The Week In Review: October 13th, 2026

Cleared for Landing?

Buyers are looking. They are browsing online, scheduling showings and returning for second visits. But the distance between “We love this house” and “We are ready to make an offer” seems to be growing.

Their requirements get longer. Their questions become more detailed. There is always one more thing to consider.

On some listings, it feels like watching airplanes circle Newark Airport. Plenty of interest. Everyone waiting to land.

The broader Washington-area figures reflect that hesitation. During the week ending October 4, contracts fell 19.7% from the previous week, median days on market increased from 35 to 50, and the share of active listings with a price reduction rose from 7.1% to 8.1%. These figures are consistent with the caution I am seeing firsthand.

Meanwhile, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate reached 7.40% on October 8, compared with 6.30% a year earlier, adding meaningfully to the calculation for buyers financing a purchase.

My read? Exceptional houses can still command exceptional prices. But buyers need a compelling reason to stop circling.

For sellers, that means disciplined pricing and impeccable presentation. A short period of private marketing can provide useful feedback before an MLS launch. What are serious buyers comparing your home with? What gives them pause? At what price does interest become action? That feedback, alongside comparable sales, establishes a stronger public launch price.

For buyers ready and financially comfortable to act, the hesitation creates an opening. Less competition can mean more time for due diligence. But having time is different from having unlimited time. A scarce property can attract a decisive buyer while everyone else is still deliberating.

Warren Buffett’s familiar advice comes to mind:

“Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful.”

For buyers, the useful lesson is to evaluate a property independently of the crowd’s mood. Consider its enduring advantages: an exceptional location, an unusually generous lot, protected views, distinguished architecture or historic provenance. Those intrinsic values endure regardless of mortgage rates.

For sellers, the assignment is to give buyers a reason to land. For buyers, it is to recognize when the right runway is in front of them.