Published November 5, 2026 in Market Update

The Heights moved faster even with slightly lower prices

By Stephen Harris

Real estate, Killeen - Temple - Fort Hood

Nationally, buyer demand is down. CNBC reported on November 4, 2026 that homebuyer applications were 19% lower than a year ago. That is the backdrop for everything you are about to read.

Against that headwind, the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted something worth noting in Harker Heights. More homes went under contract within two weeks, not fewer. That is the one fact that changes what a seller in the Heights should think about right now.

The Heights: faster contracts, slightly lower prices

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 104 homes sold in ZIP 76548 (Harker Heights) in the three months ending August 31, 2026. The share that went under contract within two weeks came in at 26.5%, up 5.1 points from the same period in 2025. Fewer buyers in the market nationally, yet more of the homes listed in the Heights were snapped up quickly.

The median sale price did slip. The Real Estate Data Aggregator put it at $310,000, down 3.4% from a year before. That is a real dip, not a rounding error. Price still matters here.

That 98.1% sale-to-list figure from the Real Estate Data Aggregator tells you something practical. Sellers are getting very close to their asking price, but not over it. Price your home right and you will likely close near list. Price it high and you will sit.

How the Heights compares with nearby ZIPs

Speed is the Heights story this period. Here is how the two-week contract share looks across the ZIPs the Real Estate Data Aggregator tracks.

Harker Heights led the group. That said, inventory there fell 6.1% year over year per the Real Estate Data Aggregator, so fewer homes were competing for those quick buyers. Less competition on the shelf helps the homes that are priced and presented well.

Condition and price still decide it

Only 14.4% of Harker Heights homes sold above list price, down 1.4 points from a year ago, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. That is not a bidding war market. Buyers are active but disciplined.

Rates are not helping buyers stretch. Realtor.com reported on November 4, 2026 that mortgage rates averaged 7.33% in October 2026 and peaked at 7.40% mid-month. At those levels, a buyer's monthly payment is sensitive to every dollar of asking price.

The median monthly mortgage payment nationally was $2,786 for the four weeks ending October 25, 2026, according to Redfin. That context matters when you set your number.

The rest of the market

Killeen ZIPs 76542 and 76549 both saw days on market stretch 13 days longer year over year, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. ZIP 76542 had 340 homes for sale and a median of 72 days to sell. More inventory and slower pace means buyers have more options and less urgency there.

ZIP 76541, the older part of Killeen, had 12.6 months of supply according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. That is a buyer's market by any measure. Sellers there are working harder for every offer.

Copperas Cove saw the sharpest price drop in the period. The Real Estate Data Aggregator put the median at $247,148, down 6.7% year over year, and pending sales fell 24.9%. Homes that did sell closed at 98.8% of list, up 1.5 points, which tells me the sellers who priced honestly got paid. The ones who didn't are still waiting.

Nolanville and Belton bucked the trend with price gains. The Real Estate Data Aggregator showed Nolanville's median at $342,301, up 7%, and Belton at $324,995, up 3%. Both are tied more to Temple-area jobs and Baylor Scott and White than to Fort Hood commutes. Do not count on either as a short drive to post.

Nolanville's median days on market was 108, the longest in the group, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Price gains and slow sales can coexist when the pool of buyers is small. It is a thin market, not a strong one.

One more thing. These numbers cover whole ZIP codes. A street in Skipcha reads differently from a street off Stan Schlueter, even inside the same ZIP. If your home is in a specific subdivision, the ZIP average may not tell your story.