Bidding wars eased in September dropping to a 2021 low: Massachusetts Homebuyers Homeownership

 There’s good news for prospective homebuyers — for the first time during this year’s most competitive real estate market in history, the bidding-war rate has fallen to a 2021 low. According to a recent Redfin report, 58.9 percent of September home offers faced competition, the lowest level in nine months, coming on the heels of the market showing signs of a seasonal slowdown and as mortgage rates began to rise. September was the fifth consecutive month of declines. In August 60.8 Percent faced a bidding war, down from April’s 74.3 percent peak.

Raleigh had the highest bidding war rate at 73.9 percent. Boston, Ma- came in at No. 2 where the share of Redfin offers facing bidding wars last month was 71.7 percent compared to 67.2 percent in August and 57.2 percent in September 2020. That was followed by Indianapolis at 71.4 percent, Sacramento at 70.5 percent and San Diego at 70.3 percent.

In a year where local agents pulled out all the stops to help their clients win bidding wars, housing competition has started to ease, yet homes are still selling faster than usual for this time of year. “It’s typical to see a decline in competition as families head back to school and the weather cools down,” Taylor Marr, Redfin deputy chief economist Taylor Marr said in a press release.

“Buyers also aren’t having to offer as much above the asking price as they were in the spring when competition in the housing market was peaking. As mortgage rates continue to rise, we can expect bidding wars to keep slowing.”
Housing inventory continued to remain low last month, the report found, as new listings fell 9 percent from 2020 and homes sold in 18 days, more than a week faster than they did a year prior. 

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