Next year, everyone will be talking about how mortgage rates in the 7s or 8s will be causing a lack of affordability, but I have bad news for those who still want to buy.

There probably won’t be many homes for sale.

It will only take one or two headlines about the real estate market being crushed by high rates to cause potential sellers to pack it in until “the market gets better”.

Look how few sellers came to market last month:

NSDCC Detached-Home Listings, October

Before last year, the lowest October-listings count over the last twenty years was 312 in 2012, and back in the golden years of real estate, there were 452 October listings in 2001, and 510 in 2002!

510 vs. 174?

Yikes!

Hopefully, those who do list their homes for sale next year will be highly motivated, and, lucky for them, having so few competitors will cause their list prices to stay elevated.

Don’t be surprised if the 2023 spring selling season ends up being the Greatest Standoff Ever!