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Buying a house? Here are 10 cities with the biggest increase in homes for sale


No more split-second decisions. No more competing with a dozen or more different offers. This year, it’s a more homebuyer-friendly market, thanks to increases in options.

The number of homes on the market rose by 73,000 – or 6 percent – from the same time last year, according to Realtor.com. This has led to more price cuts in 39 of the 50 largest U.S. markets. The inventory build-up skews toward higher-priced homes, so first-time buyers seeking entry-level homes may run into more competition.

“Homes are still selling but definitely not at the pace as before, especially in markets that had been super-hot,” says Danielle Hale, chief economist of Realtor.com. “Many buyers will have more options for homes to buy, but it will still be a quick-moving market.”

Here’s where the number of for-sale homes is rising the fastest, based on February data from Realtor.com.

Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, Colorado

Number of homes on the market: 11,270

Year-over-year growth: 155 percent

Median list price: $462,025

Year-over-year change: -14.9 percent

“All appreciation we saw last year has disappeared. Price-wise, we’re where we were in November 2017,” says Dan Gerlock, a Coldwell Banker real estate agent. “Don’t be afraid to put in a low-ball offer.”

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California

Number of homes on the market: 1,520

Year-over-year growth: 124.8 percent

Median list price: $1,079,800

Year-over-year change: -10 percent

“Starting in September, it seemed like homes were on the market longer and people had to do price reductions,” says Alexandra Stein, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker. “Inventory is on the rise, but it’s not quality. It’s a good opportunity for investors in high-end areas.”

Watertown-Fort Drum, New York

Number of homes on the market: 1,465

Year-over-year growth: 86.3 percent

Median list price: $159,950

Year-over-year change: 8.7 percent

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Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Washington

Number of homes on the market: 5,796

Year-over-year growth: 85.2 percent

Median list price: $592,045

Year-over-year change: 12.2 percent

“We will finally see more high rises coming on the market in the mid to upper price range as well as luxury towers,” says Jennifer Johnsen Cameron, a vice president with Coldwell Banker Bain in Bellevue.

Boulder, Colorado

Number of homes on the market: 1,570

Year-over-year growth: 55.1 percent

Median list price: $595,000

Year-over-year change: -6.8 percent

Lynchburg, Virginia

Number of homes on the market: 2,135

Year-over-year growth: 53.3 percent

Median list price: $139,950

Year-over-year change: -38.4 percent

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, California

Number of homes on the market: 4,754

Year-over-year growth: 52.8 percent

Median list price: $890,050

Year-over-year change: -1 percent

“What will be interesting this year is May, when ramifications of the new tax law will have sunk in for the new buyers,” says Joel Goodrich, a Coldwell Banker agent in San Francisco. ”May will tell the tale of this year.”

Vallejo-Fairfield, California

Number of homes on the market: 893

Year-over-year growth: 51.4 percent

Median list price: $454,050

Year-over-year change: -1.1 percent

Provo-Orem, Utah

Number of homes on the market: 2,180

Year-over-year growth: 50 percent

Median list price: $380,022

Year-over-year change: 2.7 percent

Colorado Springs, Colorado

Number of homes on the market: 2,124

Year-over-year growth: 48 percent

Median list price: $384,950

Year-over-year change: -4.4 percent