Nationwide trends point to Oct. 12-18 as the best week to buy a home in 2025, a Realtor.com analysis found, but mortgage rates are still a wildcard.

Key points:Supply tends to peak in early autumn, while competition eases, providing buyers with more opportunities.Sale prices can be as much as $15,000 less in mid-October compared to the summer high.Areas with a larger share of mortgaged homes, such as the West, could see more home-selling activity as the rate-lock effect eases.

Buyers looking for a deal should ramp up their home search: Prime buying conditions are just two weeks away, according to a Realtor.com report.

Historically, early fall is when buyers can benefit from higher inventory, lower prices and fewer competitors, and 2025 is no exception. As the market pace has slowed, mid-October should give buyers time to explore their options — and find sellers who are more willing to compromise. 

But mortgage rates — a factor not included in the nationwide “best week to buy” analysis since rates don’t follow seasonal patterns — also play an important role. Homeowners are more likely to sell if rates are near or below the rate of their existing mortgage, which is currently under 6% for most homes. With rates predicted to fall, this could mean an activity boost in areas that have a higher share of homes with mortgages.

It’s a buyer-friendly market …

The predicted best week to buy — October 12-18 — could have nearly 15% more active listings and lower buyer demand than the average week, according to the report. Market pace, or the number of days on the market, is expected to be about two weeks slower than May’s high of 50 days, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.

Buyers will also likely have more and “fresher” options — new listings tend to peak in early fall — and could save about $15,000 compared to this year’s sale price high point. But those who care more about price than inventory may want to hold off until closer to the holidays. 

The best week can vary slightly by region, the report notes, but in most large metros, the optimal time to buy falls in September or October. The early birds include New York City and Philadelphia, whose September sweet spot has already passed, closely followed by Chicago, Atlanta and Dallas. Houston, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., align with mid-October, while West Coast cities including San Jose, Portland and Seattle peak later in the month. The best weeks in Miami and Tampa can come as late as December.

While it’s not yet a true buyers market, would-be buyers have more breathing room than they’ve had in years. Inventory is more balanced nationwide, as elevated mortgage rates and affordability challenges have slowed sales. Considering supply alone, it’s the most buyer-friendly market in nearly a decade, the report noted. 

… but keep an eye on mortgage rates 

Regionally, the West and South — including metros like Austin that saw a pandemic-era boom — are leaning more buyer-friendly due to raised inventory. Meanwhile, the Midwest and Northeast are more seller-friendly compared to the national market, according to the best wWeek report. 

While the West and South both favor buyers, a separate report from Realtor.com found that the share of homes with mortgages is much higher in the West (64.3%) than the South (57.5%), which has the lowest share of the four U.S. regions analyzed. 

Areas with a higher share of mortgaged homes are typically more sensitive to rate changes, according to the report, as homeowners who feel “locked in” to their lower rate will be more likely to sell if rates fall. 

Roughly 80% of mortgages still have rates at or below 6% — but that represents a significant decline compared to 2022, when nearly 93% of mortgages were sub-6%. In fact, the share of mortgages with a rate above 6% is the highest it’s been since 2015, Redfin reported. 

Go West, young buyer 

What does that mean for home sales? If mortgage rates continue to ease, the West could see more activity than other regions. Fannie Mae forecasters currently expect rates to be sitting around 6.4% by the end of 2025, dropping to 5.9% by the end of 2026.  

In metros like Seattle and Portland, where the best week comes a bit later than the national average, buyers could gain a further price advantage if mortgage rates trend downward over the coming weeks.