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| Values are still climbing across the corridor. What changed is how long buyers take, and how little they’ll forgive an overpriced listing. Here’s what the numbers mean, and what I’d do. THE NATIONAL HEADLINE |
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THE LOCAL DATA Volume is holding, too. DuPage closed 855 single-family sales in September versus 861 a year ago, and 1,350 new listings came on versus 1,325. That’s not a market in retreat. |
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| Homes are also no longer routinely selling at or above their original price. The median DuPage home sold at 99.0% of its original list price, down from 100%. In Lombard and Warrenville it was 97.8%. A year ago, Warrenville sellers were getting 102.4%. Inventory is up slightly, from 1.6 to 1.8 months of supply countywide. That’s still a tight market; a balanced market runs around five to six months. Sellers still have the leverage. They just can’t overplay it. MRED Weekly Market Snapshot, 9/21/2026. Entire MRED area, all residential property types. Sold price excludes rentals; new listings exclude private listings. Weekly figures move around more than monthly ones. |
 ASK ANDY Should we list this fall, or wait for spring? “We’re thinking about moving up next year. With rates over 7%, should we hold off and list in the spring?” My honest answer: if your timing is flexible, I wouldn’t wait just because of rates. Spring brings more buyers, but it also brings more sellers competing with you, and nobody can promise rates will be lower in April. Here’s what I would do: price at the market on day one, not above it. The data says buyers are still paying strong prices for homes that are priced right, and walking past the ones that aren’t. Your first two weeks on the market are your best shot. A home that sits 20+ days starts collecting questions, and price cuts tend to follow. If you’re undecided, the first step is simply knowing your number. That’s a short conversation, not a commitment. |
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■ Tightest: Carol Stream. Supply fell to 1.2 months (from 1.5), new listings were down 30%, and homes sold at 100% of original list in a median 11 days. ■ Holding firm: West Chicago. Market time was unchanged at 12 days, and homes sold at 101.1% of original list, the only market above 100%. ■ Loosening: Warrenville. New listings jumped from 30 to 46 and supply reached 2.0 months, the highest in the group. Pricing precision matters most here. ■ Watch: Winfield. Only 0.9 months of supply, yet market time rose to 25 days. With just 10 sales in September, read it as directional. |
| THIS WEEK IN DUPAGE What else is worth knowing Nov. 3 ballot: tax and bond questions Voters in parts of DuPage will see bond and tax-rate questions on the Nov. 3 ballot, including a proposed tax-rate increase for School District 45 (Villa Park/Lombard). Property taxes are part of every buyer’s monthly math, so it’s worth checking your sample ballot with the DuPage County Clerk. Chicago area: still short on homes Illinois REALTORS® reports Chicago-area inventory in July was down 11.9% from a year earlier, while the metro median price rose 6.8% to $401,000. The forecast in that report projects October single-family prices about 5.5% above last year. Well & septic corner For homeowners in unincorporated DuPage (I’m one of you): fall is the time to test your well water and schedule septic service before the ground freezes. If you might sell in the spring, having current well and septic records on hand makes inspections go a lot smoother. |
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