Hope Leitner, Realtor®, CRS

  For years, sellers have had the upper hand in the housing market. With so few homes for sale and so many people who wanted to purchase them, buyers faced tough competition just to get an offer accepted. But now,  inventory  is rising, and things are starting to shift in many areas. So, is the market finally balancing out? And does that mean buyers will have it a bit easier now? Here’s what you need to know. What Makes It a Buyer’s Market or a Seller’s Market? It all comes down to how many homes are for sale in an area compared to how many buyers want to buy there. That’s what ultimately determines who has the most leverage. A Seller’s Market  is when there are more buyers than homes available, so sellers hold the power. This leads to rising prices, multiple offers, and homes selling quickly – often above the asking price – because there isn’t enough to go around. A Buyer’s Market  is when there are more homes than buyers. In this case, the tables turn. Sellers...

  More people are taking steps to buy a home. And, if you’ve been  waiting  for the right time to move, this may be the sign you’ve been looking for. For the past few years, a lot of would-be homebuyers hit pause on their plans. With rising mortgage rates and affordability challenges, buying just didn’t seem doable. But now, more of them are getting back out there. That’s because they’re getting used to the fact that this may be the new normal for the market – especially as  forecasts  show mortgage rates may be starting to stabilize.  According  to the  National Association of Realtors  (NAR):  "Home buyers seem to be getting over the shock of mortgage rates in the mid- to upper-6% range." And that’s good for you and your plans to sell. While there isn’t going to be a big rush of buyers flooding the market all at once, this does mean motivated buyers are re-starting their searches. And here’s the data to prove it. 3 Signs Buyers Are Rea...