Builder selling nowMove-in ready homes
Laguna Heights in Port Isabel, TX New homes by Zarate Homes & Designs
Independent buyer's guide by Amy Herrera, REALTOR®, a Texas real estate sales agent with RE/MAX Elite. Amy is not the listing agent for Laguna Heights and does not represent Zarate Homes & Designs, which has not reviewed or endorsed this page. Prices and incentives are from Zarate Homes & Designs' website, checked Oct 14, 2026.
Checked Oct 14, 2026; builder prices and incentives may have changed. Ask Amy for today's numbers.
Ask Amy for current builder pricing.
- 1,362 to 1,411 sq ft
- 3 beds
- Point Isabel ISD
- Tax rate 2.228832 per $100
Builder price range
$272,900 to $282,900
Builder's published price, checked Oct 14, 2026. Amy represents buyers, not Zarate Homes & Designs.
Ask Amy for current builder pricing.
See Zarate Homes & Designs' page for Laguna Heights (opens in a new tab)
Key facts
From Zarate Homes & Designs' website and public records, checked Oct 14, 2026. Confirm current details with the builder before you sign.
- Price
- $272,900 to $282,900Builder's published price, checked Oct 14, 2026. Amy represents buyers, not Zarate Homes & Designs.
- Status
- Builder selling now
- Home sizes
- 1,362 to 1,411 sq ft Builder-published plan range
- Bedrooms
- 3
- Home types
- Single-family
- Quick move-in
- 4 listed by the builder, 4 ready nowSee Zarate Homes & Designs' 4 quick move-in homes (opens in a new tab)
- School district
- Point Isabel ISD
- HOA
- Not published by the builder
- PID or MUD
- None published by the builder. Ask the title company for the PID and MUD notices before you sign.
- Tax rate
- 2.228832 per $100 2025 adopted rates. Assumes the home is inside Port Isabel city limits and in Point Isabel ISD. See the tax stack below.
- Location
- Juan Castillo Ave, Port Isabel, TX 78578
- Checked
- Oct 14, 2026
Est. True Monthly at the starting price
The loan payment, property tax, home insurance and windstorm coverage where it applies, in one estimate. Change the down payment or rate to see your own numbers.
Ask Amy for current builder pricing.
A newer weekly average rate than the week of Oct 8, 2026 is out, so this estimate may be off. Ask Amy for today's numbers.
The weekly average rate behind this estimate is out of date, so the estimate is hidden. Ask Amy for today's numbers.
8.08% APR FHA example
Default rate: Freddie Mac's weekly national average, week of Oct 8, 2026.
Est. True Monthly at $272,900
$2,713/mo+ HOA
FHA example: 5% down, 30-year fixed, 8.08% APR (7.40% rate). Includes estimated tax, insurance and mortgage insurance. Not a loan offer.
How this estimate is built. Example loan: FHA 30-year fixed rate. Price $272,900 (the lowest price the builder publishes). Down payment 5% ($13,645). Loan amount $263,792, which includes FHA's 1.75% upfront mortgage insurance premium ($4,537) added to the loan. APR 8.08%, interest rate 7.40%.
Payments: 360 monthly payments of $1,826.44 for principal and interest, plus FHA annual mortgage insurance of $107.56 a month in year 1. The mortgage insurance is recalculated each year, gets slightly smaller as the loan is paid down, and lasts the life of the loan at this down payment. Year 1 loan payment: $1,934.00.
The rest of Est. True Monthly is estimates, not loan terms: property tax $421, home insurance $292 and windstorm insurance $66 a month. Property tax applies the homestead exemption: $140,000 off school district tax ($5,000 off South Texas ISD). HOA dues are not published by the builder and are not included. Your lender sets escrow from the real tax bill and your insurance quote, so your actual payment will be different, and it often rises in year 2 when a new home is taxed at full value.
Assumptions: no discount points, no lender fees and no prepaid interest; if you pay them, your APR will be higher: with a typical 1% lender fee ($2,593), this example's APR would be about 8.18%. The rate is Freddie Mac's weekly national average for 30-year fixed loans for the week of October 8, 2026 (borrower profile: 20% down, good to excellent credit); your rate depends on your credit, down payment, loan type and lender. FHA loans need at least 3.5% down and a base loan at or under the 2026 FHA limit of $541,287 in Hidalgo, Cameron, Starr and Willacy counties.
This is an estimate, not a loan offer, a rate quote or a commitment to lend. Amy Herrera is a real estate sales agent with RE/MAX Elite, not a lender or loan originator. Ask a lender for a Loan Estimate.
Not included: HOA dues (not published by the builder), utilities and closing costs. Year 1 tax is often lower on a new home and rises in year 2; the estimate uses the full-value tax.
Property taxes in Laguna Heights
2025 adopted rates per $100 of value for the taxing units on a Port Isabel bill in Point Isabel ISD.
| Taxing unit | Rate per $100 | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cameron County | 0.424393 | Source 1 for the Cameron County rate (opens in a new tab) |
| South Texas ISD | 0.0492 | Source 1 for the South Texas ISD rate (opens in a new tab) |
| Texas Southmost College | 0.111809 | Source 1 for the Texas Southmost College rate (opens in a new tab) |
| Laguna Madre Water District | 0.122714 | Source 1 for the Laguna Madre Water District rate (opens in a new tab) |
| City of Port Isabel | 0.790416 | Source 1 for the City of Port Isabel rate (opens in a new tab) |
| Point Isabel ISD | 0.7303 | Source 1 for the Point Isabel ISD rate (opens in a new tab) |
| Combined | 2.228832 |
2025 adopted rates. Cameron Appraisal District's 2025 adopted-rates list, checked against the district's 2025 roll for this community's streets.
At the starting price of $272,900, the yearly property tax is about $5,058 for a homeowner with the homestead exemption, or about $6,082 without it (a second home or rental).
Homestead exemption. A homeowner gets $140,000 off school district tax ($5,000 off South Texas ISD), so it mostly lowers the Point Isabel ISD part of the bill. How to file.
City limits. This stack assumes the home is inside Port Isabel city limits and in Point Isabel ISD. Outside city limits there is no city tax; confirm both for the exact lot with the appraisal district.
Year 1 is different. A new home is often taxed on the lot in its first year, so the bill usually rises in year 2. Protesting an appraisal.
Location
Port Isabel, Cameron County. School district: Point Isabel ISD.
Juan Castillo Ave, Port Isabel, TX 78578
Before your first model visit
How Amy helps
Amy Herrera, REALTOR®, RE/MAX Elite
Amy habla español.
In many new-home purchases the builder pays the buyer's agent. Your written buyer agreement states Amy's services, how she is paid and by whom. Broker compensation is not set by law and is fully negotiable.
Sign a written buyer agreement, then Amy registers you with the builder before your first visit, compares this community with others, negotiates and walks you through the builder's contract. How registration works.
Protect your representation.
About this page. This is an independent buyer's guide to Laguna Heights by Amy Herrera, REALTOR®, a Texas real estate sales agent with RE/MAX Elite. Amy is not the listing agent for Laguna Heights and does not represent Zarate Homes & Designs; Zarate Homes & Designs has not reviewed or endorsed this page. Prices, plans, lot availability, HOA dues and incentives are taken from Zarate Homes & Designs' website (zaratehomedesigns.com) on Oct 14, 2026 and change often. Confirm current terms with Zarate Homes & Designs before you sign. Incentives are set by Zarate Homes & Designs, may require its preferred lender, and have conditions shown with each offer. If you want Amy to represent you, sign a written buyer agreement and have her register you with Zarate Homes & Designs before your first visit to the sales office. Broker compensation is not set by law and is fully negotiable. Builder names are trademarks of their owners and are used only to identify their communities. How the estimates and checks work.
Questions about Laguna Heights
What is the property tax rate in Laguna Heights?
The 2025 combined rate is 2.228832 per $100 of value: Cameron County 0.424393, South Texas ISD 0.0492, Texas Southmost College 0.111809, Laguna Madre Water District 0.122714, City of Port Isabel 0.790416 and Point Isabel ISD 0.7303. Homeowners who live in the home can claim the homestead exemption: $140,000 off school district tax ($5,000 off South Texas ISD). This assumes the home is inside Port Isabel city limits and in Point Isabel ISD; confirm both for the exact lot.
Does Laguna Heights have a PID or MUD?
Zarate Homes & Designs does not publish one. Texas sellers must give a notice when a property is in a public improvement district or a municipal utility district; ask the title company for it before you sign.
Is there an HOA in Laguna Heights, and how much are the dues?
Not published by the builder. Ask the builder for the HOA budget, the resale certificate and the deed restrictions, which can also limit leasing.
Do I need my own agent to buy in Laguna Heights?
No, but the sales team at the model home works for Zarate Homes & Designs. A buyer's agent works for you: Amy can register you before your first visit, compare communities, negotiate incentives and walk you through the builder's contract. In many new-home purchases the builder pays the buyer's agent. Your written buyer agreement states Amy's services, how she is paid and by whom. Broker compensation is not set by law and is fully negotiable.
Why might my first-year tax bill be lower than this estimate?
Texas taxes property on its January 1 status. A home finished during the year is often taxed on the lot or a partly built house for that first year, so the first bill can be much lower and the escrow payment usually rises in year 2 when the home is taxed at full value. Est. True Monthly uses the full-value tax on purpose.