Our Meager Market

The Metro MLS (Multiple Listing Service) sent out a press release detailing stats for the month of February in our area: Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee, and Washington Counties. The report covers data from February 2026 compared to February 2025.

Their highlights include:

• Sales Were Up 2.9% in February 

• February Listings Up 16.3% 

• Metro Prices Up 9.5% With Average Sale Price of $407,818 

In our area, the age-old economic factor of supply ​versus demand continues to contribute to the rising cost of housing. While conditions are improving, our market still lacks a massive amount of housing units. Experts say a community needs a six-month supply of housing to achieve a balanced status. Our metro area needs another 4775 housing units to approach that ​benchmark.

So maybe a 9.5% increase in the average sale price isn’t that surprising. But it is painful. If you bought a property for $300,000 last year, you would need $328,500 to buy it this year. Even if you put 20% down and find a 6% interest rate, your payment is still at least $125 more a month this year over last year on that same property. 

Average Sale Price: $407,818. Let’s do the math on that one. With 20% down and a very attractive 6% interest rate, the principal and interest monthly payment would be around $1950. Wisconsin property taxes are no joke. And home insurance costs aren't funny either. A total monthly payment on an average property with these terms could easily range around $2500.

Perhaps you read or heard that real estate markets have balanced. Some have. Not ours. With our continued deficient supply, we may be stuck in a seller’s market for a while. Great for sellers – not so much for buyers. Either way, I’m here to help you!