The housing market has been particularly brutal the past couple of years. While the pandemic ushered in an era of sub-3% mortgage rates, those climbed to levels peaking at 8% in October 2023. Current mortgage rates are still hovering around the low-6% range and home prices are 55% higher than they were at the beginning of 2020, according to the Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index.
But the U.S. housing market is slowly but surely moving in favor of buyers. Mortgage applications surged nearly 30% last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Home prices are also starting to plateau and even drop in some markets.
“For prospective buyers who have been waiting on the sidelines, the housing market is finally starting to listen,” First American chief economist Mark Fleming wrote in an Aug. 29 First American post.
Considering those factors, among others, the “best time” to buy a home this year is right around the corner, according to a Realtor.com report published this week. Realtor.com says the week of Oct. 12-18 will be 2025’s “sweet spot” for home shoppers thanks to a “rare combination” of higher inventory levels, lower home prices, and less competition. For the report, Realtor.com analyzed six supply-and-demand metrics at a national and metro level that follow seasonal patterns using data from 2018 to 2024.
“After years of constrained conditions, the 2025 housing market is giving buyers something they haven’t had in a long time: options,” Danielle Hale, Realtor.com chief economist, said in a statement. “I expect this market momentum shift to magnify typical seasonal trends that favor homebuyers in the fall.”
While spring is historically considered the peak homebuying season, there is usually more competition and higher prices during that time of the year. Realtor.com data suggests there will be 32.6% more homes for sale than at the beginning of 2025, home prices could be up to $15,000 lower than a median-priced home during peak season, and there’s potential for 30.6% less competition than peak homebuying season during the week of Oct. 12-18.
“In addition to the seasonal bump in inventory, it’s also a smart window to go under contract before the holidays,” Steph Mahon, owner of real-estate firm Dwell New Jersey, told Fortune. “By moving now, you can complete inspections, loan paperwork, and other due-diligence tasks ahead of Thanksgiving, avoiding the added stress of juggling it all during the holiday season.”
Buying season varies by market
Although the overall best week to buy a home in the U.S. is Oct. 12-18, that timing varies some based on geography. The national “best week” applies to many metro areas like Houston, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., but some may be earlier or later, according to Realtor.com. Of the 50 largest U.S. metros, 45 will experience their best time to buy within a month of the national average.
New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, and Dallas will see more buyer-friendly conditions starting in September.
In Manhattan, “September happens to simultaneously be the month that experiences both the highest new supply to come on the market and the lowest contract activity volume being recorded,” Noah Rosenblatt, CEO and cofounder of real-estate analytics firm UrbanDigs, told Fortune.
Florida markets including Miami and Tampa, however, can peak as late as December, Realtor.com data shows. In fact, Philadelphia and Milwaukee already had their “best weeks” from September 7-13.
In South Florida, buying season “is coming both for seasonal renters who purchase, snowbirds and families who want to be in for the winter,” Jeff Lichtenstein, CEO and broker at Echo Fine Properties in West Palm Beach, told Fortune. “We’ve seen a three-and-a-half-year pent up demand period, so it’s just ripe.”
Other early starts include Hartford, Conn., Memphis, Tenn., and Virginia Beach, Va. But for homebuyers looking in Charlotte, N.C., Louisville, Ken., Phoenix, Miami, or Tampa, November will likely be your best bet, according to Realtor.com data.
“Get your preapprovals done and understand out-of-state contracts if making a move,” Lichtenstein said. “Expect more competition so the more ready you are, the less likely you are okay to pull the trigger and not lose a house.”
