Is It a Good Time to Buy a House?

In the winter off-season, buyers have less competition — but it’s still technically a sellers’ market, and high prices remain a challenge.

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Updated · 6 min read
Profile photo of Abby Badach Doyle
Written by Abby Badach Doyle
Lead Writer
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Edited by Johanna Arnone
Assigning Editor
Nerdy takeaways
  • The median existing-home sales price hit $404,400 in December — up 6% over the previous year, but slightly lower than November’s median price of $406,100.

  • Houses for sale are staying on the market longer compared to a year ago.

  • If you’re ready for homeownership and stick to your budget, it’s possible to buy in any market.

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to reflect the outcome of a legal settlement involving commissions paid to real estate agents representing home buyers. Starting in August 2024, home buyers in most markets must sign agreements with their agents before touring homes, and buyers will set their agents' commissions through negotiation. See how this will affect home sellers and home buyers.

If you're wondering if now is a good time to buy a house, ask this instead: Is it a good time in my life to buy a house?

Housing market trends give important context, so we’ll look at those numbers here. But ultimately, whether this is a good time to buy a house depends on your financial situation, life goals and readiness to become a homeowner.

Let’s explore both aspects of the homebuying journey: the housing market and your own readiness to buy a home.

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How’s the housing market right now?

These are some factors affecting buyers in today's market.

Mortgage rates: Stubbornly high

The interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.94% annual percentage rate (APR) for the week ending Jan. 23, down 12 basis points from last week and up 30 basis points from a year ago, according to rates provided to NerdWallet by Zillow. A basis point is one one-hundredth of 1%.

Average weekly mortgage rates

Mortgage type

APR

30-year fixed mortgage

6.94%

15-year fixed mortgage

6.08%

5-year adjustable

7.29%

Averages are for the week ending Jan. 23, 2025, according to rates provided to NerdWallet by Zillow.

Whether today’s rates feel high or low depends on how long you’ve been house hunting. In the short term view, recent rates might sting: The 30-year mortgage rate dropped to a monthly average of 6.07% in September and has remained higher in the weeks since. But if you’ve been house hunting for a year or so, that very same rate could feel like a relief: Buyers are still better off today than when the 30-year mortgage rate peaked at 8% in October 2023, or even when rates surpassed 7% in May 2024.

Did you know...

Higher rates shrink buying power because they make home loans more expensive. For example: Let’s say you make a 20% down payment on a $350,000 house. With a 6.8% mortgage rate, your monthly payment would be $1,825 (not including home insurance and property taxes). With a 5% mortgage rate, the monthly payment would be $1,503 — $322 lower.

You can't influence average rates, so focus on the things you can control:

  • Shop around for the best deal. Especially given today's higher rates, buyers can save $600 to $1,200 per year by applying for loans from multiple mortgage lenders, according to a February 2023 study by Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored entity that buys conforming loans from mortgage lenders.

  • Make sure you can afford the monthly mortgage payment. A home affordability calculator can help you crunch the numbers.

  • Lock in your rate. After getting approved for a home loan, consider locking in the mortgage rate until the loan closes to protect against further rate increases.

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Inflation and the economy: The Fed lowers the federal funds rate again

The Federal Reserve, the nation’s central bank, guides the economy with two goals: encouraging job growth and keeping inflation under control. The Fed doesn’t directly set mortgage rates. However, it does set the federal funds rate, which influences interest rates for loans including mortgages.

On Dec. 18, the Fed announced a 25-basis-point cut to the federal funds rate — an optimistic move, despite rising inflation over the past two months. This follows two rounds of cuts at its previous meetings on Sept. 18 and Nov. 7. We’ll find out the Fed’s next move after its next meeting, Jan. 28-29, 2024.

Supply of homes for sale: More demand than inventory

An even-keeled real estate market has about six months’ worth of available inventory. Unsold inventory was roughly half that amount at 3.3 months in December 2024, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). While this is a bit higher than the 3.1 months’ supply in December 2023, it’s down from November’s supply of 3.8 months. However, a slow pace is somewhat expected with the holiday season.

"Home sales during the winter are typically softer than the spring and summer, but momentum is rising with sales climbing year-over-year for three straight months. Consumers clearly understand the long-term benefits of homeownership,” said NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun in a release on January 24, 2025.

As of the end of December, there were 1.15 million homes available for purchase.

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Home sales and prices: On the rise

To get a snapshot of the current market, let’s look at two important data points: How many homes are changing hands, and what they’re selling for.

Sales of existing homes soared year-over-year, growing 9.3% from December 2023. This was the largest annual gain since June 2021, when rates were ultra-low. This could indicate that buyers are coming to terms with rates as they are, and those who can afford to get into the market now are feeling less inclined to hold out for an unrealistic drop.

“Job and wage gains, along with increased inventory, are positively impacting the market,” said Yun.

Year-over-year sales grew across every region of the country in December. On a monthly basis, sales accelerated in every regional market except the Midwest.

The share of home purchases by first-time homebuyers also grew to 31% in December 2024, up from 30% in November 2024 and 29% in December 2023.

Meanwhile, home prices stumbled slightly from November, dropping from $406,100 to $404,400 in December. This is still 6% higher than last year, when the median existing home sale was $381,400. All four U.S. regions — Midwest, Northeast, South and West — saw year-over-year price increases in December. Here's a regional look at median prices and year-over-year price changes:

  • Midwest: $298,600, up 9%.

  • Northeast: $478,900, up 11.8%.

  • South: $361,800, up 3.4%.

  • West: $614,500, up 6%.

Don’t be entirely scared off by these numbers. According to Lawrence Yun, growth in high-end property sales has contributed to the rising median sale price. “Sales rose by 35% from a year ago for homes priced above $1 million, while sales fell for homes priced under $250,000.”

🤓Nerdy Tip

When prices are high, your goal is to make a competitive offer without overpaying. A good real estate agent can help you understand home values in your area. Read more advice on how to compete in a hot housing market.

Competition: Flattening

An increase in home sales doesn’t necessarily mean that the market has become more competitive for the average buyer. The December 2024 Realtors Confidence Index, a survey of the NAR’s members, highlights these key market indicators year over year:

  • Bidding wars aren’t the norm. A home listed for sale received an average 2.1 offers in December, flat from November and down from 2.4 in December 2023. For context: In the era of hot bidding wars in 2021 and 2022, the average was around five offers per home.

  • Few homes are selling above list price. In December, 16% of homes sold above listing price, the same as last year and down from 18% in November.

Homes are staying on the market longer. Houses stayed on the market for a median 35 days in December, up from 32 days in November and 29 days in December 2023.

Overall, though, demand still outpaces supply. This is hardly a mellow market: Good homes sell quickly, and buyers should still expect competition out there. If you’re ready to buy, get a mortgage preapproval so you’re prepared to make a strong offer. Once mortgage rates drop, competition will only go up. There’s no time like the present to start shopping.

Homebuying readiness: Should I buy a house now or wait?

Ask yourself these questions to explore whether you're ready to buy a home.

Are you prepared to put down roots?

Think about your life goals, relationships and interests. How long can you see yourself living in this location?

Ideally, you'd want to remain in the home long enough for rising property values and your equity to exceed the costs of buying and selling, including real estate commissions and mortgage closing costs. That will typically take several years.

You could also be subject to capital gains taxes if the home appreciates in value and you sell it after less than two years.

How's your job security?

A mortgage is a big commitment and can become a stressful burden after a job loss, so it's not a good time to buy a home if you think you'll get laid off.

Wait until your employment is stable before thinking about buying a house.

Are you financially prepared?

Here are the three main ingredients to evaluate.

Savings

You'll need money for a down payment and mortgage closing costs as well as for moving and other expenses after you buy the home. The down payment requirements vary by the type of mortgage and the lender. The more you put down, the lower your monthly mortgage payment.

The typical down payment for first-time buyers is 9% and for repeat buyers is 18%, according to an NAR survey of home buyers who purchased a primary residence from July 2023 through June 2024.

Credit

Lenders generally offer the best mortgage rates and terms to borrowers with credit scores of 740 and above, although you can qualify for a mortgage with a score in the 600s. The options are much slimmer, and loan costs can be higher for borrowers with a score in the 500s.

If your credit is marginal, it might make sense to postpone buying a house and use the time to work on building your credit.

The average FICO credit score for closed mortgage loans to purchase homes in the past 30 days was 736, according to mortgage data provider ICE Mortgage Technology.

Debt

Lenders look at your debt-to-income ratio (DTI) to help determine whether you qualify for a mortgage. Your DTI is the percentage of your monthly gross income that goes toward monthly debt payments, including housing costs, as well as car, student loan, credit card and other debt obligations. Lenders like to see a DTI under 36%, although it's possible to qualify with a higher ratio. The lower your DTI, the better your chances of qualifying for a mortgage and getting offered the lowest available rate.

The average DTI for purchase mortgages in the past 30 days was 40%, according to ICE Mortgage Technology.

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