Highlights
- Sept. 27–Oct. 3 is projected to be the best week to buy nationally, according to Realtor.com’s analysis.
- Buyers could see about 32% more active listings than at the beginning of the year, providing considerably more choices.
- List prices are expected to be about 3.5% below their seasonal peak, translating to potential savings of roughly $14,000 compared with summer’s peak prices.
- Buyers are gaining more negotiating power as inventory rises. NAR reports that for-sale inventory has reached its highest level in more than 10 years.
- Nearly 6% of homes could undergo price reductions during the prime buying week, one of the strongest periods of the year for seller price cuts.
- Los Angeles and Riverside are among 14 major metros where Sept. 27–Oct. 3 is expected to offer the most favorable combination of inventory, pricing and competition.
Summary
After a sluggish summer housing market, conditions are beginning to shift in buyers’ favor. Realtor.com identifies Sept. 27 through Oct. 3 as the nation’s prime home-buying window for 2026, when shoppers are expected to benefit from increased inventory, lower asking prices and reduced competition. Rising supply is also giving buyers more leverage to negotiate, with NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun noting that the market is moving toward greater balance and, in some areas, approaching buyer-market conditions. Buyers who wait later into fall may find even deeper discounts, but potentially at the expense of having fewer homes from which to choose.
