October Noteworthy News

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HOUSTON HOMEBUYING ACTIVITY EASES IN SEPTEMBER AS MORTGAGE RATES RISE

Home prices remain steady as buyers navigate elevated mortgage rates

As Houston’s housing market moved into the fall season, homebuying activity eased compared to a year ago as buyers faced mortgage rates greater than 7%. Despite higher borrowing costs, home prices remained steady.

According to the Houston Association of Realtors’ September 2026 Housing Market Update, 7,030 single-family homes were sold, down 5.7% from a year earlier.

The average home price edged up by 0.7% to $421,311. The median price, which represents the midpoint of all homes sold, was essentially unchanged at $325,000.

Buyers had more choices than they did a year ago. There were 40,192 homes for sale across the Greater Houston area in September, up 6.3% from a year earlier.

“Higher mortgage rates are making buyers look more closely at what they can comfortably afford,” said HAR Chair Theresa Hill with Compass RE Texas, LLC - Houston. “People are taking a little more time, weighing their options and focusing on long-term affordability. Stable prices and a broad selection of homes are helping keep opportunities within reach.”

Conventional 30-year residential mortgage rates averaged 6.86% in September according to Freddie Mac, up from 6.35% a year ago. Assuming a 20% down payment, buyers of median-priced homes in the Houston area saw monthly principal and interest payments rise from $1,622.29 a year ago to $1,705.41 in September. That’s up $83.12 monthly or $997.40 annually.

On a weekly basis, Freddie Mac reported average mortgage rates for September rising from 6.71% initially to 6.76%, then 6.95% and rising to 7.03% the final week of the month. Rates in the first two weeks of October continued to climb to 7.28% and then 7.40%, respectively.

Housing Market Overview

Across all property types, 8,181 properties were sold in September, down 6.4% from a year ago. Total dollar volume reached $3.45 billion, which is down 2.1% from the same time last year. Active listings across all property types rose 5.0% to 62,002 available properties.

Single-Family Homes Update

In September, single-family home sales totaled 7,030, down 5.7% compared to a year ago.

The average sales price rose from $418,256 to $421,311. The median price edged down from $325,990 to $325,000.

Inventory expanded from 5.1 months to 5.5 months. Nationwide, there was a 4.8 months supply, according to the National Association of Realtors. Homes took an average of 58 days to sell, compared with 56 days a year ago.

Pending listings, which represent homes under contract but not yet closed, declined 11.6% to 6,789. This suggests some buyers are taking more time before committing to a purchase.

Broken out by housing segments, single-family home sales performed as follows:

$1 - $99,999: increased 3.7% (111 transactions)
$100,000 - $149,999: increased 5.6% (188 transactions)
$150,000 - $249,999: decreased 8.4% (1,359 transactions)
$250,000 - $499,999: decreased 5.7% (3,878 transactions)
$500,000 - $999,999: increased 0.6% (1,189 transactions)
$1M and above: decreased 8.2% (304 transactions)

HAR also reports on existing single-family home sales, which held steady compared to last September with 5,062 closings. The average price declined 1.1% to $427,110, while the median price was unchanged at $325,000.

HAR will publish its September 2026 Rental Market Update on Wednesday, October 21.

For HAR’s Monthly Activity Snapshot (MAS) of the September 2026 trends, please CLICK HERE to access a downloadable PDF file.

Townhome/Condominium Update

The townhome and condominium market faced stronger headwinds in September. Sales declined 21.0% from a year ago, with 323 properties sold.

The average sales price decreased 4.6% to $261,052. The median price fell 9.1% to $209,000.

Active listings rose 6.9% to 3,609 available properties. Inventory rose from 8.0 months to 9.3 months. Pending sales declined 15.9%, from 440 to 370.