San Antonio tops the nation for fastest down payment savings

🎇 And with that, the 2026 season begins… Good morning!

Today's newsletter is 607 words, a 2.5-minute read.

1. AT&T to move HQ from Dallas to Plano

AT&T, one of North Texas's biggest employers, is moving its headquarters from Downtown Dallas to Plano, the company announced.

In a message to employees, CEO John Stankey said the company will build its new headquarters at 5400 Legacy Drive in Plano.

The new corporate campus will span 54 acres and provide enough space to consolidate AT&T’s Dallas–Fort Worth administrative operations into a single location, according to the announcement.

2. Home sellers outnumber buyers by 37%

According to a Redfin report, there were an estimated 37.2% more home sellers than buyers in the housing market in November, about 529,770 more sellers in numerical terms. That marks the largest gap on record dating back to 2013, aside from this past summer.

Austin was reported as the strongest buyer’s market, with an estimated 114% more sellers than buyers, the largest imbalance among the 50 most populous metropolitan areas. San Antonio followed closely behind at 106%.

A MESSAGE FROM DAVE YOUR MORTGAGE GUY

I’m back with another deal that almost no one else could close.

This one was an asset-based loan, but not the kind you’re thinking of.

The client wasn’t even retirement age which is where most lenders stop the conversation.

Instead of overloading you with details here, I break down:

• The exact situation

• What the client needed

• And how I structured it to get it closed

👉 Watch the video to see how this deal came together.

If you have a client who’s been told “that’s not possible”, send them my way these are the deals I specialize in along with the Easy ones.

3. Catch up quick

🔭 What we're watching in Texas in 2026. (Axios)

🏠 Study: Borrowers who use Zillow Home Loans pay more. (NMP)

💰 The most affordable place to buy a home in the U.S. (Redfin)

4. San Antonio tops the nation for fastest down payment savings

According to a Realtor.com study, the typical U.S. household needs 7 years to save for a standard down payment, a notable improvement from the 12-year peak in 2022. Still, the timeline remains roughly double the pre-pandemic norm, reflecting higher home prices, larger down payments, and lower household savings rates.

The San Antonio–New Braunfels metro posted the shortest time to save for a down payment among the nation’s 50 largest markets, with households needing just 1.3 years to reach a typical down payment.

San Antonio’s median down payment from January through November was $5,067. A median household income of $77,385 was estimated to generate annual savings of $3,921.

5. Pending home sales jump to nearly a 3-year high

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR) report, pending home sales climbed 3.3% in November from the previous month and were up 2.6% year over year.

The increase marked the strongest seasonally adjusted showing in nearly three years, dating back to early 2023, as falling mortgage rates encouraged more buyers to sign contracts.

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