Buyer's market

Houston declared among 10 best markets for buyers by real estate experts

Houston is hot for homebuyers.

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Houston homebuyers are in luck this home shopping season, as Houston has been named one of the friendliest markets for buyers by real estate database titan Zillow.

Zillow analyzed housing markets in the 35 largest metros in the country and ranked them on a spectrum from most buyer-friendly to most seller-friendly. The index "shows how hot a region's housing market is compared to others by analyzing sale-to-list-price ratios, percentage of listings with a price cut, and how long homes stay on the market," the company says in a release.

Houston ranks as the ninth most buyer-friendly housing market out of the 35 largest metros in the U.S., with a median home value of $205,500 and homes staying on the market for an average of 89 days.

The report drilled down further to name Bellaire, where 20.7 percent of homes saw price cuts last year, the most buyer-friendly location in the area. Dickinson, which had a sale-to-list-price ratio of 98 percent, was named the most seller-friendly spot in the Houston area. According to Zillow, the suburbs of Cypress, Sugar Land, and Atascocita all landed in the middle of the buyer-seller index, meaning they are not as buyer- or seller-friendly as other cities on the spectrum in the area.

Houston is the only Texas metro to appear in the buyer-friendly top 10 list. San Antonio barely missed that group as the 11th most buyer-friendly area; Austin landed in the middle of the index at No. 18; and Dallas-Fort Worth ranked No. 24, making it more of a seller-friendly market.

Nationwide, Zillow says buyers in Florida and the New York metro area will have "more favorable conditions than those in most other major markets."

guess who

This affluent Houston enclave is the richest small town in Texas

Facebook / City of Bellaire, Texas

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Affluent Houston neighbor Bellaire is cashing in as the richest small town in Texas for 2025, according to new study from GoBankingRates.

The report, "The Richest Small Town in Every State," used data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey to determine the 50 richest small towns in America based on their median household income.

Of course, Houstonians realize that describing Bellaire as a "small town" is a bit of misnomer. Located less than 10 miles from downtown and fully surrounded by the City of Houston, Bellaire is a wealthy enclave that boasts a population of just over 17,000 residents. These affluent citizens earn a median $236,311 in income every year, which GoBankingRates says is the 11th highest household median income out of all 50 cities included in the report.

The average home in this city is worth over $1.12 million, but Bellaire's lavish residential reputation often attracts properties with multi-million-dollar price tags.

Bellaire also earned a shining 81 livability score for its top quality schools, health and safety, commute times, and more. The livability index, provided by Toronto, Canada-based data analytics and real estate platform AreaVibes, said Bellaire has "an abundance of exceptional local amenities."

"Among these are conveniently located grocery stores, charming coffee shops, diverse dining options and plenty of spacious parks," AreaVibes said. "These local amenities contribute significantly to its overall appeal, ensuring that [residents'] daily needs are met and offering ample opportunities for leisure and recreation."

Many popular Houston restaurants are setting their sights on this wealthy enclave. Detroit-style pizzamakers Gold Tooth Tony’s opened its second pizza joint in Bellaire in 2024. And most recently, Michelin-recognized Tex-Mex restaurant Candente announced it would open a second location just down the street from Gold Tooth Tony's at 5101 Bellaire Blvd.

Earlier in 2025, GoBankingRates ranked Bellaire as the No. 23 wealthiest suburb in America, and it's no stranger to being named on similar lists comparing the richest American cities.

suburbs houston bellaire affluent households