Should you wait until fall to buy a home in DFW? Probably not. DFW inventory is at multi-year highs, prices have dipped 3.4% year-over-year, rates are around 6%, and sellers are offering concessions that haven't been available since before 2021.

Should You Wait Until Fall to Buy a Home in DFW? Here's What I'm Telling My Clients Right Now

Last week, I had three buyer consultations. Three different people. Three completely different situations. And all three of them asked me the same exact question: "Should we wait until fall?"

It's the question I'm hearing constantly right now. And I get it. Rates have been frustrating. The last few years of the market felt chaotic. It makes sense to want to wait for a "better" moment.

But here's what I told all three of them — and what the data actually supports.

The DFW Market Right Now Is Quietly Favorable for Buyers

Let me give you the honest picture of what's happening in the Dallas-Fort Worth market right now, because I don't think it's getting enough credit.

Inventory is at some of its highest levels in years. According to the Texas Real Estate Research Center, housing supply across the DFW Metroplex has expanded significantly, giving buyers far more options than they had at peak competition.

Prices have dropped 3.4% over the past year. That's not a crash — but it's real movement in the buyer's direction. In markets like Arlington, Mansfield, Burleson, and Midlothian, sellers who aren't priced correctly are sitting. That creates leverage.

Mortgage rates are sitting around 6%. That's not 2020, but it's also not the 7%+ range buyers were navigating not long ago. And importantly — it's a rate you can refinance when rates come down further. You can't go back and lock in 2024 pricing once the market shifts.

And sellers? They're negotiating. Closing cost assistance. Rate buydowns. Repair credits. Concessions that were a fever dream in 2021 and 2022 are back on the table right now.

What Happens When Rates Drop Further

Here's what I want buyers to understand: the thing they're waiting for is also the thing that ends the window. According to Freddie Mac's housing outlook, when rates dip meaningfully, buyer demand surges. It happens quickly.

The buyers who've been sitting on the sidelines for two years don't disappear. They come back — all at once. When that happens:

•        Inventory gets absorbed fast

•        Price drops reverse

•        Sellers stop offering concessions

•        Multiple offers return

The window you're waiting for in fall? By the time the rate cut happens and word spreads, that window may have already closed. You'd be buying in a more competitive market at the same or higher prices — without the negotiating leverage you have today.

The Buyers Getting the Best Deals Right Now

I want to be direct about this: the buyers closing deals in the DFW market right now are getting more house for their money than anyone has in three years.

They're not waiting for perfect conditions. They're recognizing that this is pretty close to it — and acting while the leverage is still there.

In Fort Worth, Kennedale, Mansfield, and surrounding areas, I'm watching buyers negotiate seller-paid rate buydowns that drop their effective rate below 5.5%. I'm seeing repair credits. Closing cost assistance. Price reductions on properties that would have had 20 offers in 2022.

That doesn't mean buying a house right now is the right move for everyone. It depends on your timeline, your finances, your job stability, and what you're looking for. Those conversations are worth having with a professional before you decide.

But if your plan is to "wait and see" — I want you to understand what you're actually waiting for, and what it might cost you when it arrives.

So, Should You Wait Until Fall to Buy in DFW?

If you're financially ready, you've been pre-approved, and you're looking at a 3-5+ year horizon in your home — the data right now is working in your favor. Waiting for fall to be "different" assumes that conditions get better without also getting more competitive. History in the DFW market doesn't support that assumption.

If you're still in the early stages — gathering information, figuring out what you can afford, exploring neighborhoods — the best first step is a buyer consultation. No pressure, no commitment. Just a real conversation about what your budget actually gets you right now and what the path forward looks like.

I'd love to walk you through what's available in your price range across the southern DFW Metroplex — whether that's Arlington, Mansfield, Burleson, Midlothian, or anywhere in between. Book a free strategy session below, and let's talk through what your buying power actually looks like right now.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is it a buyer's market in DFW right now?

In much of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, conditions have shifted noticeably in buyers' favor compared to 2021 and 2022. Inventory is up, prices have dipped year-over-year, and sellers are offering concessions — including rate buydowns and closing cost assistance — that were rarely seen at the peak of the market. While it's not a classic buyer's market in every submarket, buyers who are ready to move have more leverage than they've had in years.

Will home prices drop further in DFW in 2025 or 2026?

DFW home prices have declined modestly over the past year, but most housing analysts expect the market to stabilize or tick upward as mortgage rates decrease and buyer demand returns. Redfin's DFW market data shows continued movement, but major price declines are not broadly projected for the region. Waiting for a more significant price drop may mean buying into a more competitive market if rate cuts trigger renewed buyer activity.

What are current mortgage rates in DFW and should I buy now or wait?

Mortgage rates are currently around 6%, which is lower than the highs seen in 2023 and 2024. Many buyers are purchasing now and planning to refinance if rates drop further — a strategy sometimes called "marry the house, date the rate." Freddie Mac's weekly rate survey tracks current averages. Waiting for rates to drop further carries the risk of entering a more competitive market where seller concessions and negotiating leverage have already disappeared.

Lauren Kerschen, REALTOR® | Founder & Team Lead, DFW's Finest Real Estate Group at ARC Realty DFW