Bell County October Market Pulse: Sales Drop and Prices Fall

How does a market react when the number of homes sold drops by more than a third in a single month? In Bell County, October 2026 saw just 64 closed sales, down 38.5% from September and 11.1% lower than the same month last year. This sharp decline in activity coincided with a significant drop in value, as the median close price fell to $250,000, representing a 13.2% decrease compared to October 2025. The pace of sales also slowed considerably. Homes spent an average of 55 days on the market, up 41% from September and only slightly below the 56 days recorded last year. Despite the slower movement, buyers retained leverage; 59.4% of homes sold below their original list price, a figure that is down 23.7 percentage points compared to October 2025, indicating fewer desperate sellers than a year ago. Price per square foot also adjusted downward, settling at $150.98, which is 3.6% lower than the previous year. The typical home sold in this period was smaller, with a median living area of 1,676 square feet, down 14% from the same time last year. With 496 active listings and 630 homes closing over the trailing six months, the market currently holds 4.72 months of inventory. ALEX Intelligence analyzed these KPIs to highlight that while prices have corrected, the reduction in sales volume suggests a cooling demand rather than a sudden crash. The data reflects a market adjusting to higher borrowing costs and seasonal shifts, with sellers needing to price competitively to move inventory in an environment where 41% more homes are lingering on the market compared to last month. Want a closer look? Reply or call George at 713.918.9951 and we'll set up a showing. Coverage: most home sales in Bell County are listed in another MLS, which ALEX does not receive yet. The figures in this post count only sales listed in Unlock MLS (ABOR), so they describe part of the local market, not all of it. Data from Unlock MLS. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Model outputs are ALEX Intelligence estimates, not appraisals. Read more Central Texas market data on the ALEX blog: https://alex-companies.com/blog