DFW's Broker Who Is Also Your Mortgage Loan Officer.

The Kaleo Agency is not your average real estate firm. We are your complete real estate and mortgage solution in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex (and Houston coastal markets). Maribel Hill has been a licensed Texas Real Estate Agent since 1992 — before many of today's agents were in high school. She has navigated bull markets and recessions, multiple listing shifts, and the rise of the digital age. She has watched neighborhoods transform, values rise, and dreams become addresses.

But what sets Maribel apart from every other broker in Dallas-Fort Worth? She is also a licensed Mortgage Loan Officer (NMLS #2490050), serving all of Texas. That means your real estate transaction and your mortgage financing have the opportunity to move together — coordinated by one trusted professional who sees the full picture of your deal.

No more two separate teams pulling in different directions. No more gaps in communication between your agent and your lender. Just one advisor, one goal, and one standard of excellence.

Find Your Perfect DFW Home — Without the Guesswork

Sell Faster. Net More.

Move With Confidence.

Your Realtor®️ Can Also Be Your Mortgage Loan Officer

The Perfect Rental — Found for You, Free of Charge.

From first-time buyers to seasoned investors, we guide you through every step of the DFW home buying process — search, offer, negotiate, and close — with 34 years of market knowledge protecting your interests at every turn. Begin your search right now.

In the competitive DFW market, pricing strategy, marketing, and expert negotiation are the difference between the home you wanted to sell for — and the home you actually sold for. We maximize your net proceeds from day one.

Our apartment and rental locating service in Dallas- Fort Worth is completely FREE to you. We search thousands of DFW properties to find options that match your real budget, real timeline, and real needs — including pet-friendly, short-term, and special circumstance situations.

Stop juggling two separate professionals. Maribel is both your Real Estate Broker and your licensed MLO (NMLS #2490050), serving all of Texas. Get pre-approved, explore loan programs, and close faster — all through one trusted advisor.

"Winning together is The Gold Standard." — Maribel Hill

Still Renting? Still Waiting?

Still Wondering if You Qualify?

Every month you stay in a rental, you write a check that builds someone else's equity.

Not yours. Theirs.

Every month you wait to sell, you leave negotiating power on the table as market conditions shift.

Every month you delay getting pre-approved, someone else is out there making offers on the home you want.

The worst part? Most people who think they can't qualify — actually can. They just haven't had someone run the real numbers.

The difference between where you are and where you want to be is one conversation. Maribel has been having that conversation with Dallas-Fort Worth families for 34 years. Let's have it today.

FAQs- Real Questions. Straight Answers.

Q: What credit score do I need to buy a home in Dallas-Fort Worth?

The short answer: less than most people think.

FHA loans require a minimum credit score of 580 with 3.5% down. Conventional loans typically require 620 or higher. VA loans for eligible veterans have no set minimum score — eligibility depends on overall financial profile. USDA loans for qualifying rural and suburban properties also have flexible credit requirements.

What I look at as your mortgage loan officer isn't just the three-digit number — it's the full picture. Your income, your debt-to-income ratio, your employment history, your savings, and what's behind any negative items on your report all matter. I've helped buyers get to closing with credit scores that other lenders turned away. And I've helped buyers with good scores identify the fastest path to the best rate. The only way to know exactly where you stand is to have the conversation. It takes about 20 minutes and costs you nothing.

Schedule My Free Mortgage Readiness Call.

Q: Do I need 20% down to buy a home in DFW?

No. This is the most persistent myth in real estate, and it stops real buyers from moving forward every single day.

FHA loans require just 3.5% down. Conventional loans can go as low as 3% for qualified buyers. VA loans offer zero down payment for eligible veterans and active-duty service members. USDA loans offer zero down for qualifying properties. And Texas down payment assistance programs can cover part or all of your down payment — programs I know and work with regularly.

To put it in concrete numbers: on a $280,000 home, 3.5% down is $9,800. That's an amount many DFW renters already have in savings — they just didn't know it was enough.

Twenty percent down used to be a standard requirement decades ago. Today it's a choice — not a requirement. The right loan for your situation depends on your credit, income, and goals. That's exactly what our Mortgage Readiness Conversation is designed to figure out.

See My Down Payment Options.

Q: What does it actually cost to use a buyer's agent in DFW?

As a buyer, you typically pay nothing out of pocket for professional representation. In the vast majority of DFW transactions, the seller pays the buyer's agent commission as part of the sale.

Following the 2024 NAR settlement changes, commission structures have become more transparent — buyers may now be asked to sign a Buyer Representation Agreement that outlines the agreed commission before touring homes. I walk every buyer through this clearly before we begin. There are no surprises.

What you do get for that representation: 34 years of market knowledge protecting your interests, a negotiator who has been through hundreds of transactions, a broker who is also your mortgage loan officer so your deal moves together without the gaps that separate teams create, and someone who is genuinely looking out for your outcome — not the fastest close. Start My Home Search.

Q: How long does it typically take to buy a home in DFW right now?

From the day you're pre-approved to the day you get keys, a typical DFW purchase runs 30 to 45 days once you're under contract — assuming no major complications. Finding the right home before going under contract can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months depending on your criteria, your price range, and how competitive the market is in your target neighborhoods.

The single biggest factor in your timeline is preparation. Buyers who have their pre-approval in hand, know their non-negotiables, and are ready to move when the right home appears almost always win. Buyers who start the financing conversation after they've already found a home they love are at a disadvantage from the start.

Because I'm both your broker and your mortgage loan officer, your pre-approval and your home search happen on the same timeline — not in sequence. That coordination is a meaningful advantage in a competitive market. Get Pre-Approved First.

Q: How do you determine the right listing price for my DFW home?

Not with an algorithm. With 34 years of market experience applied to your specific property.

A Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) from my office is not a Zestimate. It examines what has actually sold nearby in the past 60 to 90 days, what is currently on the market competing for the same buyer pool, and what has expired — properties that didn't sell and why. I adjust for meaningful differences in square footage, lot size, condition, updates, school district, and location.

Then I take one more step that software can't replicate: judgment. There are DFW homes I would price above their immediate comparables because specific features, location nuance, or current buyer demand justify it. There are homes I would price at or slightly below market to generate multiple competing offers that drive the final number higher than a higher list price would have achieved. Those decisions come from doing this for three decades in this market.

Your free home value assessment includes a full CMA and a pricing strategy conversation. It takes about an hour and it may be the most valuable hour you spend before you list.

Request My Free Home Value Assessment.

Q: How is selling a home different when my broker is also my mortgage officer?

In a typical real estate transaction, the listing agent and the buyer's lender operate on separate teams with separate incentives. Communication gaps between those parties are one of the leading causes of delayed closings, failed appraisals, and deals that fall apart at the last minute.

When I represent you as your listing broker, I bring a mortgage officer's perspective to every step of the sale. I can anticipate appraisal challenges before they surface. I can evaluate the financial strength of incoming offers with a trained eye — a clean pre-approval that I can verify as solid carries more weight than one I can't assess. And when we need to negotiate seller concessions, I understand exactly how they interact with the buyer's financing structure.

The result: smoother transactions, fewer surprises, and sellers who net more because the deal actually closes.

Talk to Me About Listing My Home.

After 34 years in Dallas-Fort Worth real estate, I've heard every question — and I've never minded answering them. Browse the most common ones below, or skip straight to the conversation.

Q: What is the biggest mistake DFW home sellers make?

Overpricing. Without question.

The DFW market moves fast. The moment your listing goes live, buyer alerts fire across every real estate app in the metro. Agents pull comps in real time. Buyers who have been watching the market know immediately whether your price aligns with the value. You have a window — roughly the first ten to fourteen days — of concentrated buyer attention. An overpriced home misses that window. It goes stale. The listing accumulates days on market, which tells every buyer who sees it that something is wrong. Then comes the price reduction, which signals desperation and invites lower offers.

A well-priced home generates activity in the first two weeks and often sells at or above list price. An overpriced home that eventually reduces to the same number typically sells for less — because the market has moved on and the listing has been stigmatized. The goal isn't to list high. The goal is to net the most money. Those are not the same thing.

Get My Free Market Pricing Strategy.

Q: Should I make repairs or sell my DFW home as-is?

It depends — and the honest answer requires knowing your specific home, its condition, your price range, and what current buyers in your neighborhood are expecting.

The general principle: repairs that address obvious deferred maintenance or that will surface on a buyer's inspection typically cost less to do upfront than they do in negotiated credits after the fact. Buyers who see issues during inspection come back with repair demands that are often inflated. Sellers who addressed the issues before listing maintain more negotiating power.

That said, not every repair is worth making. Expensive renovations rarely return their full cost in a higher sale price. I'll walk you through a pre-listing assessment that separates what matters to buyers in your price range from what doesn't — so you spend money strategically, not reflexively.

Your free home value assessment includes this conversation.

Schedule My Seller Strategy Call.

Q: What makes The Kaleo Agency different from other DFW real estate agencies?

One thing: I'm both your real estate broker and your mortgage loan officer. Under the same roof. In the same conversation.

Every other real estate agency in DFW operates as a brokerage. Some have affiliated lenders. But in virtually every transaction, your agent and your mortgage officer are two separate professionals with separate communication channels, separate priorities, and — too often — separate timelines.

At The Kaleo Agency, Maribel Lopez Hill holds a Texas Real Estate Broker license (TREC #0420032) that has been active since 1992 and a Mortgage Loan Officer license (NMLS #2490050) serving all of Texas. When she represents you, your real estate and mortgage move in lock step — the same person understands your financial situation, your purchase contract, your appraisal, and your closing timeline simultaneously.

That's not a service upgrade. That's a structural advantage that changes how deals get done.

Q: What mortgage programs are available for DFW first-time buyers?

More than most first-time buyers realize. Here are the primary options:

FHA Loans: The most common first-time buyer program. Minimum 3.5% down with a 580+ credit score. More flexible qualification requirements than conventional loans.

Conventional Loans: Starting at 3% down for qualified buyers. Often the better long-term choice if you have a 620+ score and can meet the income and asset requirements.

VA Loans: Zero down payment for eligible veterans, active-duty service members, and surviving spouses. No private mortgage insurance. One of the best loan products in the market for those who qualify.

USDA Loans: Zero down for buyers purchasing in qualifying suburban and rural areas around the DFW metro. More of the DFW geography qualifies than most buyers expect.

Texas Down Payment Assistance Programs: State and local programs that provide grant money or low-interest second loans to help cover your down payment and closing costs. Eligibility varies by income and purchase price. These are real programs with real funding — and I work with them regularly.

During your free Mortgage Readiness Conversation, we identify exactly which programs apply to your situation and what your real numbers look like.

Q: Is getting pre-approved really necessary before I start looking at homes?

Yes — and not just as a formality.

In the DFW market, where well-priced homes routinely receive multiple offers within the first week, a seller's agent looks at an offer without a pre-approval the same way they look at a blank page. Your offer may not even be presented seriously. And if you fall in love with a home only to find out your financing doesn't work, you've wasted everyone's time — including yours.

More importantly, your pre-approval tells you what you can actually afford — which is often different from what you think you can afford. It shapes your search criteria in a meaningful way. Knowing you qualify for a $320,000 purchase instead of the $280,000 you assumed changes the neighborhoods, the features, and the possibilities you're looking at.

The pre-approval conversation here takes about 20 minutes. It's free. And it's the foundation everything else is built on.

Start My Pre-Approval Conversation.

Q: Do you only offer mortgages for properties in DFW?

No. As a licensed Mortgage Loan Officer (NMLS #2490050), I originate loans across all of Texas. Dallas-Fort Worth is my primary real estate market, but if you're buying in Houston, San Antonio, Austin, or anywhere else in the state, I can handle your financing.

And if you're an out-of-state buyer relocating to DFW — a situation I work with regularly given the metro's continued corporate migration — I can manage both your home search and your mortgage, making the long-distance process significantly more coordinated than using two separate professionals in two different cities.

Ask About My Loan Coverage Area.

Q: Is your apartment locating service really free?

Yes. 100% free to you — no asterisks, no fine print.

Here's how it works: apartment communities pay a referral fee to locators when we place a client in their property. That fee comes from their marketing budget — the same budget they'd spend on advertising, signage, and search platforms. You pay nothing.

Our incentive is to find you a place that actually works for you. Happy renters refer their friends, coworkers, and family — and that's how we grow. So while the service is free to you, we take it seriously. We're not going to throw a list of random apartments at you. We're going to match you to properties that genuinely fit your budget, timeline, move-in situation, and preferences.

The only thing you spend is about 3 minutes filling out a quick survey so we know what you're looking for.

Start My Free Apartment Search.

Q: What areas does The Kaleo Agency serve for apartment locating?

The entire Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex — and then some.

We actively work with apartment communities throughout Dallas, Fort Worth, Frisco, Plano, McKinney, Allen, Arlington, Irving, Garland, Richardson, Denton, Lewisville, Carrollton, Southlake, Grapevine, Grand Prairie, Mansfield, and all surrounding communities. If you're moving to DFW from out of state, we can conduct your entire search remotely — virtual tours, phone consultations, and digital leasing are now standard across the metro.

For buyers considering relocating to Houston: real estate services extend to the Houston coastal markets as well.

Search DFW Apartments Free.

Q: Why use an apartment locator instead of searching on my own?

Three reasons that most renters don't discover until after they've signed a lease they regret.

First: the listings on major search sites are not always current. Aggregators pull data on varying schedules. The unit you're calling about may have been rented days ago. A locator works with live availability directly from community leasing offices.

Second: the price on the listing is almost never the actual monthly cost. Base rent is what's advertised. Your real payment includes utility billing fees, amenity fees, valet trash, parking, and sometimes pet rent — all of which can add $200 to $400 per month before your first utility bill arrives. We know which communities have high mandatory fees and which ones don't.

Third: promotions and concessions — a free month's rent, waived application fees, reduced deposits — are frequently offered directly to locators before they're posted publicly, or never posted publicly at all. These are real savings that renters who search on their own simply never see.

All of this, at no cost to you.

Find My DFW Apartment Free.

Q: I'm renting right now. Am I ready to buy a home instead?

Maybe — and it's worth a 20-minute conversation to find out.

The assumption that renters can't buy is one of the most widespread and costly beliefs in real estate. Many DFW renters who think they're years away from homeownership are actually months away — or already there. FHA loans accept credit scores as low as 580 with 3.5% down. Down payment assistance programs are real, funded, and available to buyers who qualify. And the monthly payment on a well-selected DFW home purchase in many price ranges is comparable to — or less than — current market rent for a similar space.

There is no pressure in this conversation. You won't be pushed to buy. You'll simply know where you stand — and that knowledge is yours to do with as you choose. The session is completely free.

If you're genuinely curious, that's reason enough to find out.

Have a Free Mortgage Readiness Conversation.

Still Have a Question?

The ones worth asking usually aren't on any list.

There's no script here and no sales pressure. Just a straightforward conversation with someone who has been working this market for 34 years and genuinely cares about getting you where you want to go.

SCHEDULE A FREE CONSULTATION

Or call directly: 214-727-5754