🚫 Stop Calling It a Buyer’s Market — Connecticut, We’re Not There (Yet)

Neil Caron
Aug 4
3 min read

📅 August 4, 2025 | 🏡 Market Watch | Presented by ReadySetLoan™

📣 Social feeds are buzzing with agents declaring “Buyer’s market!” — but the data (and on-the-ground reality in Connecticut) say otherwise. In a fresh Inman interview, California Association of Realtors chief economist Jordan Levine makes it plain: we haven’t crossed the threshold that gives buyers true leverage.

📉 Nationally, inventory is ticking up and sales slipped 2.7% from May to June — but prices remain near record highs and mortgage rates are still elevated. That combo is cooling demand without flipping the script to buyers.

📦 Bottom line: months of supply isn’t high enough, and sellers still hold key cards — even if their grip is loosening.

📊 What “Buyer’s Market” Actually Means (and why we’re not there)

🔹 📦 Inventory levels: A real buyer’s market = 6+ months of housing supply. Most Connecticut towns are still below that threshold.

🔹 💰 Home prices: The median U.S. home price hit a record $435,300 in June — hardly a clearance sale.

🔹 📈 Rates: Mortgage rates above 6.5% are keeping demand soft — but also discouraging new listings from sellers locked into lower rates.

🔹 📉 Price cuts ≠ crash: More sellers are trimming prices, but it’s correction, not collapse.

🐷 RSL Piggy Points™ (What CT buyers & sellers should do right now)

🛍️ Buyers:

🎯 Be strategic, not emotional — more inventory means more opportunity, not guaranteed steals.
📉 Plan around rates — buy now, refinance later could still work in your favor.
💬 Ask about buydowns & assumables — they’re back, and we’ll help you use them at ReadySetLoan™.

🏠 Sellers:

🧮 Price for today’s market — not last summer’s comps.
🎁 Use smart incentives — rate buydowns or credits are powerful tools.
🕵️‍♂️ Track supply in your town — as months of inventory rises, so must your strategy.

🎙️ Neil’s Take

“Calling this a buyer’s market confuses consumers and sets the wrong expectations. In Connecticut, we’re in a negotiable market — not a buyer-dominated one. If you’re a buyer, focus on payment engineering (rate buydowns, assumables, ARMs where appropriate). If you’re a seller, win with precision pricing and smart concessions — not denial. And as always, let ReadySetLoan™ be your data-driven guide through the noise.” — Neil Caron, Area Sales Manager, CMG Mortgage

🔭 What to Watch Next

🔍 Mortgage rates creeping toward (or away from) 6% — the "magic number" for many buyers.

📈 CT inventory levels — if your area hits 6+ months of supply, the landscape shifts quickly.

📉 Price reductions — don’t confuse discounts with dominance.

📌 CT Real Estate Action Plan

🛍️ For Buyers:

✅ Get fully underwritten (not just prequal) — it’s your fast-pass to a winning offer.
🧮 Model your payments — we’ll show you scenarios at today’s rate and potential refi later.
🔎 Target longer DOM listings — more likely to come with concessions.

🏠 For Sellers:

💡 Price smart, not high — the market is watching, and buyers are pickier.
🎁 Lead with value — consider offering closing cost credits before dropping price.
📊 Track your town’s supply weekly — your leverage lives (and dies) there.