The Houston Association of REALTORS released its August 2026 housing market update on September 9. The short version: more homes are for sale, prices are steady, and buyers have more time to decide.
The August numbers
Single-family home sales fell 11.5% from a year ago, to 7,100 closings. Active listings reached 38,947, up 0.5%, and inventory held at a 5.3-month supply. Nationwide, inventory is about 4.6 months, according to the National Association of REALTORS.
Homes spent an average of 54 days on the market, compared with 52 days in August 2025. Pending sales totaled 7,939, down 3.5% from a year earlier. Across all property types, Houston recorded 8,362 sales, down 10.2%, and about $3.5 billion in dollar volume, down 8.8%. Active listings of all types rose 1.0% to 60,390.
Prices and monthly payments
The median single-family price was $330,000, down $5,000, or 1.5%, from a year ago. The average price rose 1.2% to $426,760. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 6.67%, up from 6.59% a year earlier, according to Freddie Mac. HAR said the lower median price still produced a slight decline in the monthly principal and interest payment compared with August 2025.
Houston affordability has now improved on a year-over-year basis in 22 of the past 25 months, ahead of the national trend.
Balance remains the defining characteristic of Houston's housing market. Buyers have more options and more time to make decisions, while sellers continue to benefit from relatively stable prices. That is a healthier environment for consumers and a positive sign for the long-term strength of our market.
Theresa Hill, 2026 HAR Chair, Compass RE Texas, LLC, in the August 2026 HAR housing market update.
Single-family sales by price range
HAR broke August single-family closings out this way:
- $1 to $99,999: up 11.1% (110 sales)
- $100,000 to $149,999: down 4.8% (177 sales)
- $150,000 to $249,999: down 11.3% (1,308 sales)
- $250,000 to $499,999: down 13.7% (3,949 sales)
- $500,000 to $999,999: down 16.5% (1,221 sales)
- $1 million and above: down 2.1% (334 sales)
Existing homes, townhomes, and condos
Sales of existing single-family homes fell 5.3% to 5,206 closings. The average price declined 1.0% to $433,016, and the median price fell 2.9% to $330,000.
Townhome and condominium sales were unchanged at 405 units. The average price declined 1.5% to $245,692, and the median fell 7.1% to $195,000. Active listings rose 3.1% to 3,504, and months of inventory increased from 8.1 to 8.8. Pending sales fell 8.0%, from 439 to 404.
What this means if you are buying or selling
If you are buying in Houston or Katy, you have more inventory and a little more time than you did a year ago. That does not mean every neighborhood is slow. Homes that are priced and presented well still sell. Get pre-approved and stay ready, but you do not have to rush a house that is not the right fit.
If you are selling, stable prices are the encouraging part. A 54-day average means the first weekend is no longer the whole story. In a balanced market, pricing, condition, and how the home shows matter more than they did when inventory was thin.
Over the past 12 months, single-family sales totaled 88,565. That is above the 86,999 sold in all of 2019, the last normal year before the pandemic. HAR Chief Economist Dr. Ted C. Jones noted that U.S. single-family sales are still down 20.1% compared with 2019. Houston is already back to a more normal pace.
Figures in this post come from the Houston Association of REALTORS August 2026 Housing Market Update. Read the full report on HAR's MLS market update page.