Is Now a Good Time to Buy a Home in DFW?

I get asked this almost every week: Is now a good time to buy a house in Dallas–Fort Worth?

My honest answer is still, “It depends on your numbers, your neighborhood, and what you’re trying to do.” But this week we have fresh information worth sitting with. On Thursday, November 12, two things landed on the same day: the MetroTex Association of REALTORS® October housing report, and Freddie Mac’s weekly mortgage-rate survey.

Buyers have more room to breathe than they did in the frenzy years, and rates eased a little this month. That is not a magic window. It does mean that if you’ve been waiting, this is a good moment to look at your situation with real numbers instead of last year’s headlines.

What this week’s numbers actually say

According to MetroTex, DFW reached 4.6 months of housing supply in October, up slightly from 4.5 months a year earlier. Active listings were 34,941, up 0.3% from a year ago. Closed sales came in at 6,377, down 15.6%. The median sale price was $379,000, down 1.6% from a year earlier and just a little below September’s $379,900. About 25.7% of those homes sold in the $300,000 to $399,999 range.

In plain English: there are more homes to look at than there were during the tightest years, sales are slower, and prices are roughly flat to slightly softer. That is not a crash. It is a market cool enough for many buyers to tour more than one house and negotiate without writing an offer in the driveway.

What 4.6 months of inventory means in real life

When inventory is very thin, buyers compete and sellers set the terms. When it stretches out, buyers usually get more choices and a little more time. At 4.6 months of supply, DFW is in a more even place than it was a few years ago. A well-priced home in a sought-after pocket of Carrollton, Plano, or Denton County can still move quickly. A house that has been sitting may come with a seller who is more open to a repair, a closing-cost credit, or a rate buydown.

The opportunity is not “everything is cheap now.” It is that you can be selective, and you can ask for terms that were hard to get in 2021.

Rates came down a little. That matters — and it doesn’t settle it

Freddie Mac reported that the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 7.11% as of November 12, down from 7.18% the week before. That was the fourth weekly decline in a row and the lowest reading in seven weeks. A year ago, that same average was 6.24%.

Rates have eased from the recent bump. They are not “back to normal” if normal, in your mind, is still 2021. A rate in the low sevens still has a real effect on the monthly payment, which is what most families are actually shopping.

Freddie Mac’s average is also based on conventional, conforming purchase loans for borrowers with excellent credit who put 20% down. Your rate may be different, and that is okay. The point is not to chase a headline number. It is to find out what your payment would be on a house you actually want. If rates fall later, you may be able to refinance. I would not buy a house I cannot comfortably afford today on the hope that they will.

A quieter holiday market, and the fact that DFW is not one market

Thanksgiving and Christmas usually bring fewer shoppers, not a frozen market. Sellers still listed in mid-November often have a real reason to be serious. Buyers willing to tour between travel plans sometimes find less competition and more room to talk. That is not a reason to rush. It is a reason the next few weeks can be a practical time to look if you are already pre-approved.

Just remember: there is not one Dallas–Fort Worth housing market. Carrollton can feel different from Plano. A Fort Worth price point can behave differently from a Denton County one. Metro-wide numbers tell us the direction of the wind. They do not tell us what the house you fell in love with last Sunday will do this month.

If we were sitting down this week, I would ask a few questions. Can you comfortably make the payment at today’s rate, including Texas property taxes and insurance? Is there a house that fits your life now, not just on paper? If the answers line up, waiting for a “perfect” market can cost you a year in the home you actually wanted. If they do not, there is no shame in getting your credit, savings, or must-have list in better shape and looking again.

Frequently asked questions

Did home prices crash in DFW? No. The October median was $379,000, down 1.6% from a year earlier and only slightly below September. That is a soft, almost flat reading, not a collapse.

If rates dropped four weeks in a row, should I wait for them to fall more? Maybe, if buying today would strain your budget. If you can afford the payment now and you have found the right home, I would not pause a good decision for a rate we cannot promise.

Are sellers still getting multiple offers? Sometimes, especially when a home is priced well in a neighborhood people already want. It is less automatic than it used to be. The house that has been sitting is often the one with more negotiating room.

Is this a good time for a first-time buyer? It can be, if your credit, down payment, and monthly budget are ready. More inventory and a little more seller flexibility help. Higher rates and Texas taxes and insurance still require a clear-eyed budget.

Let’s look at your numbers

If you are thinking about buying in Carrollton, Plano, Denton County, or anywhere else in DFW, I am happy to look at the local numbers with you and help you decide whether now makes sense — or whether waiting is the wiser step. No pressure and no sales pitch. Just a clear picture, so you can make a decision you can live with.

— Janine

Sources

• MetroTex Association of REALTORS® October 2026 housing report, as reported by DFW Agent Magazine, November 12, 2026.

• Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026.