• Eleven of the 20 "hottest" markets in the country are in California.
  • Frustrated buyers who have not been able to find a home so far remain active, supporting continued strength in sales across much of Northern and Southern California.
  • Other top markets outside of California included Dallas-Fort Worth (2) and Denver (3).

Overall, the housing market has transitioned into a buyer’s market; however, there are 20 “hot” markets where the seasonal slowdown has not been as strong in September, according to realtor.com.

Eleven of these 20 markets are in California, with metros in Michigan and Texas accounting for a combined five hot locales.

realtordotcom-september-look

Hotness was determined by realtor.com based on number of views per listing on its site and the median age of inventory in each market.

Hot California markets include:

  • San Francisco (1)
  • Vallejo-Fairfield (4)
  • San Jose (5)
  • San Diego (6)
  • Santa Rosa (7)
  • Sacramento (8)
  • Santa Cruz (9)
  • Yuba City (10)
  • Stockton (12)
  • Los Angeles (13)
  • Modesto (18)

The cities typically include satellite metros — for example, the San Francisco market also includes Oakland and Hayward.

Realtor.com points to the state’s continued tight supply and turbo charged economy as reasons for its domination of the list. Additionally, frustrated buyers who have not been able to find a home so far remain active, supporting continued strength in sales across much of Northern and Southern California.

Other top markets outside of California included Dallas-Fort Worth (2) and Denver (3).

Midland (11) and Austin (19) represent other “hot” Texas markets.

Seasonality has apparently yet to affect Michigan, as Detroit (16) and Ann Arbor (17) both made the list.

“Sellers across all these markets continue to see listings move much more quickly than the rest of the country,” said Jonathan Smoke, Chief Economist for realtor.com.

Fort Wayne, Indiana and Modesto represented markets new to the hotness list in September. Yuba City and Nashville saw the biggest month-to-month jumps, with Yuba moving seven spots to 10th. Nashville moved from the 20th spot to the 15th.

“Buyers who are open to a fall or winter purchase should find some relief with lower prices.” – Jonathan Smoke, Chief Economist, realtor.com

Overall, listing inventory on realtor.com peaked in September and listings are now staying on the market longer. The median age of inventory sits at 80 days, which is up 6.7 percent from August. In September, median list price has also decreased 1 percent from August to $230,000.

“The spring and summer homebuying seasons were especially tough on potential buyers this year with increasing prices and limited supply,” Smoke said. “Buyers who are open to a fall or winter purchase should find some relief with lower prices and less competition.”

Email Erik Pisor.

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
Only 3 days left to register for Inman Connect Las Vegas before prices go up! Don't miss the premier event for real estate pros.Register Now ×
Limited Time Offer: Get 1 year of Inman Select for $199SUBSCRIBE×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×