Affordability Archives

March 2026 was the most consequential month for North Texas housing in two years, and 90% of buyers and sellers will completely miss what it actually meant.

March 2026 North Texas Market Report: Just When Things Were Getting Good – The Iran War, a Stubborn Fed, and a Rate Spike

By Bobby Franklin, REALTOR® | North Texas Market Insider™ | Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team | Serving Ellis County, DFW & Greater North Texas | 214-228-0003 | northtexasmarketinsider.com Most agents are about to spend the next thirty days posting daffodil emojis and “spring market is heating up!” graphics. I’m going to do something different. I’m going to tell you exactly what...

The 89th Texas Legislature just signed over 1,155 bills into law. Learn what this means for homeowners, buyers, sellers, and developers.

40+ New Texas Laws That Are Attracting Thousands of New Residents

Published: April 2026 By Bobby Franklin, REALTOR® | North Texas Market Insider™ | Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team | Serving Ellis County, Waxahachie, and the Greater DFW Metroplex You saw the viral social media post. “40 New Laws Have Gone Into Effect in Texas in Order to Attract More Residents to the State.” And you probably thought what most people think: Is that even...

Frost's New Progress Mortgage offers a zero dollar down payment with no PMI. Potentially saving homebuyers hundreds per month on their mortgage and thousands upfront.

The $0 Down Affordability Hack North Texas Homebuyers Need to Know in 2026

By Bobby Franklin, REALTOR® | North Texas Market Insider™ | Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team | Serving Ellis County, DFW & Greater North Texas The Headline That Should Have Stopped You Cold I want you to sit with this for a second. One of the most respected, financially stable banks in the state of Texas just re-entered the mortgage business after a 20-year absence...

Discover how President Trump's executive orders could pave the way for improved housing affordability over the next 1-3 years

Can President Trump Really Fix Housing Affordability With Executive Orders?

By Bobby Franklin, REALTOR® | North Texas Market Insider™ | Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors TeamServing Ellis County, DFW & Greater North Texas | 214-228-0003 | northtexasmarketinsider.com Let me give it to you straight. On March 13, 2026, President Trump signed two executive orders aimed directly at the housing affordability crisis in this country. And within about 48 hours, my...

Local, independent investors delivered 216.9% more starter homes to the U.S. housing market than homebuilders did in 2025.

Investors Created 216.9% More Starter Homes Than Builders in 2025

By Bobby Franklin, REALTOR® | Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors Team | North Texas Market Insider™Serving Ellis County, DFW & Greater North Texas | 214-228-0003 | northtexasmarketinsider.com The Number That Changes Everything You Think You Know About Housing Affordability Let me stop you right there before you skip to the next reel. I know what you’ve been reading. Hedge funds...

No. It is not basically the same thing. And confusing the two could cost you tens of thousands of dollars in financing costs, insurance headaches, and resale value over the life of your ownership. Let me walk you through the full picture so you can make a decision based on data, not assumptions.

Tiny Homes vs Manufactured Homes in North Texas: Which One Actually Fits Your Life and Your Financing in 2026?

By Bobby Franklin, REALTOR® | Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors TeamServing Ellis County, DFW & Greater North Texas Let me tell you what most real estate agents won’t. Most of them don’t know the difference between a tiny home and a manufactured home beyond square footage and the Instagram aesthetic. And because they don’t know the difference, their buyers make expensive decisions...

Nationally, tiny homes range from approximately $30,000 for a basic DIY build to well over $150,000 for a custom or builder-grade model with high-end finishes. The final number depends on size, materials, foundation type, land costs, and build complexity. Here’s how that breaks down in the North Texas context

Can You Really Buy a Tiny Home in North Texas for Under $150,000? An Honest Breakdown from a Local Market Insider

By Bobby Franklin, REALTOR® | Legacy Realty Group – Leslie Majors TeamPublished March 10, 2026 | Serving Ellis County, DFW & Greater North Texas Here’s a number that should stop you cold: the average age of a first-time homebuyer in Texas is now 54 years old. Read it again. Fifty-four. That’s not a market inefficiency. That’s not a blip. That’s a structural failure, an entire...

Nearly 45,000 U.S. homes that were delisted in 2025 came back to market in January 2026 alone, the highest January relist total in recorded history going back to 2016. That’s 3.6% of all active listings nationwide, showing up at once, hitting the MLS like a wave. And Redfin’s latest analysis shows that 36.1% of those relisted homes came back at a lower price than their original listing, also a record for January.

Why Are So Many Homes Being Relisted in 2026?

Let me be direct with you. If you pulled your North Texas home off the market in 2025, you’re not alone. And the fact that you’re thinking about relisting right now, during the spring season, tells me you’re paying attention. But here’s the thing: attention without strategy is just anxiety. And anxiety doesn’t sell houses. Nearly 45,000 U.S. homes that were delisted in 2025 came back to...

For the first time since Q3 2020, more American homeowners carry a mortgage rate above 6% than carry one below 3%. According to Redfin’s analysis of FHFA National Mortgage Database data, 21.2% of mortgaged homeowners held a rate at 6% or higher in Q3 2025, the largest share since 2015. Meanwhile, the share carrying a sub-3% rate fell to 20.0%, the lowest level since late 2021.

The Mortgage Lock-In Era Is Ending And North Texas Is Where You’ll Feel It First

New Redfin Data Confirms a Historic Shift in the U.S. Mortgage Market. Here’s What It Means for DFW Buyers, Sellers, and the Inventory Equation in 2026. Something just happened in the U.S. mortgage market that hasn’t happened in five years. For the first time since Q3 2020, more American homeowners carry a mortgage rate above 6% than carry one below 3%. According to Redfin’s analysis of...

Mortgage Rates Just Dropped Below 6% - Here’s What That Actually Means If You’re Buying or Selling in North Texas Right Now

Mortgage Rates Just Dropped Below 6% For First Time Since 2022

What Falling Rates, Rising Inventory, and a Thawing Market Mean for DFW Homebuyers and Sellers Heading into Spring 2026 Let me be direct with you. Most of what you’re reading about mortgage rates right now is noise. National headlines, vague optimism, “now might be a great time to buy!” clickbait from real estate portals that have never stepped foot in Ellis County, never driven...