HOUSTON - Mortgage rates are the lowest they've been in about a year, but they remain pricey compared to the lows of a few years ago. The high cost of borrowing, and inflated home prices are keeping a lot of would-be buyers away.

What does the Houston market look like?

In Houston, the Houston Association of Realtors says August sales were up almost 12%. Despite some markets seeing a decline in home prices, as buyer interest dries up, HAR says prices are flat, while there are still a lot of homes for sale.

By the numbers:

In August, the average home price was $422,000.

There are about 40,000 homes for sale in the Houston metro, which is a decade-high six-month inventory.

On average, it takes 52 days to find a buyer and sign the papers, almost a week longer than a year ago.

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