Best Time to Buy by City
Best Time of Year to Buy a House in Dallas
Updated November 2, 2026
Reviewed by:
Head of Growth at TurboHome
Agent, Texas · Texas Realtor® License #674075
The best time to buy a house in Dallas is October. Buyers who went under contract in October paid a median 5.3% below the original asking price, and 82% of homes sold below asking, compared with 2.9% below in March, the most expensive month. That gap is 2.4 percentage points, or about $10,755 on the $450,000 median home in Dallas. The trade-off is choice: October brings about 2,121 new listings a month, December only about 827. Here is the month-by-month data from 18,222 closings in Dallas in our MLS feed.
TurboHome Market Analysis · Dallas, TX · Contracts signed November 2024 through September 2026 · Published November 2026
Key findings
- Best month: October. Dallas homes that went under contract in October sold for a median 5.3% below original asking, and 82% sold below the original asking price.
- Most expensive month: March, at a median 2.9% below original asking, with 69% of homes selling below asking.
- Best vs firmest season: Fall (4.9% below original asking) versus spring (3.2% below original asking).
- New listings: October brings about 2,121 new listings a month; December only about 827.
- Price cuts: 50.3% of homes that went under contract in October had taken a price cut first, versus 34.1% in March.
- Days on market: the typical winter listing sat 37 days, versus 24 in spring.
Dallas home prices by month: what buyers actually paid
"Contract month" is the month the buyer's offer was accepted, not the month the sale closed. That is the date a buyer can actually time. The chart shows how the median sale in Dallas compared with the original asking price in each contract month, and the table below it has every figure.
| Contract month | Closings | Median close vs original asking | Sold below original asking | Price cut before sale | Median $/sq ft | Median days on market | Median sale price | Avg new listings per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1,401 | 3.8% below original asking | 75.4% | 39.0% | $236 | 38 | $415,000 | 1,545 |
| February | 1,586 | 3.4% below original asking | 72.7% | 36.7% | $252 | 27 | $452,825 | 1,545 |
| March | 2,025 | 2.9% below original asking | 69.0% | 34.1% | $257 | 23 | $473,200 | 1,935 |
| April | 1,958 | 3.0% below original asking | 70.5% | 35.1% | $254 | 22 | $479,950 | 1,981 |
| May | 1,896 | 3.7% below original asking | 74.7% | 40.4% | $255 | 27 | $476,400 | 1,874 |
| June | 1,720 | 4.0% below original asking | 77.2% | 43.3% | $250 | 31 | $456,650 | 1,759 |
| July | 1,592 | 4.5% below original asking | 78.7% | 45.9% | $243 | 34 | $445,000 | 1,794 |
| August | 1,504 | 4.8% below original asking | 80.1% | 48.3% | $242 | 38 | $437,500 | 1,799 |
| September | 1,334 | 5.0% below original asking | 79.2% | 43.3% | $248 | 35 | $485,000 | 2,086 |
| October | 738 | 5.3% below original asking | 81.8% | 50.3% | $244 | 37 | $451,500 | 2,121 |
| November | 1,304 | 4.5% below original asking | 78.4% | 44.3% | $245 | 35 | $424,950 | 1,091 |
| December | 1,164 | 5.2% below original asking | 81.4% | 49.2% | $225 | 46 | $370,950 | 827 |
New listings swing just as hard. October averages about 2,121 new listings in Dallas, while December averages about 827.
- Avg new listings per month
Best season to buy a house in Dallas
| Season | Median close vs original asking | Sold below original asking | Price cut before sale | Median days on market | Avg new listings per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 4.2% below original asking | 76.5% | 41.6% | 37 | 1,306 |
| Spring | 3.2% below original asking | 71.4% | 36.5% | 24 | 1,930 |
| Summer | 4.4% below original asking | 78.7% | 45.8% | 34 | 1,784 |
| Fall | 4.9% below original asking | 79.8% | 46.0% | 36 | 1,766 |
Fall was the best season to buy in Dallas: the median home closed 4.9% below original asking, and 79.8% of homes sold below asking. Spring was the firmest, at 3.2% below original asking with 71.4% below asking. Listings sat a median 36 days in fall versus 24 in spring.
Winter is December to February, spring March to May, summer June to August and fall September to November.
Which neighborhoods in Dallas get cheaper in the off-season
Median close vs original asking by season in the neighborhoods with the most closings in Dallas in our feed.
| Neighborhood | Closings | Median sale price | Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Greenville | 825 | $890,000 | 1.8% below original asking | 2.9% below original asking | 3.9% below original asking | 2.7% below original asking |
| Pleasant Grove | 376 | $225,500 | 3.4% below original asking | 4.5% below original asking | 6.1% below original asking | 4.3% below original asking |
| Midway Hollow | 285 | $975,000 | 4.0% below original asking | 5.2% below original asking | 4.7% below original asking | 2.6% below original asking |
| East Village | 259 | $570,128 | 3.3% below original asking | 4.0% below original asking | 4.5% below original asking | 4.7% below original asking |
| Uptown | 249 | $683,000 | 4.8% below original asking | 3.5% below original asking | 3.5% below original asking | 4.9% below original asking |
| Shiloh Terrace | 245 | $269,000 | 4.4% below original asking | 3.1% below original asking | 7.3% below original asking | 4.2% below original asking |
Shiloh Terrace was the softest of Dallas's busiest neighborhoods, with the median sale at 7.3% below original asking in fall. Pleasant Grove moved the most with the seasons, from 3.4% below original asking in spring to 6.1% below original asking in fall. Neighborhood figures rest on fewer closings than the citywide numbers, so read them as direction rather than a price quote.
Why the season matters in Dallas
Dallas is a buyer's market in every month, so the question is how much under asking you can get. October contracts closed a median 5.3% below the original list price, half of sold homes had already taken a price cut and 82% sold under asking, compared with 2.9% under in March. Lower Greenville and Midway Hollow show the biggest fall discounts, while Uptown condos sell 3.5% to 5% below asking in every season. December brings the fewest new listings (about 830), so the fall is when discounts and choice overlap.
Is winter a good time to buy a house in Dallas?
Partly. Dallas winter contracts (December to February) closed a median 4.2% below original asking, softer than spring (3.2% below original asking) but not as soft as fall (4.9% below original asking). December closed a median 5.2% below original asking, with 81.4% of homes selling below asking.
The trade-off is thin inventory. Winter brings about 1,306 new listings a month versus 1,930 in spring, and December only about 827. The typical winter listing in Dallas sits 37 days versus 24 in spring, so winter sellers have usually had time to rethink their price.
Does the season matter more than mortgage rates?
In Dallas, the spread between the best and worst month to sign a contract was 2.4 percentage points on price, about $10,755 on the $450,000 median home. A 0.5 point move in the 30-year mortgage rate changes the monthly payment on a $450,000 home with 20% down by roughly the same order of magnitude. Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey put the average 30-year fixed rate at 7.24% for the week of October 29, 2026.
Watch both. You can't control where rates go, but you can control when you shop and how hard you negotiate, and a flat-fee buyer's agent works the price side in any month.
How to time a purchase in Dallas
- Get pre-approved before the slow season. In Dallas that is fall, and a pre-approval lets you move the day a stale listing gets interesting.
- Target homes past the median of 31 days on market in Dallas. Sellers who have waited longer than the typical listing are the most open to an offer below asking.
- In bidding-season months, shop the soft segments. In spring and March, use the neighborhood table above to find parts of Dallas, such as Shiloh Terrace, that still sell below asking.
- In the slow months, ask for credits and repairs, not only price. In October, 50.3% of homes that sold had already taken a price cut, so sellers know where the market is.
- Keep searching through the holidays. December brings the fewest new listings, about 827, and sellers in Dallas who list then are usually motivated.
Methodology
We looked at closings of single family homes, condos and townhouses in Dallas from our MLS feed, with contracts signed November 2024 through September 2026 and closed by October 31, 2026, and removed outlier ratios. "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. Across all 18,222 closings, that ratio was 0.9600 (4.0% below original asking), 75.8% of homes sold below original asking, 41.6% had a price cut before selling, and the median home sold for $450,000 at $247 per square foot after 31 days on market.
New listings are the two-year average per calendar month. Figures are medians unless stated. Published November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest month to buy a house in Dallas?
October. Dallas homes that went under contract in October sold for a median 5.3% below original asking, and 82% sold below the original asking price. The median listing had been on the market 37 days.
What is the worst month to buy a house in Dallas?
March is the most expensive month. Dallas homes that went under contract in March sold for a median 2.9% below original asking, only 69% sold below asking, and the median listing sat 23 days.
Is winter a good time to buy in Dallas?
Partly. Winter contracts closed a median 4.2% below original asking, 76.5% of homes sold below asking and the typical listing sat 37 days. The catch is choice: about 1,306 new listings a month, versus 1,930 in spring.
How much can I save by timing my purchase in Dallas?
The gap between the best and most expensive month was 2.4 percentage points, about $10,755 on the $450,000 median home in Dallas. That is a median across 18,222 closings, not a guarantee: the home, the neighborhood and your offer still matter more than the calendar.
When do the most homes come on the market in Dallas?
October brings the most new listings, about 2,121 a month. December brings the fewest, about 827.
Related TurboHome guides
- Best time to buy a house, by city
- Dallas-Fort Worth home buying guides
- Down payment on a house in Dallas
- How long it takes to close in Dallas
- HOA fees in Dallas
- Best Dallas neighborhoods for first-time buyers
- Income needed to buy a home in Dallas
- Texas home buying guides
Buy in Dallas 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 Jake Shuler
Agent, Texas
Jake Shuler is a Texas REALTOR® with more than 10 years of real estate experience and over 200 successful transactions. As an agent at TurboHome, he helps buyers navigate the Texas housing market and writes about homebuying, negotiations, local market trends, and ways buyers can save throughout the process.
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