Should I fix up my house before selling?

Not every repair is worth the money. The key is knowing which fixes create buyer confidence and which ones you can skip without hurting your sale price. Stephen gives every seller a pre-inspection repair plan built around real return on investment, so you spend only where it pays off and avoid over-improving for the market.

How do you price a home correctly in this market?

Pricing is the single most important decision you make when selling. Too high and buyers skip you, days pile up, and you accept less with no leverage. Too low and you leave money behind. As a certified Home Pricing Expert, Stephen builds a full market analysis for every listing and positions your home where serious buyers compete rather than hesitate.

Can I sell my home while I'm stationed overseas or out of state?

Yes. Stephen has sold homes for military clients stationed in Japan, Germany, and across the country. As a certified Military Relocation Professional, he handles the full process remotely, including pricing, prep coordination, showings, negotiation, and closing, so you do not have to be physically present.

How long will it take to sell my home in Killeen?

A correctly priced and well-prepared home in Killeen and the Fort Hood market typically goes under contract within two to three weeks of listing. Homes that sit longer are usually overpriced at launch or lack a targeted marketing strategy. Stephen uses a structured launch with a Day-10 checkpoint to catch momentum issues early before they become a problem.

What is the difference between list price and what I actually walk away with?

A lot can happen between list price and closing table. Buyer concessions, repair credits, closing cost contributions, and weak contract terms can all reduce what you keep. Stephen focuses on your net proceeds, negotiating price, terms, credits, and contingencies together so the number that matters is the one on your final settlement statement.

Why should I hire Stephen Harris over another agent in Killeen?

Stephen has 400+ closings, $92 million in sales volume, 100+ five-star Google reviews, and 10 years of Central Texas experience. He gives you a straight answer, builds a real plan for your specific home, and stays reachable throughout the entire process.

Should I Sell My House in Killeen, Texas in 2026

Should you sell your house in Killeen in 2026 or wait for the market to improve?

Whether to sell now or wait depends on your personal timeline and what the data says about your specific home. The Killeen market in 2026 is softer than it was — median sale prices are sitting around $225,000, down roughly 9.5% from last year, and homes are averaging about 75 days on market before going under contract. For sellers with equity and a genuine reason to move, the right pricing strategy and preparation still produces strong results. For sellers with full flexibility, there’s a reasonable case for holding into late 2026 as Texas prices are projected to stabilize and see modest appreciation of 1–2%. The answer depends on your situation — and running the actual numbers is the only way to know.

By Stephen Harris | May 13, 2026

I get this question more than almost anything else right now. Sellers are pulling up Zillow, seeing the numbers, and second-guessing everything. So let me just walk you through what I’m looking at — and how I’d think through it if you were sitting across from me.

Here’s what the data says about Killeen right now.

The median sale price is sitting around $225,000 — down about 9.5% from where it was a year ago. Homes are averaging 75 days on market before going under contract. Sellers are receiving about one offer on average, and most homes are closing around 2% below list price.

That’s not a crash. It’s a reset.

What’s driving this — and what it means for you

The short version: inventory is up, buyer demand has cooled, and affordability is a real obstacle at current interest rates. None of that is unique to Killeen — it’s playing out across Texas and most of the country. But here’s what is specific to this market.

Killeen’s buyer pool is heavily military. Fort Hood is the economic engine here, and that creates consistent demand from families with PCS orders, strong VA loan eligibility, and real urgency when they need to move. That steady baseline is one reason this market hasn’t fallen off a cliff the way some others have.

But it also means pricing matters more, not less. A VA buyer doing their first purchase has real payment sensitivity. Price your home right and you’ll attract that buyer. Price it wrong and they scroll past.

What does “price it right” look like in this market? Homes priced accurately — meaning they reflect real comps, not last year’s numbers — are still selling. Homes chasing a number the market won’t support are sitting, accumulating days on market, and eventually closing for less than they would have if they’d been priced correctly on day one.

Here’s the math on why that matters: if you list at $260,000 hoping the market meets you, sit for 90 days, and ultimately close at $240,000, you didn’t “wait for a better offer.” You spent three months in carrying costs, gave buyers a reason to lowball based on days on market, and closed at a number lower than a well-priced listing would have gotten you from the start.

Higher the price, the longer it sits. And the longer it sits, the more you give away.

The real question isn’t “good market or bad market”

I don’t love that framing — it skips the part that actually matters: your specific situation.

Here’s how I’d actually work through this.

If you need to move — for a job, PCS orders, family, or financial reasons — waiting is not a strategy. Every month you hold a home you don’t want costs you: mortgage, property taxes, insurance, maintenance. On a $225,000 home in Bell County, you’re looking at $1,500–$2,000 per month in carrying costs depending on your loan and the current property tax rate of 70.14 cents per $100 valuation. Four months of waiting that produces no better offer than today? That’s $6,000–$8,000 you didn’t have to give up.

If your timeline is flexible and you’re not facing a hard deadline, the case for waiting is real but not guaranteed. The Texas Real Estate Research Center is projecting Texas prices to stabilize and appreciate modestly — somewhere in the 1–2% range — as we move through 2026. That’s not dramatic appreciation. And it assumes the broader interest rate environment cooperates, which it may or may not.

So ask yourself: if the market gets 1–2% better by Q4 2026, does that $3,000–$5,000 bump on a $225,000 home justify six to nine more months of carrying costs and uncertainty? For most sellers who are ready to move, the honest answer is no.

If you own a home with unique value — larger lot, substantial upgrades, extra garage, backing to greenspace, or a VA loan with a below-market rate — you may have more leverage than the median numbers suggest. The median gets pulled down by distressed sales, outdated listings, and poorly marketed homes. Your home isn’t the median. A real market analysis built on your specific comps, condition, and current competition changes the math entirely.

One more thing worth knowing if you have an existing VA loan at a rate below today’s market: that’s actually a selling advantage right now. VA loans originated after March 1988 are assumable — meaning a qualified buyer can take over your rate and remaining balance. In a rate environment where buyers are sensitive to monthly payment, a home with an assumable 3–4% VA loan gets more attention than comparable homes. That’s a real card to play in this market if you have it. See the full breakdown in VA Loan Assumption Step-by-Step: What Fort Hood Sellers Need to Know.

Here’s what I’d tell you if you called me today

I’d pull your comps. I’d run your net proceeds at three price points — a conservative, a mid, and an aggressive number — and show you the tradeoffs at each one. I’d show you what you’re carrying every month you wait versus what you’d walk away with if you listed smart and closed in 45–60 days.

That’s the conversation that actually answers “should I sell now or wait.” Because the answer is genuinely different for every homeowner. The Zillow estimate and the market headline don’t account for your loan balance, your holding costs, your home’s condition, your neighborhood’s specific inventory, or your timeline.

For context on what selling actually costs in this market before you hit your net number, see How Much Will You Net Selling Your Home in Killeen? (2026 Breakdown).

Every situation is different, and the only way to know your number is to run it with someone who knows this market. That’s exactly the kind of analysis I do before asking you to commit to anything.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it a buyer’s or seller’s market in Killeen, Texas in 2026?

The Killeen market in 2026 leans toward buyers. Inventory is elevated, median prices are down roughly 9.5% from last year, and homes are averaging around 75 days on market. Sellers who price accurately and market aggressively are still getting solid results — but the days of multiple offers in a week are largely behind us for now.

How long does it take to sell a house in Killeen in 2026?

Based on current market data, the average home in Killeen goes under contract in approximately 75 days. Well-priced, well-prepared homes can still go pending significantly faster — sometimes within two to three weeks. Overpriced homes are sitting much longer and typically sell for less than a correctly priced listing would have gotten from the start.

What does it cost to sell a house in Killeen, Texas?

Total selling costs in Texas typically run 8–10% of the sale price. That includes seller closing costs averaging around 3.28% — title insurance, recording fees, and prorated Bell County property taxes (currently 70.14 cents per $100 valuation) — plus real estate commissions. On a $225,000 home, budget roughly $18,000–$22,500 in total selling costs before calculating your net proceeds.

Should I wait for lower interest rates before selling my Killeen home?

Waiting for rates to drop makes sense mainly if you’re planning to buy again and lower rates would meaningfully change your next purchase payment. From a selling standpoint, lower rates typically bring more buyers into the market — but there’s no guaranteed timeline on when that happens. If you need to move, a well-positioned listing in today’s market can still produce strong results without waiting.

Can a buyer assume my VA loan when I sell my home in Killeen?

Yes. VA loans originated after March 1, 1988 are assumable by qualified buyers — including non-veterans. In a higher-rate environment, an assumable VA loan at a below-market rate is a genuine selling advantage. The assumption process requires lender and VA approval and typically takes 45–90 days. The VA funding fee for an assumption is just 0.5% of the remaining loan balance.

Here’s the bottom line: the Killeen market is softer than it was, but it’s not broken. The sellers getting results right now are the ones who priced accurately, prepared their homes intentionally, and worked with someone who knows how to market to this buyer pool — including the military families coming through Fort Hood who are ready to buy when the right home shows up.

If you’re trying to figure out whether now is the right move for your specific situation, that’s exactly what I walk through with every seller before we list. Book a free strategy call and I’ll pull your comps, run your net proceeds at three price points, and show you exactly what selling — or waiting — looks like for your home. No pressure. Just the data, so you can decide with full information. Book your call here.

About Stephen Harris
Stephen Harris is a Central Texas real estate broker who helps homeowners sell with a clear pricing strategy, smart prep plan, and strong negotiation guidance. He specializes in helping first-time sellers and move-up sellers in Killeen, Harker Heights, Copperas Cove, Temple, and the Fort Hood area protect their equity and make confident decisions from listing to closing. Good Life Team | All City Real Estate, Ltd. Co. | Licensed Texas Real Estate Broker.