"Let's just wait until spring" is one of the most common things sellers say this time of year. It sounds sensible. Spring is supposed to be the busy season. But when I looked at the local MLS numbers for Van Alstyne, Howe, Anna, and Gunter, spring didn't come out clearly ahead of fall, and waiting has some costs that are easy to overlook.
(Last updated October 16, 2026.)
What the local numbers show
I compared spring (March to May) with fall (September to November) for the last three full years, 2023 through 2025, across all four towns. Here is the combined picture:
| Spring (Mar–May) | Fall (Sep–Nov) | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical days to sell | about 52 | about 61 |
| Sold price vs. final list price | about 98.5% | about 98.3% |
Local MLS data, 2023–2025, four towns combined. "Typical" figures are averages of monthly medians. Days to sell counts only homes that closed.
Spring was a little faster on average, and the price difference was about two-tenths of a percentage point. That's not much. When I looked at each town and year separately (12 comparisons in all), spring was faster in only 6 of them. In the other 6, fall was faster. In other words, the season mattered much less than the price, condition, and the year's mortgage rates.
The catch: spring brings more competition
Buyers do come out in the spring. So do other sellers. Here is how the number of active listings changed from October to the following May:
| Active listings | Oct. 2023 → May 2024 | Oct. 2024 → May 2025 | Oct. 2025 → May 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Van Alstyne | 114 → 225 | 192 → 217 | 188 → 210 |
| Howe | 39 → 33 | 47 → 56 | 51 → 49 |
| Anna | 238 → 254 | 379 → 392 | 474 → 445 |
| Gunter | 35 → 51 | 44 → 64 | 63 → 100 |
Local MLS count of active listings by month. Howe has few listings, so small changes look large.
In 9 of the 12 town-and-year comparisons, there were more homes for sale the following May than the previous October. The increase was biggest in Van Alstyne and Gunter. If you list in the fall, fewer homes are competing with yours. If you wait for spring, you may be one of many.
That doesn't mean every fall listing wins. Buyers have fewer homes to tour in fall, but there are also fewer buyers. The point is only that the "spring bump" isn't guaranteed, and a longer wait doesn't come for free.
What waiting costs
- Carrying costs. Every extra month you own the home, you pay the mortgage, taxes, insurance, and utilities. Add up five or six months before assuming a spring price will cover them.
- Rate uncertainty. Freddie Mac's weekly average for a 30-year fixed loan was 7.40% on October 15, unchanged from October 8, and up from 7.03% on September 24. Nobody knows where rates will be in April. If they rise, your buyer's payment goes up and your price may need to come down. If they fall, more buyers qualify. That cuts both ways.
- Your next plans. If you're moving for a job, school, or family, the calendar may matter more than the season.
When waiting does make sense
There are good reasons to wait. If the home needs repairs, paint, or landscaping that you can finish by spring, you may be better off selling a more finished home. If you aren't tied to a date and can handle the carrying costs, waiting is a reasonable choice. And if you're hoping rates fall, that's your call, but it's a hope, not a plan.
Price matters more than the season
Whichever season you choose, pricing is the biggest factor. A home priced for today's market from the first day tends to avoid the cycle of price cuts and a stale-looking listing. I wrote about that in what to do if your home has been listed for 60+ days. If a new home in your neighborhood is competing with yours, this post on selling a pre-owned home may help.
Questions to ask yourself
- Do I have a date I need to be moved by?
- What would it cost me each month to keep the home until spring?
- Is there work I can finish by then that would change the price?
- What are the comparable homes near mine doing right now?
Not sure whether to list now or wait?
I'm glad to give you a free pricing review for your home, with the current comparable sales and what I'd expect it to sell for now versus in spring. There's no obligation. (If your home is currently listed with another agent, please review your listing agreement before making changes.)
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 Van Alstyne, Howe, Anna, and Gunter, 2023 through May 2026; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (weekly averages for Sept. 24, Oct. 8, and Oct. 15, 2026).