Selling a house in Sherman, TX

Grayson County offices for a Sherman address

Sherman had 50,229 residents in the Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. The city is in Grayson County, and the county offices that touch a sale sit in Sherman itself.

• Value and exemptions. The Grayson Central Appraisal District, 512 N. Travis Street (903-893-9673), appraises all real and business personal property in Grayson County. Its site offers an online protest portal, an evidence upload for the Appraisal Review Board and a change-of-address request.
• Protests. A written protest is filed with the Appraisal Review Board, not with the district itself, by May 15 or within 30 days after the appraisal notice is delivered, whichever is later (Tax Code 41.44(a)).
• Tax bills. The appraisal district's home page points tax-bill questions to the Grayson County Tax Assessor. The Comptroller's Grayson County directory lists that office at 100 W. Houston St. (903-892-8297) and names the City of Sherman and Sherman ISD among the units it collects for.
• Deeds. The County Clerk's real property page says the Official Public Records run from 1846 to the present and include deeds, mortgages, judgments and tax liens. Questions go to deeds@co.grayson.tx.us.

When Sherman treats a building as substandard

Article 3.06 of the Sherman code sets minimum standards for buildings. A building that is not occupied and is not secure from unauthorized entry fails them regardless of its structural condition, and an unoccupied, unsecured structure is declared a public nuisance. The steps the article lays out:

1. The inspecting official notifies the owner of record by certified mail. The article defines the owner of record by the county's real property, assumed name or appraisal district records, the city's tax or utility records, or the records of the Secretary of State. If the violations are not cured after 30 days, the official may cause a hearing to be held before the municipal court of record.
2. Notice of the hearing is mailed, posted and published on or before the 10th day before the hearing. It goes to lienholders and mortgagees as well, and a copy is filed with the county deed records.
3. The city may also secure an unoccupied, unsecured building. Within 30 days after it does, the owner may file a written request with the city clerk for a hearing.
4. If an order is not carried out and no timely appeal is filed, the city may do the work. The expense is assessed against the property, and once filed with the county clerk the city has a privileged lien subordinate only to tax liens, unless the property is a homestead as protected by the Texas Constitution. Reimbursing all expenses and penalties extinguishes it.

Section 3.06.006 makes a violation a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $500.00 per day per violation, and allows a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000.00 for each day or portion of a day.

Rental licenses cover complexes of five or more units

Article 3.11, the residential rental property license, applies to multifamily dwelling complexes. The code defines one as five or more dwelling units owned by the same person on a single platted lot, on a contiguous tract under common ownership, or operated as one complex. For an owner selling a complex that size, the article says:

• no one may own, operate, manage or maintain the complex without a valid license;
• a license is not transferable from one person to another or from one location to another;
• a new application is required for properties with a change in ownership;
• fees under the article are not refundable.

A single house or a duplex has fewer units than that definition. Ask the city which other rules apply to a smaller rental before you list it.

Foreclosure sales at the Grayson County Courthouse

Texas trustee sales take place on the first Tuesday of a month, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., in the area of the courthouse the commissioners court designates (Property Code 51.002). The Grayson County Clerk's foreclosure page says the commissioners designated the west door of the Grayson County Courthouse, 100 W. Houston in Sherman, and that the time appears on each Notice of Sale.

The same page says the clerk's involvement is limited to file-marking and maintaining the Notice of Sale postings. The clerk does not conduct the auction; questions about a sale go to the assigned substitute trustee, and the county's real property records can be searched online for free.

Section 51.002 also sets the clock. On a residence, the mortgage servicer must give the debtor written notice and at least 20 days to cure the default before notice of sale can be given. The notice of sale then goes out at least 21 days ahead by posting at the courthouse door, filing with the county clerk and certified mail to each debtor. Our page on stopping a foreclosure in Texas covers what owners do in that window.

Heirs selling a Sherman house

A Texas probate case is generally filed in the county where the person who died lived (Estates Code 33.001), so for a Sherman resident the case belongs in Grayson County. The County Clerk's probate records page says its records go back to 1846, that a search covers 1983 to the present, and it posts small estate affidavit forms and a checklist.

Heirs who need a lawyer can contact the Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas McKinney office, which lists Grayson among the counties it serves and offers legal help for people who qualify; phone intake is at 972-542-9405. Our guide to getting heir property in your name explains the paperwork side.

Selling to Cash Home Advisors

With Cash Home Advisors you can sell the Sherman house as-is, without making repairs. We pay all closing costs, and we can close in 7–14 days. Se habla español.

Send the address through our request form, read how the process works, or use the vacant house checklist if the place is sitting empty.

Local offices for this area

• Grayson Central Appraisal District
• Grayson County Clerk, Real Property Records
• Grayson County Clerk, Foreclosure Information
• Texas Comptroller, Grayson County appraisal and tax office directory
• City of Sherman Code, Article 3.06 Substandard Structures
• Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, McKinney office (serves Grayson County)

ZIP codes we buy in: 75090, 75092