WORDS I LIKE — You can’t predict markets — only structure.
You assume the holidays are a bad time to buy.
Everyone waits for a fresh start in January.
But sellers step back this time of year too.
Active listings typically start thinning out through the fourth quarter.
That gap is where buyers who keep looking get the edge.
The Number That Actually Matters.
Here’s the pattern. Sellers typically slow down in the fall. Some pull their homes for the holidays and wait for spring. Many buyers wait too, for a fresh start after the New Year.
DMAR’s latest report puts Denver at 13,567 active listings and 4.76 months of supply, as of September. That’s enough to take nearly five months to sell everything on the market at today’s pace.
Amanda Snitker chairs DMAR’s Market Trends Committee. In DMAR's October report, she put it plainly: buyers who stay active face less competition than at any other time of year.
Less competition matters more this year. Rates climbed to about 7.5% in September, per Mortgage News Daily. Snitker says buydowns, seller-paid concessions and adjustable-rate loans are all on the negotiating table right now.
A seller with fewer buyers to choose from is more open to those terms. That’s where a quiet season turns into a lower payment.
THIS WEEK'S TAKEAWAY
Fewer buyers shop between now and January. The ones who keep looking get the leverage.
FREE GUIDE — Denver Buyer’s Market Playbook
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📍 Mile High Housing Brief
I’ve started sharing a short snapshot of what’s happening in the Denver housing market — inventory trends, pricing shifts, and what they may mean for buyers and homeowners.
Here’s what the latest signal looks like in Denver:
PS
If you want to know whether waiting until January would actually cost you selection, just reply “window.”
No spam. No sales pitches. Just clarity.
— Neil Christiansen, Certified Mortgage Advisor
