Is now a good time to buy or sell real estate in East Texas? The honest answer is that the East Texas market has changed a lot in the last couple of years. It is not the frenzy of 2021 and 2022 anymore. It is slower, more balanced, and for the first time in a while, buyers have some room to negotiate.
Here is what the numbers say right now, and what I am seeing on the ground.
Interest rates are still the big story
Mortgage rates went back up in September. Freddie Mac’s weekly survey put the average 30 year fixed rate at 7.03% on September 24, up from 6.95% the week before and 6.30% a year earlier. The 15 year fixed averaged 6.42%.
That matters more than almost anything else. On a $300,000 loan, the difference between 6.3% and 7% is roughly $140 a month. That is enough to push some buyers out of a price range, and it is a big reason houses are taking longer to sell.
Texas home prices have leveled off
Statewide, the Texas A&M Real Estate Research Center reported 34,956 home sales in June, up 8.6% from a year earlier. So people are still buying. But the median price slipped to $342,900, down from $350,000 the year before. Homes sat on the market a median of 62 days, and Texas had about 5.4 months of inventory.
For reference, about six months of inventory is usually considered a balanced market. Texas is close to that line.
Closer to home: Tyler and Smith County
The Tyler area is a good gauge for our part of East Texas. Redfin’s midyear numbers showed a median sale price around $323,000, basically flat from a year ago. Homes took about 73 days to sell, and the area had roughly 6.5 months of supply. Only about 1% of homes sold for more than their original asking price.
That last number tells you a lot. Two or three years ago, bidding wars were common. Today, most homes sell at or below asking.
What about rural land?
Land is where I have spent most of my career, so I watch this closely. Texas A&M’s latest rural land report shows statewide prices holding steady at a median of $5,218 per acre, up about 3% from a year ago.
Northeast Texas looks a little different. The median price there was $8,604 per acre in the second quarter, down about 6% from a year earlier. But the number of sales actually went up almost 10%. Buyers are still out there. They are just not willing to pay last year’s peak prices.
The report described it as a standoff between sellers anchored to peak values and buyers worried about high rates. That matches what I see. Tracts that are priced right, have good road frontage, and have utilities nearby still move. Overpriced land sits.
What this means if you are selling
- Price it right from day one. In this market, the first two weeks bring the most attention. An overpriced listing gets stale fast.
- Condition matters again. Buyers have choices, so fix the obvious problems, clean it up, and clear the brush if it is land.
- Expect to negotiate. Closing costs, repairs, and rate buydowns are all on the table now.
- Be patient. Two or three months on the market is normal right now, not a bad sign.
What this means if you are buying
- You have leverage you did not have two years ago. Use it, but be reasonable.
- Do your homework. Get the inspection, the survey, and check the flood maps. You have the time to do it right.
- Ask about seller help. Many sellers will help with closing costs or pay to buy down your rate.
- Watch rates, but do not try to time them perfectly. If the right property comes along and the payment works, that matters more.
The bottom line
East Texas is not crashing, and it is not booming. It is settling into a more normal market, which is healthy. Good properties at fair prices still sell. Buyers who have been waiting on the sidelines have more options and more room to negotiate than they have had in years.
If you are thinking about buying or selling around here, the best thing you can do is look at what has actually sold nearby in the last few months, not what was selling in 2022.
Greg McKinney, Mineola, Texas
Sources: Freddie Mac, Sept. 24, 2026; Texas A&M Real Estate Research Center, Texas Housing Insight, Aug. 2026; Redfin data via Y100, Tyler midyear review; Texas A&M Real Estate Research Center, Rural Land Markets, Q2 2026
