Best Time to Buy by City
Best Time of Year to Buy a House in Houston
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 Houston is September. Buyers who went under contract in September paid a median 4.4% below the original asking price, and 79% of homes sold below asking, compared with 2.7% below in April, the most expensive month. That gap is 1.7 percentage points, or about $5,387 on the $315,000 median home in Houston. The trade-off is choice: May brings about 5,553 new listings a month, December only about 2,575. Here is the month-by-month data from 43,494 closings in Houston in our MLS feed.
TurboHome Market Analysis · Houston, TX · Contracts signed November 2024 through September 2026 · Published November 2026
Key findings
- Best month: September. Houston homes that went under contract in September sold for a median 4.4% below original asking, and 79% sold below the original asking price.
- Most expensive month: April, at a median 2.7% below original asking, with 69% of homes selling below asking.
- Best vs firmest season: Fall (4.2% below original asking) versus spring (2.8% below original asking).
- New listings: May brings about 5,553 new listings a month; December only about 2,575.
- Price cuts: 37.7% of homes that went under contract in September had taken a price cut first, versus 30.2% in April.
- Days on market: the typical winter listing sat 32 days, versus 21 in spring.
Houston 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 Houston 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 | 3,367 | 3.7% below original asking | 75.0% | 34.5% | $164 | 35 | $309,900 | 4,112 |
| February | 3,740 | 3.1% below original asking | 72.0% | 32.1% | $166 | 27 | $315,000 | 4,181 |
| March | 4,483 | 2.8% below original asking | 69.1% | 30.4% | $167 | 21 | $322,000 | 5,318 |
| April | 4,741 | 2.7% below original asking | 68.7% | 30.2% | $168 | 21 | $320,000 | 5,425 |
| May | 4,564 | 3.0% below original asking | 71.3% | 30.8% | $168 | 22 | $329,000 | 5,553 |
| June | 4,086 | 3.5% below original asking | 73.2% | 34.0% | $168 | 24 | $320,000 | 5,199 |
| July | 3,888 | 3.6% below original asking | 74.1% | 34.8% | $163 | 25 | $310,000 | 5,423 |
| August | 3,649 | 4.0% below original asking | 76.7% | 36.1% | $162 | 27 | $314,439 | 4,807 |
| September | 2,791 | 4.4% below original asking | 79.0% | 37.7% | $163 | 30 | $305,000 | 4,686 |
| October | 1,916 | 4.3% below original asking | 78.0% | 37.1% | $166 | 28 | $310,000 | 4,825 |
| November | 3,336 | 3.8% below original asking | 76.8% | 35.4% | $164 | 28 | $310,000 | 2,941 |
| December | 2,933 | 4.3% below original asking | 77.0% | 38.5% | $164 | 35 | $302,000 | 2,575 |
New listings swing just as hard. May averages about 5,553 new listings in Houston, while December averages about 2,575.
- Avg new listings per month
Best season to buy a house in Houston
| Season | Median close vs original asking | Sold below original asking | Price cut before sale | Median days on market | Avg new listings per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 3.7% below original asking | 74.7% | 35.0% | 32 | 3,623 |
| Spring | 2.8% below original asking | 69.7% | 30.5% | 21 | 5,432 |
| Summer | 3.7% below original asking | 74.7% | 35.0% | 25 | 5,143 |
| Fall | 4.2% below original asking | 77.9% | 36.7% | 29 | 4,151 |
Fall was the best season to buy in Houston: the median home closed 4.2% below original asking, and 77.9% of homes sold below asking. Spring was the firmest, at 2.8% below original asking with 69.7% below asking. Listings sat a median 29 days in fall versus 21 in spring.
Winter is December to February, spring March to May, summer June to August and fall September to November.
Which neighborhoods in Houston get cheaper in the off-season
Median close vs original asking by season in the neighborhoods with the most closings in Houston in our feed.
| Neighborhood | Closings | Median sale price | Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Heights / Houston Heights | 2,070 | $670,250 | 1.9% below original asking | 2.8% below original asking | 3.0% below original asking | 2.6% below original asking |
| Central Northwest | 1,414 | $520,000 | 1.8% below original asking | 2.9% below original asking | 3.7% below original asking | 2.8% below original asking |
| Washington Avenue Coalition / Memorial Park | 1,319 | $525,000 | 2.5% below original asking | 2.9% below original asking | 3.7% below original asking | 2.7% below original asking |
| Clear Lake | 1,250 | $321,300 | 2.0% below original asking | 2.9% below original asking | 4.5% below original asking | 3.4% below original asking |
| Greater Uptown | 1,218 | $437,500 | 4.7% below original asking | 5.5% below original asking | 6.1% below original asking | 5.4% below original asking |
| Memorial | 1,201 | $752,500 | 1.8% below original asking | 3.7% below original asking | 4.2% below original asking | 4.1% below original asking |
Greater Uptown was the softest of Houston's busiest neighborhoods, with the median sale at 6.1% below original asking in fall. Clear Lake moved the most with the seasons, from 2.0% below original asking in spring to 4.5% 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 Houston
Houston buyers get a discount in every month, but the gap between spring and fall is worth knowing: September contracts closed 4.4% below the original asking price with 79% of homes selling under list, versus 2.7% below in April. The Heights holds closest to asking, while Greater Uptown condos sell 5% to 6% below asking in every season. Our Houston feed runs through mid-October, so the October figures lean on last year's contracts.
Is winter a good time to buy a house in Houston?
Partly. Houston winter contracts (December to February) closed a median 3.7% below original asking, softer than spring (2.8% below original asking) but not as soft as fall (4.2% below original asking). December closed a median 4.3% below original asking, with 77.0% of homes selling below asking.
The trade-off is thin inventory. Winter brings about 3,623 new listings a month versus 5,432 in spring, and December only about 2,575. The typical winter listing in Houston sits 32 days versus 21 in spring, so winter sellers have usually had time to rethink their price.
Does the season matter more than mortgage rates?
In Houston, the spread between the best and worst month to sign a contract was 1.7 percentage points on price, about $5,387 on the $315,000 median home. A 0.5 point move in the 30-year mortgage rate changes the monthly payment on a $315,000 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 Houston
- Get pre-approved before the slow season. In Houston that is fall, and a pre-approval lets you move the day a stale listing gets interesting.
- Target homes past the median of 26 days on market in Houston. 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 April, use the neighborhood table above to find parts of Houston, such as Greater Uptown, that still sell below asking.
- In the slow months, ask for credits and repairs, not only price. In September, 37.7% 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 2,575, and sellers in Houston who list then are usually motivated.
Methodology
We looked at closings of single family homes, condos and townhouses in Houston 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 43,494 closings, that ratio was 0.9653 (3.5% below original asking), 73.6% of homes sold below original asking, 33.8% had a price cut before selling, and the median home sold for $315,000 at $165 per square foot after 26 days on market.
New listings are the two-year average per calendar month. Figures are medians unless stated. Published November 2026. Our Houston-area MLS feed runs through mid-October 2026, so sales that closed after that date are not counted and the October figures lean on last year's contracts.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest month to buy a house in Houston?
September. Houston homes that went under contract in September sold for a median 4.4% below original asking, and 79% sold below the original asking price. The median listing had been on the market 30 days.
What is the worst month to buy a house in Houston?
April is the most expensive month. Houston homes that went under contract in April sold for a median 2.7% below original asking, only 69% sold below asking, and the median listing sat 21 days.
Is winter a good time to buy in Houston?
Partly. Winter contracts closed a median 3.7% below original asking, 74.7% of homes sold below asking and the typical listing sat 32 days. The catch is choice: about 3,623 new listings a month, versus 5,432 in spring.
How much can I save by timing my purchase in Houston?
The gap between the best and most expensive month was 1.7 percentage points, about $5,387 on the $315,000 median home in Houston. That is a median across 43,494 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 Houston?
May brings the most new listings, about 5,553 a month. December brings the fewest, about 2,575.
Related TurboHome guides
- Best time to buy a house, by city
- Greater Houston home buying guides
- Down payment on a house in Houston
- How long it takes to close in Houston
- HOA fees in Houston
- Best Houston neighborhoods for first-time buyers
- Income needed to buy a home in Houston
- Texas home buying guides
Buy in Houston 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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