Even with a high-rate environment that is not budging, some conditions are set to become more favorable for homebuyers in coming weeks.

Realtor.com's 2026 Best Time to Buy Report showed a period between late September and early October is the most advantageous time to purchase a home in most of the 50 largest metropolitan areas, driven by more inventory, lower listing prices, reduced competition and a more manageable market pace. 

The report also emphasized that homebuyers who are preapproved have the best opportunity to take advantage of late-year discounts, giving lenders an opportunity to roll out marketing around this.

"The right choice depends on a buyer's budget, timeline and local market, but preparation, including understanding a realistic monthly payment and getting preapproved, will be especially valuable this fall," said Hannah Jones, senior economist at Realtor.com, in a press release.

Buyers may find up to 31.9% more active listings than at the start of the year during the best week, Sept. 27-Oct. 3, while listing prices are projected to be 3.5% below their seasonal peak, which could translate to roughly $14,000 in savings on a median-priced home of about $416,000. Competition is historically 30.1% below its annual peak as well.

"Home shoppers heading into fall will find an opportunity that has been hard to come by in recent years: more choices and less urgency," Jones said. "With mortgage rates still elevated above year-ago levels, and offering buyers little relief on the financing side, this fall window is a clear opportunity for buyers to make up some ground elsewhere." 

The housing market entered the year on firm footing, with the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dipping below 6%, but the Iran war and other macroeconomic struggles pushed the 30-year rate to 6.76% last week, the highest mark in more than a year, according to Freddie Mac. 

As a result, there has been little demand throughout the year, as there were an estimated 51.3% more home sellers than buyers in the market in July, just short of December's peak of 51.8%, Redfin found. 

This generally leaves room for more negotiation, and buyers could have a particular advantage as fall gets underway and 5.7% of homes typically see price reductions, according to the Realtor.com report.

While Sept. 27-Oct. 3 is the sweet spot for many regions, the best week varies by metro and starts as early as Sept. 20 for some cities, like New York and Milwaukee. It can be as late as Nov. 29 for others, such as Miami.

"Buyers should use this window strategically rather than treating one week as a deadline," Jones said. "Shopping earlier in the fall may provide the broadest selection of fresh listings, while waiting later in the season may bring additional price flexibility."