In August 2021, the MLS showed 5 active listings in Gunter. This August it showed 96. If you've been waiting for more choices, you have them. The harder question is what to do with them while mortgage rates sit above 7%.
(Last updated October 12, 2026.)
How Gunter has changed
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active listings, August | 5 | 32 | 44 | 40 | 69 | 96 |
| Typical days to sell, Jan–Aug | about 10 | about 14 | about 47 | about 47 | about 85 | about 92 |
| Sold price vs. final list price, Jan–Aug | about 100.4% | about 102.6% | about 99.0% | about 98.5% | about 97.5% | about 98.6% |
Local MLS data through August 2026. "Typical" figures are averages of monthly medians. Days to sell counts only homes that closed. Gunter sells relatively few homes each month, so individual months swing a lot.
Three things stand out:
- There is far more to choose from. August's 96 active listings were 39% more than a year earlier and about 2.4 times August 2024.
- Homes take longer to sell. In 2021 and 2022, a typical home sold in about two weeks or less. This year it has taken about three months.
- Homes still sell close to list. Sold prices have been landing around 98–99% of the final list price. If a seller has already cut the price along the way, you're often negotiating on top of a price that has already come down.
Rates are the other half of the story
Freddie Mac's weekly average for a 30-year fixed loan was 7.40% on October 8, up from 7.28% on October 1 and 7.03% on September 24. On a $400,000 loan, the move from 7.03% to 7.40% adds about $100 a month in principal and interest (before taxes and insurance).
That's why the extra inventory doesn't automatically translate into a bargain. More choices help, but the monthly payment is what most buyers actually shop on.
What this means if you're buying
Use the time you have, but don't treat it as unlimited. In Gunter, you can often take a week to think instead of a day. But rates have moved up each week lately, and waiting for a "perfect" rate has a cost too.
Read the price history, not just the list price. A home that has sat for 90 days and had two reductions tells you something about the seller's flexibility. It may be a good opportunity, or it may be a home that needs a closer look at the inspection.
Ask about concessions, not just price. At rates over 7%, seller-paid closing costs or a rate buydown can lower your payment more than the same dollars taken off the price (here's how buydowns work). A $5,000 price cut lowers a 30-year payment by only about $35 a month at today's rates.
Compare like with like. Gunter includes everything from in-town homes to acreage and custom builds, and prices span a wide range. Monthly median prices in the MLS data jump around a lot because of that mix, so I wouldn't read a trend into any single month.
Don't skip the inspection on a long-listed home. A long time on the market doesn't mean something is wrong, but in Texas it's still worth a careful look at the foundation, roof (especially after hail), and drainage.
New homes being built and sold in Gunter now
Gunter ISD, which covers more than 66 square miles in southwestern Grayson County, serves about 1,100 students in grades PK–12. The district calls itself a 3A district, about 22 miles north of Frisco and 20 miles southwest of Sherman.
New construction is already part of what you're choosing from. As of October 12, builder websites list a community called Sunset Ranch with 16 quick move-in homes, with starting prices from about $299,990 to $424,990 and sizes from roughly 1,600 to 2,900 square feet. Most are listed as available now, and two have an estimated completion date of October 2026. A separate community, The Meadows, lists a closeout special on larger homes (roughly 2,600 to 3,400 square feet) from about $649,990. Builder inventory changes quickly, so confirm what's actually available before you plan around it.
For a resale buyer, that matters in two ways. Builders compete directly with resale homes on price per square foot, and they often have their own incentives. Ask what's included, then compare the full monthly payment on a new home against a resale home. I walk through how builder buydowns work in this post on rates and buydowns.
Questions to ask before buying in Gunter
- Is the property inside the city limits or in unincorporated Grayson County? That affects utilities, trash service, and permits.
- Is it on city water and sewer, a rural water provider, or a septic system?
- Which school district serves the address?
- Are there HOA dues, or any special district or PID assessments on the tax bill?
- What do the current-year property taxes look like at the actual assessed value, not just the seller's?
I'm glad to help you get these answers before you write an offer. You can also read more about the area on my Gunter page.
Thinking about buying in Gunter?
If you'd like to see what's available, which homes have room to negotiate, and what your monthly payment would look like at today's rates, I'm glad to help.
Kelly Bishop is a full-time real estate agent serving Van Alstyne, Howe, Anna, Gunter, and surrounding communities since 2018, and co-owner and Broker of Record of Rise Realty Texas.
Sources: local MLS data for Gunter through August 2026 (September excluded as an incomplete month); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (weekly averages for Sept. 24, Oct. 1, and Oct. 8, 2026); Gunter ISD; builder community listings for Gunter (viewed Oct. 12, 2026).