08/19/2026
DFW Real Estate Brief — August 17, 2026
Bottom line
DFW is stabilizing, but it is not returning to a strong seller’s market. Buyers still have negotiating room, particularly on older listings, yet the available supply is no longer growing as rapidly. High mortgage rates and insurance costs remain the biggest obstacles.
Confirmed market signals
The Realtor.com public listing series counted 29,742 active DFW listings in July, up only 0.4% from June but down 6.5% year over year. Inventory has essentially stopped expanding month to month. Active listings
10,118 new listings entered the market, down 11.4% monthly and 4.2% annually. Sellers are becoming more hesitant. New listings
10,856 listings were pending, down 7.9% from June but up 3.6% from July 2025. The monthly drop is partly seasonal; the annual improvement shows demand has not disappeared. Pending listings
The median DFW asking price was $439,000, virtually unchanged from June and down 0.2% year over year. Median market time was 54 days, roughly one day longer than last year. Listing prices and days on market
There were 14,370 price-reduced listings, up about 1.4% from June, although that was 12.9% fewer than last July. Sellers still need adjustments, but the reduction wave is less intense than in 2025. Price reductions
The latest closed-sale results show different conditions by county:
July 2026 Closed sales Median price Inventory
Tarrant 1,955, down 9.5% YoY $355,000, up 1.4% 3.8 months, down from 4.0
Denton 1,346, down 3.0% YoY $455,000, down 0.9% 4.9 months, up from 4.8
Tarrant homes took about 75 days to sell; Denton took 85 days. Greater Fort Worth REALTORS July report
Complete July figures for Dallas and Collin counties are expected around August 20, so I would avoid quoting unofficial county totals before then.
Mortgage and assumable-loan angle
Freddie Mac’s national 30-year average was 6.67% on August 13, down slightly from 6.69% the prior week but above 6.58% one year ago. The 15-year averaged 5.96%. Freddie Mac
No material new FHA, VA or USDA assumption rule surfaced this week. The existing opportunity remains powerful: FHA, VA and USDA loans may be assumable subject to qualification and servicer approval.
A $400,000 loan at 3% carries roughly $887 less monthly principal and interest than the same amount at 6.67%. That saving can justify paying more of the seller’s equity gap—but only after confirming:
Current balance, rate and remaining term
Servicer’s assumption process and estimated timeline
Buyer qualification requirements
Cash gap or allowable secondary financing
For VA loans, substitution of entitlement and seller release of liability
VA guidance still specifically addresses assumption processing, entitlement and secondary borrowing. VA assumption guidance
Rental market
DFW apartment rents remain tenant-friendly. Yardi reported an average advertised rent of $1,524, down 1.6% year over year, with stabilized occupancy at 92.3%. Supply remains heavy, with 45,498 units under construction as of May. Yardi Matrix
There are early stabilization signs: Q2 effective rents increased for the first time in more than a year, while stabilized vacancy improved to 9.6%. Absorption was especially strong in Denton, Frisco/Little Elm, Prosper/Celina and Allen/McKinney. Cushman & Wakefield
Interpretation: Landlords still face competition and concessions now, particularly near newer communities, but pricing power may begin improving as construction slows. Price rentals to generate activity within the first seven to ten days instead of testing a high number for a month.
Two developments clients should hear about
A new Rice University study says insurance premiums rose 74% between 2009 and 2024, versus only 11% income growth. Once insurance is included, about 64% of Texas households cannot afford their county’s median-priced home. Obtain real insurance quotes during the option period—not just lender estimates. Rice University
Texas housing reforms are beginning to produce additional apartments and smaller-lot housing, although Plano, Irving, Arlington and other DFW cities are adding local development requirements. This matters more for future supply and investor land use than this month’s resale prices. (Texas Tribune).
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