This Week in Garden Ridge
Early Voting Underway in Texas Ahead of November Midterms
Texas voters have a narrow window for in-person early voting before the November midterm elections. U.S. Senate candidates James Talarico and Ken Paxton held campaign rallies Friday in a final push for votes. The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot has already passed, making in-person participation the primary option for most remaining voters.
Texas Senate Race Heats Up in Final Stretch
The U.S. Senate contest between Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton is drawing significant attention across the state heading into election week. Analysts are also watching whether rural Republican crossover voters — frustrated with data centers and Big Tech expansion — could shift outcomes in key Texas races. For Comal County residents, the next few days represent the last practical opportunity to participate.
Rain Chances Return to Central Texas Next Week
An upper-level trough is forecast to move across the Plains by mid-week, likely increasing rain chances for the San Antonio and Central Texas region. A front may push through alongside the system, bringing a shift in conditions after a dry stretch. Garden Ridge residents can expect a more active weather pattern developing around Wednesday or Thursday.
Major Insurers Pulling Back on Medicare Advantage Plans
Two of the largest private health insurers in the country are discontinuing certain Medicare Advantage plans, citing higher costs and a significant spike in utilization. For the many retirees who choose Garden Ridge and the broader Comal County area for its quality of life, the shift in plan availability heading into open enrollment season is worth tracking. Affected enrollees will need to review their coverage options before the end of the year.
Real Estate Market
The broader Texas housing market is sending clear signals heading into the fourth quarter, and Garden Ridge is not immune to statewide trends. According to Texas REALTORS®, the statewide median home price fell 0.4% year over year in Q3 2026 to $333,628, and closed sales dropped 2.4% annually to 87,862 transactions. In the San Antonio metro specifically, prices declined 1% year over year. Active inventory statewide sits at 5.3 months of supply — a figure that leans toward buyers — and homes that do sell are averaging 65 days on market, while unsold inventory lingers closer to 95 days. Price reductions have ticked up entering fall, which reflects the reality that sellers who priced aggressively during the summer are now adjusting.
Mortgage rates above 7% remain the central constraint on demand. The Texas Real Estate Research Center notes that affordability pressure is dampening buyer activity even as population growth continues to support underlying housing need. For Garden Ridge specifically, a recently price-reduced listing at 20008 Hickory Bend — a 2,303-square-foot home on a 30,800-square-foot lot — illustrates the local dynamic: well-located, updated properties on large lots still attract attention, but sellers are finding they need to price with the current rate environment in mind rather than the expectations of two years ago.
For buyers, this is a more negotiable market than Garden Ridge has seen in several years. Inventory is higher, days on market are longer, and price reductions are more common. That does not mean values are collapsing — Garden Ridge's large-lot character, low density, and proximity to San Antonio continue to support a floor under prices. But the era of submitting an offer the day a listing hits and waiving everything is largely over. Sellers who acknowledge that reality and price accordingly are still transacting. Those holding out for peak 2022 valuations are largely sitting on the market and contributing to that 95-day unsold inventory average.