How do you get the best deal when buying a home in Dallas-Fort Worth?

Start by looking beyond brand-new listings. Homes with longer days on market, previous price reductions, cosmetic issues or weak marketing may offer buyers more room to negotiate. Then look beyond the purchase price. Seller-paid closing costs, mortgage rate buy-downs, repairs and other concessions can sometimes create more immediate value than simply getting a house for less than the asking price.

The biggest thing I want Dallas-Fort Worth home buyers to understand is this: The best deal isn't always the cheapest house. It's the home where we can create the best combination of price, condition, financing and terms for YOU. And finding those opportunities requires a completely different home-buying strategy than it did a few years ago.

I'm Stephanie Deeds, Broker and Owner of Point Realty in Mansfield, Texas, and I've spent more than 14 years helping people buy and sell homes throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area. I've worked through seller's markets, buyer's markets, multiple-offer situations, historically low interest rates, rapidly changing interest rates and markets where homes took much longer to sell. 

One thing I've learned? You have to know how to pivot.

If you're buying a home in DFW today using the same strategy buyers used in 2021, you could be leaving opportunities, and potentially money, on the table.

So let's talk about how I look for a good deal when I'm helping a buyer in today's Dallas-Fort Worth housing market.

7 Ways to Get a Better Deal When Buying a House in DFW

If your goal is to save money when buying a house, don't simply search for the cheapest homes for sale.

Here are seven things I look for when helping my buyers identify potential opportunities:

1. Homes that have been on the market longer than competing properties

2. Listings with one or more price reductions

3. Homes with poor photography or weak online marketing

4. Properties with cosmetic issues other buyers may overlook

5. Sellers who may value favorable terms or a particular closing timeline

6. Opportunities to negotiate closing costs, repairs or mortgage rate buy-downs

7. Homes where recent comparable sales support a stronger negotiating position

Let's break these down, because this is where having a home-buying strategy can make a big difference.

1. Stop Looking Only at New Listings

One of the biggest mistakes I see home buyers make is focusing almost exclusively on homes that just hit the market. A beautiful new listing pops up online. The pictures look amazing. You send it to your spouse. They love it. You schedule a showing. Guess what? Everyone else is doing exactly the same thing.

Now you're potentially competing for the house receiving the most attention. Instead, when I'm searching for opportunities for my buyers, I also want to know: What's been sitting?

Show me the homes that have been on the market for 30 days. 45 days. 60 days. 90 days.

Those properties may not ultimately be a good fit, but I don't want to eliminate them simply because they aren't new.

Are homes with longer days on market a good deal?

Sometimes. A home that's been listed for 60 days isn't automatically a bargain, and longer days on market certainly don't guarantee that a seller will negotiate. But it does give us a reason to investigate.

I want to know: Why hasn't this home sold?

That question can uncover opportunities other buyers have missed.

2. Look for Homes With Price Reductions

If you're trying to find motivated home sellers in Dallas-Fort Worth, price history is one of the first things I want to review. Has the seller already reduced the asking price? If so, by how much?

Have there been multiple price reductions? How long has the property been listed since the most recent reduction?

A seller reducing their asking price doesn't necessarily mean they're desperate. What it does tell us is that they have already responded to feedback from the market.

That's useful information. We can then compare the property with recent sales in that neighborhood and determine whether there may be an opportunity to negotiate further—or whether the latest reduction has already brought the home to fair market value.

3. Don't Automatically Skip a Home With Bad Photos

This is one of my favorites. I've had buyers send me listings and say:

"Stephanie, I don't think I like this one."

Then we walk through the front door and suddenly it's:

"Wait...why does this house look SO much better in person?"

It happens. Professional real estate photography matters.

If the photos are dark, the rooms weren't staged well, the angles are strange or some of the home's best features aren't shown, buyers may simply scroll past the listing.

That creates less attention. And sometimes, less attention creates opportunity.

Poor marketing doesn't necessarily mean a poor property.

If you're trying to find hidden deals on homes for sale in DFW, don't be afraid to look at the properties that aren't winning the beauty contest online.

4. Look Past Cosmetic Problems Other Buyers Don't Want

Paint. Carpet. Light fixtures. Cabinet hardware. Landscaping.

These are things buyers sometimes reject immediately.

But here's what I want my buyers thinking about instead:

Can we change it?

You can change paint.

You can replace flooring.

You can update fixtures.

What you can't easily change is:

• The location

• The school district

• The lot

• The basic floor plan

• The neighborhood

• The commute

If a home checks your major boxes but needs cosmetic updates, don't automatically eliminate it.

The fact that other buyers can't see past those issues may be exactly what gives you an opportunity.

5. How Do You Find Motivated Home Sellers in DFW?

This is a question I hear frequently. There isn't a button in the MLS labeled "motivated seller." And longer days on market don't automatically mean a seller is desperate. That's why your real estate agent needs to investigate.

We may look at things like:

• Days on market

• Price reduction history

• Previous contracts

• Listing history

• Recent comparable sales

• Property condition

• Seller-preferred closing dates

• Information communicated by the listing agent

The goal isn't to take advantage of someone's situation. It's to determine whether there are terms that can create a win for both sides. Maybe price is extremely important to the seller but timing isn't. Maybe the seller would rather contribute toward your closing costs than make another price reduction. Maybe they need a particular closing date.

Negotiation is about figuring out what matters to both parties.

6. A Good Deal Isn't Always About Paying Less for the House

This may be the most important home-buying tip in this entire article. When someone tells me: "Stephanie, I want to get a deal."

My next question is: "What does a deal look like for you?"

Because getting $10,000 off the sales price and receiving $10,000 toward eligible closing costs are not financially identical. Depending on your loan, cash available, interest rate and long-term plans, one may help you significantly more than the other.

What can you negotiate when buying a house?

Depending on the transaction and financing, negotiations could potentially involve:

• Purchase price

• Seller-paid closing costs

• Mortgage discount points or rate buy-downs

• Repairs

• Repair credits

• Home warranty

• Appliances or other agreed-upon items

• Closing date

• Possession terms

Not every seller will agree to these things, and financing rules can limit certain concessions. That's why the question isn't simply: "How much below asking price should we offer?"

A better question is: "How can we structure this offer to create the strongest financial outcome for this buyer?"

That's home-buying strategy.

7. Know What the House Is Actually Worth Before You Negotiate

Here's where buyers can get themselves into trouble. A home has been listed for 75 days. The buyer sees an opportunity and says: "Let's offer $50,000 less!"

Maybe. But first, let's look at the numbers. Longer days on market don't automatically mean the seller overpriced the home by $50,000.

Before determining an offer strategy, I want to understand:

• What comparable homes recently sold for

• Current competing homes for sale

• Property condition

• Price history

• Days on market

• Neighborhood-specific market conditions

• Whether the home has received other offers

• What the seller appears to value in an offer

Negotiating aggressively and negotiating intelligently are two different things. My goal isn't simply to write the lowest offer possible. My goal is to help my buyer purchase the right home on the best terms we can reasonably negotiate.

How Much Below Asking Price Should You Offer on a House?

There is no universal percentage. And if someone tells you that you should always offer 5%, 10% or 15% below asking price because "it's a buyer's market," I would be very careful with that advice. Real estate is hyperlocal. A home that's been sitting for 90 days after multiple price reductions is very different from a beautifully updated home that was correctly priced yesterday. Even within the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, market conditions can vary dramatically between cities, neighborhoods and price ranges. That's why I don't determine an offer based on an arbitrary percentage. We look at the property, the comparable sales, the competition and the seller's position—and then we create our strategy.

Is It Better to Ask for a Lower Price or Seller Concessions?

It depends on the buyer. A lower sales price can reduce the amount you're borrowing and your long-term cost of owning the home. Seller concessions may help with certain eligible closing costs or financing expenses and potentially reduce the amount of cash you need at closing. For some buyers, cash-to-close is the bigger concern.

For others, monthly payment is the priority. Another buyer may simply want the lowest possible purchase price. There isn't one answer that's right for everyone. That's why when I'm representing a buyer, I want the lender involved in this conversation too. We can look at the actual numbers and determine which negotiation strategy potentially provides the greatest benefit.

Can a Seller Pay a Buyer's Closing Costs in Texas?

Seller contributions toward eligible buyer closing costs can be negotiated in many Texas real estate transactions. However, the amount and type of seller contribution permitted can depend on your loan program, down payment, lender requirements, appraisal and other factors. This is why your Realtor and lender should be communicating before an offer is written. If closing-cost assistance could meaningfully improve your financial position, we want to know that before we determine how to structure the offer.

How Can I Increase My Buying Power in Today's DFW Market?

Buying power isn't just about qualifying for a larger mortgage. I think about buying power as how effectively we can use the resources you already have.

That could mean:

• Negotiating seller assistance with eligible closing costs

• Exploring a mortgage rate buy-down with your lender

• Looking at homes other buyers are overlooking

• Considering properties with manageable cosmetic updates

• Expanding the search slightly geographically

• Comparing new construction incentives with resale opportunities

• Negotiating based on days on market and recent comparable sales

• Structuring an offer around terms the seller values

Sometimes the solution isn't increasing your budget. It's creating a better strategy with the budget you already have.

Why Your Realtor Matters in a Changing Housing Market

This is something I feel very strongly about after more than 14 years in real estate. I've seen several very different housing markets. Every one of those markets required a different strategy. The way I represented a buyer in 2021 isn't necessarily how I'm going to represent a buyer today. That's why I believe having an agent who is actively working in today's real estate market matters. Your agent needs to understand what's happening in actual transactions right now.

A Realtor who doesn't learn how to pivot when the housing market changes can potentially cost their client opportunities and negotiating power. Experience isn't simply about how long you've had a real estate license. It's knowing how to apply what you've learned to the market you're facing today.

Is 2026 a Good Time to Buy a Home in Dallas-Fort Worth?

The better question is: Is 2026 a good time for YOU to buy a home? Today's Dallas-Fort Worth housing market is creating opportunities for some buyers that weren't available during the bidding-war years. That doesn't mean every home is a bargain. It doesn't mean interest rates don't matter. And it certainly doesn't mean you should buy a home simply because someone tells you it's a buyer's market. 

Your decision should be based on: Your finances. Your monthly payment. Your timeline. Your plans for the property. And the opportunities available in the particular DFW market where you want to live.

If those things align, then instead of waiting for a mythical "perfect market," we can look at the market we actually have and figure out how to use it to your advantage.

Watch: How Smart Home Buyers Are Winning in the Dallas-Fort Worth Market

I recently made a full video about this because I think buyers need to understand how much home-buying strategy has changed.

We talk about why chasing only the newest listings can work against you, how I identify homes that may offer negotiating opportunities, and why buyers need to stop shopping like it's still 2021.

Watch the full video here:

And while you're there, subscribe to South of Cowtown with The Deeds. We put out a new video every week about Dallas-Fort Worth real estate, home buying, selling, new construction, market updates, community tours and living South of Cowtown.

Frequently Asked Questions About Getting a Good Deal on a Home in DFW

How do I get the best deal when buying a house?

Don't focus exclusively on asking price. Look for homes with longer days on market, previous price reductions, cosmetic issues or weak marketing, and then evaluate the entire transaction. A combination of purchase price, seller concessions, repairs, financing and favorable terms may create a better overall deal than simply getting the lowest possible price.

Should I consider a house that's been on the market for 60 days?

Absolutely consider it, but investigate why it hasn't sold. Longer days on market can sometimes create negotiating opportunities, but they can also indicate an issue with price, condition or the property itself. Your agent should review the listing history, comparable sales and property condition before determining whether it's actually a good deal.

How do you find motivated home sellers?

Look for clues such as longer days on market, price reductions and listing history, but don't assume those factors automatically mean a seller is desperate. An experienced buyer's agent can communicate with the listing agent and evaluate the property to determine where there may be flexibility.

Can I offer below asking price on a house in DFW?

Yes, you can negotiate price, but the appropriate offer depends on the property's market value, condition, competition, days on market and recent comparable sales. There isn't a universal percentage every buyer should offer below asking.

Should I ask for a price reduction or closing costs?

It depends on your financial situation and loan. A price reduction and seller-paid eligible closing costs affect buyers differently. Your real estate agent and lender can compare the scenarios and determine which approach may provide the greatest benefit.

Are new listings always more expensive?

No. A new listing can be priced very competitively. The reason to consider older listings isn't that they're automatically cheaper; it's that they may attract less buyer attention and sometimes provide additional negotiating opportunities.

What's the best way to save money when buying a home?

Think beyond the sales price. Your overall cost can be affected by your mortgage rate, closing costs, repairs, property taxes, insurance, maintenance and negotiated seller concessions. The best strategy considers the complete financial picture.

Looking for a Good Deal on a Home in Dallas-Fort Worth?

If you're searching for homes for sale in Mansfield, Arlington, Burleson, Midlothian, Grand Prairie, Fort Worth or throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area, I would love to help you approach your home search differently.

Don't assume the best opportunity will be the newest listing.

Don't assume the house that's been sitting is a bad house.

And don't assume getting a good deal simply means making the lowest offer.

Let's look at the numbers, investigate the opportunities and create a home-buying strategy designed for the market we're actually in.

Because sometimes the best home-buying opportunities aren't the houses everyone is fighting over.

They're the ones everyone else overlooked.

If you're considering buying a home in Dallas-Fort Worth, reach out to me and my team at Point Realty. Let's talk about your goals, your budget and how we can create a smarter strategy for your next home.

Creating your next home starts with creating the right strategy.