Best Time to Buy by City
Best Time of Year to Buy a House in Plano
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 Plano is October. Buyers who went under contract in October paid a median 5.1% below the original asking price, and 82% of homes sold below asking, compared with 2.2% below in May, the most expensive month. That gap is 2.9 percentage points, or about $14,838 on the $517,000 median home in Plano. The trade-off is choice: May brings about 460 new listings a month, December only about 138. Here is the month-by-month data from 4,801 closings in Plano in our MLS feed.
TurboHome Market Analysis · Plano, TX · Contracts signed November 2024 through September 2026 · Published November 2026
Key findings
- Best month: October. Plano homes that went under contract in October sold for a median 5.1% below original asking, and 82% sold below the original asking price.
- Most expensive month: May, at a median 2.2% below original asking, with 66% of homes selling below asking.
- Best vs firmest season: Fall (4.5% below original asking) versus spring (2.3% below original asking).
- New listings: May brings about 460 new listings a month; December only about 138.
- Price cuts: 51.9% of homes that went under contract in October had taken a price cut first, versus 32.5% in May.
- Days on market: the typical winter listing sat 38 days, versus 19 in spring.
Plano 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 Plano 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 | 364 | 2.8% below original asking | 74.5% | 40.9% | $223 | 44 | $496,365 | 281 |
| February | 441 | 2.5% below original asking | 66.9% | 35.6% | $224 | 23 | $522,300 | 299 |
| March | 504 | 2.4% below original asking | 68.3% | 33.9% | $221 | 20 | $535,000 | 353 |
| April | 464 | 2.2% below original asking | 67.0% | 31.5% | $223 | 18 | $535,000 | 429 |
| May | 452 | 2.2% below original asking | 65.7% | 32.5% | $222 | 18 | $525,000 | 460 |
| June | 455 | 2.8% below original asking | 71.0% | 38.5% | $223 | 23 | $538,231 | 441 |
| July | 459 | 4.0% below original asking | 80.0% | 44.2% | $220 | 30 | $500,000 | 414 |
| August | 447 | 4.4% below original asking | 79.0% | 46.1% | $213 | 34 | $510,000 | 411 |
| September | 355 | 4.8% below original asking | 83.4% | 49.0% | $217 | 39 | $492,000 | 390 |
| October | 206 | 5.1% below original asking | 82.5% | 51.9% | $214 | 36 | $506,500 | 397 |
| November | 366 | 3.8% below original asking | 80.1% | 45.9% | $218 | 36 | $515,000 | 238 |
| December | 288 | 4.7% below original asking | 83.3% | 47.2% | $214 | 48 | $504,945 | 138 |
New listings swing just as hard. May averages about 460 new listings in Plano, while December averages about 138.
- Avg new listings per month
Best season to buy a house in Plano
| Season | Median close vs original asking | Sold below original asking | Price cut before sale | Median days on market | Avg new listings per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 3.3% below original asking | 74.9% | 41.2% | 38 | 239 |
| Spring | 2.3% below original asking | 67.0% | 32.6% | 19 | 414 |
| Summer | 3.7% below original asking | 76.7% | 42.9% | 29 | 422 |
| Fall | 4.5% below original asking | 82.0% | 48.9% | 37 | 342 |
Fall was the best season to buy in Plano: the median home closed 4.5% below original asking, and 82.0% of homes sold below asking. Spring was the firmest, at 2.3% below original asking with 67.0% below asking. Listings sat a median 37 days in fall versus 19 in spring.
Winter is December to February, spring March to May, summer June to August and fall September to November.
Which neighborhoods in Plano get cheaper in the off-season
Median close vs original asking by season in the neighborhoods with the most closings in Plano in our feed.
| Neighborhood | Closings | Median sale price | Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Plano / Willow Bend | 262 | $1,157,500 | 3.0% below original asking | 6.2% below original asking | 5.0% below original asking | 4.0% below original asking |
| Hunters Glen | 205 | $550,000 | 1.7% below original asking | 3.4% below original asking | 5.2% below original asking | 3.3% below original asking |
| Park Forest | 199 | $360,000 | 2.1% below original asking | 3.5% below original asking | 3.8% below original asking | 3.0% below original asking |
| Ridgeview | 144 | $567,500 | 3.2% below original asking | 5.5% below original asking | 4.1% below original asking | 3.1% below original asking |
| Dallas North Estates | 129 | $430,000 | 1.7% below original asking | 2.8% below original asking | 5.5% below original asking | 1.9% below original asking |
| Preston | 123 | $520,000 | 2.1% below original asking | 1.1% below original asking | 4.8% below original asking | 1.5% below original asking |
West Plano / Willow Bend was the softest of Plano's busiest neighborhoods, with the median sale at 6.2% below original asking in summer. Dallas North Estates moved the most with the seasons, from 1.7% below original asking in spring to 5.5% 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 Plano
Plano's spring is close to balanced: March through May contracts closed about 2.3% under asking with homes pending in under three weeks. By October the median discount had widened to 5.1%, half of sold homes had cut price and 83% sold below asking. West Plano and Willow Bend, where the median sale is north of $1.1 million, show the biggest swing, from 3% under in spring to 6% under in summer.
Is winter a good time to buy a house in Plano?
Partly. Plano winter contracts (December to February) closed a median 3.3% below original asking, softer than spring (2.3% below original asking) but not as soft as fall (4.5% below original asking). December closed a median 4.7% below original asking, with 83.3% of homes selling below asking.
The trade-off is thin inventory. Winter brings about 239 new listings a month versus 414 in spring, and December only about 138. The typical winter listing in Plano sits 38 days versus 19 in spring, so winter sellers have usually had time to rethink their price.
Does the season matter more than mortgage rates?
In Plano, the spread between the best and worst month to sign a contract was 2.9 percentage points on price, about $14,838 on the $517,000 median home. A 0.5 point move in the 30-year mortgage rate changes the monthly payment on a $517,000 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 Plano
- Get pre-approved before the slow season. In Plano that is fall, and a pre-approval lets you move the day a stale listing gets interesting.
- Target homes past the median of 27 days on market in Plano. 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 May, use the neighborhood table above to find parts of Plano, such as West Plano / Willow Bend, that still sell below asking.
- In the slow months, ask for credits and repairs, not only price. In October, 51.9% 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 138, and sellers in Plano who list then are usually motivated.
Methodology
We looked at closings of single family homes, condos and townhouses in Plano 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 4,801 closings, that ratio was 0.9673 (3.3% below original asking), 74.2% of homes sold below original asking, 40.4% had a price cut before selling, and the median home sold for $517,000 at $220 per square foot after 27 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 Plano?
October. Plano homes that went under contract in October sold for a median 5.1% below original asking, and 82% sold below the original asking price. The median listing had been on the market 36 days.
What is the worst month to buy a house in Plano?
May is the most expensive month. Plano homes that went under contract in May sold for a median 2.2% below original asking, only 66% sold below asking, and the median listing sat 18 days.
Is winter a good time to buy in Plano?
Partly. Winter contracts closed a median 3.3% below original asking, 74.9% of homes sold below asking and the typical listing sat 38 days. The catch is choice: about 239 new listings a month, versus 414 in spring.
How much can I save by timing my purchase in Plano?
The gap between the best and most expensive month was 2.9 percentage points, about $14,838 on the $517,000 median home in Plano. That is a median across 4,801 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 Plano?
May brings the most new listings, about 460 a month. December brings the fewest, about 138.
Related TurboHome guides
- Best time to buy a house, by city
- Dallas-Fort Worth home buying guides
- Down payment on a house in Plano
- How long it takes to close in Plano
- HOA fees in Plano
- Best Plano neighborhoods for first-time buyers
- Plano housing market
- Income needed to buy a home in Plano
- Texas home buying guides
Buy in Plano 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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