Stephenville TX Real Estate: What the New Texas Contract Forms Mean If You're Buying or Selling

If you're buying or selling a home in Stephenville this fall, the paperwork is a little different than it was last spring. The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) put a new set of standard contract forms into required use on July 1, 2026. Most buyers and sellers never read the whole contract, which is exactly why it's worth knowing what moved.

Which Texas contract forms changed in 2026?

TREC's contracts page lists these forms with a 07/01/2026 effective date: the One to Four Family Residential Contract (Resale), the Residential Condominium Contract (Resale), the two New Home Contracts, the Farm and Ranch Contract, the Unimproved Property Contract, the Amendment to Contract, two addenda, and a brand-new Seller's Disclosure about Groundwater and Surface Water Rights. TREC's page says real estate license holders are required to use these forms. Separate forms, including the Seller's Disclosure Notice, show a May 28, 2026 date.

A title company's summary of the changes lists these highlights. I'm relying on that summary, so use it as a guide and check TREC's forms for the exact wording:

• Broker compensation language in Paragraph 12B was rewritten for clarity.
• Governmental reporting. Paragraph 20 adds language about reporting requirements, including FinCEN documentation.
• Notices. Paragraph 21 clarifies how a notice is delivered and when it counts as received.
• Addenda in Paragraph 22 were reorganized into clearer categories.
• Generators. Permanently installed and built-in generators are now specifically listed as improvements.
• "Legal Holiday." The contract now defines the term, which matters for earnest money and option period deadlines.
• Seller's Disclosure Notice. The summary says it adds items such as insurance issues, private road maintenance, above-ground storage tanks, and conservation easements.
• A new back-up contract notice, to clarify when a back-up contract moves into first position.

What does it mean for buyers and sellers in Stephenville?

If you're buying:

• Watch your deadlines. The option period and earnest money dates run on days, and now the contract defines which days count as a legal holiday. Ask your agent to put the actual calendar dates in front of you.
• Ask about generators and what conveys. If the home has a built-in generator, the contract now names it as an improvement, but ask anyway what the seller intends to leave.
• Read the disclosure. The Seller's Disclosure Notice is the seller's statement of what they know. It isn't an inspection. Get one.

If you're selling:

• Answer the disclosure questions honestly and completely. With more topics on the form, leaving a box unanswered can raise questions. If you're unsure, say so and ask your agent or attorney.
• Know your property's water story if you have a pond, tank, or well. I wrote about that new disclosure in my Dublin post.

For everyone: if your deal was signed before July 1 on the old forms, those terms are what you signed. TREC doesn't give legal advice, so for questions about your own contract, talk with a Texas attorney.

My take: what I'd do right now

1. Ask your agent which form version you're using and to walk you through the paragraphs that matter most to you.
2. Put your deadlines in your phone the day you sign.
3. Get the disclosure early so you can read it before your option period starts running down.
4. Keep tax numbers in the picture. Stephenville's city rate for 2026 is covered in my earlier post.
5. Check with your CPA, attorney, and lender on tax, legal, and financing questions.

Sources

• Texas Real Estate Commission, contract forms, accessed Oct. 9, 2026
• TREC, FAQs: Seller's Disclosure About Groundwater and Surface Water Rights, accessed Oct. 9, 2026
• Republic Title, TREC Contract Changes 2026, accessed Oct. 9, 2026
• Visit Stephenville, Rhymes & Vines, accessed Oct. 9, 2026
• Visit Stephenville, By-Gone Days on the Bosque, accessed Oct. 9, 2026

Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed and is for general purposes only. Karen Fox, REALTOR®, Moore Home & Ranch Realty. Equal Housing Opportunity.

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