Fewer new homes in the pipeline, and how to shop the ones there are
The City of El Paso's own permit records show 18 new-home permits inside city limits in September 2026, down 72.3% from a year earlier. Carefree Homes filed the most, with CS Custom Homes also among the busiest. Most landed around the Northeast, the Lower Valley and the Far East. Separately, towns near the city reported new single-family permits to the US Census for August 2026: 58 in Horizon City (13 a year earlier).
For you, that means fewer new homes are getting started inside the city right now, so make each builder visit count. Bring your own agent to your very first model-home visit. The on-site agent works for the builder. Then ask every builder what incentives they offer right now and whether those can go toward your closing costs or your rate.
Freddie Mac's national average for a 30-year fixed mortgage was 7.40% as of October 15, 2026, unchanged from the week before. That is a national average, not a quote for your loan.
Your move this week
- If you're buying
- Ask each builder for a copy of their purchase contract and warranty to read at home before you sign, since builders write their own contracts and each one is different.
- If you own a home
- If you bought a new home recently, book your own inspection before the builder's warranty runs out, so anything it finds gets fixed on the builder's dime.
In the local news
- City Council incumbent Ivan Niño and challenger Richard Genera differ on taxes, Meta data center, city spending
Ivan Niño and Richard Genera, running for District 5 on the Far Eastside, both point to traffic and property taxes. Niño wants a first-time buyer assistance program. Genera would start each budget from a no-new-revenue plan.
El Paso Matters
