REAL ESTATE NEWS

Fort Worth ranks among top 5 U.S. cities for canceled home sales

Nearly 1 in 5 Fort Worth home deals fell through in September 2025.

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Homebuyers across the United States are ghosting sellers at record rates, and Fort Worth has some of the worst offenders. Real estate marketplace Redfin tracked which metros saw the most buyers getting cold feet before closing real estate deals: Fort Worth came in at No. 5.

Redfin says 18.7 percent of Fort Worth home purchases were called off in September 2025, an increase from 16.6 percent in September 2024.

By comparison, San Antonio ranked No. 2 overall, with the highest pull-out rate in Texas, at 19 percent. Dallas came in at No. 9, with a 17.7 percent cancellation rate in September.

Tampa, Florida, topped the list with a cancellation rate of 20.1 percent. The national average is 15 percent.

Redfin says Goldilocks thinking is largely to blame for the rise in buyers "ghosting" sellers. A lack of compromise on concessions and repairs is driving the trend, with buyers refusing to accept imperfect homes.

Meanwhile, sellers want to avoid losing money on the deal. This is especially true of homeowners who bought during the COVID-19 boom, who are holding their asking price firm to avoid taking a loss. With plenty of homes on the market in "Sun Belt" cities — in some place, more than twice as many sellers than buyers — buyers are weighing all options.

“I’m seeing a lot of buyer’s remorse,” explained Redfin agent Jo Chavez, in a release. “Buyers make an offer, then they start worrying they could have found a better deal or a better home because there are more home sellers than buyers in the market. Some other buyers are backing out because they’re concerned about job security.”

The top 10 markets with the most sideways deals include:

No. 1 — Tampa, Florida
No. 2 – San Antonio, Texas
No. 3 — Atlanta, Georgia
No. 4 — Orlando, Florida
No. 5 — Fort Worth, Texas
No. 6 — Riverside, California
No. 7 — Fort Lauderdale, Florida
No. 8 —Jacksonville, Florida
No. 9 — Dallas, Texas
No. 10 — Las Vegas, Nevada

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retirement news

One DFW city makes U.S. News' list of best places to retire in 2026

flowermound.gov/

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Nationally recognized publication U.S. News and World Report has included Dallas-Fort Worth neighbor Flower Mound on its new list of the best cities to retire in America in 2026.

The annual report, called "250 Best Places to Retire in the U.S. in 2026" initially compared 850 U.S. cities, and narrowed the list down to a final 250 cities (up from 150 previously). Each locale was analyzed across six indexes: Quality of life for individuals reaching retirement age; value (housing affordability and cost of living); health care quality; tax-friendliness for retirees; senior population and migration rates; and the strength of each city's job market.

Midland, Michigan took home the title as the No. 1 best city to retire in 2026.

Flower Mound ranked as the 37th best city to retire nationwide, earning an overall score of 6.1 out of 10.

According to U.S. News, about 13 percent of Flower Mound's population is over the age of 65. The median household income in this suburb adds up to $165,675, which is far higher than the national average median household income of $79,466.

Though Flower Mound has a higher cost of living than many other places in the country, the report maintains that the city "offers a higher value of living compared to similarly sized cities."

"If you want to buy a house in Flower Mound, the median home value is $552,856," the city's profile on U.S. News says. "And if you're a renter, you can expect the median rent here to be $1,833."

For comparison, the report says the national average home value is $370,489.

Two Texas cities made the top 10
Two Houston-area suburbs, The Woodlands and Spring, ranked as the 4th and 5th best places to retire in 2026.

The Woodlands has a population of more than 118,000 residents, and 15 percent of the city's population is over the age of 65. Its high median home values ($474,279) paired with its high median household income ($139,696) makes this an attractive place for seniors, despite an accompanying elevated cost of living.

Spring boasts a population of more than 68,000 residents, of whom 11 percent are seniors. This suburb is located less than 10 miles south of The Woodlands while still being far enough away from Houston (about 25 miles) for seniors to escape big city life for the comfort of a smaller community.

"Retirees are prioritizing quality of life over affordability for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic," said U.S. News contributing editor Tim Smart in a press release.

The median home value in Spring is lower than the national average, at $251,247, making it one of the more affordable places to buy a home in the Houston area. Renters can expect to pay a median $1,326 in rent every month, the report added.

Other Texas cities that ranked among the top 50 best places to retire nationwide include Victoria (No. 12), Pearland (No. 17), Conroe (No. 20), League City (No. 25), and San Angelo (No. 28).

The top 10 best U.S. cities to retire in 2026 are:

No. 1 – Midland, Michigan
No. 2 – Weirton, West Virginia
No. 3 – Homosassa Springs, Florida
No. 4 – The Woodlands, Texas
No. 5 – Spring, Texas
No. 6 – Rancho Rio, New Mexico
No. 7 – Spring Hill, Florida
No. 8 – Altoona, Pennsylvania
No. 9 – Palm Coast, Florida
No. 10 – Lynchburg, Virginia

suburbs us news & world report seniors retirement best places to live flower mound