Better news for buyers, a straight answer on down payments, the August tune-up — and a house with its own runway
Here’s what’s moving in Fort Bend this week, in plain words. Four things: better news on affording a home, a straight answer on how much to put down, the one-hour August house tune-up, and a Texas listing that made me smile.
Chart: Sonal Shah Houston, built from HAR’s Q2 2026 Affordability Report data
CAN YOUR FAMILY AFFORD A HOME AGAIN? HAR’S NEW NUMBERS SAY IT JUST GOT EASIER
Four in ten Houston-area families can now afford the typical home. A year ago, it was about one in three. That is the biggest piece of good news our market has printed in a while, and it comes straight from the Houston Association of Realtors’ report for the spring and early summer of 2026.
Here is what moved, in real numbers:
- The typical home price eased to $345,200.
- The average 30-year mortgage rate slipped to 6.41%.
- The income it takes to buy the typical home dropped to about $102,000.
- The monthly payment — taxes and insurance included — came down to about $2,550.
None of those numbers is dramatic on its own. Together, they mean the door opened a little wider this quarter.
In my banking days we watched one number above all: how many families can actually qualify. That number just moved the right way. If you have been waiting to buy, this quarter is worth a fresh look at your numbers. And if you are thinking of selling, more qualified buyers means more people who can say yes to your home. Either way, the smart first step is the same: find out what the payment on your next home actually looks like today, not what it looked like last year.
Source: Houston Association of Realtors — Q2 2026 Housing & Rental Affordability Report, released Aug 6, 2026. har.com/ri/4715
Photo credit: Sonal Shah Houston (her own video)
0% DOWN OR 20% DOWN? ASK YOUR WALLET, NOT YOUR NEIGHBOR
This is the question I am asked most. I spent twelve years in banking before real estate, so let me give you the honest answer: it depends on your money — a steady paycheck, or saved-up cash.
Steady monthly income, but little cash saved? A low or zero down payment gets you into the home. You pay a small extra insurance called PMI each month — but only until you build up 20% of the home’s value, or until you refinance. It is a cost with an exit, not a forever cost.
A large sum saved, but a medium income? Put 20% or more down. The bigger down payment shrinks your monthly bill and you skip PMI entirely. Your savings do the heavy lifting so your paycheck doesn’t have to.
One more thing your lender may not lead with: a stronger credit score and a bigger down payment usually earn you a lower rate. Every piece you bring to the table works for you.
Neither answer is wrong, and neither one locks you in forever. That is the part people miss: your first mortgage is a starting point, not a life sentence. Get in the way that fits your money today, and improve the terms as your life improves.
Want the 90-second version in my own words? Watch my video: “Is it better to pay 0 or 20% down payment?”
Source: Sonal’s own video — “Buying a home? Is it better to pay 0 or 20% down payment?” (uploaded Jul 26, 2024). youtube.com/watch?v=8qxTPcnOi8M
Photo: Famartin, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
ARE YOUR DOORS STICKING? BLAME THE HEAT — THE FIX COSTS ALMOST NOTHING
No machine in your life works harder in August than your house. Here is a quick checklist from HouseLogic, the homeowner site run by the Realtors association — about one hour, start to finish:
- Clear the area around your A/C unit. Pull the weeds, trim the bushes, rake out the leaves. The unit breathes better and works less hard. Then book a tune-up — the pros’ fall calendars fill fast.
- Run your ceiling fans counterclockwise. That pushes the cool air down to where you actually are.
- Seal your windows and doors. The cold air you are paying for should stay inside the house.
August is the month a Texas house earns its keep. The A/C runs near its limit, and our clay soil shrinks in the heat — that is why doors start to stick this time of year. A one-hour tune-up and a slow soak along the foundation line cost almost nothing now and save the expensive version later. And a house cared for through August is a house that shows beautifully in the fall, when serious buyers come back out.
Sources: HouseLogic (NAR’s consumer site), “Ultimate Summer Home Maintenance Checklist” — houselogic.com. The clay-soil foundation-watering note is Sonal’s own Texas experience.
Photo: the Justin, TX listing, via The Close
WHAT’S YOUR MUST-HAVE? THIS BUYER’S WAS A RUNWAY IN THE BACK YARD
A three-bedroom home in Justin, Texas — up near Fort Worth — has quartz countertops, storm shelters, a fire pit, and a game room. Nice list. But none of that is why someone will buy it.
The neighborhood is a fly-in community. The building next to the house is a hangar, not a garage, and the home comes with access to its own runway. For a pilot, that back-yard runway is the whole reason to buy. The quartz counters are just a bonus.
I love this listing because it proves something I tell every client: there is no such thing as THE perfect home — only YOUR perfect home. One buyer’s must-have is a chef’s kitchen; this buyer’s is a runway. The real skill in a home search is getting honest about your own three non-negotiables before you start looking. Tell me yours — that answer is the whole search.
Source: The Close, “The Weirdest Houses on the Market” roundup, by Sophia Doyle, Apr 10, 2026 — theclose.com/weird-houses
Text me your address and I will send you what homes like yours are actually closing for on your street. No obligation, no sales pitch — just the real numbers.