Right now the market feels like it’s on pause. Buyers are holding out for lower rates, sellers are waiting for “better conditions,” and almost every expired listing plans to relist in the spring. The assumption is that waiting will eventually tip the market in their favor, but the actual market behavior tells a very different story

Table of Contents

• The National Picture: A Pullback in Confidence

• What We’re Seeing in Shasta County

• What This Means for Buyers

• What This Means for Sellers

• Bottom Line

• So what does all this mean?

• Want clarity on your situation?

The National Picture: A Pullback in Confidence

This is what’s happening nationally: delistings have climbed to a decade high.

Not because homes are bad — people are just unsure, overwhelmed, or tired.

• Confidence is low.

• Movement is low.

• But fundamentals haven’t blown up.

This is what a hesitation market looks like.

What We’re Seeing in Shasta County

Locally, the same pattern is playing out.

Failed listings have been rising again, and many homeowners who pulled their listings are planning to return in spring.

When a handful of people wait, it can help them.

When everyone waits, spring becomes crowded — more listings, more competition, and less visibility for any single home.

The current slowdown isn’t caused by weak demand or collapsing values.

It’s caused by hesitation.

What This Means for Buyers

Buyers today have three advantages they won’t have if rates dip:

• Less competition

• More negotiating power

• More sellers willing to offer credits or concessions

Waiting may bring more inventory, but it also brings more buyers.

And buyers — not listings — are what fuel bidding wars.

What This Means for Sellers

For sellers who need to move, spring may not be the magic solution people expect.

• More listings at once create more competition

• Buyers spread their attention across more homes

• Your home risks blending in instead of standing out

Right now, the quieter season gives sellers something valuable:

a chance to stand out with less noise in the market.

Bottom Line

Everyone is waiting for something — lower rates, the right timing, a clearer signal.

But real estate doesn’t reward hesitation. It rewards timing.

Today’s market isn’t broken.

Confidence is.

And when confidence returns, the leverage buyers and sellers have right now will shift quickly.

So what does all this mean?

It means hesitation — not the economy — is controlling the market. And when people freeze, the ones who keep moving get the best positioning, the best leverage, and the best outcomes.

Want clarity on your situation?

If you want to know whether waiting or acting right now gives you the better outcome for your specific home or situation, text me the address. I’ll run the scenario both ways and tell you — clearly, honestly, and without any pressure — which path puts you in the stronger position.e.