The Best Week of the Year to Buy a New House

So far, 2022 has been tough on homebuyers. The lack of available housing has sent the prices of the homes that do come on the market soaring. Even traditionally affordable cities and neighborhoods are now out of reach for many people. In fact, the median list price in August was $435,000—a 14% increase from August 2021.

Those looking to buy a house were dealt another blow this spring, when mortgage interest rates went up. But the good news is that the tide appears to be turning (albeit slowly)—starting with more properties coming onto the market. For example, the number of homes for sale was up 87.3% in August compared with what was available at the beginning of 2022.

Using these and other data, analysts at Realtor.com have pinpointed what they think will be the best week of the year for buying a new home. Here’s what to know.

The best week of 2022 to buy a new home

People currently looking to purchase a home are likely to find the best selection and prices the week of September 25 through October 1, according to a report from Realtor.com.

“Typically, the early fall is when there are fewer buyers,” an economic data analyst from the company explained in a statement. “There are also more homes on the market, and the housing market is generally calming down from the summer rush.”

Specifically, there are traditionally about 8.4% more homes for sale at this time of year, with properties typically priced an average of around $20,000 less than usual.

What makes this week stand out

So, how did the real estate site land on that week? Analysts looked at data including home list prices, the number of homes for sale, the number of new listings to go on the market, days on the market, views of properties on Realtor.com, and price reductions in 2018, 2019, and 2021. (Figures from 2020 were left out because of the extreme disruptions to the housing market caused during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.)