If you’ve been looking to buy a house in the Dallas-Fort Worth area recently, you may be feeling the squeeze of rising prices — it’s not your imagination. A recent report in the Dallas Morning News cites a Nationwide Mutual Insurance survey that ranked D-FW among the 10 most unhealthy housing markets in the nation. 

Home prices in North Texas have jumped by a whopping 40 percent in the last four years, which puts them at a record high. Texas housing costs were historically rated among the most affordable in the nation, but that trend is rapidly changing. In fact, half of the bottom 10 markets in the Nationwide report were in Texas.

"The majority of the bottom 10 MSAs continue to be located in energy-intensive states (North Dakota, Texas, Louisiana, and Alaska), and all have negative rankings," Nationwide chief economist David Berson said in the report. "While the fundamentals for the U.S. housing market remain healthy, rapid house price appreciation is a growing concern for many potential homebuyers."

The impact of the increase in home prices is most likely to be felt by buyers at the lower range. Price increases for more expensive homes are more easily absorbed by buyers at the higher end. According to the Nationwide report, home prices have increased by a greater proportion at the entry-level end of the spectrum.

"Data show that the price squeeze is more evident for those trying to find an entry-level home," the report said. "The prices of lowest-tier homes, where most first-time buyers start searching, have increased by 56 percent over the last five years."

Until the housing prices come back in line with income increases, first-time buyers priced out of the market may be in the rental market for longer than anticipated.