Updated August 2026
Houston market report
Where the six markets I cover most closely actually stand — median price, days on market, and what the numbers mean if you are buying, selling or deciding whether a renovation pencils.
The numbers
Source: HAR MLS · Last reviewed August 2026. Neighborhood-level indicators — confirm property-specific figures before making financial decisions.
What the numbers say this month
The velocity spread is the story
The Heights at roughly 28 days and River Oaks at roughly 78 are not describing the same market in different places — they are describing different kinds of market. Inner Loop under a million turns over quickly because the buyer pool is deep. Above two million the pool is small and patient, and pricing errors are punished with months rather than weeks.
The renovation gap is the opportunity
Across every area above, the widest spread is not between neighborhoods — it is between original and updated homes within the same zoning. That gap is where the return lives, and it is currently widest in Memorial and Spring Branch ranch stock and in the older Sugar Land and Woodlands villages, where large numbers of well-located homes are 25 to 45 years old and genuinely dated.
What this means if you are buying
Move-in-ready inventory is competitive in the suburban markets and priced accordingly. Buyers willing to take on work face materially less competition — provided somebody prices the work correctly before the offer. How to underwrite that →
What this means if you are selling
In every one of these submarkets, the homes that sit are original-condition homes priced as though they were updated. The pre-market decision is not whether to renovate — it is whether the gap in your zoning covers the cost. The sequence that works →
This page updates monthly
Same URL, new numbers. Bookmark it, or ask me to send it to you when it refreshes.
Want the number for your specific address?
Neighborhood medians are a starting point. A comparative market analysis is the actual answer — free, prepared by a person, and it includes which improvements would raise it.
Frequently asked questions
How often is this Houston market report updated?
Monthly. The figures shown were last reviewed August 2026 using HAR MLS data. The URL stays the same so you can bookmark it; the numbers and commentary change.
Which Houston neighborhood is the best value right now?
It depends entirely on whether you are open to renovation. For move-in-ready buyers, days on market and inventory tell most of the story. For buyers open to work, the more useful measure is the gap between original and renovated homes in the same zoning — and that gap is currently widest in Memorial, Spring Branch and the older Sugar Land and Woodlands villages.
Is it a buyer's or seller's market in Houston?
It varies sharply by submarket rather than across the metro. As of August 2026, the Heights remains firmly a seller's market while River Oaks moves considerably more slowly at roughly 78 days on market. Compare the days-on-market column above for your specific area.
Where do these numbers come from?
HAR MLS, reviewed monthly. They are neighborhood-level indicators and should not be used in place of a property-specific comparative market analysis — request a free valuation for that.