The recent Texas home buying frenzy, paired with sky high appreciation of most Texas homes, clouded the ill effects of Texas real estate fraud. Now that the market is cooling, complaints of Texas mortgage fraud are starting to surface, said Merle Sharick, vice president of a group that analyzes mortgage fraud data When you're on the look out for a new home, you need cash. A lot of it. Most homes today have down payments that are more than what the buyer can afford right then and there. The solution for this? A mortgage.