Summer is almost over, which means the temperatures are about to cool off. And while there’s no guarantee, it looks like the housing market may cool along with it—at least slightly.
According to a recent article from realtor.com, many experts expect that, while the fall buying season will be competitive, it won’t be quite as frenzied as the spring or summer.
One indicator supporting that projection is the pace of price growth. According to the article, the national median home price hit $385,000 the week ending August 14 (the highest on record). That price represented an 8.2 percent increase year over year—a definite increase in price, but significantly less than the 17.2 percent increase from April 2020 to April 2021. Inventory is also starting to increase (according to data from the National Association of REALTORS®,1.32 million homes were available for sale in July 2021—a 7.3 increase from June)—and the more inventory is available in the fall, the easier the home search process will be for buyers.
According to the latest available stats from the Sacramento Association of Realtors, the active listing inventory increased 23.5 percent from June to July. The median sales price decreased 1.9 percent from $520,000 to $510,000. This figure is up 20.6 percent from July 2020 ($422,745).
So, what does this mean for you? There’s no denying that fall is shaping up to be a competitive season for real estate—but with slowing price growth and increasing inventory, it could prove to be less competitive than it has been for quite a while.
