The "Wait and See" Tax

Why North Dallas Strategy Just Shifted for the Smart Money.

We’ve all been doing it. Over coffee at Merit or dinner at Honor Bar, the conversation for the last two years has inevitably drifted to the same place: "When is the right time to move?"

If you’ve been sitting on the fence, you’ve had good reasons. You watched the bidding war frenzy of 2022 with exhaustion, then braced through the "inventory drought" of 2024. You’ve been waiting for a sign to negotiate like a professional.

That moment has quietly arrived.

As we move through early 2026, the North Dallas market—from the canopy-lined streets of Preston Hollow to the manicured lawns of Southlake—is undergoing a significant "Buyer’s Reset." But this isn't a market for the passive; it’s a market for the strategic.

The Myth of the "Perfect Rate"

I’ll be candid: many buyers are still waiting for a dramatic drop in mortgage rates. But here’s the math the "smart money" in Dallas is doing right now:

You can refinance a rate, but you can never "refinance" your purchase price.

Currently, we are seeing a record number of high-end homes selling for an average of 95–97% of list price. In a $3M market, that 3–5% "Negotiation Gap" represents $150,000 in immediate equity. If you wait for rates to drop by 1%, two things happen:

1. The Competition Returns: That 5% discount disappears instantly as multiple offers return to the table.

2. Negative Arbitrage: If you save $1,200 a month on a lower rate but pay $250,000 more for the house because of a bidding war, it will take you 17 years to break even on that "better" rate.

Selection Without the Stress

In 2021, inventory was a desert. Today, North Texas inventory has reached a 4.5-month supply—the highest level in over a decade.

This means you don't have to settle. You can finally be surgical.

• Days on Market: The average luxury home in Preston Hollow is now sitting for 68 days (up from 34 days last year).

• Leverage: Time is the ultimate negotiation tool. A house that has been on the market for 60 days isn't "broken"—it's an opportunity. It means the seller is ready for a sophisticated offer, seller concessions, or a permanent rate buy-down.

Why the Window is Closing

The Dallas market isn't "crashing"—it's rebalancing. We are in a rare window where inventory is high, but the "fence-sitters" haven't realized the power has shifted yet.

Once the Spring market fully ignites and the general public jumps back in, that leverage will evaporate. The goal isn't just to buy a house; it's to acquire a generational asset while the terms are skewed in your favor.

The "Negotiation Sweet Spot"

I don’t just "show houses." I navigate complex data to find the "hidden" opportunities—the off-market gems or the motivated sellers that never hit the apps.

Ready to stop waiting and start winning? I have curated a Private "Negotiation Sweet Spot" List featuring North Dallas properties with motivated sellers, significant price corrections, and incredible bones.

Schedule a Call, get your list!