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Selling your house this fall is absolutely doable. But there’s something you need to know about this time of year. Buyer activity typically starts to slow while the number of homes for sale climb – and you need the right strategy to get attention in this type of market. The good news? There’s a lot you can control. From how you price and present your house to how you negotiate and respond to feedback. Here are four things you’ll want to get right this fall. #1: Price To Get Buyers’ Attention In the fall, there are typically fewer buyers looking and more homes for them to choose from. So, you want to make the most of every buyer who comes across your house. And your price is one of the first things that can make them stop and take a closer look – or keep scrolling. That’s why this isn’t the time to start high “just to see what happens.” If buyers think your house is overpriced, they have plenty of other options to move on to. And that could leave you sitting and waiting. So, if you want to sell before year-end, work with your agent to find the right price for your house and today’s market. That may mean listing at market value – or even slightly below it – to grab buyers’ attention. Redfin explains how a seemingly small difference can change your buyer pool: “Buyers often search in round-number price brackets, so pricing at $499,000 instead of $505,000 can make your home appear in more searches and feel like a better deal.” #2: Make a Great First Impression When buyers had very few homes to choose from, they were often more willing to overlook dated finishes or a house that needed some work. That’s harder to count on now. With more choices, how your house looks online and in person can determine whether it makes a buyer’s shortlist at all. That doesn’t mean you need a full renovation before you sell, but you should take care of essential repairs, do what you can to boost curb appeal, and make sure your house photographs well. Maybe that’s some light staging, maybe it’s swapping out faucets or lights, or maybe a fresh coat of paint. Small details can help a lot. After all, you only get one chance to make that first impression. Make it count. #3: Stay Open To Negotiating Some sellers are still expecting the kind of leverage they had a few years ago. But in many markets, buyers have more negotiating power today and there’s a lot more give and take. The latest data from Redfin shows 46.2% of sellers gave buyers some type of concession. So, consider throwing in a little help with closing costs or covering a repair. Almost half of sellers are. The takeaway? Playing hard ball may not get you what you want. But being flexible might. The key is not getting so focused on “winning” every individual negotiation that you lose sight of the bigger goal: making your move happen. Sometimes a small concession is what gets you to the closing table. #4: Know When It’s Time To Adjust Sometimes your house tells you when something isn’t working. Maybe you’re getting plenty of online views but very few showings. Or buyers are coming through, but you’re not getting offers. Or maybe buyer feedback has one recurring theme. Pay attention to those signals. They can help you figure out what needs to change. Let’s say your price is the most common point of feedback. Talk to your agent about a price drop. It doesn’t have to be a big change to make a big difference. The average price cut right now is 4% according to HousingWire Data. That’s normal. Now, that doesn’t mean you should panic and slash your price after a week. It means you and your agent should pay attention to what buyers are telling you and adjust if you need to. Sometimes the smartest move isn’t waiting for the right buyer. It’s making sure you’re giving that buyer a reason to act. Bottom Line Selling this fall is absolutely doable. And now you know four of the biggest things to get right. If you want to sell before the end of the year, connect with a local agent to make sure you have the right strategy from day one.

Want to buy a house this year, but not sure if the timing’s right? Seasonally, it may actually be a better time to buy than you expect. Yes, mortgage rates have been ticking up lately – and that’s creating some real challenges with affordability. No one’s arguing that. But there are also predictable trends that happen this time every year that can put some wind back in your sails. According to research coming out of Realtor.com, nationally, the week of September 27 – October 3 will be the best time to buy this year for this very reason: “The week of September 27–October 3 brings together the market conditions buyers value most—elevated inventory, less competition and prices that have eased from their seasonal high—giving prepared buyers a way to offset high rates with savings on price and room to negotiate with confidence." But that’s the national best week. Depending on where you live, your local sweet spot may come a little earlier or later (see map below): It all depends on local trends and how inventory and buyer demand ebbs and flows seasonally where you want to live. But no matter when your market hits its peak, here are some of the perks you can expect this time of year. More Choices, Better Prices, and Less Competition For starters, there are more homes to choose from. In fact, data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows the number of homes for sale recently reached its highest level in more than 10 years: “NAR’s data does show a strong uptick in for-sale inventory at the end of the summer, reaching the highest level in more than 10 years.” That means you may have a better shot at finding something you love and can afford without making as many compromises. And that’s not the only advantage. Realtor.com says buyers during this window could see home prices about $14,000 lower than the summer peak, along with 30% less competition from other buyers. Plus, homes tend to stay on the market almost 2 weeks longer (13 days), giving you a little more breathing room to make a decision. More choices. Better pricing. Less competition. That combination could be enough to ease some of the pressure higher mortgage rates are putting on your budget. The Window Doesn’t Close After This One Week But you certainly don’t have to buy during that very specific window. This isn’t a one-week-only opportunity. History tells us conditions should be tipped in your favor for the entire month of October: In fact, Realtor.com says 42 of the 50 largest metros see their best week to buy fall sometime during October. So, don’t feel like you have to rush to hit one specific date. Use the time now to get things lined up, then jump in when the timing is right for you. As Guaranteed Rate explains: “The best time to buy a home depends on your needs. Certain seasons can give you an advantage when starting your homebuying journey.” Bottom Line If you want to buy a house this year, there’s still a way to make it happen, even with today’s rates. This fall gives you the chance to get some of the best seasonal perks the market has to offer. Want help figuring out when those advantages typically show up in your market? Have a quick conversation with a lender and a local agent about how your market works and the steps you’ll need to take to get ready.

Summer's winding down, and if you've been thinking about selling, you might be wondering if you missed your chance. Better to wait until next year or even next spring, right? Not so fast. About one in three of all home sales happen in the last four months of the year. Fall Is Busier than You Think Data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows around a third of existing home sales happen in the final four months of the year. And that share has grown every year since 2023 (see graph below): Here's What That Means for You According to forecasts from Fannie Mae, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), NAR, and Wells Fargo, there will be about 4.16 million existing home sales this year. Based on how many sales have happened so far, that means roughly 1.4 million sales are expected between now and December. That's about 11,800 houses selling every single day this fall. So, the market isn't frozen and you don’t need to put your plans on ice either. Yes, higher rates are keeping some buyers on the sidelines. But hold out for next spring, and you'll sit out months when other serious buyers are ready to move before the new year. How do you get in front of those buyers who are still out there looking right now? Getting your house sold this season comes down to how well it's priced and presented, and that's where a local agent shines. A good agent knows what buyers in your area want right now, prices your house to match this fall's market, and positions it to stand out to the serious buyers shopping before year-end. From the first photo to the final offer, they handle the details that turn your house on the market into one of the 11,800 selling every day. Bottom Line Listing this fall doesn't mean your house will sit on the market until spring. Buyers are out there right now, ready to make a move before the new year – and your window is still open. To make yours one of the homes that sells this season, connect with a local real estate agent.

Data centers probably weren't on your list of things to think about when buying or selling a home. School districts? Sure. How close you are to family? Absolutely. A large building full of computer servers down the road? Probably not. But that may be changing. Data centers are popping up in more communities across the country. And as they do, buyers and homeowners are starting to wonder what having one nearby could mean for everything from home values to utility bills. So, let's get into what the data actually says. Because there's a lot more nuance here than if they’re “good” or “bad.” Data Centers Are Showing Up in a Lot More ZIP Codes According to Realtor.com, back in 2015, only about a dozen ZIP codes had a large data center. But by the first half of 2026, that number had climbed to more than 100 – and it's projected to rise even further by the end of the year (see graph below): That's a pretty dramatic increase in just over a decade. HousingWire shows a lot of that growth is in Texas, Virginia, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Utah, Illinois, Arizona, Indiana, and Nevada. And that ramp up explains why this is becoming a real estate conversation. More buyers are going to encounter a data center during their search. More homeowners are going to hear about one being proposed nearby. And both groups are going to want to know what that could mean for them. The Big Question: What About Home Values? One of the first concerns homeowners and buyers may have is: could a nearby data center hurt home values? So far, there’s no evidence that says it automatically will. Researchers compared communities that have large data centers to similar communities without them. A recent HousingWire article reports: “. . . home values in data center ZIP codes generally tracked their matched communities — with no statistically meaningful gains or losses. Listing prices showed a modest initial increase around openings . . .” That's important context. Historically, simply having a data center nearby hasn’t been enough to send home values dramatically higher or lower. That doesn’t mean every property will react the same way. Proximity, the surrounding development, and the specific facility can all matter. But for the typical homeowner or buyer, the data so far doesn’t point to an automatic impact on home values. Living Near a Data Center Can Come with Tradeoffs Like any major development coming to town, data centers can bring benefits along with things buyers and homeowners will want to consider. On the plus side: They may be part of a bigger growth story. A data center can usher in broader development in an area and substantial property tax revenue that can be used to improve the community. Infrastructure may get an upgrade. New roads, fiber, power infrastructure, and other improvements can come along with major development. They can generate economic activity. A data center can generate jobs which in turn fuels local housing demand and supports local businesses. On the flip side: They're not exactly invisible. Large facilities, transmission lines, substations, and construction can change the look and feel of an area. Noise can matter. Cooling equipment, generators, construction, and truck traffic may be noticeable depending on how close you are. They use more resources. These facilities can require significant electricity and, depending on the cooling system, water. That can raise questions about local infrastructure and whether growing electricity demand could affect what residents pay. On that last point, J.P. Blackwood, Public Affairs Liaison and Media Spokesperson for the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC), explained his take on what consumers need to know about data centers and their potential to impact utility costs to HousingWire: “Utility rate increases tend to be gradual, and so that’s what I would expect here. Again, a number of factors can drive electricity prices higher and are driving them higher, and this is one of them. There are steps being taken around the country to mitigate the effects of data centers.” Basically, they’re just one factor that can have an impact. And the key word there is “can” because it depends on where you live and what rules are in place in your area. So, What Should Buyers and Homeowners Do? If you’re buying, find out what’s already there – and what’s approved or proposed nearby. Consider the facility’s proximity, potential noise, future development, and whether utility costs are something you want to factor into your budget. If you’re selling, don’t assume a nearby data center automatically hurts your home’s value. But buyers may have questions. Knowing the facts about the facility, construction timeline, noise, and future plans can help you address those concerns upfront. Bottom Line As more data centers pop up, they're becoming another piece of the puzzle buyers and homeowners need to understand. Have a data center nearby or one coming soon? Talk to a local real estate agent about what it could mean for your home or your next move.