Buying
You have more leverage than you have had in years. Most buyers don't use it.
Resale is at roughly six months of supply. New construction carries 85 days on market and the deepest builder concessions I have seen. Mortgage rates in June were the most accommodating in twelve months. This is a negotiating position — if you know which levers move.
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What can you actually afford?
Live buying-power numbers at today's rates — how the payment changes with points and down payment, and what it costs you to wait. No credit pull, no lender handoff.
Your buying power dashboard
DFW is running at three different speeds · September 2026
Where the leverage actually is
New construction looks tighter on supply but carries the longest days on market and the deepest concessions. Resale has more inventory but sellers are further along in accepting it. Leasing is still landlord-favorable.
| Segment | Months of supply | Days on market | Avg sold price | % of list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New construction | 4.17 mo | 85 | $485,400 | 94.3% |
| Resale | 6.09 mo | 56 | $487,900 | 95.0% |
| Lease | 2.16 mo | — | $2,400/mo | 97.9% |
NTREIS data as of June 30, 2026, via Scribner DFW. Average 30-year rate in June 2026: 6.11%.
How I run a buyer search
Six steps, in this order
Get fully underwritten, not just pre-qualified
Pre-qualification is a conversation. Underwritten pre-approval is a lender who has already reviewed your income and assets. In a market with this much inventory, it is what lets you negotiate terms instead of begging for a spot.
Decide what you are actually buying
A school district. A commute. A lot size. A monthly payment. Almost nobody wants all four, and the sooner we name which one is non-negotiable, the faster this goes. This is most of what our first call is.
Verify the school district on every property
Not the listing remarks, not the community brochure — the district's own boundary lookup for that specific address. Seven districts serve McKinney. Three serve Little Elm. This is the step that gets skipped and it is the one that cannot be undone.
Use the leverage you have
Roughly a third of listings are cutting price, new construction is running 85 days on market at 94.3% of list, and builders are buying down rates. You can inspect, negotiate repairs, ask for closing costs, and still close. That was not true three years ago.
Inspect everything, especially new construction
Pre-drywall, final, and an 11-month warranty inspection before the builder's warranty expires. Municipal inspection is not a quality inspection. I have never seen a pre-drywall report come back clean.
Know your out
Option period, financing contingency, appraisal. I will make sure you understand exactly what each one costs and exactly when it expires, because in Texas the option period ends at 5:00 p.m. and nobody reminds you.
Tell me what you're looking for
Next step
Let's find out what you can actually get.
Fifteen minutes on the phone will tell you more than three weekends of scrolling Zillow.