When there are more interested home buyers than there are homes for sale, the housing market gets challenging for buyers. Prices and competition rise and time on market plummets. Homes sell fast and buyers have to be ready to move quickly and readjust their budgets under pressure. That’s the way the housing market has been for most of the past five years though, more recently, inventory has improved and calmed things down. In fact, according to a new analysis from the National Association of Realtors’ consumer website, active listings were up 12.6 percent in November, which was the 25th consecutive month of year-of-year improvement, keeping inventory near mid-summer levels. Danielle Hale, the website’s chief economist, says further gains will help balance the market. “As we move into 2026, gradual improvements in affordability and more consistent inventory will be the key to unlocking a more balanced market,” Hale said. (source)
