Best Time to Buy by City
Best Time of Year to Buy a House in The Woodlands
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 The Woodlands is October. Buyers who went under contract in October paid a median 4.3% below the original asking price, and 79% of homes sold below asking, compared with 1.8% below in April, the most expensive month. That gap is 2.5 percentage points, or about $15,205 on the $601,000 median home in The Woodlands. The trade-off is choice: May brings about 288 new listings a month, December only about 76. Here is the month-by-month data from 2,541 closings in The Woodlands in our MLS feed.
TurboHome Market Analysis · The Woodlands, TX · Contracts signed November 2024 through September 2026 · Published November 2026
Key findings
- Best month: October. The Woodlands homes that went under contract in October sold for a median 4.3% below original asking, and 79% sold below the original asking price.
- Most expensive month: April, at a median 1.8% below original asking, with 62% of homes selling below asking.
- Best vs firmest season: Fall (3.9% below original asking) versus spring (1.8% below original asking).
- New listings: May brings about 288 new listings a month; December only about 76.
- Price cuts: 36.9% of homes that went under contract in October had taken a price cut first, versus 19.6% in April.
- Days on market: the typical winter listing sat 23 days, versus 10 in spring.
The Woodlands 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 The Woodlands 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 | 161 | 3.2% below original asking | 80.1% | 27.3% | $217 | 27 | $523,000 | 134 |
| February | 192 | 2.4% below original asking | 66.1% | 21.4% | $228 | 11 | $612,500 | 155 |
| March | 274 | 1.8% below original asking | 65.7% | 19.3% | $228 | 10 | $635,000 | 243 |
| April | 322 | 1.8% below original asking | 62.4% | 19.6% | $231 | 10 | $642,500 | 244 |
| May | 306 | 1.9% below original asking | 66.7% | 23.2% | $231 | 10 | $668,000 | 288 |
| June | 276 | 1.9% below original asking | 68.5% | 20.7% | $232 | 10 | $622,500 | 279 |
| July | 247 | 3.2% below original asking | 76.5% | 32.4% | $221 | 19 | $605,000 | 258 |
| August | 210 | 3.2% below original asking | 77.6% | 31.0% | $224 | 21 | $560,000 | 198 |
| September | 140 | 3.8% below original asking | 82.1% | 32.9% | $220 | 21 | $547,500 | 181 |
| October | 111 | 4.3% below original asking | 79.3% | 36.9% | $217 | 29 | $540,000 | 182 |
| November | 166 | 3.5% below original asking | 78.9% | 33.7% | $224 | 27 | $582,500 | 97 |
| December | 136 | 3.9% below original asking | 82.4% | 33.8% | $217 | 31 | $563,000 | 76 |
New listings swing just as hard. May averages about 288 new listings in The Woodlands, while December averages about 76.
- Avg new listings per month
Best season to buy a house in The Woodlands
| Season | Median close vs original asking | Sold below original asking | Price cut before sale | Median days on market | Avg new listings per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 3.2% below original asking | 76.2% | 27.5% | 23 | 122 |
| Spring | 1.8% below original asking | 64.9% | 20.7% | 10 | 258 |
| Summer | 2.8% below original asking | 74.2% | 28.0% | 17 | 245 |
| Fall | 3.9% below original asking | 80.1% | 34.5% | 26 | 153 |
Fall was the best season to buy in The Woodlands: the median home closed 3.9% below original asking, and 80.1% of homes sold below asking. Spring was the firmest, at 1.8% below original asking with 64.9% below asking. Listings sat a median 26 days in fall versus 10 in spring.
Winter is December to February, spring March to May, summer June to August and fall September to November.
Which neighborhoods in The Woodlands get cheaper in the off-season
Median close vs original asking by season in the neighborhoods with the most closings in The Woodlands in our feed.
| Neighborhood | Closings | Median sale price | Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alden Bridge | 517 | $519,500 | 1.7% below original asking | 2.3% below original asking | 4.0% below original asking | 2.6% below original asking |
| Sterling Ridge | 415 | $750,000 | 1.3% below original asking | 2.7% below original asking | 3.8% below original asking | 3.2% below original asking |
| Cochran's Crossing | 361 | $630,000 | 0.5% below original asking | 2.3% below original asking | 3.7% below original asking | 3.1% below original asking |
| Grogan's Mill | 332 | $506,250 | 3.0% below original asking | 3.9% below original asking | 4.0% below original asking | 3.2% below original asking |
| Panther Creek | 281 | $460,000 | 3.1% below original asking | 4.9% below original asking | 3.7% below original asking | 3.6% below original asking |
| Creekside Park | 189 | $899,000 | 1.7% below original asking | 2.5% below original asking | 5.5% below original asking | 3.9% below original asking |
Creekside Park was the softest of The Woodlands's busiest neighborhoods, with the median sale at 5.5% below original asking in fall. Cochran's Crossing moved the most with the seasons, from 0.5% below original asking in spring to 3.7% 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 The Woodlands
The Woodlands has the sharpest seasonal swing in greater Houston: spring contracts closed 1.8% under asking with homes pending in 10 days, while October contracts closed 4.3% under after 29 days on market. Alden Bridge and Creekside Park show fall discounts of 4% to 5.5%, double the spring figures. New listings fall to about 76 in December, so late summer and early fall are the practical window.
Is winter a good time to buy a house in The Woodlands?
Partly. The Woodlands winter contracts (December to February) closed a median 3.2% below original asking, softer than spring (1.8% below original asking) but not as soft as fall (3.9% below original asking). December closed a median 3.9% below original asking, with 82.4% of homes selling below asking.
The trade-off is thin inventory. Winter brings about 122 new listings a month versus 258 in spring, and December only about 76. The typical winter listing in The Woodlands sits 23 days versus 10 in spring, so winter sellers have usually had time to rethink their price.
Does the season matter more than mortgage rates?
In The Woodlands, the spread between the best and worst month to sign a contract was 2.5 percentage points on price, about $15,205 on the $601,000 median home. A 0.5 point move in the 30-year mortgage rate changes the monthly payment on a $601,000 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 The Woodlands
- Get pre-approved before the slow season. In The Woodlands that is fall, and a pre-approval lets you move the day a stale listing gets interesting.
- Target homes past the median of 15 days on market in The Woodlands. 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 The Woodlands, such as Creekside Park, that still sell below asking.
- In the slow months, ask for credits and repairs, not only price. In October, 36.9% 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 76, and sellers in The Woodlands who list then are usually motivated.
Methodology
We looked at closings of single family homes, condos and townhouses in The Woodlands 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 2,541 closings, that ratio was 0.9728 (2.7% below original asking), 71.9% of homes sold below original asking, 26.1% had a price cut before selling, and the median home sold for $601,000 at $226 per square foot after 15 days on market.
New listings are the two-year average per calendar month. Figures are medians unless stated. Published November 2026. The Woodlands is part of our Houston-area MLS feed, which 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 The Woodlands?
October. The Woodlands homes that went under contract in October sold for a median 4.3% below original asking, and 79% sold below the original asking price. The median listing had been on the market 29 days.
What is the worst month to buy a house in The Woodlands?
April is the most expensive month. The Woodlands homes that went under contract in April sold for a median 1.8% below original asking, only 62% sold below asking, and the median listing sat 10 days.
Is winter a good time to buy in The Woodlands?
Partly. Winter contracts closed a median 3.2% below original asking, 76.2% of homes sold below asking and the typical listing sat 23 days. The catch is choice: about 122 new listings a month, versus 258 in spring.
How much can I save by timing my purchase in The Woodlands?
The gap between the best and most expensive month was 2.5 percentage points, about $15,205 on the $601,000 median home in The Woodlands. That is a median across 2,541 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 The Woodlands?
May brings the most new listings, about 288 a month. December brings the fewest, about 76.
Related TurboHome guides
- Best time to buy a house, by city
- Greater Houston home buying guides
- How long it takes to close in The Woodlands
- HOA fees in The Woodlands
- Texas home buying guides
Buy in The Woodlands 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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