Best Time to Buy by City
Best Time of Year to Buy a House, by City
Updated November 2, 2026
Reviewed by:
Head of Growth at TurboHome
Head Agent, California · CalDRE #01997822
Nationally, discounts off asking price peak in late summer and early fall. Redfin's August 21, 2026 analysis named late August as the best time to buy in Austin, Oakland, Sacramento and San Jose, mid-September in Dallas, Fort Worth, Los Angeles and San Diego, and late September in Houston and San Francisco.
TurboHome Market Analysis · California and Texas · Contracts signed November 2024 through September 2026 · Published November 2026
Our MLS closings show the real answer depends on the city. In the Bay Area the bidding season runs February through May and again in September, so December is the buyer's window: San Francisco buyers paid 0.8% below asking in December versus 8.3% above in September, and Oakland buyers paid 0.9% below in December versus 7.5% above in May.
In Texas every month is a buyer's market and the discount simply widens into fall: Dallas homes sold 5.3% below asking in October versus 2.9% in March, and Katy homes 6.8% below in October. Southern California sits in between, with August to December the softest stretch.
Best and worst month to buy, city by city
Each row comes from that city's page: the contract month with the lowest median close vs original asking, the month with the highest, the gap between them in percentage points, and the two-year median sale price.
| City | Best month | Median close vs original asking (best month) | Most expensive month | Median close vs original asking (most expensive month) | Spread | Median sale price (two years) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | December | 0.8% below original asking | September | 8.3% above original asking | 9.1 points | $1,460,000 |
| Oakland, CA | December | 0.9% below original asking | May | 7.5% above original asking | 8.5 points | $810,000 |
| Berkeley, CA | December | 1.8% above original asking | July | 22.8% above original asking | 21.0 points | $1,465,000 |
| Fremont, CA | June | 0.9% below original asking | February | 3.1% above original asking | 4.1 points | $1,510,000 |
| San Jose, CA | July | 0.9% below original asking | February | 3.4% above original asking | 4.3 points | $1,400,000 |
| Sunnyvale, CA | July | 0.1% above original asking | March | 8.1% above original asking | 8.1 points | $1,825,000 |
| San Mateo, CA | October | 1.2% below original asking | February | 6.3% above original asking | 7.4 points | $1,639,900 |
| Walnut Creek, CA | December | 2.8% below original asking | January | at original asking | 2.8 points | $899,500 |
| Sacramento, CA | October | 2.6% below original asking | March | at original asking | 2.6 points | $440,000 |
| Los Angeles, CA | December | 2.8% below original asking | April | 0.8% below original asking | 2.0 points | $1,171,537 |
| Long Beach, CA | September | 1.6% below original asking | January | at original asking | 1.6 points | $840,000 |
| Pasadena, CA | December | 1.6% below original asking | February | 1.9% above original asking | 3.4 points | $1,270,000 |
| Irvine, CA | September | 4.6% below original asking | March | 1.5% below original asking | 3.1 points | $1,530,000 |
| San Diego, CA | August | 2.0% below original asking | March | 0.2% below original asking | 1.7 points | $923,000 |
| Chula Vista, CA | September | 0.7% below original asking | April | at original asking | 0.7 points | $810,000 |
| Carlsbad, CA | December | 3.1% below original asking | January | 0.6% below original asking | 2.5 points | $1,532,300 |
| Dallas, TX | October | 5.3% below original asking | March | 2.9% below original asking | 2.4 points | $450,000 |
| Fort Worth, TX | October | 4.5% below original asking | April | 2.2% below original asking | 2.3 points | $339,650 |
| Plano, TX | October | 5.1% below original asking | May | 2.2% below original asking | 2.9 points | $517,000 |
| Frisco, TX | September | 6.5% below original asking | March | 2.6% below original asking | 3.9 points | $652,250 |
| Houston, TX | September | 4.4% below original asking | April | 2.7% below original asking | 1.7 points | $315,000 |
| Katy, TX | October | 6.8% below original asking | April | 3.8% below original asking | 2.9 points | $345,000 |
| Sugar Land, TX | September | 5.0% below original asking | April | 2.6% below original asking | 2.5 points | $448,000 |
| The Woodlands, TX | October | 4.3% below original asking | April | 1.8% below original asking | 2.5 points | $601,000 |
| Austin, TX | listing data only: asking prices per sq ft lowest in July ($317), 59% of listings cut price | Listing data only | Listing data only | Listing data only | n/a | Listing data only |
Best time to buy by region
Bay Area
- San Francisco, CABest month: December, 0.8% below original askingSee the month-by-month data
- Oakland, CABest month: December, 0.9% below original askingSee the month-by-month data
- Berkeley, CABest month: December, 1.8% above original askingSee the month-by-month data
- Fremont, CABest month: June, 0.9% below original askingSee the month-by-month data
- San Jose, CABest month: July, 0.9% below original askingSee the month-by-month data
- Sunnyvale, CABest month: July, 0.1% above original askingSee the month-by-month data
- San Mateo, CABest month: October, 1.2% below original askingSee the month-by-month data
- Walnut Creek, CABest month: December, 2.8% below original askingSee the month-by-month data
Greater Sacramento
Los Angeles and Orange County
- Los Angeles, CABest month: December, 2.8% below original askingSee the month-by-month data
- Long Beach, CABest month: September, 1.6% below original askingSee the month-by-month data
- Pasadena, CABest month: December, 1.6% below original askingSee the month-by-month data
- Irvine, CABest month: September, 4.6% below original askingSee the month-by-month data
San Diego County
Dallas-Fort Worth
- Dallas, TXBest month: October, 5.3% below original askingSee the month-by-month data
- Fort Worth, TXBest month: October, 4.5% below original askingSee the month-by-month data
- Plano, TXBest month: October, 5.1% below original askingSee the month-by-month data
- Frisco, TXBest month: September, 6.5% below original askingSee the month-by-month data
Greater Houston
- Houston, TXBest month: September, 4.4% below original askingSee the month-by-month data
- Katy, TXBest month: October, 6.8% below original askingSee the month-by-month data
- Sugar Land, TXBest month: September, 5.0% below original askingSee the month-by-month data
- The Woodlands, TXBest month: October, 4.3% below original askingSee the month-by-month data
Methodology
Each city page uses closings of single family homes, condos and townhouses from our MLS feed, with contracts signed November 2024 through September 2026 and closed by October 31, 2026, and outlier ratios removed. "Median close vs original asking" is the median of close price divided by the original list price, so it includes price cuts made before the sale. The spread is the gap between the best and most expensive contract month. Austin is based on listing data only. Published November 2026.
Related TurboHome guides
- California home buying guides
- Texas home buying guides
- Down payment on a house, by city
- How long it takes to close, by city
- HOA fees by city
- Best first-time buyer neighborhoods, by city
Buy in California and Texas with a flat-fee buyer's agent
About the Author
Vinura Abeysundara
Vinura Abeysundara is a real estate and growth professional with experience scaling homebuying platforms across Canada and the United States. Formerly Head of Growth at Zown, he now works with TurboHome and writes about homebuyer savings, flat-fee real estate, commissions, and technology in real estate.
View Vinura on LinkedInAbout Kevin Kretzmer
Head Agent, California
Kevin Kretzmer leads TurboHome's California agent team and reviews California and national buyer guidance for practical brokerage accuracy.
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