The Houston Market in September 2026

The Numbers

September was a quieter month across Greater Houston. Single-family sales fell 5.7% from a year earlier to 7,030 closings, and pending sales, the homes under contract but not yet closed, dropped 11.6% to 6,789, which says buyers are taking longer to commit. Prices didn't move. The median sale price held at $325,000, $990 under last September, and the average edged up 0.7% to $421,311.

The reason is the monthly payment. Mortgage rates averaged 6.86% in September, up from 6.35% a year ago, and they climbed through the month from 6.71% in the first week to 7.03% in the last. On a median-priced home with 20% down, principal and interest went from $1,622.29 to $1,705.41. That's $83.12 more every month, or $997.40 a year, for the same house at the same price. Meanwhile choice grew: 40,192 homes were listed for sale, up 6.3% and within about 560 homes of July's record. Months of inventory, which is how long it would take to sell every listed home at the current pace, rose from 5.1 to 5.5. HAR treats 4 to 6 months as balanced, and the national figure is 4.8.

Rates kept rising into October, reaching 7.28% and then 7.40% over the first two weeks, so the payment pressure hasn't eased. Homes took 58 days to sell on average, up from 56. Expect the market to be decided by what a buyer can carry each month more than by what a seller asks, at least until rates stop climbing.

The Payment Moved. The Price Held.

If you're buying, what changed is the payment. A median-priced home costs $83 more a month than it did a year ago, so get a lender's quote at today's rate before you fall for a house. You do have room to negotiate. Listings are up 6.3%, sales are down, and homes are sitting a little longer. If you're looking at a townhome or condo, that corner of the market has tilted furthest your way: sales fell 21.0%, the median dropped 9.1% to $209,000, and there are 9.3 months of supply.

If you're selling, prices are holding but the pool of buyers is thinner and slower. Sales in the $150,000 to $249,999 range fell 8.4% and sales from $250,000 to $499,999 fell 5.7%, which is where most of the market sits. Price the home where September's closed sales support it, and plan your carrying costs for the 58-day average rather than the 56 days of a year ago.

Rates are the moving piece heading into the holidays, and they change week to week. Before you list or write an offer, ask us for the numbers on your specific neighborhood and price range, and we'll run the payment at whatever rate is on the table that day.

Sales data sourced from the Houston Association of Realtors' (HAR) monthly Housing Market Update, covering September 2026. Shopping in the luxury tier instead? See our Luxury Market Report.