December Market Check-In
Northwest Houston: Slower Pace, Smarter Plays
Across Tomball, Magnolia, Montgomery, Cypress, and The Woodlands, November looked like this:
🔍 Quick Snapshot (All Cities Combined)
- Closed Sales: ↓ 7.4% year-over-year
- Active Listings: ↑ 18.3% year-over-year
- Average Days on Market: up to 85.4 days
- Prices: mixed—up in some cities, easing in others
👉 Translation: more homes, slightly fewer sales, and buyers taking their time. TRERC calls it a “balancing phase,” not a downturn. Freddie Mac’s late-November rates in the 6.23–6.26% range explain why buyers are more selective and negotiations are back on the table.
🏙 City-by-City Highlights
- Tomball: Sales down sharply, average price up 16.5% → higher-end homes driving the stats, with more balance and longer DOM.
- Magnolia: Sales up 12.7%, prices down slightly → demand is healthy, but buyers are price-sensitive.
- Montgomery: Highest inventory with 8.2 months of supply → buyers have time and leverage, even as prices tick up.
- Cypress: Sales down, prices down ~5% → cooled for now, but long-term demand remains strong.
- The Woodlands: More sales, faster DOM, but lower average price → fewer ultra-luxury closings, not a value collapse.
🏡 What It Means
For Buyers
You finally have choice + negotiation power—especially in Magnolia, Montgomery, and Cypress. If rates ease in 2026, competition will pick up again.
For Sellers
The market isn’t crashing—but it is slower. Smart pricing, strong presentation, and patience matter, especially in higher-inventory areas like Montgomery and Cypress.
For Homeowners
Big picture: job growth, population growth, and infrastructure are still on Houston’s side. Think 5–10 year wealth, not month-to-month noise.
The 2026 Family Homebuying Playbook
If you’re renting in Tomball, Cypress, Magnolia, Montgomery, or The Woodlands and thinking, “2026 might be our year,” you’re right on time. The key is to treat it like a season, not a single game.
The 7 big moves:
- Know Your Numbers
You don’t need 20% down. Many families buy with 3–5% down. Focus on what you can comfortably afford monthly.
- Check Your Credit Early
A 6–12 month runway gives you time to clean up balances, fix errors, and improve your rate.
- Get Pre-Approved Before You Shop
It sets your real budget and makes your offers stronger when you find “the one.”
- Pick the Right Neighborhood, Not Just the Right House
Tomball vs Cypress vs Magnolia vs Montgomery vs The Woodlands all feel different. Think schools, commute, lifestyle.
- Understand the Full Payment (PITI)
Principal, interest, taxes, insurance, HOA, and maintenance—it all needs to fit comfortably.
- Build Your Homebuying Team
Realtor, lender, inspector, title. When the team is dialed in, the process feels calm, not chaotic.
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Set a 2026 Timeline
Example:
- Dec 2025: review finances, goals, credit
- Jan–Feb: talk to lender, get pre-approved
- Mar–Apr: tour homes, narrow areas
- Apr–May: write offers, negotiate
- Jun–Jul: close and move before school starts
“Your next chapter doesn’t start with a house—it starts with a game plan.”
50-Year Mortgages in Texas: Lifeline or Long-Term Trap?
With prices up and rates still in the 6% range, it’s no surprise people perked up when they heard about 50-year mortgages. Smaller monthly payment? On paper, it sounds great.
But here’s the coaching perspective:
What a 50-year mortgage really does:
- Lowers your monthly payment by stretching it over five decades
- Dramatically increases the total interest you pay
- Slows your equity growth to a crawl
In other words, it’s not magic—it’s just more payments over more years.
Why people are curious:
- Monthly savings of a few hundred dollars can feel huge
- It can increase “buying power” in places like Cypress or The Woodlands
- Investors might like the extra cash flow on rentals
The big risks:
- You could pay hundreds of thousands more in interest over time
- After 10–20 years, you may have built very little equity
- You’re carrying the same debt through kids’ college, career changes, even retirement
- If widely adopted, it could actually push home prices higher
And locally?
In Northwest Houston, most of this is still theoretical—50-year products are not mainstream. Texas already has tools like 2-1 buydowns, down payment assistance, FHA/VA options, and flexible conventional loans that can improve affordability without tying you to a half-century mortgage.
“A mortgage shouldn’t just get you into a home—it should keep you winning for decades.”
✨Featured Listing
Got friends or family looking to move? Check out what’s on the market right now from Texas Home Coach.
24165 Wilde Drive – Magnolia, TX | $307,000
5 beds | 2.5 baths | 2,570 sq ft
Built in 2021, this modern Williams Trace home offers space for everyone — a bright open plan, a downstairs primary suite, a big game room, and an assumable VA loan + leased solar panels for long-term savings.
L21 Rolling Oak – Montgomery Trace | $199,900
1.53 acres | Wooded lot | Low HOA ($450 / yr)
Build your dream home in Montgomery Trace — close to Lake Conroe & The Woodlands. Horses allowed, utilities ready, and deed restrictions to preserve the area’s charm.
🧠 Shower Thought:
In real estate and football, the best wins happen in the fourth quarter.
