation and what happened when they didn't.
When you walk into a builder's sales office alone, the sales team is friendly, professional, and working entirely for the builder. They are trained to guide you toward decisions that benefit the builder's margin. That's not dishonest; that's their job. But it means no one in the room is doing your job.
That part is my job, and it is the part I genuinely enjoy. I know which incentives are standard and which are negotiable. I know when a builder is likely to contribute to closing costs and how much to ask for. I know how to read a builder's contract, where the contingencies are, and where the risks are buried.
None of this costs you anything. My commission is paid by the builder. But the negotiation I bring to the table can save you thousands on closing costs, upgrades, and the terms of your loan.
step by step
Call, text, or send me a message. Tell me you're interested in the VIP Homebuyer Readiness Program. That's it.
In person or by video, in English or Spanish, whatever is more comfortable. I review your credit snapshot, savings, budget, timeline, and the areas you're interested in.
If the program feels like the right fit, you and I sign a buyer representation agreement together, six months minimum. That agreement is what makes everything after it possible, so it comes before the rest rather than after. There is no pressure at all here, and if you would like time to think it over, that is completely fine with me.
Based on our conversation, I put together your path. If your credit is ready, we move straight to a loan officer. If it needs work, I introduce you to a credit specialist.
They review your full credit report and build a plan specific to your situation. Many buyers are mortgage-ready within 90 to 120 days, though results vary by situation.
I research which Texas and county-level programs you're most likely to qualify for and walk you through what each one offers and what each one costs.
When you're ready, I introduce you to a loan officer who specializes in these programs and will work your file personally. You start the pre-approval process.
I schedule your HUD-approved homebuyer education course early, so it's done well before closing.
I represent you through the new-construction process: community selection, model tours, contract review, builder negotiations, and every meeting in between.
From the signed contract through inspections, the builder walkthrough, and closing day, I'm there. Full representation, at no cost to you, paid by the builder.
the promise
Every consultation is free, whether you're ready to buy today or still building your plan. Every conversation is available in English or Spanish. There is never an obligation to move forward, and you will never be pressured to make a decision before you're ready.
If there's no realistic path to a mortgage right now, you won't be turned away. You'll leave with a clear picture of what needs to happen, how long it's likely to take, and the knowledge that when you are ready, the program is still here.
I don't judge where you're starting. I only care that you have a real plan to get where you want to go.
If you decide the program is the right fit, the next step is signing a buyer representation agreement with me for a minimum of six months. Written buyer representation agreements are now standard practice in Texas before an agent shows properties. That agreement is what makes everything else in the program possible: the credit specialist introduction, the down payment assistance matching, and full representation through closing are all provided under it, at no cost to you on a new-construction purchase. My commission is paid by the builder.
take it with you
The whole program on two pages, ready to print or share.
Mary De Pinho | Texas Real Estate License #579203 | Dalton Wade Real Estate Group
Mary De Pinho is a licensed real estate agent and is not a lender, mortgage broker, or credit repair organization. Information about down payment assistance programs, credit readiness, and mortgage financing is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or credit repair advice. Assistance program eligibility, terms, income limits, and available funding are subject to change and are determined by the administering agency, not by the agent. Results vary by individual situation. Figures cited in this material were current as of the date of publication; verify all program details with the appropriate agency before making financial decisions.
Equal Housing Opportunity. Mary De Pinho does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, disability, or any other class protected under federal, state, or local fair housing law.
Buyer representation is provided under a written buyer representation agreement. The agent's commission for new-construction purchases is paid by the builder at no cost to the buyer. Terms of representation are disclosed in writing before services begin, in accordance with current Texas Real Estate Commission rules.