Sellers Who May Have Bought At The Top Of The Market And Need To Sell, Are Willing To Accept Less Money

A report from Gulfshore Business in Florida. “The Naples area residential real estate market saw the highest number of closed home sales so far this year in April, with 893 closings, up from 820 in March but down 12.3% from April 2024, according to Naples Area Board of Realtors data. Despite the increase, the overall median closed price dropped 10% year over year to $585,000. With more than 7,000 homes for sale, sellers are adjusting prices to meet buyer demand, resulting in 2,572 price decreases in April. Inventory dropped to an 11.2-month supply, the lowest in 2025.”

Atlanta Jewish Times in Georgia. “The AJT asked a panel of local realtors to discuss the current state of the metro Atlanta real estate market. Rachel Lipszyc, Azure Realty: Don’t overlook homes that have been sitting on the market longer than others. In many cases, it’s simply because they were priced too high to start or need a bit of TLC — but that often means the seller is more motivated now. With the right agent who knows how to negotiate, those can be the sweet spot opportunities that won’t break the bank. Leigh Schiff, Ansley Real Estate, Christie’s International Real Estate: Market slowdown and inventory imbalance homes are taking longer to sell across all price points. Entry-level inventory remains tight, while higher-end properties — especially those over $3M — face increasing competition, making precise pricing and presentation critical. Buyers in every bracket expect homes to be updated, turnkey, and aligned with modern lifestyle needs. Homes that don’t meet these expectations struggle to capture interest. From starter homes to estates, today’s buyers expect properties to be turnkey, well-presented, and reflective of current design trends. Homes that fall short may sit longer or face aggressive negotiations.”

KRIS TV in Texas. “With an absorption rate of seven months for the entire city, Corpus Christi is generally considered a buyer’s market. ‘Anything below six indicates a seller’s market. Anything above six indicates a buyer’s market,’ said David Garcia, a Corpus Christi realtor. ‘You’re less likely to have multiple offers, less likely to have to pay over asking price, more to choose from and you may be able to get some seller concessions out of it.’ Price point also plays a crucial role in determining market conditions. ‘The hottest price point right now in the Corpus Christi area are homes selling between 2-3 hundred thousand,’ Garcia said.”

Palm Springs Tribune in California. “The real estate landscape in Coachella Valley is undergoing a notable shift as housing inventory continues to climb, indicating a growing advantage for buyers in the region. As of June 2025, there are 3,608 homes listed for sale, a significant jump from 2,598 units at the same time last year. This represents a more than 38% increase in available properties. This surge in inventory has pushed the absorption rate to 7.18 months, above the 6-month threshold that traditionally marks a balanced market. In real estate terms, this means the region has officially entered buyer’s market territory. In terms of pricing, Coachella Valley is seeing a clear disparity between listing expectations and actual sales figures. The average list price in May 2025 was $1,062,084, while the average sale price came in significantly lower at $867,881, highlighting a nearly 18% gap between what sellers are asking and what buyers are paying. The median list price in May was $649,000, whereas the median sale price was $590,000, further emphasizing downward pressure on home values despite elevated asking prices.”

From Fortune. “A key tipping point in the housing market is coming into view as momentum shifts more firmly in favor of buyers over sellers. Prices in 11 of the 50 most-populous U.S. metro areas are falling, according to Redfin data. They’re led by Oakland, Calif. (-4.9%); Dallas (-4.5%); Jacksonville, Fla. (-3%); Austin, Texas (-2.5%); and Seattle (-1.4%). The reason for the U-turn is simple: there is way more supply than demand right now. Last month, there were about 500,000 more people selling homes than there were people trying to buy them, marking the biggest such gap since Redfin started collecting the data in 2013. And when those home sellers list their properties, they’re staying on the market longer, forcing some to lower their asking prices.”

“‘Sellers are realizing we’re in a new market, which is making them flexible,’ Venus Martinez, a Redfin agent in Los Angeles, said in the report. ‘A lot of sellers, especially those who may have bought at the top of the market and need to sell, are willing to accept less money for their homes, give concessions to buyers, and even negotiate commissions. Buyers are more likely to be able to negotiate if a home has been on the market for more than a few weeks, or if it has fallen out of contract.'”

Bisnow New York. “More than 5,000 New York City apartments were pushed into bankruptcy last week after the cost to cover their debt service jumped 75% in two years, their owner said in a new court filing. Companies owned by Joel Wiener, the CEO of Pinnacle Group, owe more than $1.1B combined to Flagstar Bank and Israeli bondholders tied to 93 properties in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, according to a filing in bankruptcy court. Of the roughly 5,200 apartments in the portfolio, 96% are subject to rent stabilization. Interest payments have been the portfolio’s ultimate undoing, with debt payments rising from $26M in 2023 to an estimated $45M this year, a nearly 75% increase.”

“In an objection filed Wednesday, Flagstar said rental income has been funneled to a separate holding company to pay bondholders when it should have gone to pay the mortgage. Its attorneys wrote that Wiener’s companies have been uncooperative and failed to produce financial documentation. ‘No one knows where the rental income went, but it did not go to pay the lenders and appears to have been consolidated to pay bondholders,’ the bank said in a filing. ‘The Debtors’ lack of transparency has been, and continues to be, a major issue.'”

CTV News in Canada. “A growing number of Canadians are entering retirement with mortgage debt — and for many, it’s not by choice. A new Royal LePage survey reveals that nearly three in 10 Canadians (29 per cent) planning to retire within the next two years say they will still be making mortgage payments when they leave the workforce. Nearly half (47 per cent) say they don’t plan to downsize their homes. Cheryl Maxwell, who moved from Winnipeg to Carman, Man., to prepare for retirement, still faces the reality of long commutes and an uncertain future. ‘It is unlikely my mortgage will be paid off during my lifetime,’ she wrote in an email to CTVNews.ca. ‘I’ll have to pinch pennies for sure — I may very well need a part-time job just to make ends meet.'”

“Christine Bell of Kemptville, Ont., has owned homes since the age of 25. A single woman throughout her life, she says she’s been fortunate to hold jobs that allowed her to purchase several properties over the years with the help of the bank. ‘I feel very fortunate, but I’ve just retired and still carry a mortgage on my current house,’ she wrote in an email to CTVNews.ca. Now retired and living in a bungalow for health reasons, Bell says she recently renewed her mortgage knowing she likely won’t pay it off entirely. ‘I took the longest amortization period at the lowest rate, understanding that I’ll probably carry this mortgage until I either pass away or move into long-term care.'”

The Canadian Press. “Toronto landlords are trying to lure in tenants with rent-free months, complimentary Wi-Fi and $500 gift cards amid an unprecedented supply of condos and lower rents. Real-estate market experts say the fierce competition – which extends beyond the Greater Toronto Area – is giving renters more negotiating power. Two months of free rent, free parking and gift cards for food delivery or public transit are among thousands of dollars’ worth of perks and discounts advertised on Toronto rental listing websites and apps. While such incentives are ubiquitous in Toronto, landlords in other GTA cities and the Greater Hamilton Area are also locked in a tight contest that benefits renters.”

“Michael Niezgoda, senior manager of market research and development at Urbanation, a Toronto-based real estate research firm, said a record 29,000 condominium units were completed in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area in 2024 and 40 per cent of that new supply has since entered the rental market. ‘This has created a lot of competition between condo owners, they’re very motivated to get tenants in to help pay their mortgage after closing on their new condos,’ he said. The report also found that condo rents are 10 per cent lower from their peak in 2023. Niezgoda said the second quarter might see a further drop, even though the majority of landlords are resistant to the idea. According to recent data from Rentals.ca and Urbanation, the national average asking rent in April was down year-over-year for the seventh straight month, with Ontario recording the largest decline.”

From Domain News. “London property investor Sebastian Rew has warned landlords and property managers to be on the alert after falling victim to a ‘well-rehearsed scam.’ Last year, Rew was seeking a tenant for a flat he owned in Battersea, London. The agency found a ‘tenant’ who called herself Nadia. She claimed to be a senior professional from Sweden who had an income of over $188,000 per annum. Nadia was relocating to England and wanted to sign a three year lease. Rew agreed to Nadia leasing his flat, but never met with her. Over the next six months, Rew said Nadia never paid rent and repeatedly refused to let him or the real estate agency inspect the property. In the UK, it is illegal for landlords or property managers to inspect a rental home without the tenant’s consent.”

“Different rules apply in Australia, where landlords can generally enter a property without the tenant’s consent if correct notice procedures have been followed. When Rew arrived at the flat, Nadia was nowhere to be seen. In fact, he was greeted by a young man named Otto. Otto told Rew he had seen the flat advertised on the letting website Spare Room in December 2024 and was sharing the flat with two other young men who had also responded to the advertisement. Rew believes Nadia had been receiving rent from the three men while posing as the landlord in a ‘well-rehearsed scam.'”

“Property scams like the one involving Nadia are not unique to the UK. They are common in Australia and, according to ScamWatch, renters are often targeted. Last year, a New Zealand couple lost thousands of dollars through a rental scam after applying for a rental advertisement on the website TradeMe. Payment redirection scams targeting homebuyers are also on the rise. Also last year, first home buyers Jessica Greentree and Will Clinton lost $48,925 through a payment redistribution scam after spending years saving up for a house in Sydney. ‘Losing that money has been absolutely devastating,’ Clinton said.”