How to Buy Investment Property in Temple, TX Remotely — A Step-by-Step Guide for Out-of-State Investors

Temple, Texas sits at the intersection of two forces that make remote real estate investing work: institutional demand from Baylor Scott & White Medical Center and Fort Cavazos, and median home prices roughly half of what you would pay in Austin, Dallas, or any coastal metro. If you are an out-of-state investor looking to build a rental portfolio in a market with strong fundamentals and manageable entry points, this guide walks you through every step of the remote buying process — from initial market research to closing day and beyond.

I am Taylor Dasch with EG Realty, and I specialize in working with out-of-state buyers and investors. I am also an active investor in this market with experience across flips, the BRRRR method, and mid-term rentals near Baylor Scott & White. Everything on this page comes from doing this work daily, not from reading about it.

For a broader overview of investment strategy and market data, start with my complete guide to investing in Temple, TX.

Why Should Remote Investors Consider Temple, TX?

Temple's rental market is anchored by two employers that are not leaving: Baylor Scott & White Medical Center (8,800+ employees, 636 beds, 31 residency programs) and Fort Cavazos, the largest active-duty military installation in the Western Hemisphere. These institutions create a constant rotation of tenants — travel nurses, medical residents, military families on PCS orders, and civilian contractors — that keeps vacancy rates low and rental demand stable regardless of broader economic cycles.

Here is what the numbers look like for investors entering this market in 2026:

The rent-to-price ratio is the headline number. In certain Temple zip codes — particularly 76501 — you can approach or reach the 1% rule (monthly rent equals 1% of purchase price), which is increasingly rare in 2026 markets. A $175,000 duplex renting both units at $1,100 each generates $2,200 per month. You are not going to find that math in Austin, Denver, or Southern California.

Temple also has a documented housing deficit. Population growth driven by BSW expansion, Fort Cavazos civilian hiring, and affordability migration from Austin has outpaced new construction. This supply-demand imbalance supports both rent stability and long-term appreciation — conservative projections estimate 3–5% annual appreciation over the next decade.

If your strategy includes mid-term rentals, the BSW medical complex creates a specific advantage. Travel nurses on 13-week contracts, medical residents rotating through 31 programs, and locum tenens physicians all need furnished housing within a 10–15 minute drive of the hospital. MTR investors in Temple regularly achieve 10–14% cap rates compared to 6–8% for traditional long-term rentals. I cover this strategy in detail in my travel nurse housing investment guide.

For families relocating to Temple through BSW or Fort Cavazos, I have a dedicated Baylor Scott & White relocation guide that covers neighborhoods, school districts, and commute times.

Can You Really Buy a Rental Property in Temple Without Visiting?

Over 60% of my investor clients in the past two years have closed without setting foot in Temple. Remote real estate transactions are fully legal in Texas, and the infrastructure to support them — video walkthroughs, digital earnest money transfers, Remote Online Notarization — has matured significantly since 2020.

That said, buying remotely is not the same as buying blindly. It works when you have three things in place: a local agent who understands investor math (not just comparable sales), a reliable inspection process, and a vetted property management company ready to take over at closing. The agent is the critical piece. If your agent only works with homeowners, they will not know how to evaluate a deal for cash flow, identify deferred maintenance that eats into returns, or connect you with the right contractors and managers.

I recommend visiting Temple at least once — ideally after you have your first property under contract — to drive the neighborhoods, meet your property manager, and see the market firsthand. But it is not a requirement to close your first deal.

What Is the Step-by-Step Process to Buy Remotely?

A typical remote purchase in Temple takes 30–45 days from accepted offer to closing. Here is the timeline broken into phases, with what happens at each stage and who handles it.

Phase 1: Pre-Purchase Setup (1–2 Weeks Before Your First Offer)

1. Define your buy box. Decide on strategy (long-term rental, BRRRR, or mid-term rental), target zip codes, price range, and minimum cash-on-cash return. I help clients build buy boxes specific to Temple's zip code dynamics — 76501 for cash flow, 76502 for newer inventory and appreciation, 76513 (Belton) for premium tenants.
2. Get pre-approved. Work with a lender experienced in investment property loans. Conventional financing for non-owner-occupied properties typically requires 20–25% down. DSCR (Debt Service Coverage Ratio) loans are increasingly popular for investors and do not require W-2 income verification.
3. Interview your local team. You need three people: an investor-friendly agent, a property manager, and an insurance broker familiar with Texas landlord policies. I can refer vetted providers for management and insurance.

Phase 2: Deal Identification and Underwriting (Ongoing)

4. Receive curated deal alerts. I set up MLS alerts based on your buy box and send properties that meet your criteria — with my initial underwriting notes attached. I am not sending you every listing in Temple. I am sending you the ones that pencil out.
5. Review the numbers. For every deal, I provide a pro forma that uses Temple-specific data: actual property tax rates (2.37–2.47%, not the 1% national average most calculators assume), current lease comps from MLS (not Zillow Zestimates), and realistic vacancy and maintenance reserves. If a deal does not cash flow at 2.4% taxes, we walk.
6. Video walkthrough. Once we identify a promising property, I walk through it on video — FaceTime, Zoom, or recorded — showing you everything: roof condition, HVAC age, foundation indicators, neighborhood context. I narrate what I am seeing the same way I would evaluate it for my own portfolio.

Phase 3: Under Contract (30–45 Days)

7. Submit offer and earnest money. Offers are submitted electronically through the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) standard contract. Earnest money ($1,000–$3,000 typically) is wired to the title company.
8. Inspection period (7–10 days). I attend the inspection in person and send you the full report plus video. For homes built before 2000, I recommend adding a hydrostatic plumbing test and foundation evaluation — Temple sits on expansive clay soil, and foundation issues are the number-one deal killer in this market.
9. Appraisal. Ordered by your lender. I provide comparable sales data to the appraiser if needed to support value.
10. Title and closing prep. The title company handles the title search, survey review, and closing document preparation. You will review and sign via Remote Online Notarization (RON) or through a mobile notary in your state.
11. Close and fund. Wire funds to the title company. Once recorded, you own the property.
12. Property management handoff. Your property manager takes possession of keys, conducts a move-in inspection, and begins tenant placement or takes over the existing lease.

Remote Closing Timeline at a Glance

What Will Closing Costs Look Like on a Remote Purchase?

Texas closing costs for investment property buyers typically run 2–4% of the purchase price. On a $250,000 property, budget $5,000–$10,000 in addition to your down payment. Here is a typical breakdown:

One Texas-specific note: property taxes are paid in arrears, so your first tax payment will not come due until January of the following year. However, your lender will escrow for taxes monthly starting at closing. At a 2.4% effective rate on a $250,000 property, that is $500 per month in escrow — a line item that surprises investors coming from lower-tax states.

How Should You Underwrite a Temple Deal Differently Than Other Markets?

Generic rental calculators underestimate expenses in Texas by 15–25% because they default to national average tax rates around 1%. I use a Temple-specific underwriting framework calibrated to local realities:

The 2.4% Rule (Taxes): I calculate property taxes at 2.4–2.7% of the purchase price. Investment properties do not qualify for the homestead exemption, which means your assessed value can increase without the 10% annual cap that owner-occupants receive. If a deal does not cash flow at 2.4% taxes, it is not a deal.

The Clay Soil Buffer (CapEx): Temple sits on Blackland Prairie soil — expansive clay that shifts with moisture cycles. For any home built before 2000, I add a 5% premium to CapEx reserves for foundation maintenance, soaker hoses, and drainage correction. This is not optional.

Income Verification: I pull actual lease comps from the MLS — properties that leased in the last 60 days — rather than relying on Zillow estimates. For mid-term rental underwriting, I verify the property falls within the on-call radius (15–20 minutes) for Baylor Scott & White medical professionals.

Conservative Expense Assumptions:

Which Temple Zip Codes Work Best for Remote Investors?

Bell County spans four primary zip codes, and each one plays a different role in a rental portfolio. Where you buy depends on your strategy:

For first-time remote investors looking for the simplest entry, I typically recommend 76502. The newer housing stock (2005–2020) means lower maintenance costs, predictable CapEx, and easier tenant placement. For experienced investors comfortable with value-add execution, 76501 offers the best rent-to-price ratios in the county — but older homes require more active management and a higher tolerance for deferred maintenance.

If your strategy centers on mid-term rentals for travel nurses, proximity to BSW matters more than zip code. Properties within a 10-minute drive of the hospital campus in 76502 command the strongest MTR demand. I cover furnishing, platforms, and tenant screening in separate guides: the Furnished Finder setup guide, the furnishing budget checklist, and travel nurse tenant screening.

What Should You Expect from Property Management?

Property management is not optional for out-of-state investors — it is the foundation of your entire operation. A bad property manager will cost you more in vacancy, maintenance markups, and tenant turnover than their fees will ever save you. Here is what to look for and what to expect in the Temple market.

Typical fee structure:

• Monthly management fee: 8–10% of collected rent
• Tenant placement fee: 50–100% of one month's rent (one-time, per placement)
• Lease renewal fee: $150–$300 (some managers waive this)
• Maintenance coordination: Some charge a markup on vendor invoices (10–15%); others bill flat

Questions to ask before signing:

• How do you handle maintenance requests, and what is your spending threshold before contacting the owner?
• What is your average vacancy period between tenants?
• Do you provide monthly owner statements and year-end tax documents (1099)?
• What is your eviction process and how often do you file?
• Can I view my property's performance through an online owner portal?

I refer clients to vetted local property managers in Temple and Belton. I do not receive referral fees from property managers — there is no conflict of interest in my recommendations. My only incentive is your long-term success, because satisfied investors buy more properties.

For investors running the MTR strategy, management looks different. Mid-term rental management typically costs more (12–18% of rent) because it involves furnishing coordination, platform listing management, and more frequent tenant turnover. Some investors self-manage MTRs remotely using platforms like Furnished Finder, which is feasible if you have a reliable local cleaner and handyman on call.

What Financing Options Work for Out-of-State Investors?

Investment property financing requires higher down payments and interest rates than primary residence loans. Here are the most common options for remote investors purchasing in Temple:

Conventional investment loan: 20–25% down, credit score 680+, rate typically 0.5–0.75% higher than owner-occupied rates. Requires full income documentation (W-2s, tax returns). You can hold up to 10 financed properties under Fannie Mae guidelines.

DSCR loan (Debt Service Coverage Ratio): Qualification is based on the property's income rather than your personal income. The property's rental income must cover the mortgage payment at a 1.0–1.25x ratio. Down payment is 20–25%. These are increasingly popular with self-employed investors and those who already have several conventional loans.

Portfolio/local bank loan: Smaller community banks in Texas sometimes offer competitive terms for investors purchasing multiple properties in their market. These are relationship-based and can be more flexible on terms.

Cash purchase with delayed refinance: If you are executing a BRRRR strategy, you may purchase with cash or hard money, complete renovations, then refinance into a conventional or DSCR loan at the improved value. In Temple, the refinance step requires you to buy at 70–75% of ARV minus repairs to pull most of your capital back out.

What Are the Most Common Mistakes Remote Investors Make in Temple?

After closing over 100 investor transactions in this market, I have seen the same mistakes repeat. Here are the ones that cost the most money:

Using national-average tax rates. If you underwrite at 1% taxes instead of 2.4%, your cash flow projections are off by $200–$350 per month on a $250,000 property. That is the difference between positive cash flow and a money-losing deal.

Skipping the foundation evaluation. Temple's clay soil means foundation movement is common, not exceptional. A $300 foundation inspection can save you from a $15,000–$25,000 repair bill. I have walked clients away from deals that looked perfect on paper because the foundation told a different story.

Choosing the cheapest property manager. A property manager charging 6% who leaves your unit vacant for six weeks costs more than one charging 10% who places a tenant in two weeks. Evaluate managers on performance metrics — average days to lease, tenant retention rate, maintenance response time — not just fee percentages.

Ignoring insurance requirements. Texas requires landlord-specific policies (not homeowner's insurance) for rental properties. Ensure your policy covers loss of rent, liability, and wind/hail damage. Hailstorms in Central Texas are a real and recurring expense.

Buying in the wrong zip code for their strategy. A cash flow investor buying a $340,000 home in Belton will be disappointed. An appreciation investor buying a $140,000 home in 76501 will be frustrated by maintenance. Match your zip code to your strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions About Remote Investing in Temple, TX

Taylor Dasch · Licensed Real Estate Agent, EG Realty · Temple, TX

Taylor is an active real estate investor and agent specializing in working with out-of-state buyers and investors in the Temple and Belton, TX market. With 100+ transactions and personal experience across flips, the BRRRR method, and mid-term rentals, Taylor provides investor clients with the same deal analysis framework he uses on his own portfolio. He runs two YouTube channels — Living in Temple for relocation buyers and Investing in Temple for investor education — and publishes weekly deal breakdowns at templetxhomes.net.