A Buyer-Friendly Shift
Year over year, the active listing inventory is higher, demand is about the same, and it is taking a lot longer to sell a home, which translates to a market lining up more and more in favor of buyers. Housing has slowed from a 42-day Expected Market Time in May to 66 days today, a much more favorable market speed for buyers.
Traveling down the freeway with the cruise control set to 75 miles per hour, listening to a favorite music playlist on Spotify, and the A/C set to the perfect temperature is easy, relaxing driving. Seemingly, there is nothing in the way of arriving at your destination with plenty of time to spare. Yet, the GPS navigation app exclaims that there is a 20-minute traffic delay ahead. After breaking and turning off the cruise control, the stop-and-go of snarling traffic takes over. Looking for an alternative route proves futile. It is time to grin and bear it. It will just take longer to arrive at your destination.
That is precisely how it feels to be a seller. The market was moving at a much swifter pace back in the spring. Sellers were cruising down the housing highway. That is just not the case today. It has significantly slowed. The Orange County housing market has shifted from a hot seller’s market to a much more balanced one. Buyers are getting a much-needed breather.
Excerpt taken from an article by Steven Thomas.