Property owners within the Buyout Areas will be provided an official General Information Notice informing them of inclusion in the program. Buyouts will occur in areas that are deep within the floodplain and have sustained damage from multiple flood events, with one occasion being Hurricane Harvey.  If you have questions on your property’s status, please email us at [email protected] or call us at 832-927-4955.

You will receive a letter requesting that you contact the case manager who has been assigned to you. Once contact is made with your case manager, a title search can be done to show ownership. If there are title issues, the County will work with you to resolve them.

You do not have to be a legal resident for the buyout program. The County will purchase your property whether or not you are lawfully present in the U.S. For the relocation program, however, you must be a U.S. citizens or eligible immigrant.

If your household has mixed legal status, we will work with you to assign the relocation benefits to eligible members. Benefits will be pro-rated based on how many persons in the house are citizens or lawfully present.

Talk to your case manager about your situation and let us help to find the right solution for your household.

Properties acquired through the program can be used for green space, recreation or floodplain/wetlands management practices in the future.

If you purchased before Harvey, we use pre-storm fair market value, verified by an independent appraiser. I you purchased after Harvey, we use the current fair market value. You are encouraged to accompany the appraiser to point out any improvements you made to the property.

If you don’t agree with the County’s offer, you can submit a counteroffer within 30 days of receipt of your Initial Offer Letter. If you still disagree and reject the County’s offer, the County will file a lawsuit to purchase your property using its power of eminent domain. Additional information on this process and how to pursue it are provided online.

This is a mandatory program. While the County would prefer to settle the matter amicably, if necessary, the County will initiate eminent domain proceedings to acquire your property through litigation.

The balance of taxes owed and any mortgage/lien on the property will be subtracted from the total purchase price at closing and those debts will be paid off.

Yes. The funds will go directly to the owner at closing. You may use those dollars in any manner you choose, including to pay toward your current mortgage.

The value of your replacement home payment will be determined by the home you are selling to the county.

We will find three similar homes comparable to yours outside the floodplain to determine a replacement home value. For example, if you live in a three-bedroom, two-bath home on a half-acre lot, we’ll look for three comparable three-bedroom, two-bath homes on half-acre lots. Based on their price, we’ll determine how much we will give you to replace your home.

Note, you are not required to buy any of the three comparable homes. You choose the home you buy. We get the comparable homes only to determine what a replacement home comparable value to your buyout home will be.