The best time to buy a home in 2026 is right around the corner. According to the Realtor.com® 2026 Best Time to Buy Report, the week of September 27–October 3 offers home shoppers the most favorable balance of inventory, lower listing prices, reduced competition and a more manageable market pace. In Arizona, the best week to buy a home is November 1-November 7.
During the Best Week, buyers may find up to 31.9% more active listings than at the start of the year. 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, measured by Realtor.com listing views per property, is historically 30.1% below its annual peak during this week.
“Home shoppers heading into fall will find an opportunity that has been hard to come by in recent years: more choices and less urgency. 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,” said Hannah Jones, senior economist, Realtor.com®. “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. “…