Home prices rise modestly as Texas markets soften

☕️ We're caffeinated and ready to go. It's Tuesday!

Today's newsletter is 702 words — a 2.5-minute read. Let’s dive in…

1. Home prices rise modestly as Texas markets soften

Home prices rose 1.3% year over year in August 2026, according to a ResiClub analysis of Zillow data. That’s a modest improvement from -0.01% a year earlier, as the national market settles into a low-appreciation environment.

Texas is among the states bucking the national trend. Inventory has climbed above pre-pandemic 2019 levels, while home prices continue to see mild corrections as the market works through elevated supply.

2. Dallas HomeVestors franchisee sentenced to 15 yrs

A Dallas-area “We Buy Ugly Houses” franchisee was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison after admitting to a real estate investment fraud scheme that defrauded more than 80 investors of $39.5 million between 2018 and 2024. Charles Carrier, 67, was also ordered to pay $24.4 million in restitution after pleading guilty to wire fraud in October 2025.

Prosecutors said Carrier promised investors first-position liens on properties, but failed to record deeds, placed multiple liens on the same properties and sold homes without informing investors. He also allegedly used forged lien releases to complete sales and diverted funds to cover personal expenses and pay earlier investors.

Many victims were elderly, with some losing more than $1 million. Carrier’s attorney said he was remorseful and had been trying to keep his business afloat as the economy deteriorated. Prosecutors said the fraud began well before the pandemic.

A MESSAGE FROM DAVE YOUR MORTGAGE GUY 

Does Your Buyer Have To Sell First? Not Anymore
Conventional loans just removed the sale contingency for buyers who want to purchase before their current home sells.
Up to 75% of market rent can now offset their existing mortgage payment, no lease, no closed sale.
Watch the full breakdown here →

David Krichmar aka Dave Your Mortgage Guy
832-689-6012 | [email protected]
NMLS #293883 Legend Lending Corp#229421

3. Catch up quick

🤝 Paragon Realtors joins Compass in Dallas-Fort Worth. (HousingWire)

💸 Texas leads in builder discounts, with only 18% of new homes selling at or above asking. (AudienceTown)

🚀 Sobha Realty plans a $600 million investment to build 700 homes in Texas. (IndexBox)

📉 Home renovation demand falls to its lowest level since 2024. (HousingWire)

🚨 Florida seeks emergency order to halt ChatGPT development. (Axios)

4. Compass asks MLSs to stop using agent data for recruiting

Compass is asking MLSs to prevent its listing and agent data from being used by third-party recruiting platforms such as Courted, BrokerMetrics and Brokerkit. The company says these tools package agent production, transaction, listing and roster data to help competing brokerages target agents.

In a letter to MLSs, Compass said it supports data sharing for brokerage cooperation but objects to that information being sold to technology companies for recruiting purposes. The brokerage wants MLSs to identify the data feeds being shared, exclude Compass-related data and clarify whether brokers can opt out of vendor distribution outside traditional IDX and VOW uses.

Compass also warned that allowing MLSs to profit from agent-level data used by recruiting platforms could expose them to potential damage claims. It asked MLSs to make the requested changes within 30 days, while allowing affiliated franchise owners to opt in to data sharing.

A MESSAGE FROM SUPERHUMAN AI

200+ Proven Ways to Make Money With AI in 2026

The next wave of millionaires will be people who figured out how to make AI work for them.

The window to get ahead is still open. But not for long.

Here are 200+ proven ways to make money with AI in 2026.

Sign up for Superhuman AI, the free daily newsletter read by 1M+ professionals, and get instant access to all 200+ ways to profit from AI this year.

Claim your free list

5. New-home sales rebound in August as prices fall

New-home sales rebounded in August, rising 6.4% from July to a 684,000 annual pace, the highest level since December 2025, according to Census Bureau data. However, sales were still 2% below August 2025.

Here are other key takeaways:

• The median new-home price fell 5.8% year over year to $393,700, below the median price for existing homes.

• The Midwest led the rebound, with sales up 84.9% from July and 22.5% from a year earlier, while the South posted its strongest month since November 2025.

• Builders are also pulling back on inventory, with 483,000 new homes available at the end of August, down 2% from a year earlier, for an 8.5-month supply.

☀️ Thank you for starting your day with us!

If you like this newsletter, your friends may too. Forward it to a friend, and let them know they can subscribe here.

Interested in advertising to 35k+ Texas Realtors? Email Us