Texas housing has settled into a slower, more balanced market. Across the state's four big metros, the pattern is the same: fewer sales than a year ago, prices roughly flat, and homes taking longer to sell. Here is where each one stands, using the most recent reports from local Realtor associations and the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M.
Statewide
In August, the latest month in the Research Center's October report, Texas recorded 28,740 home sales, down 4.7% from a year earlier, although sales for the year to date were still up 2.1%. The statewide median price was $330,000, compared with $335,000 a year earlier. There were about 151,400 homes on the market, or 5.3 months of supply, and the typical home took 65 days to sell. The Research Center noted that home prices were essentially flat year over year, ending a long run of declines.
| Metro | Month | Sales vs. last year | Median price | Months of supply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Texas (DFW) | Sept. | −7% | $385,000 (−1%) | 4.3 |
| Houston | Sept. | −5.7% | $325,000 (−0.3%) | 5.5 |
| Austin metro | Aug. | −7.3% | $412,000 (−6.4%) | — |
| San Antonio | Sept. | −2% | About $302,000 (−2%) | About 6 |
Dallas–Fort Worth
MetroTex Association of Realtors reported 6,759 single-family sales across North Texas in September, down 7% from a year earlier. The median price slipped 1% to $385,000, while the average price rose 4% to about $509,500, a sign that higher-priced homes made up more of the sales. Pending sales fell 19%, which points to a quieter few months ahead. Inventory was 31,325 homes, or 4.3 months of supply, and homes averaged 62 days on the market. Sellers received, on average, 93.9% of their list price.
In Tarrant County, August sales were down 8% from a year earlier and the median price was $343,000, down 3%, with 3.4 months of supply: tighter than the region as a whole.
Houston
The Houston Association of Realtors reported 7,030 single-family sales in September, down 5.7%. The median price was essentially unchanged at $325,000. Active listings rose 6.3% to about 40,200, pushing supply to 5.5 months, and homes averaged 58 days on the market.
Austin
Austin remains the state's correction story. In August, Unlock MLS reported 2,501 sales in the Austin–Round Rock–San Marcos metro, down 7.3%, and a median price of $412,000, down 6.4% from a year earlier. Inside the city of Austin the median was $560,000. Pending sales across the metro rose 1.5%, an early sign that buyers are returning at lower prices.
San Antonio
The San Antonio Board of Realtors reported September sales down 2% and a median price down 2%, to just under $302,000. Supply is about six months and homes are averaging close to three months on the market. The board's chair noted that buyers now have more selection and time, and that sellers should price realistically from the start.
What it means for Fort Worth
Compared with the other big metros, Fort Worth and Tarrant County are holding up well: less supply than Houston or San Antonio, and nothing like Austin's price declines. But it is a market where buyers negotiate. With homes in North Texas selling for about 94% of list price on average, the gap between a well-priced home and an overpriced one shows up quickly in days on market.
If you are thinking about selling, start with a realistic number for your street, not the metro average. That is what our Broker-prepared valuation is for.