07/17/2026
What the numbers are saying about Cowtown this year ...
1. Buyers finally have negotiating leverage. Inventory has grown and homes are sitting on the market a bit longer. That's a shift away from the bidding-war conditions of a few years ago — buyers can reasonably ask for repairs, credits, or price concessions.
2. Mortgage rates are easing, not spiking. After sitting above 7% for a couple of years, rates are trending toward the low 6% range through 2026. That's not a return to pandemic-era lows, but it improves monthly affordability.
3. The job market is a genuine long-term anchor. DFW has pulled in over 100 corporate headquarters relocations since 2018 and keeps adding tens of thousands of jobs a year.
4. New construction comes with real incentives. Builders across Tarrant County have more inventory to move, so they're offering rate buydowns, price locks, and more flexibility on floor plans and homesites.
5. Relative affordability holds up. No state income tax and a lower cost of living than coastal metros means the same budget stretches further here — even with home prices that have ticked up over the past several years-- and well, the tolls.
