As someone who’s had the privilege of guiding Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky buyers and sellers for decades, I’m always tuned in to the latest national trends—and September’s housing signals are worth a closer look. For the first time in eight months, pending home sales have dipped year-over-year, a shift fueled by higher borrowing costs that are giving buyers pause. We’re also seeing contract signings ease up, homes taking an average of 60 days to sell, and mortgage rates rising from around 6% in late Q1 into the high-6% range.
There’s a silver lining for buyers: the median list price has nudged down to $424,500, about 20% of listings have seen price cuts, and active inventory is up approximately 4%—yet, even with more listings, national inventory remains about 11% below typical pre-pandemic levels. This ongoing shortage underpins the market, even as buyer hesitancy grows.
Industry experts are closely watching how sellers adjust—especially with delistings dropping, pricing strategies evolving, and regional differences shifting as everyone navigates firmer borrowing costs. Locally, I see these national patterns reflected in our own neighborhoods. Keeping a pulse on these changes is key to making confident real estate decisions in any market.
