If you’re looking to buy a home, the market may still look tough out there. But realtors say the scale may be tipping back to a buyers market soon.

Buying a home these days, in this current housing market, is not for the faint of heart. 

“It’s harder for buyers right now because there’s not as many homes on the market,” Cliff Lewis, President of Greater Lehigh Valley REALTORS, said.

That’s good news for sellers, and bad news for buyers.

“The number of homes hitting the market is nearing a record low as far as new inventory,” Lewis said.

Words like lower inventory may not sound promising to a potential buyer. But experts say it’s a sign things should start to look up soon.

According to the association, sellers are receiving 99.6 percent of what they’re asking for.

But Lewis says the number of people getting into homes has continued to increase for the last three months — and prices have fallen by half a percent.

That small drop shows “that we’re close to the bottom of a full buyers’ cycle,” Lewis said.

And when buyers hit the bottom, the only way to go is up.

“And we’re starting to get, starting to go the other direction towards a balanced market,” Lewis said.

While Lewis says there should be more affordable housing in the Lehigh Valley, any additions the area makes to housing — from affordable to market rate to luxury — can help move conditions back to a buyers’ market.

“The easiest way to get affordable housing is for local municipalities to allow developers and builders the chance to build newer units,” he said. “And while those won’t be affordable, what those would do is those would put pressure on the existing units, driving those prices down.”

And while Lewis does think — and hope — the market will loosen up for buyers soon, he says if you’re looking, your best bet is to just buy now.

“I can tell you historically, waiting to buy is never a good decision,” he said. “You’re better off buying now and even if the prices go up or down three or five percent, in the long term, one of the best investments you can make.”