The Compean Brief · November 2026 edition
Houston Local News, November 2026
What changed around Houston this month for buyers and sellers: new businesses, road and drainage projects, parks, school-district decisions, builder incentives, upcoming events, and the latest market numbers and mortgage rates. Every item links to its source.
Jump to: Top stories · Market and rates · Inner Loop and Central · West · North · Northeast · South and Southwest · New construction · Events
All editions: Houston local news by area
Top stories this month
$200 million Texas A&M space institute opens next to Johnson Space Center
The Texas A&M University Space Institute holds its grand opening Nov. 20 at 17475 Saturn Lane. Funded through the Texas Space Commission, it is the first building in NASA's 240-acre Exploration Park and includes lunar and Mars test environments.
Source: Community Impact, Nov. 2, 2026
Houston's median home price held at $325,000 in September
HAR's September 2026 report put the median single-family price at $325,000, with 5.5 months of inventory, 40,192 active listings and 58 average days on market. October's figures are due in mid-November.
Source: HAR September 2026 report, as reported by My Neighborhood News, Oct. 19, 2026
30-year mortgage average eases to 7.18%
Freddie Mac's Nov. 5 survey put the 30-year fixed average at 7.18% and the 15-year at 6.57%, down from 7.40% and 6.73% on Oct. 8. The Federal Reserve held its target range at 3.75% to 4.00% on Oct. 28.
Sources: Freddie Mac PMMS, Nov. 5, 2026; Federal Reserve, Oct. 28, 2026
Cy-Fair ISD voters turn down the tax-rate election and $1.63 billion in bonds
In unofficial Nov. 3 results, voters rejected the district's voter-approval tax rate election, about 68% to 32%, and all four bond propositions, about $1.63 billion in all. The board is set to adopt its tax rate at its Nov. 9 meeting.
Source: Community Impact, Nov. 3, 2026 (updated Nov. 4)
Market and mortgage rates
Sales through September run just behind 2025
The Greater Houston Partnership's update, built on HAR data, counts 66,930 single-family sales through September 2026, about 0.8% fewer than the same months of 2025, with 5.5 months of inventory.
Source: Greater Houston Partnership, Oct. 26, 2026
Houston metro jobs up 33,600 over the year
The metro area had 3,489,400 nonfarm jobs in September 2026: 7,300 fewer than in August and 33,600 more than a year earlier.
Source: Greater Houston Partnership, Oct. 19, 2026
Rates eased in late October; the Fed meets again Dec. 8-9
The 30-year average peaked this fall at 7.40% (Oct. 8 and Oct. 15) before easing to 7.18% on Nov. 5; a year earlier it was 6.22%. The Fed held its target range at 3.75% to 4.00% on Oct. 28, and its next meeting is Dec. 8-9. Sellers are using credits for buyers' rate buydowns; see mortgage rates, seller credits and buydowns.
Sources: Freddie Mac PMMS, Nov. 5, 2026; FRED weekly series; Federal Reserve FOMC calendar
Prices by neighborhood: Houston home prices by neighborhood and free market reports for your area.
Inner Loop and Central
32-story office tower planned on Westheimer by River Oaks District
Broadview Real Estate announced O27, a 32-story, roughly 520,000-square-foot office tower on 1.66 acres at 4701 Westheimer, with a nine-story garage topped by a landscaped terrace. Completion is expected by 2028.
Source: Community Impact, Oct. 22, 2026
I-45 rebuild closes more EaDo streets into April
TxDOT closed Hamilton Street (Pierce to Hadley) and Gray Street (Chartres to Hutchins) from Nov. 2 through Apr. 2, 2027, adding to closures on St. Emanuel, Chartres, Commerce and Bell. The Alabama Street bridge rebuild runs through Feb. 8, 2027.
Source: TxDOT NHHIP construction updates, checked Nov. 6, 2026
Two openings on North Durham: Little Bird and Sandoitchi
Chef Graham Laborde's New Orleans-style Little Bird opened Oct. 29 at 1815 N. Durham, serving dinner daily, Friday lunch and weekend brunch. Sandoitchi opened its first permanent Houston shop at 1603 N. Durham on Oct. 31, with milk-bread sandwiches, rice bowls and matcha.
Sources: CultureMap Houston, Oct. 28 and Oct. 30, 2026
Buffalo Bayou East: the park and trail timeline
Garver Park (10 acres) is open and Marron Park Way is due in late 2026. Tony Marron Park grows from 19 to 40 acres by early summer 2027, the Kinder Trail follows in late 2027, and the full plan runs to 2032.
Source: Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Oct. 14, 2026
Shepherd-Durham nears its last phase; Montrose sidewalk work begins
The $115 million Shepherd-Durham reconstruction is finishing west-side curbs and sidewalks this fall, on track for 2027. The $8.9 million Montrose Safe Routes to School project, widening 4.5 miles of sidewalks, runs through August 2027.
Source: Community Impact, October 2026
New boutiques and a cafe at River Oaks District
Chloé, Silvia Tcherassi and Café Feuillette are opening this fall, Brunello Cucinelli is reopening an expanded store, and Leica follows in 2027.
Source: Community Impact, Oct. 23, 2026
West U's 1,743 streetlights switching to LED
CenterPoint had replaced nearly 200 of West U's streetlights with LED fixtures by late October and aims to finish by the end of 2026. The new fixtures last about 15 years, against about 5 for the old ones.
Source: Community Impact, October 2026
West: Memorial, Spring Branch, Katy, Fulshear, Cypress
Houston Methodist breaks ground on a West Katy emergency center
The $15 million, 11,150-square-foot center at Texas Heritage Marketplace will have 10 exam rooms plus X-ray, CT and lab services. Completion is targeted for summer 2027.
Source: Community Impact, Oct. 9, 2026
Two-story Kelsey-Seybold clinic opens on Towne Lake Parkway
The 33,000-square-foot clinic at 9831 Towne Lake Parkway has room for up to 20 providers, with imaging and lab services.
Source: Community Impact, Nov. 4, 2026
Precinct 4 commits $80.2 million to drainage, road and trail projects
Ten projects through the Places 4 People program include road work on Westgreen Boulevard and West Little York Road, with Cinco MUD No. 9 as a partner.
Source: Community Impact, Oct. 29, 2026
Construction starts on a new Spring Branch Trail West segment
Harris County Precinct 4 and the Houston Parks Board began a segment linking Sherwood Elementary and the Parish School, near Chatterton Drive.
Source: Houston Public Media, Oct. 26, 2026
New in Katy: a 148,000-square-foot Target and Elyson crepes
A Target at 29355 Katy Freeway was scheduled to open Oct. 11, Ayurveda Kitchen opened on Westheimer Parkway and Soluna Coffee on Elyson Falls Drive. Coco Crepes & Coffee soft-opened at Elyson Exchange on Nov. 2, with a grand opening planned for mid-November.
Sources: Community Impact, Oct. 28 and Nov. 4, 2026
New elementary campuses for 2027 in Sunterra and Blue Creek Trails
Katy ISD's Elementary #49 on Pitts Road in Sunterra opens in fall 2027, and its founding principal starts Jan. 4. Lamar CISD's Danziger Elementary in Blue Creek Trails opens in August 2027; the board is weighing three attendance-zone options this month.
Sources: Katy ISD, Oct. 29, 2026; Community Impact, Oct. 28, 2026
The Cy-Fair ISD election results are in the top stories.
North: Spring, Klein, The Woodlands, Tomball, Conroe
Sprouts to anchor a new center on the Grand Parkway near I-45
Fidelis' 170,000-square-foot Grand Imperial Marketplace at Imperial Promenade Drive will add Sprouts, Marshalls, Five Below, Ross and Planet Fitness, targeted for fall 2027.
Source: Community Impact, Oct. 22, 2026
Hwy. 242 widening nears its finish; Conroe widenings continue
The $29.11 million Hwy. 242 widening between FM 1488 and I-45 is set to finish this quarter, and I-45 frontage-road drainage work runs into 2028. In Conroe, Hwy. 105 widening continues in two segments and South Loop 336 widening runs to late 2027.
Sources: Community Impact, Oct. 23 and Oct. 20, 2026
Precinct 3 plans a community center beside Samuel Matthews Park
The 18,000-square-foot center at 11603 Hufsmith Kuykendahl Road will have activity rooms, event space and classrooms, and is scheduled to open in summer 2028.
Source: Community Impact, Nov. 5, 2026
50-bed rehabilitation hospital planned on City Central Avenue
Encompass Health plans a 52,500-square-foot inpatient rehabilitation hospital at 869 City Central Ave., with construction from December 2026 to November 2027.
Source: Community Impact, Sept. 22, 2026
Spring ISD voters reject a tax-rate increase; Klein ISD reports bond progress
About 55% of Spring ISD voters opposed the district's voter-approval tax rate measure in unofficial results, so the rate stays at $1.1069 per $100. Klein ISD reports 34 of 57 projects in its $895 million 2022 bond complete.
Sources: Community Impact, Nov. 5, 2026 and early November 2026
Northeast: Kingwood, Atascocita, Humble and Lake Houston
Deerbrook Marketplace adds an indoor slide park and a books-and-games store
Slick City Action Park opened Nov. 3 at 20424 Hwy. 59, with 13 slides across about 40,000 square feet. 2nd & Charles plans to open next door at 20416 Hwy. 59 on Dec. 10.
Sources: Community Impact, Nov. 3 and Nov. 2, 2026
New Caney ISD awards the contract for Crossroads Elementary
The district's 13th elementary, a two-story, 110,000-square-foot campus on Ford Road, starts construction this month and opens in fall 2028. It is paid for by the 2023 bond.
Source: Community Impact, Oct. 22, 2026
Road work: South Houston Avenue, Loop 494 and FM 1314
Humble's $10.3 million widening of South Houston Avenue (Will Clayton Parkway to Atascocita Road) is about 95% through engineering. TxDOT's $31.4 million FM 1314 rehabilitation is about 65% complete, and Loop 494 repairs run into mid-2027.
Sources: Community Impact, Oct. 28 and Nov. 2, 2026
Work starts on a 33-acre shopping center at the Grand Parkway
Fidelis Realty Partners began building Trails at the Parkway near Plum Grove Road, with construction due to finish in 2027 and an early-2028 opening.
Source: Community Impact, Oct. 5, 2026
Dutch Bros opens on Kingwood Drive
The drive-thru and walk-up coffee shop at 1261 Kingwood Drive opened Nov. 5.
Source: Community Impact, Nov. 5, 2026
South and Southwest: Sugar Land, Missouri City, Pearland, Friendswood, League City, Clear Lake
H Mart opens a 64,000-square-foot store on Hwy. 6
H Mart's fourth Houston-area store opens Nov. 19 at 3665 Hwy. 6, in the former Floor & Decor space, with 10 places to eat inside.
Source: Community Impact, Nov. 2, 2026
Dulles Avenue side path will connect to Oyster Creek Trail
Sugar Land approved design of a 10-foot side path with pedestrian bridges linking to Missouri City's Oyster Creek Trail, about $3.48 million in all, with design running to April 2028. Missouri City also approved land purchases for a Henry Watts Road extension and roundabout.
Sources: Community Impact, Oct. 30 and Nov. 5, 2026
Sugar Land's natural science museum proposes a $4 million renovation
Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land proposed new earth and space science halls and parking improvements; the city council is due to vote on an amendment to the museum's agreement with the city in December. The plans are early-stage.
Source: Community Impact, Nov. 4, 2026
League City expands its west-side wastewater plant; Friendswood plans waterline bonds
League City awarded at least $86 million to grow its Southwest Water Reclamation Facility from 4 to 6 million gallons a day, and is rebuilding Butler Road and Turner Street in concrete. Friendswood plans a $22.55 million revenue-bond sale in February for waterlines on Friendswood Parkway and FM 518.
Sources: Community Impact, Oct. 29, Oct. 26 and Nov. 4, 2026
The Texas A&M Space Institute in Clear Lake is in the top stories.
New construction and builder deals
Builder incentives change often, apply to select homes and usually require the builder's affiliated lender. Confirm current terms on the builder's page. Bring your own agent at your first visit; see our new construction buyer's guide and Houston builder comparison.
Year-end offers at Harvest Green: Perry Homes and Partners in Building
The community's incentives page lists a Perry Homes year-end event with up to $55,000 in flex cash or a 4.99% interest rate on select homes, and a $30,000 design-center incentive from Partners in Building on custom homes on 90-foot lots through year-end.
Source: Harvest Green builder incentives, checked Nov. 6, 2026. See also our Harvest Green guide.
Tri Pointe opens presales at Azalea Trails and Oakhill Reserve
Tri Pointe began presales in two Azalea Trails neighborhoods in Cypress, on 50- and 60-foot lots from the mid-$400,000s, and opened two neighborhoods at Oakhill Reserve in Tomball, from the high $300,000s.
Source: Houston Agent Magazine, Oct. 27, 2026
Hundreds of move-in-ready new homes on the market
Lennar's Houston page listed 689 move-in-ready homes on Nov. 6, with rate and closing-cost incentives on select homes financed through its own lender. The count changes daily.
Source: Lennar Houston, checked Nov. 6, 2026
Nine Houston-area communities in RCLCO's midyear top 50
RCLCO's midyear 2026 list of top-selling master-planned communities includes Tamarron (No. 6), Bridgeland (No. 9), Sunterra (No. 10), Elyson (No. 43) and Sienna (No. 46), among nine from the Houston area.
Source: Houston Agent Magazine, citing RCLCO, Aug. 4, 2026. Our guides: Bridgeland, Elyson, Sienna.
Events, November and December
- Nov. 7-8: AIA Houston Home Tour, seven homes in the Heights, Montrose, Museum District, Bellaire, Timbergrove and Old Sixth Ward. CultureMap
- Nov. 12-15: Houston Ballet's Nutcracker Market, Reliant Center. Reliant Park
- Nov. 13: ICE at Discovery Green opens; Tinsel Town at Market Square Park starts Nov. 20. Downtown Houston
- Nov. 19 - Jan. 3: Zoo Lights at the Houston Zoo, nightly. Houston Zoo
- Nov. 19 - Dec. 31: Market Street in Lights, The Woodlands. Visit The Woodlands
- Nov. 20: Sugar Land Christmas tree lighting, Sugar Land Town Square, 5-8 p.m. City of Sugar Land
- Nov. 20-22: Water Lantern Festival at City Place in Spring; Home for the Holidays Gift Market in Katy. Spring events · Katy events
- Nov. 26: H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade, downtown, 9 a.m. City of Houston
- Dec. 5: Heights Holiday Market, 935 Harvard St., 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and the City Hall tree lighting downtown. PaperCity · City of Houston
- Dec. 5-6: Kingwood Ballet's 42nd Nutcracker. Community Impact
Event dates come from the organizers or local outlets linked above. Check the organizer's page before you go.
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How we put this together: each item comes from a public source linked beside it, summarized in our own words, with the publication date. All links were checked on November 6, 2026. Results marked unofficial may change when canvassed. Corrections: evan@thecompeangroup.com.
Published November 2026. Updated November 6, 2026.