Travis County: How Mortgage Rates Affect Buying Power in October

Deal of the Week

Deal of the Week · 1408 Luna ST, Austin TX 78721 · MLS #3136628 · Listed by ListingSpark. ALEX valuation $251,000 is an ALEX Intelligence estimate, not an appraisal.

Deals of the Week by price quartile. The quartiles come from the last 12 months of closed sales here. Each pick has the top ALEX deal score in its price range. Lower quartile: under $350,000 1408 Luna ST, Austin TX 78721 · MLS #3136628 Listed at $179,000, 2 bed, 1 bath, 508 sq ft. Listed 29% below the ALEX valuation; 6% under the local price per sq ft; price reduced 36% from original. See it on alex.realestate: https://www.alex.realestate/listing-detail/1182937326/1408-Luna-ST-Austin-TX Lower-middle quartile: $350,000 to $500,000 3100 Lynridge DR, Austin TX 78723 · MLS #8624488 Listed at $499,900, 4 bed, 2 bath, 2,111 sq ft. Listed 9% below the ALEX valuation; 20% under the local price per sq ft; price reduced 17% from original. See it on alex.realestate: https://www.alex.realestate/listing-detail/1180368033/3100-Lynridge-DR-Austin-TX Upper-middle quartile: $500,000 to $795,000 316 Buffalo Ridge DR, Manchaca TX 78652 · MLS #9407973 Listed at $610,000, 5 bed, 4.5 bath, 4,678 sq ft. Listed 9% below the ALEX valuation; 34% under the local price per sq ft; price reduced 13% from original. See it on alex.realestate: https://www.alex.realestate/listing-detail/1174111756/316-Buffalo-Ridge-DR-Manchaca-TX Upper quartile: $795,000 and up 2607 E 5th ST, Austin TX 78702 · MLS #4719275 Listed at $799,000, 1 bed, 0.5 bath, 2,348 sq ft. Listed 12% below the ALEX valuation; price reduced 20% from original. See it on alex.realestate: https://www.alex.realestate/listing-detail/1157824990/2607-E-5th-ST-Austin-TX

Key figures · Travis County · October 2026

974 homes sold in Travis County in October 2026 (down 10.9% on a year earlier).

Median sale price: $482,750 (down 4.9% on a year earlier).

Median price per square foot: $252.

Median days on market: 49.

Median sale price as a share of the original list price: 94.1%.

6,072 homes for sale now, about 4.8 months of supply at the pace of the last six months.

Source: Unlock MLS, October 2026. Homes only (single-family, condo, townhome). Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

What does a 7.18% mortgage rate mean for a buyer in Travis County today? With the median closed sale price at $482,750 across 974 transactions in October, the monthly principal and interest payment on a standard loan is $2,616. This figure represents the baseline cost of financing before taxes or insurance. ALEX Intelligence applied a scenario model using the current median price and the Freddie Mac rate to show how buydowns change affordability. A 3-2-1 buydown costs approximately $17,856 (3.7% of the median price) and reduces the first-year payment to $1,884, a monthly saving of $732 compared to the standard rate. A 2-1 buydown costs about $9,072 (1.88% of the price) and lowers the first-year payment to $2,116, saving $500 monthly. These tools can make a higher rate more manageable for qualified buyers in the short term. The data reflects 974 closed sales in October, with median days on market at 49 days and a close-to-list ratio of 94.1%. While rates influence payment size, local inventory and competition remain key factors in final transaction terms. Want to see this home? Call or text George at 713.918.9951 for a private showing. 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

George Arnold Alexander III, MPA

Partner, ALEX Companies

Associate Broker, Alexander Tiffany Southwest, LLC

Licensed Broker in TX, CO, NC, AL

[email protected] · +1 713.918.9951

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