A lot of people who want to move are telling themselves the same thing: “Maybe I’ll just wait until later this year once things calm down.” 

While waiting sounds like a good plan, there’s something worth knowing before you decide. Rates aren’t expected to change much, so if that’s the #1 reason you’re waiting, it may not pay off. And there may be other things you miss out on in the meantime. 

Historically, Summer is one of the strongest seasons of the year for both buyers and sellers. And if you delay your move until Fall or Winter, some of those opportunities may already be fading.

Buyers: Fresh Inventory Is Your Real Summer Advantage

One of the biggest frustrations buyers have faced over the past few years has been a lack of affordable options. Maybe you’ve run into that yourself:

• You find a house you like, but it’s out of your budget.

• You find something in your budget, but you don’t like it.

• Or worse, nothing interesting hits the market for weeks.

Historically, Summer helps with that.

Looking at data from the last few years, Summer months consistently bring more sellers into the market than later in the year. And that gives buyers a real window of fresh choices.

According to Realtor.com, any given Summer month typically sees about 32% more fresh options than the average month from September-December.

With more newly listed homes, there’s a better chance of finding one you like where the numbers actually work.

Because all it really takes is one home to completely change your search. And if you’ve got more popping onto the market to choose from, maybe one of those is exactly what you need. 

But keep in mind, this seasonal window isn’t open forever. Fresh inventory tends to slow down once Summer ends.

Many homeowners who planned to sell this year have already listed by then. Families who wanted to move before school starts have often already gotten it done, or at least, set it into motion. So, new listing activity usually cools as we head into Fall and Winter.

Of course, every year is different. But if finding the right home at the right price has been your biggest challenge, waiting until later in the year may not necessarily give you more options. In fact, recent history suggests it may do just the opposite.

Sellers: Homes Usually Sell for More in the Summer

If you’re thinking of selling, you may be considering holding off because you’ve seen headlines about lower asking prices, price cuts, and softer conditions in some markets. But those headlines don’t tell the whole story or convey just how much it varies by area.

Here’s what you really need to know. Even though the market’s becoming more balanced and some pockets are experiencing price declines, that doesn’t mean you’ve missed your chance to sell. 

Seasonality can still work in your favor no matter where you are. And this Summer could still give you the chance to sell for a good price.

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), homes sold during a Summer month usually sell for about 4% more than homes sold during the typical month from September-December:

Why? Summer buyers are usually operating on a set timeframe. They’re trying to move before the next school year or when they have more PTO and warmer weather to tour houses. That urgency can translate into better offers.

Now, that doesn’t mean you should price your house 4% higher this Summer. That would actually be a mistake in today’s market.

It just means if you’re looking to get as much for your house as you reasonably can, a Summer move could be a smarter play than waiting until later this year. 

Because based on typical seasonality, you may get more for your house than you would if you waited until the Fall or Winter (when there are typically fewer buyers active).

And if you’re considering a move anyway, that’s worth factoring in.

Bottom Line

Could waiting until later this year work out? Sure. But it’s important to understand what you may gain by moving now too – that way you have the full picture before you decide.

If a 2026 move is on your radar, talk to an agent about what matters most to you. Depending on your priorities, Summer could be your moment.

If affordability has been the biggest thing standing between you and a home, there’s a little good news. 

Asking prices have started to come down.

The typical seller listed their house for a median of $429,500 in May. That’s 2.4% lower than a year ago, according to Realtor.com. On its own, that won’t transform what you can afford, but in today’s market every little bit helps and it signals a broader shift taking place.

Buyers Are Finally Catching a Break

Check out this data from Realtor.com and you can see this is the first May in years where buyers have caught any sort of break price-wise.

Each May from 2022-2025, things held pretty steady. But this year? You can see that more noticeable shift in your favor (see graph below):

While the dip from $440,000 to $429,500 isn’t a big one, it gives you more breathing room. And that’s not a small thing when affordability has been this tough.

Now, lower asking prices don’t mean every home is suddenly within your range. But they do show buyers are gaining a little ground.

And in today’s market, a little ground can go a long way. 

What That Means for the Housing Market

And just in case this crossed your mind, this is good news for your move, not bad news for the market as a whole.

The subtle dip from last May to this one shows prices are easing, but they’re not dropping off a cliff. What this is actually a sign of is that the market’s rebalancing now that the number of homes for sale has grown.

Buyers have a bit more power again, and sellers know they can’t name just any price and expect their house to sell. They either meet the market where it is, or face a price cut later. And in general, sellers would rather avoid a price cut. As the New York Post explains:

“Rather than swinging for the fences with pandemic-era price tags, sellers are increasingly coming to terms with a new reality. The share of listings featuring price cuts actually fell to 17.5% in May, suggesting homeowners are doing their homework before putting up a “For Sale” sign instead of chasing unrealistic numbers and cutting later.“

This signals a broader change in the market.

Seller expectations have been skewed a little high since the pandemic buying frenzy – you’ve probably felt that firsthand. But now, things are starting to normalize. It could mean less back-and-forth to land on a fair number. And homes should be priced a bit more realistically from the start.

Bottom Line

If affordability has been your top concern, the recent dip in prices is an opening. Connect with a local real estate agent to see what that looks like in your area.

If the housing market feels confusing right now, you’re not alone.

Mortgage rates have risen. Home sales haven’t picked up like expected. And many buyers and sellers are wondering when things are going to feel easier or be more affordable.

The truth is: a lot changed over the first half of this year.

Back at the end of 2025, economists were forecasting a much stronger housing market for 2026. They expected mortgage rates to come down, affordability to improve more dramatically, and home sales to rebound.

But lingering inflation, economic uncertainty, and growing geopolitical tensions overseas pushed mortgage rates higher than expected. And because rates stayed elevated for longer, many buyers continued to hold off.

That’s why experts recently revised their housing forecasts for the rest of the year (see graph below):

So, what does this actually mean for you? Let’s break it down.

Mortgage Rates May Remain Elevated

While just about everyone wants mortgage rates to go back to the uppers 5s or low 6s we saw at the start of the year, as of right now, the experts don’t think that’s likely to happen this year.

Instead, forecasts have been updated from the low 6s they originally projected. Many industry organizations are saying rates will stay in roughly the mid 6s this year. The good news is, that’s still lower than rates were a year ago.

Of course, this is based on what we know today. If the conflict overseas comes to an end or inflation drops, this could change. But if you’re waiting for lower rates, it may not pay off in the way you expect.

Existing Home Sales Revised Lower

Back in late 2025, experts expected we’d sell an average of 4.5 million homes this year. Now? That’s dropped down a bit to 4.2 million.

That tells us something important: buyers are still hesitant because affordability remains challenging.

Higher mortgage rates have made monthly payments harder to manage, especially for first-time buyers. And that’s slowed the pace of the market compared to what was originally expected. But even though the forecast was revised down, we’re still expected to sell more homes than last year. 

Once geopolitical tensions resolve and rates begin to settle down, many experts believe that group of buyers will be ready to jump back in. As Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at NAR, explains:

“There is sizable pent-up demand that could be released into the market.”

There has already been a few glimmers of renewed hope lately. In recent months, pending homes sale have been improving month-over-month despite higher rates.

So, if you’re able to afford a home at today’s rates, it could still make sense to buy now. Because otherwise, if you wait, you’ll have more competition (and potentially fewer homes to choose from) when those others buyers jump back in.

New Home Sales Also Slowed

Builders also expected to have a stronger year. Earlier forecasts projected new home sales would top 700k in 2026. Now, economists expect we’ll be just shy of that number.

Again, mortgage rates are a major reason why.

But the upside for buyers is that builders may be even more motivated to sell. That means builder incentives, negotiation opportunities, and pricing flexibility may continue in many markets. So, if you live somewhere where there’s more new construction, this may actually be a bright spot for you.

Builders could be more ready to negotiate, and that gives you more leverage to get a better deal.

Home Prices Are Still Expected To Rise

This is one of the most important takeaways from the entire forecast. Even though sales activity is slower, on average, experts did not revise their home price forecast downward.

They still expect prices to rise nationally this year.

Why? Because while buyer demand has softened, the number of homes for sale is still relatively limited overall. That imbalance is helping support prices, even in a slower market.

Of course, conditions vary depending on where you live. Some markets are cooling more than others. But nationally, experts are still projecting steady price growth — not a major decline. And that should be a comfort whether you’re buying or selling.

Because sellers don’t want a major drop in prices. And while buyers may think they do, generally you feel better about a big purchase when it doesn’t depreciate right away.

Bottom Line

The housing market hasn’t rebounded as quickly as experts originally hoped. But that doesn’t mean it’s stalled.

Higher inflation and lingering economic uncertainty caused economists to revise their forecasts for this year. But importantly, when those two things settle down, many experts believe the market will regain its momentum.

So don’t see this revision in forecasts as a sign of trouble. See it as a temporary reaction to overall conditions and uncertainty.

If you want to know what’s happening in your local market, and what it could mean for your plans for the rest of this year, talk to a local agent.