中文服务 · Serving all of Texas
A Mandarin-speaking, flat-fee real estate agent in Texas.
Full representation in English or Mandarin, for a flat $4,999 instead of a percentage commission. Weiting Yu is a licensed Texas agent who works with Chinese-speaking buyers and sellers across Austin, Houston, Dallas–Fort Worth and San Antonio.
Why it matters
Bilingual is not the same as conversational.
Plenty of agents list Mandarin on a profile. What matters in a transaction is narrower and harder: being able to walk you through a TREC contract clause by clause in the language you think in, explain what an inspector actually found, translate a lender’s conditions list without losing the conditions, and negotiate in English on your behalf the same afternoon.
A real estate contract in Texas is a binding legal document with deadlines measured in days. The option period is typically five to ten days. Earnest money and the option fee are both due within three days of the effective date. Financing approval, appraisal and closing each carry their own dates. If any of that is unclear to you in the moment, it is not a language inconvenience — it is money and legal exposure.
That is the level of bilingual service this is: contracts, disclosures, inspection reports, survey and title documents and lender paperwork explained in Mandarin, and represented in English.
The fee
Flat $4,999 — not a percentage.
The same full-service representation a 3% agent provides, priced as a flat fee.
| Purchase price | KAT Realty flat fee | Traditional agent at 3% |
|---|---|---|
| $400,000 | $4,999 | $12,000 |
| $700,000 | $4,999 | $21,000 |
| $1,200,000 | $5,999 | $36,000 |
| $2,500,000 | $6,999 | $75,000 |
Buyer representation is a flat $4,999 up to $900,000. Above that, a tier covers the added errors-and-omissions insurance cost: +$1,000 from $900K to $2M, +$2,000 from $2M to $3M, +$5,000 above $3M. Sellers list for a flat $5,999.
$600 is due at signing; the balance is due at closing, and only if the purchase closes. Where the seller’s offered buyer-agent commission is larger than the flat fee and your lender permits it, the difference is rebated to you at closing.
One honest caveat: below roughly $200,000, a 3% commission and a $4,999 flat fee land close together and the advantage largely disappears. The math favors the flat fee as the price rises.
Who this is for
Four situations where a bilingual agent changes the outcome.
Buying from outside the United States
You can buy Texas property as a non-resident, and there is no citizenship or visa requirement to own a home here. What is harder is financing: many overseas buyers pay cash or use a foreign-national loan program with a larger down payment. Documents, wiring instructions and identity verification all have to be handled carefully, and title companies will not accept instructions that arrive by email alone. Wire fraud in real estate is common enough that any change to wiring instructions should be confirmed by phone with a number you already had.
First home in the U.S.
If you bought property in China, the process here will feel unfamiliar in specific ways: there is no 70-year land-use term, the title company rather than a lawyer closes the sale, your property tax is reassessed annually and is high, and the inspection happens after the contract is signed, during the option period, not before.
Relocating for work or school
Austin, Dallas and Houston all draw transfers into semiconductor, energy and tech roles, and families often buy around a school district before they know the city. School attendance zones in Texas are set by address and can change, so the zone is confirmed with the district for that exact parcel rather than from a listing.
Buying as an investment
On an investment purchase the flat fee is a larger share of the return than it looks, because it is paid once and does not scale with price. The questions that actually decide the return are rent-to-price, the parcel’s specific tax rate, and whether the property sits in a MUD or a flood zone — all of which are checked before you write an offer, not after.
中文说明
德州中文房地产经纪 · 固定收费
您好，我是 Weiting Yu（余威婷），德州持照房地产经纪，可以用中文和英文为您服务。KAT Realty Group 是一家全方位固定收费的房地产服务机构，隔属于持照经纪公司 Texas Ally Real Estate Group，服务范围覆盖全德州：奧斯汀（Austin）、休斯敦（Houston）、达拉斯－沃茨堡（Dallas–Fort Worth）和圣安东尼奥（San Antonio）。
收费方式
买方代理收取固定费用 $4,999，而不是成交价的百分比；卖方挂牌服务固定 $5,999。签约时支付 $600，余额在成交（closing）时支付——如果交易没有成交，就不需要支付余额。房价超过 $900,000 时按档位加收（$900K–$2M 加 $1,000；$2M–$3M 加 $2,000；$3M 以上加 $5,000）。
在德州的大多数交易中，卖方仍会提供买方经纪佣金。当这笔佣金高于固定费用、且您的贷款机构允许时，差额会在成交时返还给您。以 $700,000 的房子、卖方提供 3% 佣金为例，这笔佣金是 $21,000，而固定费用是 $4,999。
为什么语言很重要
德州的房屋买卖合同（TREC 合同）是具有法律约束力的文件，关键期限以“天”计算：定金（earnest money）和选择期费用（option fee）需在生效日起 3 天内支付；选择期（option period）通常只有 5 到 10 天，在这段时间内您可以无条件退出并拿回定金。错过期限的代价是真实的金钱损失。
我会用中文逐条解释合同条款、验房报告、产权和测量文件以及贷款机构的要求，同时用英文代表您与卖方经纪、验房师、贷款机构和产权公司沟通。
与国内买房的不同
在德州，房产是永久产权，没有 70 年土地使用期；成交由产权公司（title company）办理，而不是律师；房产税每年重新评估且税率较高（德州没有州个人所得税）；验房在签约之后的选择期内进行，而不是签约之前。此外，成交后请务必申请自住房减免（homestead exemption），2026 年可从学区税的评估价中减免 $140,000，申请免费。
海外买家
非美国居民可以在德州买房，没有身份或签证限制。主要难点在于贷款：很多海外买家选择全现金，或使用需要较高首付的外国人贷款。特别提醒：电汇诈骗在美国房地产交易中非常常见。任何汇款指示的变更都必须用您原有的电话号码致电确认，不要只依赖邮件。
买房流程与时间表
从开始看房到拿到钥匙，德州大多数交易需要 60 到 90 天（全现金可缩短至 10 到 21 天）。主要阶段：
- 贷款预批（pre-approval）—— 1 到 3 天。需要两年报税表、近期工资单、两个月银行对账单。
- 看房—— 2 周到 3 个月。
- 下要约并达成合同—— 1 到 3 天。
- 选择期（option period）—— 5 到 10 天。这是整个交易中最关键的窗口期：验房、谈修理或抵扣，必要时无条件退出并拿回定金。
- 贷款审核与评估（appraisal）—— 30 到 45 天。若评估低于合同价，需重新协商。
- 结算（closing）—— 在产权公司签字，贷款放款，契约登记，房子就是您的了。
请特别注意：定金和选择期费用需在合同生效日起 3 天内交付，请在签约前就准备好资金。
关于税费与持有成本
德州没有州个人所得税，但房产税在全美属于较高水平，并且每年重新评估。计算月供时请务必把房产税和房屋保险算进去——只看本金和利息的计算器会严重低估您的实际支出。
很多新建小区位于 MUD（市政公用事业区） 或 PID（公共改进区） 内，会在市、县、学区税之外额外征收。同一个城市、不同街道的税率可能相差很多，所以要按具体地址查税率，而不是按城市。
关于学区
德州的学区按具体门牌地址划分，而且学区边界会调整。房源广告上写的学校不一定准确——买房前应向学区核实该地址当前的对口学校。
中英对照 · Glossary
Texas real estate terms, in both languages.
These are the words that appear in a Texas contract and on a closing statement. Misreading any one of them is expensive. 以下是德州房地产合同和结算文件中最常见的术语。
| English | 中文 | What it actually means |
|---|---|---|
| Option period | 选择期 / 无条件退出期 | A negotiated window, usually 5–10 days, in which you may terminate for any reason and keep your earnest money. |
| Option fee | 选择期费用 | What you pay for that right. Due within 3 days of the effective date; credited to the sales price at closing. |
| Earnest money | 定金 / 诚意金 | A good-faith deposit held in escrow, applied to your costs at closing. Returned if you terminate during the option period. |
| Effective date | 合同生效日 | The date both parties have signed and it is delivered. Every deadline counts from this date. |
| Title company | 产权公司 | Runs the title search, issues the policy, holds escrow and hosts the closing. In Texas this replaces the closing attorney. |
| Title policy | 产权保险 | Insurance against defects in the ownership record. The seller customarily pays for the owner’s policy in most of Texas. |
| Survey / T-47 | 土地测量图 / T-47 声明 | A map of the boundaries and improvements. A T-47 or T-47.1 from the seller can let you reuse an existing survey. |
| Seller’s disclosure | 卖方告知书 | The seller’s written statement of known defects. Required for most resales; not required on new construction. |
| Appraisal | 评估 | The lender’s independent valuation. If it comes in under the contract price, the gap becomes a negotiation. |
| Closing Disclosure | 结算明细表 | The final itemized costs. You are entitled to it three business days before closing — read it line by line. |
| Escrow | 托管 | Third-party holding of funds and documents until the conditions of the contract are met. |
| MUD / PID | 市政公用事业区 / 公共改进区 | Special districts that levy their own assessment on top of city, county and school taxes. Common in new subdivisions. |
| Homestead exemption | 自住房减免 | Reduces your taxable value. $140,000 off school district value as of 2026, free to file with the county appraisal district. |
| HOA | 业主协会 | Governs the subdivision, charges dues, and can restrict what you do with the property. |
| Pre-approval | 贷款预批 | A lender’s written confirmation of what you can borrow. Most Texas listing agents will not present an offer without one. |
| Buyer representation agreement | 买方代理协议 | The written agreement between you and your agent. Texas now requires one before an agent tours homes with you. |
| Commission rebate | 佣金返还 | The portion of a seller-offered buyer-agent commission above your agent’s fee, credited to you where the lender allows. |
| Fee simple | 完全所有权 / 永久产权 | Outright, permanent ownership of land and improvements. There is no land-use term in Texas. |
Common questions
Questions from Chinese-speaking clients.
Do you speak Mandarin fluently enough to explain a contract?
Yes. Weiting Yu is a native Mandarin speaker and a licensed Texas agent, and works with Chinese-speaking clients daily. Contracts, disclosures, inspection reports, title and survey documents and lender conditions are explained in Mandarin; negotiation and correspondence with the other side are handled in English.
Can I buy a house in Texas if I am not a U.S. citizen or resident?
Yes. There is no citizenship, residency or visa requirement to own property in Texas. The practical constraint is financing — many non-resident buyers pay cash or use a foreign-national loan program that requires a larger down payment and additional documentation. Ownership itself is not restricted.
Is the flat fee the same for Chinese-speaking clients?
Yes — the fee does not change. Buyer representation is a flat $4,999 up to $900,000, with tier adjustments above that, and sellers list for a flat $5,999. Bilingual service is not a premium add-on.
Which parts of Texas do you cover?
All of Texas. Most clients are in the Austin, Houston, Dallas–Fort Worth and San Antonio metros, but representation is statewide and the business runs on a fully remote model, which is what makes serving buyers in four metros practical.
What should I know about wiring money for a Texas closing?
Wire fraud is a genuine risk in U.S. real estate. Criminals monitor transactions and send convincing emails changing the wiring instructions at the last moment. Confirm every wire instruction, and any change to one, by calling the title company on a number you obtained independently — never a number contained in the email itself.
How is buying here different from buying in China?
Property is held in fee simple with no land-use term. A title company, not a lawyer, closes the sale. The inspection happens after the contract is signed, inside the option period, and that period is your window to renegotiate or walk away. Property tax is reassessed annually and is high, though Texas has no state income tax — and you should file the homestead exemption yourself after closing, which is free.
Let’s talk — in English or Mandarin.
A free consultation, no obligation. 欢迎用中文咨询。