The Best Week to Buy a Home in 2026 Is Here, and San Antonio-New Braunfels Is Next

Comal County Courthouse, New Braunfels. Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress.

If you've been waiting for the right time to buy, it's on the calendar right now.

Realtor.com's 2026 Best Time to Buy report looked at listing prices, inventory, price cuts, time on market and buyer demand. Nationally, the best week to buy this year is September 27 to October 3, and it's happening this week. Here in the San Antonio-New Braunfels metro, our best week is next week: October 4 to 10. Austin buyers are in the national window now.

What makes this week the best

Nationally, the report found buyers shopping this week can expect:

• Prices about 3.5% below the summer peak, roughly $14,000 off a $416,000 median home
• About 32% more listings than at the start of the year
• 30% fewer competing buyers than at peak season
• Homes sitting about 64 days, nearly two weeks longer than at the peak, which gives you time to negotiate
• Nearly 6% of homes getting a price cut this week, one of the highest rates of the year

Our local numbers are even better

For the San Antonio-New Braunfels metro, the report projects that from October 4 to 10:

• Median list prices run 4.7% below the peak. That's a bigger discount than the national average.
• Active listings run about 16% above an average week.
• Homes take about 15 more days to sell than they do at the peak.

More homes, lower prices and more time to decide is the combination buyers have been waiting on for years.

Don't treat it like a deadline

This is a window, not a one-week sale. Realtor.com senior economist Hannah Jones put it this way: buyers should "use this window strategically rather than treating one week as a deadline." Shopping earlier in the fall gets you the widest selection. Waiting a little longer can bring more room on price.

One thing to watch is rates. Mortgage rates have been running in the mid-6% range. So even when a home is priced well, negotiating for a rate buydown or seller-paid closing costs can matter as much as price. Many New Braunfels builders are still offering those incentives on new construction.

How to be ready before October 4

1. Get pre-approved now. When the right house shows up, you want to move that day.
2. Know your monthly number, not just your price range. Taxes and insurance vary a lot across Comal, Guadalupe and Bexar counties.
3. Make a short list of neighborhoods so you're not starting from zero.
4. Ask about concessions. In a market with more inventory, asking for closing costs or a rate buydown is fair game.

Ready to make your move?

I'm Allen Corona with Real Broker. I help buyers across New Braunfels, San Antonio and Central Texas find the right home and negotiate the best deal. Let's get you ready before our best week of the year starts on October 4.

Call or text (956) 489-9752, or email allensellstx@gmail.com.

Source: Realtor.com 2026 Best Time to Buy report, via RealtyTimes and NAR.