According to the National Association of Realtors, this trend is typically due to high mortgage rates, limited inventory and elevated prices. However, some realtors say that winter is a good time to buy a home because of less competition and more motivated sellers.
The setup
According to the monthly Realtors Confidence Index, properties nationwide typically remained on the market for 41 days in January, up from 35 days in December and 36 days in January 2024.
Existing home sales in the South, according to the Index, fell 6.2% from December to an annual rate of 1.83 million in January with the median price of a home costing approximately $356,300, up 3.5% from last year.
In comparison, according to Realtor.com, in Texas, January real estate trends included seeing more homes for sale, increased seller activity and a higher share of homes with price reductions compared to 2024.
Neighborhoods in Bellaire, West University Place and Meyerland followed similar trends at the national and state level with an overall increase in the number of homes sold and more time spent on the market with a decline in the median price.
Zooming in
Three of five local ZIP codes—77030, 77025 and 77005—saw median home sale prices plummet with two neighborhoods seeing between a 30% to 50% drop. Homes in the Braeswood and Willow Meadows area saw the largest decline, dropping by 44.7%. Meanwhile, homes in the Texas Medical Center and Museum District fell from $1.4 million in January 2024 to below a million in 2025.
The neighborhood that saw the largest increase in homes sold in January were located in the Texas Medical Center and Museum District, where prices fell below a million dollars for the first time since August. The market saw a 150% growth this year compared to 2024 when prices were more than $1.4 million.
The trend continued with home sales increasing in the other two markets where prices were also dropped, including the Braeswood area and in West University Place. However, the number of homes sold also increased in the 77096 ZIP code where the median price grew slightly.
According to Realtor.com, homes in Houston took an average of 60 days to sell in January, which is 13 less days the national average of 73 days. However, homes in the five local ZIP codes that make up the southwest area inside Loop 610, were high above the state and national average at approximately 93 days, up from 77 days in 2024.
Homes located in 77030 and 77096 played the largest factor in the increase spending 26 and 23 days longer on the market, respectively. All the remaining ZIP codes, with the exception of 77005, saw a double digit increase in average days spent on the market.
