A quiet market
The current market is a relatively quiet one with both Buyers and Sellers showing low levels of activity. In fact, new listings are arriving at the second lowest levels since 2000 (2023 being the lowest). Buyer activity is faring a bit better – as demand is moderately up from last year. This is demonstrated by stronger transaction activity, with listings under contract increasing 5.1% and closed sales up 7.6% compared to 2025. So while this market may not be ideal, increased buyer activity is an improvement over last year (per the Cromford Report).
As far as pricing, the Cromford Report shares this: “Home values have been mostly flat for the past two years, and the median is still down 4.8% from the peak price of $480,000 recorded June 2022. However, homes below $500K have drifted down 4-5% during the same time frame while those between $500K-$1M have remained stable with little fluctuation. Meanwhile, homes over $1M surpassed 2022 a long time ago and are still on the rise in value.
The past 4.5 years have included a sharp price spike in 2021, followed by a correction in 2022 and very little appreciation from 2024 through 2026 for most homeowners. However, the likelihood that the next 5 years will follow the same trend is low. Purchasing in a buyer’s market is usually best for those who plan to own their home for at least 5 years in order to ride out cycles like this one, which turned towards a buyer’s advantage in November 2024.”
The advantage to buyers in this market is less competition for the homes and increased seller flexibility on price and terms. The advantage to sellers, is a few more buyers on the ground than last year and the assurance that they are not selling either at rock bottom nor selling just prior to a likely jump in pricing. Sometimes quiet is not the worst problem.
Russell & Wendy Shaw
Mostly Wendy