Sierra Nevada Realtors shared this year’s third-quarter real estate market report and reported that many counties are showing a rise in closed sales compared to last year.
Five out of six of the counties they gather data from have not only sold more homes but also have them on the market for fewer days.
Experts said it's important to collect this data so that the public can learn and see for themselves where the market is with a better understanding.
Garrett Lepire, the 2026 President of Sierra Nevada Realtors, told us, "The stats that we report out every quarter, they include single-family homes. So, your regular stick-built single-family home. They also include condo townhomes, and they include manufactured homes because all of those are residential types of housing. We report all of those housing types together to give a truer picture of what's happening in the residential market."
They tell us they hope people can look at these reports and have a better understanding of how the market can fluctuate, but also have the knowledge to see where the data is coming from.
Lepire also said, "It allows the consumer, especially when you have a central marketplace like the MLS, where all that data goes into. I can sit here and rattle off these numbers, but you as the consumer can check that and go, hey, how come this number wasn't reported or how come it was reported like this?"
Experts say the best way to start house hunting is by connecting with a realtor.
They say realtors will have a better idea of how to guide you to find what works best for you with what you're wanting.
"I think the best place to start is by talking to a local realtor. There are so many different financing options that are out there. There are down payment assistance programs. There are ways to get the seller to help you buy down your interest rates or your payments a little bit better. There's lots of different creative ways that we can make a deal happen," said Lepire.
They share how the cost to buy can be overwhelming but say purchasing a home will benefit you in the long run.
"If I go and pay $3,000 a month to my landlord, I'm never getting that money back, but if I pay $3,000 a month in a mortgage payment, I am going to get that money back. I am buying into building that equity in my home because I'm paying down my loan amount, and ideally, hopefully, there's no guarantee that the price that I paid for it is going to go up as well. And I'm making money from the appreciation," said Lepire.
Experts tell us there really isn't a perfect time for buying, saying it all comes down to when it feels right for you and makes sense for your situation.
